Blade of the Moon Princess, Vol. 1

月華美刃 [Gekka Bijin] #1

by Tatsuya Endo

Defiant and vulgar, Princess Kaguya Takenouchi is not the heir to the moon’s Silver Court that her mother’s retainers had hoped for. But when the empress falls ill during a wave of terrorist attacks, Kaguya resolves to do right by her people and rise to the occasion.

Unfortunately, Kaguya’s enemies are a step ahead of her, and she ends up ejected from the moon and stranded on the primitive Tainted World below. Can she find her way back to the moon and reclaim the throne that is rightfully hers from the usurpers?

Genres: Manga, Fantasy, Adventure, Graphic Novels, Science Fiction, Action, Comics

192 pages, Paperback

First published September 3, 2010

About the author

Tatsuya Endo (遠藤達哉 Endou Tatsuya) is a Japanese mangaka.

Reviews

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 rounded up.

Between Tista and Spy x Family, there's this series, a five-volume action fantasy retelling of the Japanese classic Tale of the Bamboo Cutter, better known as the story of Princess Kaguya. This Kaguya hails from the Silver Kingdom on the moon, a modern realm of TVs and helicopters and nasty family feuds. Kaguya's not thrilled to be the crown princess, mostly because she wanted a mom, not a ruler, but she's forced to change her mind a bit when a branch family rises up and starts a coup. To protect her daughter, Kaguya's mother sends her to "the tainted world," which is Earth circa 1505 C. E. - basically Japan is the moon kingdom's 18th century Australia, a place to send all their criminals. The story is a little tonally unbalanced, with the first chapter being the darkest and the third being the silliest, and it feels like Endo is trying to find the mood he wants. But it's still a lot of fun, and definitely worth a second volume to see where it's going.

[Sophie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Der Zeichenstil des Mangaka gefiel mir bei "Spy x Family" bereits sehr gut. Von der Geschichte her ist's leider nicht so ganz meins. Da nervt die weibliche Hauptfigur etwas zu sehr.

[Estibaliz · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5

Pretty stereotyped in every possible aspect, the art was good, but not enough to pique my interest past this first volume.

The story starts out as pretty somber and slightly intriguing when it comes to the setting, but after that first chapter, everything takes a turn for worse, with a bunch of silly jokes and uninteresting characters running around with no much purpose.

The ending was just slightly intriguing, with the new future princess possibly coming into play; but still too dumb for my taste, and just lots of wasted potential.

[Sana · Rating 2 out of 5]

'Swords and imperial power... put either to reckless use, and a lot of people end up hurt.'

I was looking for some sci-fi manga and this series being only 5 volumes long and set in space instantly had me curious. Sad to say this left me pretty whelmed. Also, I somehow thought the author is a woman but apparently it's a man (as if I wouldn't have guessed it from reading the manga itself because of some of the jokes, sigh). Like I don't know why we needed to see Kaguya in her underwear or taking a shower. If that was a way to have her come across as crass and not elegant like a princess should be, I'm really not convinced but rather unimpressed.

The story is interesting enough that I'll probably continue and Kaguya is giving a bit of Luffy but yeah, could have been way better. Her relationship with her mother, Empress Fujiya, is probably the part that had me engaged the most and I also liked Shishimaro being in Kaguya's corner.

The art is amazing and I love how the characters are drawn so it made me doubly sad that the story fell short. Hoping things improve in the second volume!

[Amandi Blackbeak Pls no more group invites · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5
I usually don't enjoy the first book/manga very much so I'll still read the next few and hope that it gets a bit better.
It was good but really nothing special but I feel like it will get better so I'd still recommend reading this :)

[Reece · Rating 2 out of 5]

Doesn't reach the standard of Spy x Family by Endo, but I suppose its to be expected as this work came years before.

The story is a bit ham-fisted in its world building and personification of the titular Kaguya. Endo clearly found their pace in later years. Not enough time is given getting to know the world or Kaguya.

Their slapstick style that suits SxF doesn't seem to mix with the slightly more serious plot points.

