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The Contract Between a Specter and a Servant #1
The Contract Between a Specter and a Servant (Light Novel), Vol. 1
That was the worst day of Masamichi Adachi’s life. He failed the college entrance exam again, was fired from his part-time job, and to top it all off, was fatally injured in a hit-and-run. However, just as he was resigning myself to death, a stunningly beautiful man appeared and said to become his servant. In exchange for his life, Masamichi now works for the mysterious entity that runs an antique store...
160 pages, Paperback
Published March 19, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
November 11, 2025
I'm surprised by how short this volume is. While the premise is interesting, this is more of a prologue than the start of the story; we barely get introduced to the characters and get a hint of what's to come before it's over. I should read a few more volumes before deciding how I feel about it, but what we got just isn't enticing enough for me to continue.
March 25, 2024
Some of the most interesting stuff about this book comes in the author's note. I read it first, as I tend to do, and in this case I'm kind of glad I did. It was interesting to read the story knowing that it's a complete rewrite of an existing 9 volume series that the author had intended to continue - but couldn't, due to publishing house difficulties. (Something that has cut off plenty of promising series in the past.)
Those 9 volumes still exist in ebook form with their original publisher, and while I am curious about them, I'm assuming they're probably only in Japanese, so it'd be pretty difficult to access them and see what the differences are. Fushino says it's a number of things, but mostly changing from first person to third person narrative (which I think was likely a vast improvement) and slowing down the story progression so the characters could develop a more natural relationship.
The original book had started as a potential one-shot, then expanded into more, which Fushino says meant a lot of things got crammed into that first volume. I'm not sure what exactly that means in this case, but I've definitely felt that compression and then awkward expansion in plenty of other series. So I'm glad there's room now for a slower pace.
The one thing that does confuse me is that the original story was 9+ volumes, while I think this one is complete at 4? And this is a slim novella. So it's more natural pacing but a faster wrap up? We'll see, I guess.
As for the story itself: it's definitely more disturbing than I was expecting! But really nice writing and interesting characters. (I love, by the way, that Aki Aoi illustrated the cover. This series does seem like their type of narrative: literary, a little odd, but surprisingly lovely.)
Masamichi is a 20 year old failure. He grew up sickly and shy, the only child of a farming family, without the physical strength to carry on their tradition or the social skills to forge much of a path for himself. He decided to go into the agricultural field in order to support his family farm in his own way, through academic research. But because he's poor and on his own, unable to join study groups or pay for prep schools, he fails the college entrance exams two years in a row.
Then he gets fired from his part time job at a bar, because his new manager wants to hire a cute, outgoing girl in his place. He's too gloomy and quiet for the customers, which is harming their business, the manager says. (Really wish Shino could find a loophole to eat that guy eventually.)
As the final nail in his almost literal coffin, Masamichi's struck by a hit and run driver on his way home after getting fired. He doesn't die right away - he's a tough, stubborn guy despite his quiet personality - so when Shino wanders by and finds him in the street, he ends up being pretty intrigued.
The gross part: Shino is a 1000+ year old cannibalistic specter, so the first thing he does is taste Masamichi's blood, and take a bite out of his accident-detached leg to see if it activates the curse that's been put on him. It doesn't, and Masamichi tastes amazing, so Shino proposes a pact. He'll save Masamichi's life and put his broken body back together if Masamichi agrees to be his servant and his food.
There isn't much of a choice here, but Masamichi does take the time to think about it. He's depressed and doesn't believe his life is worth anything, so he'd rather just get it all over with now...but he remembers the promises he's made to his family, and the grief they'd feel at his passing, so he agrees. And Shino saves him...mostly.
I like that it's not actually an easy, magical fix. Masamichi has some lingering scars where Shino was patching him, and plenty of full-body aching from the injuries and the need for his body to continue healing up the rest of the way. It's not that it's fully realistic, because Masamichi is recovered enough after 5 days to do some pretty intensive cleaning of his old apartment, then his new home with Shino, but I did like that it shows that all "magic" takes effort and saps energy.
It turns out Shino can't really keep eating and then healing Masamichi, because it's not worth the energy transfer. He'd be drained too much by putting Masamichi's limbs back together to make eating them in the first place worthwhile. So he grumpily has to think of other options.
