Black Bird

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Black Bird is one of those manga that you love at one point but then hate when the chapters start going nowhere.

Story: 7
Black Bird is about teenage girl (Misao) who can see little spirits and things from the underworld. One day she comes across a demon man (Kyo). It turns out this man was the boy who once played with her when she was little. When they were children the man said he would marry her. Shortly after he disappeared. Now he's back and has come to claim what is his.

The story kicks off with your usual shoujo facotrs. Boy loves girl. Girl is ... creeped out by pervy boy. Boy pursues girl. Girl pushes him away. Boy shows true love (by means of protection, ect.) Girl starts falling for boy. I could go on and on.

When the main problem is solved of course other sub plots pop up. This is where the story either gets good or bad, depending on your opinion. At first it was okay. The girl would get attacked then the boy would save her. The girl was being chased and sexual harassed by other boys, and of course, the main boy would save her. This is all good and well if the author knows when to stop. It seems as if this is what happens in Black Bird with the boy and the girl dont have their lovey dovey moments. In my opinion I sometimes wish the author would just stop introducing more characters and focus on the main and supporting ones.

Art: 8
The art in this manga is very appealing. Kyo, Misao's love interest, is a very good looking man. His dark demeanor but also gentle face is a factor that gets most fangirls (such as myslef) squealing. The other boys/men in this manga are also good looking. Misao is very pretty, her round eyes give her an almost middle school innocent girl look.

Character: 7
The only reason I rated character a 7 is because the author is introducing way too many character in her sub plots. I can't keep up with all of them to be honest. The ones the she introduces end up not even being talked about in the next volume/chapter. This is another major flaw in Black Bird

Enjoyment: 8
I have to say I do love this manga. The romance and I guess cruel chivalry (if there is such a thing) of Kyo makes me squeal whenever he has a love scene with Misao. There are definitely some steamy parts in this manga, but nothing too graphic. I do not recommend this manga for people who are not used to seeing a lot of kissing, part nudity,sexual torture, and even blood at points.
If you're okay with all these factors then by all means, go for it!

I usually read only BL comics, so I was surprised at how much I've fallen for Black Bird.

The artwork is absolutely gorgeous. The characters are beautiful (Host Club lol).

The storyline is rather engaging. The concept is very original.

The heroine is very average and easy to relate to.

There's plenty of suggestive scenes to enjoy.

In short, this is a very sexy manga, and you definitely should give it a read.

So to start of, I have seen some pretty bad reviews for this manga and that's fair enough, everyone had there own opinions and not everyone like the same thing. That said, I did love this manga so very much so this review may not be very helpful but I'd just like to write what I thought about it.

I personally loved this manga. It may be because I love the whole fantasy genre but I think the mangaka created something really amazing with Black Bird.
I loved the characters, I loved Kyou and Misao. I loved Taro and I loved everyone, seriously even sho. The characters ... were funny and serious and there was really a good mix (in my opinion) which I loved because it's always great to have a mixture of different character types.
I liked the art, it was different to the other types I'd seen and held a lot of detail which made my breath catch a few times. Really I love most manga art because it's just so amazing how it looks and really as a person who does a lot of art in her spare time, it is one of most favourite types of art to do.
I found the story also very interesting, it wasn't something I'd seen before and it really got me hooked. I stayed up for hours reading this manga the past few days, I just couldn't put them down. I've always liked stories with demons and humans and I love stories with a lot of love and romance and hardships and drama, the good stuff. I found that this manga had all of that for me.
It made me cry so much as well, I cried with happiness, I cried with sadness, I laughed and got so emotional that I can't put it into words, I just so happen to get very emotional attached to fictional things, so this isn't a new feeling for me but honestly I love reading something that makes me feel so emotional and this was one of those things.
SPOILERS
The ending was literally perfect for me, I cried so much because they never actually said whether she lived or died and for those few pages it was so tempting to skip to the end but I didn't and when sou runs up to them both gosh, I cried like a bitch because she was alive and it just showed that there love had kept them both alive and that miracles do happen and omg I was terrified reading the end but I loved it I really did.