It's possible Endo assumed readers were at least familiar with the mythology of the Tale of the Bamboo Cutter.

Either way I'm hopeful the series finds its feet in the next volume. Especially since the series should be collected in 3 volumes.

[Eyla · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first chapter of this was easily a fun, engaging and action-packed introduction to the story and Princess Kaguya. Unfortunately, the "hilarious" perv characters and humour was off-putting and the contrast between the first chapter and the way the story heads left me a little disappointed and less invested by the second half of the volume. That said, if the plot develops the way you would expect it to from the set-up, the rest of the series would seem rather promising?

[📖Moon Book Eater🍽️ · Rating 3 out of 5]

it was ok

This felt like a combination of a few different mangas I’ve read before. The art was good, the story was a bit all over the place. If you like one piece you might like this one.

[Kaiya · Rating 1 out of 5]

boring, repetitive

[78sunny · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tatsuya Endos andere Reihe („Spy x Family“) ist ja meine absolute Lieblingsreihe überhaupt. Daher hatte ich nicht nur große Erwartungen an diesen Manga, sondern wünschte mir wirklich sehr, dass er mir gefällt und ich so etwas anderes in der Wartezeit bis zum nächsten Spy x Family Band zu lesen habe.
Leider kann man diese Reihe absolut gar nicht mit Spy x Family vergleichen. Zum einen bin ich schon meist raus, wenn es um diese japanischen Kaiserreich Themen geht. Das hier ist zwar Fantasy, aber es ist halt von den Zeichnungen sehr daran angelehnt. Wer der Manga nicht von Tatsuya Ende, hätte ich ihn wahrscheinlich nicht einmal beendet. Der Humor war mir zu überdreht. Auch hier kommt wieder ein eigentliches No-Go für mich, nämlich den Humor hauptsächlich über übertriebene Gewaltszenen umzusetzen. So etwas finde ich albern und kann eben nicht darüber lachen. Das hatte absolut gar nichts mit dem großartigen Humor von Spy x Family zu tun. Der Zeichenstil an sich gefiel mir recht gut. Lediglich die vielen Actionszenen waren mir oft zu hektisch und eben auch zu häufig.
Grundsätzlich geht es um Kaguya. Sie ist die Silberprinzessin, eine rebellische, wilde fast volljährige Prinzessin. Ihre Mutter die Kaiserin ist schwer krank und so muss Kaguya wohl bald mehr Verantwortung übernehmen, allerdings rebelliert sie am Anfang des Mangas sehr, weil sie sich von ihrer Mutter vernachlässigt und schlecht behandelt fühlt. Es kommt schnell heraus warum dies so ist und die Kaiserin wird angegriffen und um Kaguya zu beschützen, schickt so diese gegen ihren Willen auf die Erde (zumindest etwas ähnliches wie unsere Erde). Dort angekommen muss sie nun einen Weg finden, um zurück zum Mond zu kommen und vor allem den Leuten zu entkommen, die ihren Tod wollen.
An sich wäre es eine interessante Story wenn man sie mit etwas mehr Ernst und echten Emotionen vermittelt hätte. So kann ich dem ganzen nicht wirklich etwas abgewinnen, so leid es mir tut. Trotzdem mag ich die Reihe noch nicht ganz aufgeben und werde schauen, ob ich den zweiten Band irgendwo gebraucht günstig bekomme.

Story 3,0/5
Charaktere 3,4/5
Zeichenstil 4,4/5
Lesegefühl 3,0/5
Gesamt 3,0/5

[Ailbhe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Much anticipated new series from Tatsuya Endo especially from the success of Spy x Family.
This is action packed with great characters and a very solid first volume for the series.
It is more difficult to get into than Spy x Family but I think there is great potential for this series and I’m intrigued to see where the story will go from here.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first exposure to Tatsuya Endo was Spy x Family so this felt very different and took a bit for me to get into. It's a 5 volume series so I'll definitely continue.

Love the little Sailor Moon reference that was thrown in!

