Ayashi no Ceres - Un conte de fée céleste Tome 1

妖しのセレス [Ayashi no Ceres] #1

by Yuu Watase

Aya and her twin brother Aki thought they were going to a celebration of their sixteenth birthday at their grandfather's home, but the funeral-like atmosphere tips them off that something's not right. Their "birthday present" turns out to be a mummified hand--the power of which forces an awakening within Aya, and painful wounds all over Aki's body! Grandfather Mikage announces that Aki will be heir to the Mikage fortune, and Aya must die! But Aya has allies in the athletic cook and martial artist Yûhi, and the attractive, mysterious Tôya. But can even two handsome and resourceful guys save Aya when it's her own power that's out of control?

Genres: Manga, Fantasy, Graphic Novels, Romance, Comics, Shojo, Comics Manga

187 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published December 11, 1996

About the author

Yuu Watase (渡瀬悠宇) is a Japanese shoujo manga-ka. She is known for her works Fushigi Yūgi, Alice 19th, Ceres: The Celestial Legend, Fushigi Yūgi Genbu Kaiden and Absolute Boyfriend. She likes all music, except heavy metal and old traditional music.

She received the Shogakukan Manga Award for shōjo for Ceres, Celestial Legend in 1997. Since writing her debut short story "Pajama de Ojama" ("An Intrusion in Pajamas"), Watase has created more than 80 compiled volumes of short stories and continuing series. Because of her frequent use of beautiful male characters in her works, she is widely regarded in circles[which?] as a bishōnen manga artist.[citation needed] In October 2008, Watase began her first shōnen serialization, Arata: The Legend in Weekly Shōnen Sunday.
Her name is romanized as "Yû Watase" in earlier printings of Viz Media's publications of Fushigi Yūgi, Alice 19th, and Ceres, The Celestial Legend, while in Viz Media's Fushigi Yūgi Genbu Kaiden and Absolute Boyfriend her name is romanized as "Yuu Watase". In Chuang Yi's English-language versions of Fushigi Yugi (spelled without a macron or circumflex), her name is romanized as "Yu Watase".

Reviews

[Bibliothecat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review for complete series



After I didn't enjoy Fushigi Yuugi as much as I had hopped I would, I was a little concerned how well I'd like Ayashi no Ceres - after all, I was much more interested in the former. Now that I have read both, I think the latter is the superior work in terms of story telling. Pacing was one of the biggest issues I had with Fushigi Yuugi and, while the beginning is a little slow, the other all pacing is infinitely better. The flow of the story felt right with neither dragging nor rushing and the order of events made reasonable sense.

Thanks to the good pacing, the relationships between characters were a lot more believable. Yuu Watase writes likeable characters but sometimes fails to connect them - it's not perfect in the case of this series but it is so much better done than I have seen her do in other works. My only issue probably lies with how fast Aya falls in love with Toya. I wouldn't necessary call it instant love but she definitely has her eye on him from chapter one and the extent to which she starts to love him comes around very quickly. As a result, I initially struggled to root for them but I have to say that the story between them was otherwise nicely written. I definitely really enjoyed the friendships that were formed and was sad about many of their fates.

This series has an over all darker and more mature tone than many of Watase's other series. While she's never exactly been afraid of killing off a few of her characters. Some of the deaths caught me off guard but over all this was a borderline slaughter fest, at times I wondered if I'd picked up Angel Sanctuary instead - I do see fans of one liking the other. In this darker plot, Watase tried to include some comic relief in the form of Kyuu (the housekeeper of sorts?). I didn't like this character at all as she had zero substance beyond apparently being so ugly characters feel sick at the site of her. This joke soon became very, very, very old, especially given that it was repeated regularly over a 14-volume series. Not too mention that I found this joke to be in poor taste.

Another thing that makes this series different from Watase's other works is the art style. While it is still recognisably Watase's style, it is over all less cute and I take this as an attempt to match the more mature story. I do generally prefer her usual style over this one, but it's not that there is anything wrong with the style used here - it's simply different and, unlike me, others may prefer it over her usual style.

Over all, Ayashi no Ceres surprised me in a good way. It is an all around well crafted sci-fi manga that keeps most of its secrets for the final two volumes. Sci-fi isn't my main genre and there were a few hiccups along the way (Kyuu and the somewhat rushed romance) that prevent me from giving this a full score but it definitely earns its place among shoujo manga classics.