Honestly I think a lot of people will disagree with me but I don't think that because Misao is always being attacked and because she cries a lot that she is weak. Really if I were in her situation yes, I may try and defend myself a little more, but I will still cry as much as she has, I love Misao and her character and all these things make her character. I can see however, that these things could be seen as annoying and pathetic and a little stupid but I don't think that.
I guess that could be a criticism even if I don't actually think it to be true, there are a lot of things that could be said as criticism, I know that but honestly I don't have any myself.

Most of you probably won't find this review helpful, I don't write them for that though. I write these reviews because honestly, whether you agree with what I'm saying or not, I like to share my opinions on these things, manga and anime, with others who love manga and anime like I do.

SO yeah, I loved this manga and I'll probably read it again sometime because it really was a great one. It's one of those that leave a permanent emotional imprint, the ones you never forget and now I sound really cheesy but omg I really loved it.
:)

Story: 7
I really thought this manga was just a silly romance manga with little to no story that I would just read in order to pass time. Well honestly the story is actually pretty cool and unique. The supernatural aspect mixed with romance was well structured and captivating. Yes, it tends to be very sexual and kinda throws the topic of rape in their a lot, but they mix it in the story where it doesn't seem forced (plus if there's a guy and a girl in love, their most likely going to have sex and make out a lot and not just a few ... times like in other romance manga). If the story was more of a shounen and built on more, it really would have been very engrossing even more so and more mature (mature not only in the sense of sex and stuff).

Art: 9
The art was really nice and the artist rarely or ever got lazy in chapters. It was vibrant and detailed enough sort of like a shoujo and shounen manga's art put together if you know what I mean.

Character: 8
I loved pretty much all of the characters in this manga, especially the main characters. Well the female protagonist, Misao, was very annoying and whinny and cried way to much, but she redeemed herself in many ways and its actually hard to completely hate her, because she's like a lovable puppy (kinda like Nana Komatsu). All the important characters were built on well and all had their own background stories shown (even if it was just briefly). Every character in this series has their own funny and/or honorable trait to them that it just makes it to hard to despise them.

Enjoyment: 10
I do have complaints about this manga, but I really enjoyed it. It was a fun read that had quite unexpected plot twist that keeps you on edge. It's a manga I'm truly glad I read and has a special place on my future manga bookshelf.

Story - 6
Art - 8
Character - 6
Enjoyment - 8
Overall - 7

Before I continue, I'll say that I'm generous when it comes to ratings...

Let me talk about the "genre" firstly. From what I've seen so far, it seems like a reverse-harem and reverse-ecchi(Does this exist? Let's just assume it does) which is pretty much an ecchi harem aimed at females. Though I personally enjoy it(Hello? Female here?), why else would I rate enjoyment an "8" anyway, there is a little sensible voice at the back of my head which is nagging at me about the areas this manga does not do so well in.

... *sensible mindset tuned*
There are many other ways which a character can heal someone. Long-distance magic, chanting spells, waving magic charms and these are just some of the many. And out of the many, the author HAD to choose LICKING. For what's sake? For fan-service's sake.

The Female Protagonist(Misao) summarised in one sentence:
She. Is. Like. A. God.

Now, let's assume that you're a demon. Even better, let's assume you are a MALE demon. I will now introduce a brand new product to you. Aww, you feel exhausted... NOT TO WORRY, kissing/hugging this wonderful little god- I mean human girl will give you back your energy, like a healing fountain eh? WHY is that so? I do not know. Maybe because she is actually a GOD. That's not all of its functions! You wish to live for eternity? You can just swallow her into your stomach and WA-LA! )Once again, I do not know why.) Find that a pity? Then just get her to marry you, you and your family will have superb prosperity! I repeat! I do not know why! Plus, she has an incredible scent which makes you want to rape her.

And the entire plot is built upon her godly blessings. Different demons want to get her for himself and endless troubles come along blah blah...

Don't get me started on the main male's "true form" outfit. It's a total joke. It looks like a mix of "ninja"+"fallen angel"+"samurai" outfit from a low-budget movie. Yeah, I've checked, that's how a traditional "tengu" is suppose to look like but that doesn't change the fact that it looks funny. And can someone explain to me why is there a need for him to have long hair in his true form and not in his human form? Anyone? To let him seem normal? Then he must truly love his long hair very much for him to keep it that way in his true form. Maybe his hair magically grows when he transforms. He's also the one who has the healing-tongue. A full-time pervert.