[Zach Sizemore · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really fun! Great set up for an action adventure story. I’m a sucker for Endo’s character designs and this one doesn’t disappoint, plus it’s fun to see how his style evolved into Spy Family, a lot of the same themes that he would flesh out more there are peaking just through the surface of this story.

[Vanessa :) · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.75

[Caitlyn Alexandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was okay; I liked the world and art style but the plot so far was just alright. I feel like this could become much better in the coming volumes, however.

[Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute but hella chaotic!

[Sarahh · Rating 3 out of 5]

It just....has bad flow. :/

[Peter · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is yet another manga I found digitally on sale. I'm pretty sure the sale is over by now, so don't get your hopes too high if you want to buy it.

I was intrigued by the premise of this series. It involves a civilization living on a moon, when the young princess is forced to escape to the planet around which the moon orbits.

There's a bit of a blend between traditional architecture and futuristic technology, but to me the blend isn't done very effectively. Rather than synergizing to form a memorable setting, the old things and the new things clash awkwardly. Half the time I forget it's set in the future, and then a rocket ship shows up and it just seems weird.

On top of that, I find the art to be a little messy or unpolished in some way. The artist Tatsuya Endo also made Spy × Family, which I don't fully remember, but I'm pretty sure I enjoyed the volumes I read. I don't recall thinking poorly of the art in that series, but I kinda think poorly of it in this one. I mean, it's not bad, but it could be better.

My final criticism involves the characters, which I don't think are particularly memorable. Neither are the character designs, although I like the main character's design.

I'd probably give two stars to this book if it weren't for a couple things: the premise is very interesting; I like how it involves abandoning one world for another. And there are a couple moments that are genuinely emotionally powerful. However, I probably won't keep reading this series.

[SierraK · Rating 1 out of 5]

Honestly I was really disappointed by this. I hate the trope of the oversexualized gay caricature villain and it ruined my enjoyment of the entire thing. It's just gross.

[Skjam! · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mukashi, mukashi (a long, long time ago) the Moon was inhabited by scientifically advanced humans whose civilization happened to resemble aspects of ancient Japan and China. The Pure World was ruled by a line of Empresses who wielded the Three Sacred Treasures of the Silver Court, including the divine blade Futsunuji. The current and 44th Empress was Fujiya Takenouchi,

But she’s not the protagonist of this tale. Fujiya’s daughter Kaguya Takenouchi is about to have her fourteenth birthday and the coming of age ceremony where she will be crowned the official heir. Kaguya is a spunky young princess who feels stifled in the palace and neglects her lessons (except swordplay) in favor of running around and getting into mischief. She doesn’t pay much attention to politics.

Of course, politics isn’t going to be ignored for very long. There are two main branches to the Imperial bloodline, Takenouchi (“bamboo”) and Umenouchi (“plum”). The Umenouchi line has lost much power due to its last Empress, 42nd Empress Hatoya Umenouchi being overthrown for abusing her authority. The current Plum heiress, Kamadoya Umenouchi, and her supporters, want to make her the 45th Empress, supplanting Kaguya. They’ve been “secretly” funding the terrorist group Tengu Revolution, which claims it’s for freedom and equality but mostly just blows things and people up.

Empress Fujiya is aware of the existence of this plot, and has been trying to accelerate Kaguya’s training, only to make her daughter think their relationship has soured. The Empress has been concealing that she is seriously ill and near collapse.

Everything comes to a head on Kaguya’s fourteenth birthday, and the Umenouchi make their move. The Takenouchi faithful are forced to use a backup plan–transporting Kaguya to the Tainted World, the one the inhabitants call Earth, with the divine sword. Without the sword, the Umenouchi can’t officially take power, and as long as Kaguya’s alive, she’s a potential claimant for the throne.

This shounen manga by the creator of Spy X Family is loosely based on the classic Japanese fairy tale, “The Tale of the Princess Kaguya.” It’s an earlier work being translated now because his current series is doing so well.

Various elements of the fairy tale are twisted. Instead of being a gentle, ladylike maiden, Kaguya is a spitfire. The elderly couple that finds her inside a “bamboo” (spaceship) is actually a pair of Imperial agents set up decades before for just such a mission. And the romantic swains of the tale become Umenouchi soldiers who want to capture Kaguya or kill her. (The translation calls them “pur-suitors” to give an idea of the Japanese pun.)

