Thank you to Kodansha and NetGalley for this ARC.

A somewhat interesting but I think I’ve had too much of the trope where one of the characters is the anti-dote to the other’s affliction. In this one, she’s essentially a blood bank…but it’s fine because he rescued her from an abusive situation!

Eh.

Mamenosuke Fujimaru's dark fantasy book The Ayakashi Hunter's Tainted Bride combines romance, mystery, and supernatural intrigue. In addition to exploring themes of love, treachery, and the conflict between the spirit and human worlds, the novel centers on a strong female protagonist who becomes engaged with ayakashi, or supernatural entities.

All things considered, The Ayakashi Hunter's Tainted Bride is a captivating story for readers who appreciate romantic, evocative fantasy with supernatural overtones. It may not stand out as much for readers looking for a particularly inventive take on the fantasy genre, but it's ideal for those who enjoy delving into rich, imaginative worlds with a sense of mystery.

Thank you to Netgalley and Kodansha Comics for providing me with this title.

I really wanted to like this but, I'm afraid it fell into the "it's okay" category. It has some beautiful artwork and I'm a sucker for stories involving demons but, the characters were just not well developed in my opinion. I can't get behind the stereotype commonly seen in the female characters in manga and anime where she comes from a abusive background but, never develops beyond being meek and submissive with no interests of her own.

That being said - the twist at the end which was hinted at throughout was good and has me interested enough to consider reading the next one.

A captivating story of a young woman who faces torment from those closest to her and receives help from an unexpected source. I can’t wait to see where this story goes!

Thank you to NetGalley and Kodansha for the e-arc!

When I saw that this series was created by the mangaka that made Kakuriyo, I immediately wanted to check it out. While checking it out, I did remember reading at least chapter one on the Kmanga app so I was glad I could continue in a full volume. I will say if you like Kakuriyo or other series dealing with yokai, you will like this series. Outside of that, I do think it is a bit early to tell whether or not this series will pan out to be great. I liked some elements of the story but others haven't stood out to me. I am willing to continue for now with hopes that it will get better but for now, I will say give it a shot.

I really like the story and the art, but the one thing I don't understand is why the ayakashi have to wear a cloth on their face

What a fun and interesting manga!
This one had a lot of lore and world building which I enjoyed.

The fmc felt like fmcs I’ve seen before nothing new or notable there. (miyo from my happy marriage) The mmc definitely carried this. He was funny charming and very hot.

Loved the funny moments / ova at the end of the book.

Would def read book two.

This was an amazing story! I loved it and can't wait for more.

I loved the drawing art style as well, I think it fits perfectly

I wanted to like this story so much more, but it sadly falls into the "This is an okay story" category for me. The female lead Nanao, is a woman who has a large amount of dark spiritual energy, but after an incident, becomes tainted by a yokai and is shunned by the rest of her family. After a fateful run-in with Yako, she is whisked away to be his bride. Unfortunately, this story has so many tropes shoved into it, that I struggled to take it seriously. The start was honestly interesting, I was curious about Nanao's "immersive dark spiritual powers" but it feels like it's barely touched on, except for some brief mentions. The art was very pretty. I don't know what it is, but something about this just didn't hit for me, which sucks cause I thought I'd love it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!

UGH I NEED MORE.
Not only was the story entertaining, but the illustrations were absolutely beautiful. There was trauma, humor, romance. Ugh. I want volume 2 immediately. THE TWIST AT THE END??? Now I'm supposed to wait?
I'd give this a million stars if I could.

Received an arc from net galley in exchange for a honest review.
I enjoyed this story! I think that this has a beautiful art, and I liked the protagonists! They have such a good chemistry. This is a sweet, funny and very fast paced story. I´d recommend it to fans of romance. The love story just began and I hoped that in other volumes gets more intense.

2025 is providing banger after banger when it comes to reading, even when it comes tk ebooks it seems. The Ayakushi Hunter's Tainted Bride might also be a nice edition for valentine's.

TAHTB does start by laying a solid base that did make my blood pressure rise (honestly fuck everyone that hurts Nanao), but also explains her actions easily without having to do a major info dump.

Yako is (surprisingly) a gentleman and I adore him already. He does have The Backstory and he definitely isn't the most perfect husband one could have, but he seems honest and makes promises he can keep.

I am however not looking forward to Reito trying to "save" Nanao. Leave her alone.

Perfect if you like: the mistreated to get the upper hand / hurt & comfort / bond over safety to be the base of future love
Skip if you: prefer the hurt to be drawn out / want instant love / were looking for spice

Definitely looking forward to vol 2!

"The Ayakashi Hunter's Tainted Bride" is a historical fantasy romance and is set in the Meiji era.

