Story: 6
Concept wise, Nina the Starry Bride is right up my alley. It has all of the elements of a good fantasy story. I am a big fan of fake identity stories and strong female leads. The first chapter did a good job of setting all of these aspects up. However, halfway through the first chapter, the pacing loses its impact. The 'found family' set up is dismantled far too quickly. Saji and Colin, Nina's companions for the last however many years, are completely disregarded. When one of them dies, it becomes a turning point for the story. Or, it's supposed to. The death is steam rolled over, and never mentioned again. Instead, it is a catalyst for Nina meeting "gold-eyes" (don't even get me started on that nickname). The events of the first chapter feel pointless and lackluster. It stuck out to me as being lazy writing, and I was disappointed in the buildup. It really turned me off to the rest of the story and characters for the remainder of what I read.
Art: 8
Even though the opening of this story didn't do it for me, I can appreciate the art. The covers for this series are stunning. From what I read, colors are an important part of the story. Character design alone could make this manga stand out to anyone. All the more reason to be disappointed in the experience of the story. For the art alone, I would consider picking this up again sometime. Maybe.
Character: 5
I was deeply disappointed in Nina from chapter 1. In the chapters I read, the sense of time and her personal growth were difficult to pinpoint. That's more of a story/timeline issue than character, but it still impacted how I read her character. Some of the time, she was courageous and honest. Other times, I struggled to sympathize with her and her goofiness (that's the only word that comes to mind). There wasn't much set up for Azure, so I don't particularly feel much for him either. For the most part, I found the characters to be lacking in consistency and depth.
Enjoyment: 6
Because this manga aligns with so many genres and tropes that I typically enjoy, I do have to rank my enjoyment a 6. The art made this score a point or two higher.
Overall: 4
I had high hopes going into this series from hearing so many praises and recommendations on various platforms. I hoped that it would scratch the itch I've had for good fantasy series like Yona, but it did not meet my expectations. I can understand why so many are drawn into the art and the concept, but this was not what I had hoped it would be.