The people of the Tainted World are descended from the Pure World’s exiled criminals, political enemies and lunatics. Most of them are completely unaware of a civilization on the Moon and it’s considered a legend at best. This gives Kaguya some problems when she goes around naming herself the daughter of the Empress. (There’s a Sailor Moon reference, of course.)

While I can see some of Endo’s talent in this, the series feels much more stereotypically shounen than Spy X Family. Teen hero who’s brave and good-hearted, but kind of stupid and doesn’t think before she talks or acts. Quirky mini-boss squad of villains. Some stuff I’ll talk about under content note.

Good art, decent plotting, but the characters aren’t as memorable in this first volume, and it’s just not grabbing me like the later work.

Content note: Sword violence, fisticuffs, terrorist bombings. We don’t see anyone die on page. Kaguya is naked in the bath (soap, water and posing hide the important naughty bits.) Pur-suitor Gai fits the stereotype of the “effeminate” villain and isn’t exactly great representation for genderqueer people. Trainee Imperial guard Mikuni keeps hitting on Kaguya, who’s, again, fourteen. Slapstick violence ensues.

Fans of Endo’s current work may enjoy this best. Also recommended to those that like twisted versions of fairy tales.

[Swampscott Library · Rating 3 out of 5]

*Thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for providing an advanced copy in exchange for an honest reivew*

Blade of the Moon Princess is a fun retelling of a classic story.

This high action manga follows titular character Princess Kaguya as she struggles to meet the expectations of a future Empress--of the moon. This personal struggle collides with an external, terrorist threat that leads to her being ejected from her home and struggleing to return.

This story succeeds in creating a very fast-paced, high action adventure with a strong-willed main character. Kaguya is definitely an impressionable character, although she has a lot of room to grow--as we are already seeing the hints of.

This manga also succeeds in taking a classic folktale, and both retaining enough elements to be recognizable while changing enough to be new and interesting.

I do think the story loses me a bit in just it's sheer "too much-ness". This is not really an objective fault, as there are for sure people that like a manga that has a lot happening. But I found that the sheer amount of characters, world-building, plot, and even visuals on each panel to be a lot. We get a lot of names and info at once, a lot of major plot points happen very quickly, and the art (while being clearly skillfully done) is a bit dizzying to look at sometimes.

The story also did not make it clear enough to me when we were in present day and when we were in a flashback. They tried to signal it by just making Kaguya look younger, but given the art style and the small age difference, the signals were not strong enough and I had to reread pages a few times to understand what was happening.

While this is not the most unique story, it would be fun for someone that enjoys high action, strong characters, and of course swords.

--Teen Librarian, Sarah

[Vail Chester · Rating 3 out of 5]

What is it about moon royalty that the general view of them would be serene, ethereal, and elegant? The creator of "SpyxFamily" considered that and scrapped it in favor of HIS moon royalty being punky, bratty tomboy with her mother being QUEEN OF THE PUNKS! (not cruel or tyrannical mind you, she just suffers no fools and always got a face of "ugggggh" on) So when a nasty coup happens on the moon kingdom, she sends her only daughter to "the tainted world" in a bamboo rocket while she fights off those who would stop the flight; mama said knock you out indeed!

What with Earth essentially being Australia for moon people, the princess runs into a buncha ne'er do wells, innocents trying to survive in a corrupt world, and some good-hearted strong people willing to help her out become a woman worthy of her mystical tuning fork sword & her mother's approval.

Honestly surprised that this didn't take off as well in Shonen Jump as the main character is essentially every shonen battle series main character but a girl. She itches for a fight, but she doesn't have the skills to back up her bark; she is brash, proud, & argumentative, but has a good heart for the downtrodden & recognizes repaying those who've helped her; she flaunts her royal status but still understands common decency for her humanity. Looking forward to seeing how she can grow, overcome her adversaries, and retake her throne ala the Lion King.

