Princess Kaguya Takenouchi is the heir to the Moon's Silver Court. She is not a happy teenager and she gets very cranky when her mother sticks her on a rocket to the "tainted Earth" during a coup along with the great sword that will proclaim her status. But being cranky, Kaguya does not stay with her grandfather where she would be safe, instead she wanders the countryside proclaiming who she is. And now the coup leaders have sent a crack team of assassins to take her out. Now she just needs to escape and make her way to the Imperial Guard camp near by once she gets herself "unlost" in the woods. An interesting first volume which leads directly into volume 2.

Interesting to see Tatsuya Endo's early work after having read some Spy X Family!

Thank you NetGalley and Viz Media for the advance copy of “Blade of the Moon Princess, Vol. 1”. This manga was an exciting sci-fi twist on the Japanese legend of Princess Kaguya. Kaguya is a brash and strong-willed teenager, heir to the silver court of the moon, and palace troublemaker. A coup throws her kingdom into a disarray, and her mother is deposed. Kaguya is forced to escape to earth, hoping to one day return and reclaim her throne. I enjoyed the complicated relationship between the royal mother and daughter, the struggle between duty and love. Kaguya’s had some cool action scenes along the way, but I felt a bit lukewarm about the story after the first chapter set-up was over. The juvenile humor, violence, and wacky characters felt stale. The set up does have a lot of potential, so maybe future volumes will be better. I’d recommend this series to a reader looking to try out an irreverent and action focused manga.

From the people behind Spy x Family this manga was a fun read and with a cool plot and some compelling characters. Art style was great as well.

Princess Kaguya of the Moon Kingdom has her whole world turned upside down when her family’s court is attacked on the day of her Ascension. During the attack, Kaguya’s mother follows the family’s evacuation plan and launches her towards the Tainted World: Earth. On the world below, Kaguya must unlearn everything she thought she knew about the people of the planet while surviving and outrunning her pursuers who want the fabled Blade that gives the wielded control of the Moon Kingdom. This story has lots of action, similar to Endo’s Spy x Family, and has some similarities with Marissa Meyer’s Lunar Chronicles with its sci-fi twist on the Moon Kingdom mythology.

Much anticipated new series from Tatsuya Endo especially from the success of Spy x Family.
This is action packed with great characters and a very solid first volume for the series.
It is more difficult to get into than Spy x Family but I think there is great potential for this series and I’m intrigued to see where the story will go from here.

An action packed, sarcastic princess, and a whole lot of trouble, what more could you ask for to the start of a new series!?
This will be super popular among middle grade readers who are discovering the wonders of manga.

Blade of the Moon Princess is an earlier series created by Tatsuya Endo, the creator of Spy x Family.

Blade of the Moon Princess Volume One
Written by: Tatsuya Endo
Publisher: Shueisha Inc.
English Publisher: VIZ Media
Release Date: September 5, 2023

The series is set on the moon, and the civilization that lives there is ruled over by an empress in the Silver Court. The empress is bestowed with the divine blade Futsunishi, hence the title of the series.

The volume opens with Kaguya Takenouchi, the teenage daughter of the current empress, not taking her role as princess seriously. While she wants to be like her mother, Kaguya comes across as being a spoiled princess and a wild child. With her coming-of-age ceremony coming up, she will be able to act on behalf of the court immediately, which concerns the members of the royal court. There’s a wave of terrorist attacks going on in the background as Kaguya’s character is established.

Her mother, Fujiya Takenouchi, is the current empress. She has a short temper but is also protective of her people. It turns out that Fujiya has been ill for quite some time but has hidden her illness from Kaguya. When Fujiya collapses, Kaguya finally learns the truth about her mother, who is stubbornly holding on in order to see her daughter come of age. At this point, Kaguya decides to start taking her role as princess more seriously, but she can’t really shake the personality and temperament she’s had up to this point.

One of the branch families launches a coup during Kaguya’s coming-of-age ceremony, hoping to kill Kaguya and take the Futsunishi in order to install one of their relatives as the new empress. However, Fujiya stubbornly leaves her bed and attends the ceremony, and is able to take on the family launching the coup. In order to save Kaguya, Fujiya gives her daughter the Futsunishi, and forcing her into a ship to send her to “the tainted world” in the hope of protecting the imperial line. It turns out “the tainted world” is actually Earth.

When Kaguya makes it to Earth, she is taken in by the parents of one of her mother’s retainers. They may be old, but we see later that they are capable of taking care of themselves in battle. After Kaguya’s arrival on the world, most of the volume is spent showing Kaguya being a “fish out of water” and wanting to return home. The branch family has made the claim that Kaguya’s body was found after the coup attempt in order to make it look like she won’t be able to take on the role of empress once Fujiya passes. Kaguya catches wind of this, and this drives her determination to return home and take on the branch family.

Near the end of the volume, the branch family has found where Kaguya is hiding and tries to capture her. Thanks to her benefactors, she is able to escape immediate harm, and comes across an Imperial Guard Cadet in training named Mikuni Takano. The Imperial Guards are allies of the royal family, and they have a base on “the tainted world.” The final conflict in Volume One starts providing some backstory for Mikuni, and it’s being established that he develops an interest in Kaguya… but she shows no interest all in this commoner.

After reading several volumes of the Spy x Family manga, as well as the first volume of the Tista manga, I can safely say that Blade of the Moon Princess is the missing link between the series. While Blade of the Moon Princess is more comedic in nature than Tista, it still has a bit more of a serious tone than Spy x Family has.