[edel · Rating 1 out of 5]

I felt almost bad giving this only one star. When I was younger (say, 11 or 12), I adored Yuu Watase. She was one of the very first mangakas who introduced me to the manga world. Looking back on it now, I almost feel like she's overrated. Although, her manga is great for beginners. I thought her work was the greatest thing and that there was nothing else like it. Now that I've read more manga, her work suddenly seems below par. I've seen the same plot and the same stereotypical characters too many times before. Maybe I've just read too much of Watase's work and too much manga in general.

I feel that the series may have a bit of promise but the start of the volume was shaky. It was too rushed and because of that, it was hard to really connect with the characters. It may be hard to do all that and get the plot going in only 190 pages, but I've seen others that do it, so a pro like Watase shouldn't have a problem with it and yet she does.

The premise is extremely cliche, a girl has unawakened powers that may or may not threaten the existence of the world but she meets an extremely handsome man who just might be an ally but could also turn against her any minute. I've seen it before but maybe Watase could turn it into something different.

[Laura (ローラ) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my favourite of Watase's series. The topic is slightly more dark, and the protagonist slightly less "sweet" than their others.

[Lindsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really liking this series! Toya is pissing me off though, poor Yuhi! I'm team Yuhi all the way!!

[Gary Butler · Rating 4 out of 5]

65th book read in 2016.

Number 303 out of 558 on my all time book list.


Review Pending:

[Once upon a Dream · Rating 4 out of 5]

Per il momento è simile al anime (da quel che ricordo).
Davvero bello 😍 volevo tantissimo recuperare questa serie.

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

this girl is traumatized fr

[Jess · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun beginning.

[Coke Fernández · Rating 4 out of 5]

7/10

[Lau · Rating 4 out of 5]

Leí este manga hace años pero no recuerdo nada, así que voy de cero. Creí que iba a ser similar a Fushigi Yuugi pero sólo se parece en el humor, y que la protagonista está en la escuela. Nada más.

Esta historia es oscura. Ya se ve desde estos primeros capítulos donde realmente pasa de todo. Si así empieza, no puedo imaginar qué va a pasar en los próximos 13 tomos. Con suerte muchas cosas.

Lindo cliffhanger por cierto, ahora necesito saber cómo sigue.

[Lidia · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is kind of interesting....

[Sam · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was pure nostalgia ✨ I watched this anime I believe either in the 8th or 9th grade. I was a huge fan of Yuu Watase’s, Fushigi Yugi so I decided to check out this other manga to anime by them. I ended up loving the anime, but I never ended up reading the original story.

Earlier today I was thinking about Fushigi Yugi (it’s my favorite anime and manga of all time Lol) and I realized that I really liked watching Ceres but I wanted to check out the manga!

The story is your perfect mix of comedy, action, romance, and thriller. The romance trope is enemies to lovers, hired hit man falls in love with target.

I’ll be reading the rest of the series soon 💛

Check out the synopsis for volume one ✨

Sweet Sixteen and Never Been Kissed

Aya and her twin brother Aki thought they were going to a celebration of their sixteenth birthday at their grandfather's home, but the funeral-like atmosphere tips them off that something's not right. Their "birthday present" turns out to be a mummified hand--the power of which forces an awakening within Aya, and painful wounds all over Aki's body! Grandfather Mikage announces that Aki will be heir to the Mikage fortune, and Aya must die! But Aya has allies in the athletic cook and martial artist Yûhi, and the attractive, mysterious Tôya. But can even two handsome and resourceful guys save Aya when it's her own power that's out of control?

[shinchae · Rating 5 out of 5]

i think i was in highschool when i came across the anime while channel surfing and saw it on AXN.
i loved it right away.
well there were some disturbing points in the story like incest (between aki and aya) and well the bed scenes and violence.
but like i said before it's essential to the story since it revolves around aki, aya and touya.
however i had to secretly watch the show since it contains mature stuff-which i'm not allowed to watch..hehe and i had to compete for the telly!!lol
i think the love story between aya and touya is amazing.
regardless of the imminent danger to them-because of the mikage clan chasing them- their love still endured and overcame all obstacles.
well they defeated the mikage clan and freed ceres in the end so that's mission accomplished and aya and touya were together and all but it's quite a sad-happy ending because touya was nearing the end of his life-i got teary eyed on this part! swear!-but then again he's leaving a part of him to aya so i guess it's still a good conclusion to the story.
well i read the manga online since i can't find any volume in bookstores!!
now i still have the downloaded books in my ipod..hehe
loved the story and the artwork!!!
that's all.^_^

[Kasumi · Rating 5 out of 5]

En su momento me fascinó la historia, hasta cuando era tan complicada que ya no reconocía casi a los personajes.

