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A review by deanlockiradall
Firefly Wedding, Vol. 2 by Oreco Tachibana
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Actual rating something like 3.5-4.0 stars.
Thanks to NetGalley and VIZ Media LLC for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Firefly Wedding by Oreco Tachibana continues in Volume 2, where the dark gets darker, the romance gets romancier, and sparks continue to fly between yandere assassin Shinpei and sheltered, dutiful young aristocrat Satoko. This volume picks up where Volume 1 left off, with Satoko attempting to find her way off Goddess Island while navigating the tricky politics of the s*x work industry there. Along the way, Shinpei's character also gets more fleshed out, so while his actions can't be excused, his sentiments and motivations give him some depth. Tachibana also manages to smoothly insert moments of dark humor into her scenes, simultaneously building up the plot while diffusing some of the tension that accompanies this genre. (Please note a CW for attempted SA by a minor character.)
Something else that I respect about this series is that while two very common plot devices that I typically dislike are present--the "love triangle" and "miscommunication" tropes--Tachibana executes them skillfully without being overly reliant on them (so far). Rather than ramping up the angst to an annoying degree, she instead has her characters communicate like the (young) adults they are, furthering their relationship through honesty rather than avoidance (more of this, please!). While this manga is unlikely to pass any feminism tests (ex. Bechdel test), Satoko is still a strong protagonist in her own right, and I'm waiting with popcorn for the drama likely to ensue in Volume 3.
Readers may also enjoy: Fifty Words for Rain by Asha Lemmie, The Tale of Princess Kaguya (2013), Hell's Paradise: Jigokuraku by Yuji Kaku, Fall in Love, You False Angels by Coco Uzuki, Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson, and House of Five Leaves by Natsume Ono, among others.
Thanks to NetGalley and VIZ Media LLC for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Firefly Wedding by Oreco Tachibana continues in Volume 2, where the dark gets darker, the romance gets romancier, and sparks continue to fly between yandere assassin Shinpei and sheltered, dutiful young aristocrat Satoko. This volume picks up where Volume 1 left off, with Satoko attempting to find her way off Goddess Island while navigating the tricky politics of the s*x work industry there. Along the way, Shinpei's character also gets more fleshed out, so while his actions can't be excused, his sentiments and motivations give him some depth. Tachibana also manages to smoothly insert moments of dark humor into her scenes, simultaneously building up the plot while diffusing some of the tension that accompanies this genre. (Please note a CW for attempted SA by a minor character.)
Something else that I respect about this series is that while two very common plot devices that I typically dislike are present--the "love triangle" and "miscommunication" tropes--Tachibana executes them skillfully without being overly reliant on them (so far). Rather than ramping up the angst to an annoying degree, she instead has her characters communicate like the (young) adults they are, furthering their relationship through honesty rather than avoidance (more of this, please!). While this manga is unlikely to pass any feminism tests (ex. Bechdel test), Satoko is still a strong protagonist in her own right, and I'm waiting with popcorn for the drama likely to ensue in Volume 3.
Readers may also enjoy: Fifty Words for Rain by Asha Lemmie, The Tale of Princess Kaguya (2013), Hell's Paradise: Jigokuraku by Yuji Kaku, Fall in Love, You False Angels by Coco Uzuki, Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson, and House of Five Leaves by Natsume Ono, among others.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual assault