I haven't seen any difference in the characters so far. They are just the typical stereotypes I suppose.

You can say that I'm biased if you want.

To sum it all up, it's readable but if you detest excessive fan-service and female protagonist with godly blessings, then I advice you not to.

I came across Black Bird after I finished reading Hana to Akuma. Being a fan of youkai(s) and stuff (because they are somewhat gorgeous lol), this manga caught my interest. Initially, I really love the plot of the story. The manga was good, it is entertaining. However, there are downsides to it as well. I somewhat find Misao kinda annoying the way she wails and stuff and that she always cries. I love how Kyo acts sometimes, though. The way he gives off that mysterious aura is a plus points for me. However, I did not like the ending of this manga because basically, how ... can he even hate his own son. I mean, it's his own flesh and blood, and he acts so cold and like a jerk towards the kid. It was really annoying. Over all, it was worth a read, it may not be the best but it's worth it.

This Manga's audience is for a more MATURE crowd. (With that being said- if you're expecting a lovey-dovey sweet innocent story please REFRAIN from reading this manga).

It is quite explicit & dark.

Black Bird is becoming a very interesting manga even though it started slow.

Black Bird’s beginning revolves around the sexual tension between Kyo and Misao (which leads to them eventually doing it). This is where the manga is denounced by reviewers because they say it’s too ‘explicit’ for shojo, etc. and that Kyo is a rapist (considering Misao’s only 16).

But I have to stand up for the Manga in the regard that ... Sakurakoji-san puts such explicitly between Misao and Kyo’s sexual relations because it symbolizes how much they long to be together even though they know it might eventually lead to death. This is pointed out when Tadanobu says, “If he (kyo) wants to spend the rest of his life with you, he can’t have sex with you… I wonder about a life where…you can’t know the joy of making love with the girl you cherish.” (Chapter 19).

Yes, Kyo can be mean at times- but everything he’s worked for (challenging his brother to become clan leader) was so that he can protect & be with Misao. If that’s not love- I don’t know what is.

Where the story finally starts to develop and pick up is the division in the Tengu Clan (Crow Demon Clan that Kyo is leader of).

The entire village is torn between following Kyo (protecting Misao) and Sho (Kyo’s older brother in using Misao to heal and give strength to villagers). In this division we find the cruel Sho show that what drives him to destroy Kyo is the unrequited love he so desires especially from Misao. “I’m not asking you to love me (Sho speaking to Misao)… Can’t I just have one person?! I only want you that’s enough…If you were to choose me…I will never be like kyo. Doing something that will kill you.” (Chapter 50).


This manga is blossoming into a dark and tragic love story that involves so many characters that you wish will end up happy. Sakurakoji-san does such an amazing job with the characters- you can’t even hate the bad guys- knowing their backgrounds; you can’t help but feel sympathetic for them. Especially those in Sho’s camp (except the village people who are super lame).

This manga is slightly UNDERRATED in my opinion because readers cringe at how dark it is. I say give it a try; you might end up enjoying it.

I honestly don’t read/watch a lot of shojo- but Black Bird is indeed an interesting read. Can’t wait for the next chapter!

What can I say about Black Bird except that it was an unbelievable read. In the beginning, I was a little worried about reading it - simply because I haven't read manga in a VERY long time and I wasn't sure in my choice. I mean, the plot synopsis' I read sounded interesting enough, and I loved the cover art (which was my main reason for buying it in the first place - I know, I know; what a horrible way to pick a manga, right?). But it turned out to be surprisingly good and...addicting. The characters are lovable and fun. The story line was ... interesting and captivating. The art was outstanding...I don't know what else to say except that this is probably my favoritest manga ever. (:

The unique thing about Black Bird for me is that I ADORED all of the side characters. In contrast, I rarely felt anything for Misao and Kyo unless I was acknowledging a cute moment between them. I want Sagami and Ayame to have their own manga. The daitengu all had awesome backstories, which could have easily spun off into their own stories. I'm glad they didn't spin off though because they made the Black Bird experience tolerable and so much better. :D

The tengu orphanage babies are lovely in every way. Misao's parents are the best as well!

I liked how the story cast a realistic light ... on the human falling in love with supernatural species. In many chapters Misao struggles on whether she's ready to give up seeing her family and friends so freely to move with the Tengus.