En esta relectura ha vuelto a engancharme el inicio como la primera vez. Aya es una chica de 16 años normal y corriente, y su hermano mellizo Aki también. Lo que les pasa en su cumpleaños les deja descolocados y sin saber muy bien que hacer. Nada les ha preparado para que su propia familia se vuelva contra ellos. Sé que Toya es el personaje del que Aya se siente atraida, pero en este primer volumen es demasiado misterioso, ¡hasta tiene amnesia! Yuhi me gusta más porque lo veo más real (aunque también tiene sus cosas).

El final con la primera verdadera presentación de Ceres te deja con ganas de más.

[Kirsten Simkiss · Rating 2 out of 5]

Having read Watase’s work before, this clearly echoes her style: beautiful art, cliche plots, and unhealthy romantic triangles. One of them seems to be her own age, which is sixteen, but her other love interest is CLEARLY older. At a guess, I’m thinking mid-twenties. Creepy. But the art is definitely pretty. I’ve always admired Watase’s art. Still, her comics don’t really withstand the test of time. Going back and reading her books just makes me realize how limited her stories and characters were.

[Sandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This manga is described as horror and that fits because it is much darker than Yuu Watase's other series. There is a lot of violence and this is displayed clearly from the vivid illustrations to the story itself it is rated correctly for older teens. But it is also a very good story there is folklore, fantasy, scifi and definitely romance because this is after all a shojo manga. Give it a read, I thought it was a a very good story that had me laughing and cringing and crying.

[Evey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found out Ayashi No Ceres back in 2010, and since then I've been telling myself I had to read it. Again, why did it take me so long to actually do it? It has a pretty cool story, and I really like the art.

So hello manga world... I'm here to stay.

[Amanda (Is Not a Panda) · Rating 4 out of 5]

There's some pretty interesting stuff happening here...
The plot has me interested so far and I love all these characters! I'll definitely be reading more to see where this goes.

[Yoyomaus Die Büchereule · Rating 4 out of 5]

Aya und Aki sind Zwillinge. Die beiden verstehen sich sehr gut und besuchen gemeinsam die Oberschule. Als Aya sich eines Tages ihr Schicksal bei einer Wahrsagerin vorhersagen lässt, hat diese schlechte Neuigkeiten für sie. Während Aya alles als Humbug abtut, scheint es sie innerlich doch zu beschäftigen. Besonders, als sie einen Tag vor ihrem Geburtstag einem Dieb das Handwerk legt und eine Brücke hinab stürzt. Federleicht landet sie auf dem Boden und wird durch einen Unbekannten gerettet, als sie flux ins Visier eines Autos gerät. Doch dieser verschwindet so schnell, wie er gekommen ist. Aya und ihr Bruder sind sich am Abend einig, dass etwas mit Aya passiert ist, doch die beiden kommen nicht dazu weiter darüber nachzudenken, denn am nächsten Tag zu ihrem sechzehnten Geburtstag sollen die beiden Jugendlichen zu ihrem Großvater auf das Anwesen der Mikages kommen. Dort erwartet sie die versammelte Familie, was die beiden Zwillinge stutzig macht. Und auch Ayas unbekannter Retter ist vor Ort - ein Leibwächter der Familie Mikage, der den Namen Toya trägt.
Nachdem die beiden einen Blick auf eine mumifizierte Hand werfen sollen, scheint Aya in sich zusammen zu brechen. Etwas geschieht mit ihr und auch mit Aki. Während Aya zwar blutüberstömt, aber unverletzt ist, ist Aki dem Tode nah. Sofort stürzen sich die Familienmitglieder auf Aya, um sie zu töten. Denn in Aya wohnt die Seele einer Himmelsfee. Diese stieg einst hinab auf die Erde, wo ihr ihr Federkleid von einem Mann gestohlen wurde. Diesen heiratet sie einst und gebar ihm sogar Kinder, bis sie ihr Kleid wieder fand und in den Himmel entschwand. Seitdem scheint auf der Familie ein Fluch zu liegen und aus Angst, die Rache der Himmelsfee zu durchleben, werden alle Mädchen im Alter von 16 Jahren auf die Probe gestellt, um die Familie zu schützen.
Aya entkommt dem Angriff, kann sich jedoch anfangs nicht erinnern, was geschehen ist, bis Toya sie aufsucht und ihr die Lage erklärt. Als plötzlich ein weiterer Fremder auftaucht, um sie mit sich zu nehmen, zwingt Toya Aya dem Fremden zu folgen, da er die einzige Chance auf ihr Überleben ist. Fortan muss sich Aya vorsehen was sie tut, mit wem sie redet und vor allem wem sie vertraut. Denn die Intrige in der sie sich befindet wird mit jeder Stunde grausamer für das Mädchen.