This series is obviously inspired by The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter, and this is most obvious with Kaguya’s name and the fact that she is a princess that lives on the moon. One of the other characters makes a reference in a line of their dialogue to the original story. A line of dialogue also gives a nod to Sailor Moon: “In the name of the moon, she punished them.” Now, I don’t know if this was the original line of dialogue or if this was a creative liberty taken by the translator, but for the scene in question, the reference actually works. I kind of found that reference to be amusing.

Admittedly, Kaguya can be a bit of an abrasive character that can put the reader off right at first. However, as I followed her story, I found myself becoming more invested in her. You can tell by the end of the volume that Endo is setting up a “hero’s journey” storyline for her, and the end of this volume did make me wonder where her story would go to next.

When it comes to the art, I couldn’t help but think at times that Kaguya kind of looks like a younger and rougher looking version of Yor Forger from Spy x Family. It’s to be expected, since both series were written and drawn by the same author, but it also shows how much Endo’s art evolved between Blade of the Moon Princess and Spy x Family. In a lot of ways, just like with the writing, the art of the series also looks like a bridge between Tista and Spy x Family. The art isn’t as rough looking as it was in Tista, but it’s still not quite up to the quality that readers are used to from Spy x Family.

Unlike with Tista, though, the first volume of Blade of the Moon Princess grabbed me a lot easier by the end of it. While this series may not have quite as strong of a hook as Spy x Family, there’s still enough here for manga readers to become interested in the story and invested in the character of Kaguya.

If you’re curious about the work that Endo did before Spy x Family, I would recommend giving Blade of the Moon Princess a chance.

"Blade of the Moon Princess, Vol. 1" by Tatsuya Endo is a captivating Manga that masterfully combines elements of action, intrigue, and fantasy. The book's atmospheric storytelling and detailed artwork create a world that's both mesmerizing and immersive. As someone who adores the atmosphere of the story, I find it to be a perfect recommendation for fans of "Spy X Family."

Tatsuya Endo's skill in crafting a unique narrative brimming with mystery and adventure shines through every page. The characters' depth and the intricate world-building contribute to an enthralling reading experience that's hard to put down. The manga captures the spirit of anticipation and curiosity that keeps readers engaged as they delve into the secrets and mysteries that unfold.

"Blade of the Moon Princess, Vol. 1" not only introduces an exciting plot but also showcases Tatsuya Endo's ability to create an atmospheric world that enchants readers. For those who appreciate a mix of action and fantasy with a touch of intrigue, this manga is a delightful choice that promises an engaging journey into a realm of secrets and adventure.

3.5 rounded up.

Between <i>Tista</i> and <i>Spy x Family</i>, there's this series, a five-volume action fantasy retelling of the Japanese classic <i>Tale of the Bamboo Cutter</i>, better known as the story of Princess Kaguya. This Kaguya hails from the Silver Kingdom on the moon, a modern realm of TVs and helicopters and nasty family feuds. Kaguya's not thrilled to be the crown princess, mostly because she wanted a mom, not a ruler, but she's forced to change her mind a bit when a branch family rises up and starts a coup. To protect her daughter, Kaguya's mother sends her to "the tainted world," which is Earth circa 1505 C. E. - basically Japan is the moon kingdom's 18th century Australia, a place to send all their criminals. The story is a little tonally unbalanced, with the first chapter being the darkest and the third being the silliest, and it feels like Endo is trying to find the mood he wants. But it's still a lot of fun, and definitely worth a second volume to see where it's going.

Typically, I am not a fan of manga or graphic novels in just black and white, but I really enjoyed reading this one. The characters were well developed and there were parts in the story that really sucked me in.

This introductory volume is certainly zany and has ample world-building. I didn't really click with the tone or characters, unfortunately, even though I respect what Endo is doing with a highly irreverent, sci-fi update on the Princess Kaguya myth. It's worth checking out, but it just wasn't for me.

It's always fun to see a creator's body of work and parse out what makes their style their own. The base of this story is a well-known Japanese folktale. A lot of the common elements are still there, but reworked into their own thing. I had lot of fun with the added sci-fi action take. It's a good blend of action, royal intrigue, and comedy. Give it a look if you like Spy X Family!

3.5/5

Enter the world of the Silver Court. A advanced society living on the moon where the empire is passed down from empress to empress. Only through a traditional coming-of-age ceremony can the next empress be crowned and gifted the family sword. But Kaguya - the current princess - no matter how many times she is yelled at to become train, study harder and be ready, just isn’t interested in the responsibility of empress yet. That is, until it’s too late.

Blade of the Moon Princess vol 1 hits you so fast with so much. It is information upon action upon world-building upon character explanations. There is so much going on right from the get-go. It’s a little intimidating and hard to read. I do see the potential for an amazing story though.

The art is pretty straight forward and I really like the design of Kaguya. There is dialogue all the time. Every single frame. This is definitely an action book with a lot of character. I would totally watch it if it was adapted into an anime for sure.

If I have the opportunity to read Vol 2 I would not be opposed. I’m interested to see how this story will unfold.

This is a promising start to a new series. Kaguya is a princess, the heir to the silver court, which is on the moon. Right before her coming of age ceremony, the branch members of the imperial family launch an attack, wounding her mother, who sends Kaguya to the tainted world (Earth) in an attempt to save her life. The setup from there is straightforward, Kaguya is going to go on some sort of journey to get stronger and head back to the moon. I liked Kaguya's character, she strikes me as a very shonen type of character and has a lot of potential. The supporting cast are not as impressive so far though. The humor can be hit or miss, but overall the tone shifting between serious and comedic is done well. The world building is so interesting, the moon empire is technologically advanced, yet those on Earth are still more or less in a feudal state and have no idea anyone lives on the moon. I hope there's more explanation of this setting, because it was the best part of the book for me.