I hated Kyo's manipulative, obsessively rude moments. Like, wanting to force his girl to watch him kill someone. I disliked Misao at times for listening to him! Why in the world did she make herself watch that? She also cried TOO MUCH, more than humanly possible.

I feel bad for Kyo's brother's loneliness, but it didn't make me excuse his previous behavior. This manga has one HUGE problem: Rape/sexual assault moments are not okay! They never will be! I don't care if you are super nice the next day or the next 600 chapters, trying to rape someone, even the Senka, is WRONG.

Raikou (He's a legendary pokemon haha) needed to back the chicken feathers away from Misao. That's all that needs to be said there.

Conclusion:
If you dislike this manga for its story, then you will love it for its characters (mostly side but the main have their moments too). Some of the kissing moments are sweet.

The smutty scenes are pretty easy to skim over as well. So, I wouldn't worry too much about them. The blood isn't overly gory unless limbs are detached and only arms get detached! I do get squeamish when Misao tries to cut her wrists though and all the talk about drinking her blood.

The story is also super hilarious! Some of Misao's expressions have me in laughing fits. One of my favorites is when she meets Sagami's wife, or when Kyo knees Zenki in the face. XD NO, no my all-time favorite is when Misao (in a rare shining moment) outsmarts a mean, former orphan girl.

One thing though if the almost-rape moments do not all the way turn you off, a later scene that could be perceived as child abuse may. With context, it's understandable but still majorly unsettling.

Overall, due to some smutty scenes I probably wouldn't recommend it to anyone, but it is an interesting read. I finished it within a week because I was binge reading it. The story sho' will keep you turning pages!

Black bird is truly amazing. It has all the things I love. Deep romance, fighting, laughter and silly times, and just the heart warming part are great too. To be honest, this is the first manga I have read. I mainly watch anime, but this was a very cute story. I must say that the drawing and artwork are very well done even though I got confused during some parts. Overall, I think that this is a very good manga!

Well, I don't normally like fluffy, pretty romantic shojo mangas, so I didn't have high expectations for this when I first read it. In fact, I only did so because someone bought it for me. But I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised as I continued reading.
The beginning was a little slow, and I didn't think the first volume was the strongest, but it gets much better as you continue. The main character Misao improves a little from her weepy start, and Kyo is rather funny with his naughty mind: I found it preferable to him being unrealistically sweet. Also, the second volume ... introduces the Daitengu (who I think make it much better by giving it a larger and livelier cast) and starts to pick up the pace for the plot.
The art is very stylistic and covered in bubles and patterns, but it's still quite pretty, and some of the weird ghost-creatures are intersting looking.
If you're already thinking about reading this, then you probably should. The characters and story are cute, in a good way, so I think it's worth the read.

Looking at the other reviews I decided to post my own. I absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE this manga!!!!!! I spend most of my spare time reading, and with the unlimited amount of manga on the internet, I've never really wanted to reread one. However, Black Bird is my one exception.

The art is beautifully drawn. I base my initial interest on a manga by the art, and this one got my attention immediately.

The story is amazing. The love between Misao and Kyo grabs you right in the feels. It's not just another superficial "girl falls for hot guy" shoujo. The characters are all extremely deep and ... well detailed. A biggie for me is that the story all wraps up in the end and Black Bird definitely met that qualification. I would highly recommend this manga, as well as other works by Kanoko Sakurakouji.

Let me start by expressing how I feel about this manga. This is the best manga I have ever read possibly ever, I know others will defiantly disagree with me but when I read this manga it defines my very soul. The storyline while for me is a bit confusing at times will always turn into something I can understand. The art is not overdone like in some manga's there is just soo much stuff going on in one portion I cannot continue reading. but the art is beautiful and simple. I think the characters are great, and while some may argue with how the ... men in this series behave I personally love how seductive and forceful, but yet gentle the main character(kyo) is. I really really enjoy reading this series though, the whole thing that drew me in was the beautiful artwork of the front cover I started off by reading volume 2 because I took one look at the cover and i said to myself "that looks like a great manga" and I'm working on my collection of the series currently just purchased the latest volume 11. anyways thats off topic, but if your interested in those kind of sappy,cute,awkward manga's that you would be embarrassed to show your mother, then this is defiantly the manga for you.

