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Black Bird Vol. 8 – Kanoko Sakurakoji

 

It’s been over a year since I last reviewed this series. This series remains one of the top shojo sellers for Viz. Most manga readers have a love or hate relationship with Black Bird. Shojo smut has a definite fan base, but is not for everyone.

The Gist: Exchange student Raiko is still living at Misao’s house. He is determined to rescue Misao from the demon Kyo, and destroy Kyo in the process. Misao hopes that if Kyo talks with Raiko, then the boy will change his mind. The tengu are deceived and Kyo is put in danger. It is up to Kyo to decide whether to make Misao his bride to save himself and Misao.

The Characters/Romance: I am disappointed with the latest plot arch. There was already a good antagonist for the story. I didn’t see a need for another character, like Raiko, to be introduced just to force Kyo to bed Misao. How unromantic could the love making scene be anyway? I’ll just rip your clothes off and shag you?! If he was going to make her his bride, shouldn’t there have been some kind of ritual? I was completely turned off by the imagery of the taloned bird that Sakurakoji chose to use as the metaphor for the union. Yuck! I’m sure a lot of fans were thinking, “Yea, they finally do it!” But the execution was lousy for all the hype leading up to that point.

The Art: While I still like Sakurakoji’s style, I didn’t care for her choice of images in some panels. The last scene in particular, some of the panels look like they are from akward angles making the visual transitions jumpy. I’m sure this was to try to avoid nudity in some scenes, but maybe fewer images would have been better.

The Media: Black Bird is available up to volume 8 in the states from Viz Media.

Heart of Manga Rating: ♥♥ A Disappointment -Even for a Black Bird Fan

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1 Comment

  • Oh, I hated the use of the bird imagery in this sex scene; it was so disturbing. This also counts as the longest sex scene I’ve ever read in a manga, and this volume really hit home how much of a guilty pleasure Black Bird is.

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