This does lead to another very disturbing section where Shino proposes raping Masamichi as a less invasive (in his view) way of sucking out his energy. How is this more distressing and evil than literally eating Masamichi's flesh? Well...it is, for most readers, I'd think, and for Masamichi as well, who headbutts Shino as hard as he can and then calmly explains how invasive and emotionally/mentally scarring that would be. Shino can eat his toes if he wants, but he's drawing a firm line here - he won't "give his body" to Shino in a sexual way, which means it's not a part of their contract and Shino can't do anything about it.
It's actually a really interesting conversation that I appreciated once my internal alarm bells stopped going off. It's meant to be disturbing, and to show to the readers and Masamichi that Shino is not a human. He doesn't think the way humans do, so for him none of this was "evil" in human terms. This is a natural part of being a specter, like any predator that hunts for its sustenance. It's just so much more disturbing because part of his curse involves being stuck in an extremely handsome, modern-looking human form.
And Masamichi keeps getting sucked into that beauty and the kindness that Shino shows him, while periodically forgetting that Shino is an ancient, amoral being. So yeah...I'm glad for the slower pacing, because I can only imagine what the original series jumped into in order to wrap things up faster. (Funny, too, that Fushino says this isn't meant to be "BL" but simply to show the bond forming between two people. I guess because it's not a straightforward romance, but it's definitely going to ultimately lead to a mutual physical and emotional connection.)
I'm curious to learn more about Shino's master, and whoever it is that Masamichi reminds him of. Is it his master who had the same golden aura that Masamichi does? Is Shino going to gradually become more "human" as he lives with Masamichi? It took a decade of living with the previous residents of his house for him to soften even a little, but they didn't know Shino's true nature in the way Masamichi does, so that will help things to progress more rapidly.
We'll see. Definitely intrigued by the next volume, and hoping it won't take too long for the rest.
Those 9 volumes still exist in ebook form with their original publisher, and while I am curious about them, I'm assuming they're probably only in Japanese, so it'd be pretty difficult to access them and see what the differences are. Fushino says it's a number of things, but mostly changing from first person to third person narrative (which I think was likely a vast improvement) and slowing down the story progression so the characters could develop a more natural relationship.
The original book had started as a potential one-shot, then expanded into more, which Fushino says meant a lot of things got crammed into that first volume. I'm not sure what exactly that means in this case, but I've definitely felt that compression and then awkward expansion in plenty of other series. So I'm glad there's room now for a slower pace.
The one thing that does confuse me is that the original story was 9+ volumes, while I think this one is complete at 4? And this is a slim novella. So it's more natural pacing but a faster wrap up? We'll see, I guess.
As for the story itself: it's definitely more disturbing than I was expecting! But really nice writing and interesting characters. (I love, by the way, that Aki Aoi illustrated the cover. This series does seem like their type of narrative: literary, a little odd, but surprisingly lovely.)
Masamichi is a 20 year old failure. He grew up sickly and shy, the only child of a farming family, without the physical strength to carry on their tradition or the social skills to forge much of a path for himself. He decided to go into the agricultural field in order to support his family farm in his own way, through academic research. But because he's poor and on his own, unable to join study groups or pay for prep schools, he fails the college entrance exams two years in a row.
Then he gets fired from his part time job at a bar, because his new manager wants to hire a cute, outgoing girl in his place. He's too gloomy and quiet for the customers, which is harming their business, the manager says. (Really wish Shino could find a loophole to eat that guy eventually.)
As the final nail in his almost literal coffin, Masamichi's struck by a hit and run driver on his way home after getting fired. He doesn't die right away - he's a tough, stubborn guy despite his quiet personality - so when Shino wanders by and finds him in the street, he ends up being pretty intrigued.
The gross part: Shino is a 1000+ year old cannibalistic specter, so the first thing he does is taste Masamichi's blood, and take a bite out of his accident-detached leg to see if it activates the curse that's been put on him. It doesn't, and Masamichi tastes amazing, so Shino proposes a pact. He'll save Masamichi's life and put his broken body back together if Masamichi agrees to be his servant and his food.
There isn't much of a choice here, but Masamichi does take the time to think about it. He's depressed and doesn't believe his life is worth anything, so he'd rather just get it all over with now...but he remembers the promises he's made to his family, and the grief they'd feel at his passing, so he agrees. And Shino saves him...mostly.
I like that it's not actually an easy, magical fix. Masamichi has some lingering scars where Shino was patching him, and plenty of full-body aching from the injuries and the need for his body to continue healing up the rest of the way. It's not that it's fully realistic, because Masamichi is recovered enough after 5 days to do some pretty intensive cleaning of his old apartment, then his new home with Shino, but I did like that it shows that all "magic" takes effort and saps energy.