A very typcial shoujo premise - helpless girl with magic powers she doesn't really understand, saved by the main male character over and over, with a little bit of fantasy and demons thrown in. But I really, really like this manga.

Misao is sweet and likeable, even if she can't really take care of herself. She does try to do things on her own, and has a distinct personality - she's not so attached to Kyo that she never considers anyone else until a little ways into the manga. Kyo is hard to figure out. He's an enigma - does he really love her, or is ... it the necessity of his position in the Tengu family? The Tengu family and traditions as a whole are complex and interesting.

This manga is undoubtedly driven by character and romance more than plot, but the plot is still there. The romance is just ecchi enough without being super explicit. You might end up being impressed with this manga against your inclination. The art is very nice - something always seems weird to me about the boys' eyes - but overall, really beautiful. There are definitely scenes and moments in this manga that will make you catch your breath.

I really loved Black Bird so much <3

I love love love the love they had between each other and yes, definitely a lot of Twilight vibes– but I didn't even notice this until someone mentioned it.

I thought the story and the characters were both well-developed, not like other mangas where it either went way to quickly and becomes too cheesy (although I love cheesy stories hehehehe), or it ends up leaving some characters behind. This manga divided the characters' importance equally throughout the whole manga and that just made it all the better ^^ I have been looking for more manga like Black Bird but ... even going through the recommendations and having read those, I have yet to come by one that I really enjoyed as much as this one.

Of course there are some negatives, it could definitely been said that the relationship Misao and Kyou was a bit emotionally abusive and it includes quite a lot of sexual harassment content but honestly it only made me feel for the characters more. Instead of it being random smutty scenes (some were), I really do think it played a role in both the character and the story development.

Overall this was still a 10/10 for me, hoping to find another manga that makes me fall in love with it as much as this one!

I loved it. I really did. I don't regret any part of it and I will surely read it again.

The plot is interesting. It's definitely a 10 for me. It had moments of highs and lows, fluff and tears but overall this is one of those mangas I won't forget. I'm not a great fan of fantasy and supernatural when it comes to romance mangas but I really loved this.

The characters were great too.They were funny and each person's personality contributed in making this piece wholesome. Just how much I love the lovey-doviness of the main characters. It's so beautiful.

So will I recommend it? 100% ... YES. Go for it. Give it a try and I hope you'll get to enjoy it the way i did.

This Manga is first and foremost an EPIC LOVE story. I would recommend it for mature readers due to the Sexual content but also because there are a lot of mature themes like death, betrayal and sacrifice that a mature audience may appreciate more.

I really enjoyed this Manga because it was really satisfying to watch the relationship between Kyo and Misao develop and their back story was very sweet. It's refreshing to see the their love being expressed with their actions and not just with words. If you really loved someone, would you not want to be with them all the time, touch them, kiss ... them and plan your future with them in the center of your mind? That is exactly what happens here and it is beautiful to read and feel their struggle through those thoughts.

Kyo is a man of few words but his actions speaks volumes as to how much he loves Misao. He can be a little childish and jealous but this kind of male character does not bother me because i think it's very realistic to be like that when you love someone THAT much. It was funny to see Kyo jealous and the lengths he went sometimes to make Misao jealous was hilarious. At no point does he hit her, try to rape her or bully her so I don't understand why he is often described as an ASS. He loves her and protects her! He teases her for fun and this adds to a lot of their banter throughout the manga. Again, it's very realistic for a couple to joke, tease and play around with each other.

Misao is not weak. Yes, she is protected by nearly all the male characters in the manga but SHE HAS NO POWERS! She has to be protected when she is attacked by demons. How can she fight back? She is a 16 year old HUMAN girl with no powers! But even then, there is a time in the story where she does fight back which is very admirable!

She is portrayed crying a lot but this is not because she is weak. She cries because she is scared (Wouldn't you be if there were demons trying to kill and eat you all the time) She cries because she is compassionate because she knows of the hardships that Kyo, her friends and even her enemies have gone through. She cries because she is AWARE of her own inability to help the people around her. The fact that she is AWARE of all this is refreshing to see. Also, she doesn't immediately fall in love with Kyo the minute he arrives (I hate stupid girls like that) and she helps him through some tough family and political issues in his village so she isn't always the damsel in distress.