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

A shounen-style sci-fi retelling of the Tale of Princess Kaguya (aka The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter). In this version, the moon princess is the rebellious tomboy heiress of a long line of moon warrior-empresses; on the day her secretly ailing mother is supposed to ceremonially bestow upon her the symbolic imperial sword, the ambitious Ume family stages a coup, and her mother puts her on an escape shuttle to the Tainted World (the penal colony also known as Earth) with the sword. The Ume can't claim the crown without it, so they send agents to hunt the princess down. Meanwhile, finally out of the sheltered confines of the imperial city, the spoiled princess witnesses the real hardships and persecutions of commoners for the first time, giving a purposeful outlet to her rebellious energy. Can she survive the Tainted World and find a way back to the moon to reclaim the throne?
This story falls squarely into the old trap of 'sassy liberated girl' = 'girl who uses stereotypical brash masculine mannerisms', and keeps more to the humorous than serious side so you never get that punched-in-the-feels effect like, for example, Spy Family gives you every now & then. This is an entirely light-read story, at least so far.
May appeal to fans of things like Naruto, One Piece, etc (it's got that dash of manic energy).

[Kelli · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh, HECK YEAH! This is so cool!

This story is very cyberpunk meets traditional Japan.

We’ve got a lunar dynasty and a metropolis on the moon, several anarchic factions vying to overthrow the lunar empress, and a war on the horizon—So, a lot of action and heck of a lot of political intrigue!

Our main character and reluctant heir to the lunar throne—Princess Kaguya—is a bit of a troublemaker who doesn’t quite respect the power and responsibility of her station until a terrorist attack on the capital forces her mother the queen to sacrifice herself and to eject Kaguya from the moon to the “Tainted World” below. Now, Kaguya is on her own as she must find a way back to the moon to reclaim her rightful throne from an opportunistic sect of usurpers.

This is such a captivating and dynamic story on so many levels—I was absolutely enthralled reading this first volume. From the storytelling to the characters to the aesthetic of the setting, everything is so wholly engaging and immersive. I want to explore this world so much more.

If you are a fan of Tatsuya Endo’s other work, I think you’d definitely enjoy this foray into fantasy. If you happen to be a fan of the Lunar Chronicles series by Marissa Meyer, I also think you’d find a lot of enjoyment out of this series! This is such a fun, fantasy sci-fi read and definitely one of my favorite series released this year~

[Wafflepirates · Rating 3 out of 5]

*Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for providing an advanced copy in exchange for an honest reivew*

This is a promising start to a new series. Kaguya is a princess, the heir to the silver court, which is on the moon. Right before her coming of age ceremony, the branch members of the imperial family launch an attack, wounding her mother, who sends Kaguya to the tainted world (Earth) in an attempt to save her life. The setup from there is straightforward, Kaguya is going to go on some sort of journey to get stronger and head back to the moon. I liked Kaguya's character, she strikes me as a very shonen type of character and has a lot of potential. The supporting cast are not as impressive so far though. The humor can be hit or miss, but overall the tone shifting between serious and comedic is done well. The world building is so interesting, the moon empire is technologically advanced, yet those on Earth are still more or less in a feudal state and have no idea anyone lives on the moon. I hope there's more explanation of this setting, because it was the best part of the book for me.

[TheReadingAngel · Rating 3 out of 5]

*I received an eARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

3.5/5

Enter the world of the Silver Court. A advanced society living on the moon where the empire is passed down from empress to empress. Only through a traditional coming-of-age ceremony can the next empress be crowned and gifted the family sword. But Kaguya - the current princess - no matter how many times she is yelled at to become train, study harder and be ready, just isn’t interested in the responsibility of empress yet. That is, until it’s too late.

Blade of the Moon Princess vol 1 hits you so fast with so much. It is information upon action upon world-building upon character explanations. There is so much going on right from the get-go. It’s a little intimidating and hard to read. I do see the potential for an amazing story though.

The art is pretty straight forward and I really like the design of Kaguya. There is dialogue all the time. Every single frame. This is definitely an action book with a lot of character. I would totally watch it if it was adapted into an anime for sure.