Der Mangaklassiker Ayashi no Ceres aus der Feder von Yuu Watase ist ein vierzehnteiliger Manga, der sich wirklich sehen lassen kann. Die Zeichnungen sind optisch sehr schön und die Charaktere sehr gut ausgereift. Was mich jedoch am Design sehr stört ist diese "Tukige" Art von dem Charakter Toya. Hautenge Sachen, bauchfrei, Vokuhila. Irgendwie nicht so das, was das modische Nonplusultra sein sollte. Vielleicht war so etwas damals in? Ich hoffe nicht...
Nach und nach lernt man die Charaktere und deren Zusammenhänge kennen. Die Geschichte ist nicht nur mystisch und spannend, sie strotzt auch vor Humor. Trotzdem ist sie aber vor allem emotional und es macht sehr viel Spaß Aya auf ihrem Leidensweg zu begleiten. Man hofft genau wie sie, dass das alles nur ein schlechter Scherz ist, doch das arme Mädchen muss sich immer und immer wieder vom Schicksal beuteln lassen. Was auch ein bisschen erschlagend ist, sind die schnellen Szenenwechsel und die Masse an Charakteren, getreu dem Motto weniger ist mehr, hätte man hier sicher das ein oder andere Ding noch etwas strecken können.

Empfehlen möchte ich diesen Manga allen, die auf mystische Liebesgeschichten stehen und Fantasy im Allgemeinen ganz toll finden, denn hier kommt ihr definitiv auf eure Kosten. Wer eher Lesefaul ist, der sollte die Finger davon lassen, es gibt viele Dialoge und man muss aufmerksam lesen, um die Zusammenhänge zu verstehen.

4 von 5 Sterne

[Alejandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

* This is a review for the entire series *

Aya and Aki Mikage, twins, are average teenagers. That is, until their 16th birthday, when their grandfather shows them a family relic which awakens some hidden powers in both of them. These new powers are not fun - it means that Aya is now a threat to her family. Aya has then to grapple with her family trying to murder her, and being separated from her brother, while also having time to develop a relationship with a mysterious stranger.

"Ayashi no Ceres" is much darker from the other works of Watasee Yuu I'm familiar with, with more gore than I was expecting. The horror is not over the top, it sits at a weird spot between
horror, comedy and romance. I watched the anime way back, and appreciated that the protagonist was significantly less annoying than Miaka from Fushigi Yuugi, but that is not a high bar, especially not today. The story itself is quite interesting, mixing interesting mythology with eugenics, and as expected from Watase's work, the interaction between characters is really fun. However, the romance aspect is where it all falls apart. While Aya is far more interesting than Miaka, her singular focus on the relationship with Toya, especially with all the high stake stuff happening around her and the little reasons she has to trust him at the beginning, is jarring. The second love interest, Yuhi, is not much better, his grasp of consent is too tenuous. And her relationship with Aki ends up acquiring some super creepy incestuous overtones once Aki's body is overtaken by the Mikage progenitor. One big positive is that Aya for the most part does not require much rescuing.

The story wanders a lot in the middle, and very little of what happens there is relevant towards the end - the series could easily be one third shorter. The ending does really pull through, and brings forth some fascinating concepts like the fact that the celestial maidens are merely baiting men to procreate, or that even if Aya chose the fantasy guy, the fantasy can't last.

[Linn · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Ceres: Celestial Legend, Vol. 1: Aya" by Yuu Watase took me on a nostalgic journey, revisiting the classic manga that caught my attention during my teen years. As a fan of Watase's storytelling, I was eager to dive into the world of "Ceres" again. The narrative weaves together elements of fantasy, romance, and drama, creating a compelling story.

One of the strengths of Watase's work is her ability to craft multidimensional characters, and "Ceres" is no exception. The protagonist, Aya, is a well-developed character with a mix of vulnerability and strength that makes her relatable. The supporting cast adds layers to the story, each character contributing to the intricate web of relationships that unfold in this volume.

Watase's art style is as enchanting as ever. The illustrations are detailed, expressive, and convey the emotions of the characters effectively. The fantastical elements are brought to life through visually stunning scenes, and the character designs contribute to the overall charm of the manga. The balance between action sequences and emotional moments is well-maintained, keeping the pacing engaging throughout.

While "Ceres: Celestial Legend, Vol. 1" is a strong start to the series, it also leaves enough mysteries and unanswered questions to pique my interest in continuing the journey. The mix of supernatural elements, compelling characters, and Watase's signature storytelling make this volume a satisfying read for both longtime fans and those discovering the series for the first time.

