Manga Review: Black Bird, Vol. 1

Author: Kanoko Sakurakoji

Released: August 4th 2009

Publisher: VIZ Media

# of Pages: 194 

Summary: (from Goodreads)

There is a world of myth and magic that intersects ours, and only a special few can see it. Misao Harada is one such person, and she wants nothing to do with magical realms. She just wants to have a normal high school life and maybe get a boyfriend. All that changes one day when Misao is attacked by a demon. Her childhood friend Kyo suddenly returns to save her and tend to her cuts--with his tongue! It turns out Misao is the bride of prophecy, whose blood gives power to the demon clan who claims her. But most demons want to keep her power for themselves--by eating her! Now Misao is just trying to stay alive...and decide if she likes it when Kyo licks her wounds.

Plot: Although I feel like I have read something similar to this before, Black Bird definitely kept my attention. I absolutely loved that Sakurakoji mixes bits of violence, romance, and Japanese folk lore into this novel creating something that feels both authentic and fictional at the same time. The pacing of the novel is also something that really impressed me. The details of the novel are slowly revealed which allowed me to get to know the characters and understand each person's role in the overall story.

Characters: Black Bird is a novel FULL of characters. But what I loved was that I did not feel overpowered by them. Each had their own personality... their own traits. So by the end of the novel, it was easy to remember each of them for their own special reasons.

Graphics: Black Bird is a beautifully drawn novel. All the characters and scenery are just wonderful to look at. This is one of those novels that I would just love to jump into it and visit.

Series Info:
There are currently four volumes of this series available with the fifth being released in August of 2010. Currently, the sixth volume is set to release in November of 2010.


Due to some sexual content and violence / gore, this manga is rated YA, and may not be suitable for readers under 16.