If I have the opportunity to read Vol 2 I would not be opposed. I’m interested to see how this story will unfold.

[Siina · Rating 2 out of 5]

Blade of the Moon Princess seemed interesting as the core of the story is the tale of Princess Kaguya. Our main character is surely Princess Kaguya, who's a heir to the Silver Court. She's childish and doesn't want to be the heir after her mother. The mother loses her temper with her all the time. Soon there's a coup and the mother sends her daughter to Earth far away from the moon in order to save her. Now she needs to become the true heir and take her place by becoming the ruler she needs to be and beat the bad guys. The story is so confusing and full of violent humor that it takes time to understand what is even happening. All the guys want to date Kaguya and try to molest her in every way possible. Everyone's going crazy all the time and the whole thing is so fidgety that it's not even funny anymore.

The art looks nice although all the panels are stuffed. The basic story is good and could work so much better if Endo toned the whole thing down. This is so different to Spy x Family. The balance is off and it takes time to get into the story. I hope this gets better or at least slows down...

[Holly Claxton]

A huge thank you to Edelweiss for a review copy of this book!

I have been a fan of Endo's series "Spy Family" for a little while. Seeing one of his earlier series getting an official English release makes me so happy, and this is a story I have been looking forward to!

The series was originally published in 2010 and honestly, I'm really impressed. The quality of the writing and translation made me think this was a more recent release. Sometimes funny and sometimes serious, the transitions between these moments blend together to create a highly entertaining read. The art style and clarity is also incredible, exactly what I expected from Endo. I am a big fan of his art style. I also really love the characters, especially our main character, Kaguya. I think Endo is very good at writing strong characters, ones that stand out and don't always keep themselves between the lines. This is only the first volume, but readers can see how Kaguya is going to grow and develop as the series continues.

Overall, I really enjoy this series and look forward to reading the rest of it!

[The Book Dragon · Rating 3 out of 5]

A retelling of the Princess Kaguya story with less pure fantasy and more sci-fi. Kaguya is the bratty princess of the moon, a world with more modern technology. Her coming-of-age day is approaching and the responsibility of succeeding her mother is looming ever closer.

Then everything implodes as a rival noble family stages a coup and Kaguya is sent to the Tainted World (Earth, which is still in the feudal era) in exile along with the royal sword.

It's... odd, because Kaguya is not particularly compelling. She's rebellious because her mother is so hard on her; her mother is hard on her because she's dying and wants her daughter to be ready, but she doesn't share this with Kaguya despite Kaguya stating she only wants to help her mother. And when she gets to Earth, she barely grows, just witnesses the hardship of actual peasants for once. There's also some very unsubtle things that were added that felt out of place. I can see the beginning of Yor in Kaguya, but so far, I'm unimpressed with the story. But, it has potential and Kaguya has room for growth.

This series has 5 volumes.

[frau.meln · Rating 3 out of 5]

Die Silberprinzessin ist aus der Feder von Tetsuya Endo, den die meisten von Spy Family kennen.

Allerdings ist diese keine Comedy, sondern eine 5 bändige Action Reihe. Und erster Pluspunkt, ist, dass wir eine sehr coole, bisschen rotzige Protagonistin haben, die, wie es sich für eine Heldin gehört das Herz am rechten Fleck hat.

Das Worldbulding hat einen leichten Sci-fi Hauch, denn auf dem Mond lebt eine hochentwickelte Gesellschaft, von dem die Einwohner des Eboshi (vergleichbar mit der Erde) nichts wissen.
Dank eines Vorfalls, gesponnen aus Intrigen, landet unsere Prinzessin Kaguya auf diesem Planeten und muss nun zeigen, was sie in sich hat.

Obwohl ich ein bisschen gebraucht habe, um in die Geschichte hineinzufinden, mochte ich die starken Charaktere, sowie das Story Konzept echt gern. Wie bei den meisten Action Reihen, ist dieser Band erst einmal ein Einstieg in die Gegebenheiten dieser Welt. Es gibt viel Text, viele Dialoge, skurrile Charaktere und einiges an Action.