[Ryofire · Rating 3 out of 5]

I watched the anime many years ago, didn't like it, and finally decided to give it a rewatch to see if that opinion would change. I'm more open to it now, but wanted to see what source material was like first, particularly given Yuu Watase is such a legend of a mangaka. I've only read two of her other series, "Alice 19th" and "Absolute Boyfriend", before this, both of which I can't say I liked all that much, either, but I did enjoy it more than the Ceres anime (on a first watch), though "Absolute Boyfriend" is somewhat similar in some ways to this, just more science fiction than fantasy.

It's interesting to see how much was excluded from the anime adaptation. For all the show (at least up through where I am) is pretty faithful, it cuts a bit out, to the point that things feel more random. The story makes more sense in the manga, even as terrible things happen.

I can't say I would have stuck with this if I wasn't actively trying to give the series a fair shake. It's sort of boring, the art style isn't for me and feels very outdated, and I don't particularly like the cast. I know the series handles a lot of big themes, particularly with patriarchy, sexual harassment by men of women (while kind of turning female harassment of men into a joke, which isn't great), sexism, and the problems with old money families. And it does that pretty well to some degree.

Volume 1 isn't a bad introduction to things. If you want to read a classic shoujo manga, there are worse ways to spend your time.

[Leila Anani · Rating 3 out of 5]

Yuu Watase is my favourite manga creator - the level of emotion in her stories is second to none and I love her epic story lines, beautiful art and just how much story she crams into each volume - seriously you never feel cheated when picking up one of her volumes because there's just so much depth packed in there.

So in this series - Aya and her twin brother Aki go to their grandfather's for their 16th birthday and are presented with a mummified hand. Aya suffers visions of blood and suddenly the entire try and kill her. She escapes with the chef and he and his sister reveal a legend - basically the selkie legend only with an angel instead of a selkie -the blood of the angel is in Aya's family and manifests strongly in the women on their 16th birthday. The power of destruction is so terrifying the family kill all who possess it strongly. Aki also has gifts but the family keep him as his powers are supposed to be useful.

Wow this one is dark right from the get-go - blood, murder and a mummified hand no gentle initiation here. So far I'm not feeling this as much as Fushigi Yugi but it's early days and it may simply be all this darkness s early on is just a shock to the system. Onward to volume 2....

[Jessika Hoover · Rating 5 out of 5]

This older manga is one of the first ones I read and really fell in love with. It’s got a little bit of everything—horror, supernatural, comedy, romance—and the premise set up in this first volume has me so intrigued to continue. I thought the art was so good, but honestly, one of my favorite things about this was how spot-on the dialogue was. There’s a lot that happens in this first volume, but it sucked me in, and now I want more!

[R]

One of my favorite manga series of all time. I got into this series hard back in high school and I have re-read it numerous times since. It gets pretty dark and has several problematic tropes, the kinds that were pretty prevalent in early 2000s manga. Those aside, it’s a great series, one of my top 3 favorites. My biggest complaint with Yuu Watase in general is she always hits the same story beats in all of her mangas.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay! A dramatic start to a series, to say the least! Family members lying and killing each other, dormant powers, a budding love triangle, all that jazz. Yuu Watase has a tendency to pull me into her romantic drama bullshit every time I pick up another series of hers, so I'm looking forward to this one, a title that was recommended to me a decade ago by a classmate and friend.

[Chalinviri · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok termine!!!

Es una historia complicada, el arte es bellísimo y los personajes me cayeron bien, aunque son bien caprichosos y ocurre muchos dramas si no se hace su voluntad.

Yuuhi, Aki y Chidori son mis personajes favoritos.

Es un Shojo muy violento jeje, es muy dramático y vale la pena darle una oportunidad.

[Serena · Rating 4 out of 5]

Technically a reread from a decade ago. This was more like a 4.5 stars for me honestly. Seeing everything that happens to Aya and Aki is just heartbreaking because they didn't ask for all this. They just wanted to live as normal 16 year olds. So to see everything fall apart is just gut-wrenching to see.

[Stephanie Jachymek · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 for the series.
I feel this could have been much shorter than it actually is. And I also feel like some characters were unnecessary, or just didn't end up being as important as you'd expect. Not a favourite.

[Yuuto · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Yuu Watase’s art, and this is an interesting story so far. It’s probably been a good twenty years since I originally watched the anime, so I honestly remember zero things about the series, so it may as well be brand new to me!