Nanao was supposed to have it all: the high spiritual spirit of hers would bless the place, the love and affection of her soon-to-be betrothed, Reito, who is the future head of the Byakurenji family. But all is lost in just a matter of seconds due to a small mistake.

Nanao is attacked by the yokai spirit—an ayakashi—and is marked as tainted with the demon spirit. Forced to wear a monkey mask, her life as she knew it was over.

Years and years of enduring abuse and being shunned by everyone, she never anticipated catching the eye of another powerful scion of the Benitsubaki clan. Instantly she was swept off her feet by Lord Yako, who has a reputation for being a cruel and ruthless ayakashi hunter.

Could Nanao be trading one nightmare for another? But Lord Yako is not like others; besides, he saved her.

I loved this manga. The storyline was perfect, and the illustrations are beautiful and breathtaking. I devoured this book in just a single sitting as it captivated me right from the start. The worldbuilding is fantastic, and the conclusion of the manga has me waiting for the next volume with bated breath. I loved the scene where Lord Yako sweeps in and declares Nanao to be his wife and the ones when they arrive at the imperial capital. Lord Yako's house was a total surprise. Besides the protagonists, I liked the characters that were introduced from Lord Yako's side, especially Goki. The surprise revelation was absolutely amazing.

This is a must-read. I'd highly, highly recommend it.

As a lover of Fujimaru's other works, I knew this one would be up my alley. A girl dejected from her fated match, instead chosen by the most powerful. The story reads similar to Bride of the Barrier Master, which I also enjoy. This seems to potentially be the new trope coming out and I am 100% here for some cute fantasy romance manga!

Received an arc from netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I was originally going to read this in parts but the story sucked me right in and I finished it in one go.
While the premise is something that's been done before -at it's core this is a Cinderella story- it has enough elements to make it an interesting and unique piece. The art style is gorgeous, the pacing is great and the protagonists are so cute together I immediately started rooting for them.
The antagonists are a bit predictable but they're the type you love to hate and watching them get what they deserve was absolutely satisfying.

All in all this was a great first volume and I can't wait to read the rest.

Received an arc from netgalley in exchange for a honest review. If you love my happy marriage then you will love ayakashi hunter's tainted bride. I was immediately sucked into the story.The fmc is full of trauma and has low self esteem so she couldn't believe someone would marry her. I'm all for people who just got married but fell in love later stories. Volume 1 set up The fmc backstory. The love story just started so hopefully the story is fleshed out more and we know more of the husband's backstory. The fmc is similar to my happy marriage due to her trauma yet has strong spiritual powers. I'm interested to see it play out.

Thank you to Kodansha Comics, Mamenosuke Fujimaru, and NetGalley for this ARC!

It was a fun and very quick read. The plot was predictable and typical of a shoujo manga. The plot was solid three stars but I added an extra star for the beautiful art. The tropes and plot line of this book reminded me of "My Happy Marriage" by Akumi Agitogi with a naive FMC and powerful MMC with the addition of the MMC being misunderstood. This is only the first volume, so there could possibly be more character development for the FMC in the future (at least I hope so). I think there's definitely potential for this story to deviate from the predictability of a typical shoujo manga.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read The Ayakashi Hunter’s Tainted Bride. This is an incredibly interesting beginning (volume 1) to a manga series and I already can’t wait for the next volume to drop. I’m loving the main characters Nanao and Master Yako- and especially enjoying the fun twist we find out about Yako in the second half! Extremely interesting and enjoyable. 4 stars

I see potential, but I found the demons and the world building to be little to none. What we know is basically what we are told or shown. We don't know much about the clans and their purpose; we do know about the head demo hunter (her husband). I'm curious if he is romantically attracted to her or not - since he turned down any sexual intercourse.

The female lead is very 'woe is me', seems more like a 'yes, I'll be your submissive' than an actual person. How old is she anyway?

I’m a sucker for stories of broken, beaten down characters overcoming their unhappy lot and finding a new life where they can be happy — bonus points if the people who hurt them get some comeuppance. That said, this graphic novel is right up my alley. You have a poor girl, Nanao, who through no fault of her own has been cursed … more by her family than the monster that cursed her. She’s locked in a woodshed at night, forced to make breakfast for the man she loved, the man who turned his back on her because she is now ‘tainted,’ and to not be allowed to speak to anyone.

When a handsome, powerful lord of an ancient, respected family comes looking for a bride, of course it’s Nanao. And of course his home is full of secrets and mysteries, and of course the servants there are unusual. This is a charming first entry into a series that I fully intend to keep up with, waiting to see what happens as Nanao’s old fiance and family try to interfere in her new life, and to see what’s up with the rest of her new husband’s house.

Thank you so very much to Net Galley and the publisher for an ARC