Lydia can see fairies, but can she tell who the reLydia Carlton is a fairy doctor,one of the few people with the ability to see the magical creatures who share our world. During one of her rare trips to London to visit her father, Lydia’s quiet life is suddenly transformed when she is rescued from kidnappers by a mysterious young man!
Lydia has been trapped in a warehouse by Rosalie, a dangerous young woman who commands a bogey-beast and wants Edgar all to herself. What’s more, Lydia has realized that she is in the storehouse where Edgar was first enslaved as a child. Can she discover the secret of his dark past, or will she fall prey to the bogey-beast’s true master?
Mizue Tani is a female light novel writer from Mie prefecture. Graduated from Mie University, in 1997 she won the 6th Shueisha Roman Grand Prize Honorable Mention thanks to her work "Paradise Renaissance-Paradise Revival". One of the most representative works of Mizue Tani is the "Count of Cobalt Bunko and the fairy" series. Her first work for the general public was "I will repair it at the time of memory". It was a hit, selling over 200,000 copies in Japan.
apparently there are 33 volumes of the light novel, and so i feel that the four volumes of manga are very rushed in terms of the relationship between lydia and edgar, as well as who this "prince" is - many things are brought up in the manga and not explained at all. i would hope the anime explains scenes from the light novel better.
The Earl and the Fairy is a short four volume series and while some series go on far too long this one ended leaving you feeling there was more that could have been said.
Set in 19th century England, Lydia Carlton is a fairy doctor-one of the few people who are able to see fairies. When she is rescued from kidnapping by Edgar Ashenbert, Earl Ibrazel, he claims to be the descendant of the Blue Knight Earl, human ruler of the fairy kingdom. But he needs Lydia's help as a fairy doctor to claim his birthright. But is it really his birthright to claim or is he lying?
The artwork was lovely but the story felt incomplete. We have a wonderful back-story set-up without the follow through. We have the Earl and his servants sold into slavery from England to the States as children with the hint that the Earl may be from an upper class family but why aren't we pursuing his potential family. And our villain never makes an appearance except in name. These would have made such interesting story lines.
Reading The Earl and the Fairy is like eating Cotton Candy--very sweet but not very filling.
Non male, ma da questo volume mi aspettavo un passo in più! Passo che non c'è stato, perché tutto è piuttosto prevedibile. E Lydia non migliora, il guaio è questo! 🙈
The anime was really good, but it was too short and it's really different from the manga. The manga was also short. We didn't even get a chance to see Prince and Kelpie. Whenever Edgar and Kelpie meets, it always makes me laugh when they fight. When I finished watching the anime, I thought the manga would have more to add on, but it didn't. It only talked about part of his past(the third and fourth volume anyway), and though that was interesting to read and we get learn more about Edgar, I was hoping that he and the Prince would have some kind of battle against each other or something. I was even more disappointed that Edgar and Lydia's relationship didn't change much. Even so, I was engulfed into this world of fairies and magical creatures. Thank you Ayuko for drawing and writing this story.
I’m going to to go with 4.5 stars on this final volume.
It was an EPIC conclusion and great way to wrap up the manga, but I was SO hoping more with that romance! I can honestly say that this is one time I would LOVE to read the light novels because I feel there is still so much more story left with these characters! I was truly bummed when I realized the manga series was finished because these characters are so unique!
The action was pretty awesome! I really have enjoyed seeing Lydia in different situations because she is so so so kind and feel she makes decisions that even surprise me.
Overall, I really enjoyed this series! I think the first two volumes were the best, but I would reread the whole series again just because it was a fun and different kind of shojo manga!
I have read that this is the final volume of this series. It did not feel like a final volume to me...perhaps because I have not read the other three volumes. But, I find it sad if it is. That's because I really liked Lydia and Edgar, and I long to see more happen between them, especially in the romance department, and this ending means it won't. I really liked the characters in this volume. I felt a connection with Lydia almost instantly, and it grew deeper as the volume went along. I also felt that she brought out the best in Edgar. I love that she made him stop feeling sorry for himself, and realize that things are getting better and could only get better later on. Rosalie, I did not grow as attached to, but I still somewhat liked her. And, I especially liked the cat, Nico, as well. As for Raven, I wasn't that impressed with him in the main story, but came to really like him in the bonus strips. I especially liked the one about "Sweet Nothings". As far as this goes as a series, I can see how it could have continued after this volume was over. Sad to see it end. I really need to read the first three volumes. I think I'd most likely like the anime series as well, so I might should watch that later on. ----------------- This volume was provided to me by VIZ Media, via Edelweiss. All opinions expressed here are my own.