Their struggle to be together is the main theme behind the progress of the story but there is also some decent action and interesting plot surrounding Kyo as the head of his clan. The last ARC is the most EPIC and heart wrenching but SOOO worth it. I could not stop reading and was on the edge of my seat till the very end.

There are also deep side characters with interesting back stories and even the bad guys are not just merely bad guys. There is a lot of depth in this anime which can make it hard to understand the first time around, but I have read it 3 times and every time i re-read it I am learning and seeing subtle hints about characters and the story that I missed before.

If you're ready for a truly satisfying love story that is more than saying I love you, holding hands and ending with a kiss then this is it!

It was very enjoyable to read this but I had trouble reconciling several things wrong with the MC. She's straight up dumb and minimal character development is seen. She puts herself in danger and is blatantly selfish, disregarding the feelings and desires of other people. There was potential for the author to create a strong independent FL but by the end of it, it seemed like she still relied on the ML just as much as she did in the beginning. Despite all this, I would read this again because the storyline was unique and the love between the two was very apparent. My only ... real wish for this to be even better was a better rounded FL and I would have loved to see more of the end.

Story:
I like the approach of the manga. It has the nice mixture of comedy and seriousness. I love how the brutality remains strong in his department but not overpowering. It didn't stain the serious and dark theme of the manga. The transitioning of themes and how the author linked each of them throughout the story's timeline is amazing.

Art:
The art may not be that perfect to suit my taste but nevertheless it is still prettily drawn and it's not some drawing that will make your eyes cringe in a long hours of reading.

Character:
I like how the author gave each of the characters their own unique tastes ... and well-being. The author did not create them just to have people supporting the main leads--which is really good because it gives off diversity to the whole setting of Black Bird. I liked how they appears to have their own lives outside of the main story.

Enjoyment:
I enjoyed the manga really good. I'm sure a lot of smutty readers will enjoy this one, too. (This manga has a lot of licking and kissing--if you're looking for a manga with plenty of that... Then pick this one up and start reading!)

This is one of the manga that when I read, I know it is just a fiction. I keep reminding myself that, too. Otherwise, it will be very annoying and absurd. How come you lick a girl's neck without her consent just because she agreed to marry, when she was a toddler? Totally unacceptable! So, put aside common sense when reading it. Of course, it is hard, but chapter after chapter, we get to know this story about love and how preserve it. In this case, how to preserve your loved one. The youkai world is nasty and harsh, blood spill everywhere on a whim, ... yet this one guy/thing, Kyou Usui, turned out somewhat right. He is loving and protective to the ones he care about and adamant on protecting what he needs and he wants. Misao, is what he needs and wants and thus he fiercely protects her. He could have just eat her and be eternal yet that is not what he had in mind.

Surely, Misao deserves to live her own life but she keeps thinking about this boy who she vaguely remembers as her first love. Was it Kyou or Shou, nobody will ever know, but she surely decided that it is Kyou. She was already hopelessly into this idea of "Kyou" her first love, so when he returned and turned out to be a handsome male adult with extraordinary power and one goal in mind: to marry her, that is just like a hattrick moment for her. He waited for her to be voluntarily 'married' to after many attacks and hindrance.

His actions before they finally together, however, is like he already has her, yet it is not the case. But since she was attacked by demons right from the beginning of the series, she gradually believes that she needs a protection from a very powerful being. He believed it also and that is why he strive so hard to be the leader of his clan so his beloved Misao cannot be vanished just like that, after being captured by other demons. He knows that it is unavoidable and he knows that his brother Shou, the original clan leader, was so abusive and cold. Kyou cannot let Misao into Shou's hands after seeing that little Misao got slapped by Shou just because he gave her the mud balls (although we do learn that it is NOT the mud that made Shou angry). In order to protect Misao, he sets his mind to beat his older brother and be the clan leader. So, first lesson is you must be strong or have power in order to protect your loved ones.

Second lesson is that, in love, there must be an equally great give and take. It is symbolize by the senka power that lies inside Misao's body. That power can only be used by youkai or demons and other supernatural beings, and useless to humans. I am referring all this from the story of the last chapter. The senka power is so great on youkais that they can do unbelievable things, including bring their loved ones to life after death.

At the end, it is a very nice love story.