Feb 27, 2012
One of my (many) guilty pleasures is shojo manga, particularly those with cheeky demons. I know it's meant to be 14 year old school girls developing crushes on the lead characters in shojo manga but I hope there are some fellow British twentysomethings who have a soft spot for cocky raven-man hybrids. If this doesn't describe you, cringe and turn away now. If it does, read on.
The main thing this manga gets right is indulging its readers in the forbidden love aspect. Kyo is portrayed as a perverted, occasionally romantic, demon but with a very human protective side. He is shown through Misao's eyes who
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is enchanted by the Tengu world but yearns for her innocent schoolgirl days. Whilst one scene shows the two arguing over their enormous differences, the next will show them in a passionate embrace that could give VK's Yuuki and Zero a run for their money.
However, the downfall of Black Bird is that it isn't especially original. It has the typical supernatural shojo plot of feeble, cutesy girl is powerless to toying ways of handsome, wicked man with a dose of magic potions and battle scenes. The comedy moments, although a welcome break from the doom 'n' gloom love story, are also a little clichéd and the drawing of comedic expressions appears a tad half-hearted. Misao's character is on the wimpy side and feels underdeveloped, as do background characters, but fortunately Kyo has enough charisma to override this.
Having said that, I am hooked to Black Bird and I recommend reading Volume 1, if not for the collectibility of Kanoko's gorgeous cover artwork then for a half-hour break into a shojo manga that gives you a healthy dose of forbidden romance, cheesy comedy and pervy demons.
I, for one, am excited for the UK release of Volume 13 on 15th March!
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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