This volume doesn't really conclude anything beyond the arc with Rosalie. Prince is still a nebulous threat, and much of the story still has momentum so it feels like things will continue. The romance between Lydia and Edgar advances, but not to a point anywhere near satisfying. Plus, there are some parts that are a bit heavy-handed, and some metaphors that are a tad overworked. However, Edgar is still a rogue, still scarred, and still amazing in both his arrogance and his depth of character.
We get to meet one of Prince's henchmen in this volume, but there isn't as strong a mystery in this volume, and the sword from the previous two volumes isn't mentioned in this arc. This definitely feels like a set-up for something bigger.
It sucks that this is the final volume. But I'm glad it just sort of...ends. Tying up all those loose ends would have been too brutal for the story.
However, I'm still intrigued by the characters and will likely watch the anime, though I'd really like to get my hands on a translation of the light novels. Or learn Japanese and get the original language version. Motivation!
This is my favorite volume out of the entire series. It wasn’t because it did any one thing but because it touched on light and darkness, compassion, how humans are both awful and flawed yet capable of so much love, and how just being there for someone suffering is the best thing you can do and all this in such a sympathetic and compassionate manner that touched my heart and soul.
Lydia and Edgar have come so far and the struggles they go through and ultimately overcome is just beautiful to behold. I don’t quite know what else to say as this volume touched me deeply in a way I’m not sure I can really convey into words anyone (even I) can understand.
I would highly recommend this series as it really got better with each volume and touched me in ways I didn’t expect it to. I might now go try out the anime and see what I think of that!
Content: magic and magical creatures; mild swearing; violence and blood (nothing over PG-13); talk of human trafficking/child slavery
So I really enjoyed a lot of this one too and I liked how it solved the mystery of the fogman. That part felt complete and I really liked it.
But. But. No kisses? AT ALL? And...so many questions. So so many. What about Raven? What about them? Just feels super incomplete and the relationship aspect wasn't nearly as developed as I wanted it to be.
This is the fourth (and final) volume in the Earl and the Fairy series by Ayuko. This volume tied up things nicely. Illustration and story quality were in keeping with the previous books; well done but not spectacular.
I continue to enjoy this simple and sweet Victorian fantasy story. This book picks up where the third left off. Lydia has been trapped in a warehouse by Rosalie and is trying to escape. Much of the story continues to be focused on the mysterious Fogman.
We learn a lot about Edgar’s history in this book. Lydia and Edgar continue with light banter throughout.
The ending of the book is more realistic than fairy tale like and the story is tied up nicely. I had been hoping for a bit more romance between Lydia and Edgar, but after reading the ending I kind of like how it ended. It was very realistic and left the future open to the reader’s own imagination.
Overall this was a good ending to a engaging and sweet shoujo manga series. I enjoyed the characters, story and illustration. While this manga didn’t blow me away with it’s high quality and uniqueness; it was well done and fun diversion. I would recommend to those who enjoy historical fantasy manga with a Victorian feel to it.
This is the final volume of the manga adaptation of this series. The mystery of Doris Walpole's disappearance is solved, but not before Lydia ends up in danger on multiple levels.
Okay, Edgar is cute. Just the right amount of flirty, and yet still too shy to say "don't leave me" to Lydia, so he just arranges for her to be too busy to leave.
Although this is the end of the manga adaptation, I think the light novel series goes further and maybe even wraps up the series' romantic aspects more satisfactorily. I might read the books eventually, in order to get the series' true ending. Or not, seeing as how my TBR pile is enormous and ever growing. The light novels are only available electronically, I think, and I really need to concentrate on physical items instead.
Extras:
A "story thus far" section with character profiles, three humorous four-panel comics, and a short note from the author.
I really, really loved this series; however, this manga is too short! I wish Ayuko would’ve continued illustrating the full story until its *complete* end that Mizue Tani did & answered so many unanswered questions like seeing Prince, taking him down, of course the development of Lydia & Edgar’s relationship (trust, love, marriage) etc. and the character development & progression of the rest of the characters in this series. There’s so much more that wasn’t continued in this manga that is in Mizue Tani’s light novels, and there’s SO much potential! This needs several, several more volumes!
Petition for Ayuko to continue illustrating and progress the story more, as I love her art style of the earl of the fairy best.
Perfect for that light shoujo manga you want to read sometimes. Solid plot not too complex but enough to hold your attention. That touch of romance was just enough too, not too much.
Please don't tell me there is only 4? These were so good!!
At first, I seemed a bit skeptical of reading these, but I'm so glad that I did! I loved all the characters (supporting and main) and thought the were entertaining to read.
Edgar was very calculating, as well as a conniving liar, but once you learn of his background you'll find him interesting. He can also be a bit amusing at times too.
Lydia and Nico were an amazing team. I love that she has a cat (fairy) that follows her around. (I'm jealous! :D) Lydia was a loyal character, no matter how many times Edgar lied, she stayed by his side because she knew it was best to.
What drew me into reading the series, I guess, was the art style. It stays the same throughout the books and doesn't change. I liked how the characters were drawn and a lot of the background art too!
I really want more from this series! It left a few unsolved things from Edgar's past that I'd like to know more about, and I want to know of the other jobs Lydia received from the letters she got! (I know there are light novels made but I can't find an English one.)
This was a pretty nice ending to the series. It got a bit (only a bit, not overly so) intense there for a while.
So, the last book ended with Lydia being locked up in some abandoned warehouse, and… Um, she finds that she’s not the only one there, and then Nico shows up, and then Edgar and Raven show up. They find out something much darker is going on, and Edgar has a big confrontation with Rosalie (which was great), and… some other stuff happens until the case is solved. I don’t want to ruin everything, since this is the last volume, so I’m not going to go into any more details on that.
The final fight, or whatever, scene was a little anticlimactic, which was a bit disappointing. It’s just… so much was worked up to it, and then it just kind of happened, there wasn’t some big move to do it, Edgar and Lydia barely even had any part in bringing that plot to a close. It seemed a little like not a lot of effort or thought was put into it, like maybe the author only had a certain amount of pages to work with, and she’d already used up so much. But maybe that’s just me.
The romance actually had a rather satisfying end, in my opinion. There were some sweet scenes between Lydia and Edgar, and while there wasn’t any kissing or real confessions or anything, they’re friendly with each other and are going to continue working with each other, and it’s at least hinting that something is probably going to happen in the future. Of course, I wouldn’t mind seeing any of that, but it’s a pretty good end for the two, considering; this didn’t seem like the type of manga that would have had some big confession or over-the-top romantic scene, anyway, so what happened was good for me.
Given my mediocre feelings toward most of the series prior to this book, I would say that this was a rather good ending, especially since I even upped the rating about half a star. This was a very nice ending to the series; I’m happy with it.
Well, the series is over. And I liked it. It was a cute little story that was a little different and fun, but pretty predictable in terms of manga. It's nice to have a short series to read every once in a while. I enjoyed the art.
This book felt rushed, though maybe that's because things finished in a timely manner unlike other manga series.
It's very rarely that I say this about manga, but I actually wish that The Earl and the Fairy could have gone on just a little longer. The story was made up of two parts, the "Earl" part where Edmund strives to become the earl, and the "Fairy" part where the group try to solve the mystery of the "fogman" (an evil fairy). Two parts is really short, and I would have liked maybe a third part, of what, I'm not sure.
(NOTE: Wikipedia says the series is still going, but as the manga has no "next time on" page, I'm going to guess no one's updated that Wikipedia article)
-sniffles- The proclaimed last volume to the series. I don't see how it could go so much further and give us a definite ending for our two main characters. I would very much had appreciated that. Wonderful book. Our heroine goes missing. The man we have seen lie the entire series, cocky and self-center. He unleashes hell in his mission to locate her....But all that aside towards the end. I think you see a softness come out, just for her that you wouldn't see with anyone else. That he couldn't show anyone else, except her. A wonderful end, if it is one. But I seriously hope this isn't the end.
Loving the covers for these. The color settings are really good. Also I'm surprised this was a short series. With most series they go on and on, sometimes far too long and sometimes long enough to get the story and closure across? With this, I liked it but felt there should of been more in a way I guess? I don't know. I might give the anime a watch. Pretty good 4 volume series. Lydia is awesome.