It turns out Shino can't really keep eating and then healing Masamichi, because it's not worth the energy transfer. He'd be drained too much by putting Masamichi's limbs back together to make eating them in the first place worthwhile. So he grumpily has to think of other options.
This does lead to another very disturbing section where Shino proposes raping Masamichi as a less invasive (in his view) way of sucking out his energy. How is this more distressing and evil than literally eating Masamichi's flesh? Well...it is, for most readers, I'd think, and for Masamichi as well, who headbutts Shino as hard as he can and then calmly explains how invasive and emotionally/mentally scarring that would be. Shino can eat his toes if he wants, but he's drawing a firm line here - he won't "give his body" to Shino in a sexual way, which means it's not a part of their contract and Shino can't do anything about it.
It's actually a really interesting conversation that I appreciated once my internal alarm bells stopped going off. It's meant to be disturbing, and to show to the readers and Masamichi that Shino is not a human. He doesn't think the way humans do, so for him none of this was "evil" in human terms. This is a natural part of being a specter, like any predator that hunts for its sustenance. It's just so much more disturbing because part of his curse involves being stuck in an extremely handsome, modern-looking human form.
And Masamichi keeps getting sucked into that beauty and the kindness that Shino shows him, while periodically forgetting that Shino is an ancient, amoral being. So yeah...I'm glad for the slower pacing, because I can only imagine what the original series jumped into in order to wrap things up faster. (Funny, too, that Fushino says this isn't meant to be "BL" but simply to show the bond forming between two people. I guess because it's not a straightforward romance, but it's definitely going to ultimately lead to a mutual physical and emotional connection.)
I'm curious to learn more about Shino's master, and whoever it is that Masamichi reminds him of. Is it his master who had the same golden aura that Masamichi does? Is Shino going to gradually become more "human" as he lives with Masamichi? It took a decade of living with the previous residents of his house for him to soften even a little, but they didn't know Shino's true nature in the way Masamichi does, so that will help things to progress more rapidly.
We'll see. Definitely intrigued by the next volume, and hoping it won't take too long for the rest.
September 2, 2024
What starts as a tale of a despairing young man who gains a second chance at life by agreeing to be food for a specter, becomes a very sweet grumpy/sunshine tale of becoming human and finding purpose. I enjoyed both characters and look forward to seeing their connection grow.
October 29, 2024
✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* Stockholm-Syndrome ✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*
Or so i would say. At least slightly.
The premise is great - Masamichi gets run over by a car and is bleeding out, then a specter shows up and gives him a deal: I rescue your life, but ur body and soul is mine, so i can eat you. (Literally, he nibbles on Masamichis ripped off leg.)
Masamichis ofc says yes, because why not, and well then he is Shinos servant with everything.
So - i read that after the chinese novel "Don't you like me" which has a similar supernatural premise, but uh was rly bad. So I already like this story more, because there is actualy plot happening. About the antique shop Shinos has, about Masamichis work there and some supernatural stuff with the items and shit (don't wanna spoil anything).
Yes it's a bit dubious, especially when Shino wants Masamichis energy which (you guessed it) can be obtained via sex - which he calls rape. Shino is pretty open with that, that yes he raped ppl and then ripped them apart and ate them, because why not? He's a thousand year old specter. (There is actually no rape happening here so.. hm yet?) Sadly he can't do that now, because he got cursed, but Masamichi is now his servant, so he can do that to him. Masamichi avoids that topic somehow, because he rather gets a ripped off leg again than getting raped (i get that).
So i guess it's a bit... hm.
The other thing thats a biiiit annoying is Masamichi himself. He's the typical japanese uke-char. Has it hard in his life, no friends, introvert, can't speak his mind yadda yadda, you probably know the checklist for those uke chars.
The biggest "dafuq" moment is, that after the rape-talk Masamichi is all ... but he's otherwise really nice (after being there for 4 days) and i wanna know more about him and be close to him and he has it so bad because of the curse and ... yeahhh pretty much Stockholm syndrome, i would say.
Sadly I like Shino a lot - for being a thousand year old specter and not giving a shit about the current dos and don'ts of the time? Like yeah, in history that was normal, and why should he bother. The whole story will probably be about Masamichi getting Shino to feel stuff like humans, get whats wrong and what not and so on.
Like i said, it's nice, if you can oversee the stockholm stuff? If red flags trigger you, you probably shouldn't read it.
Or so i would say. At least slightly.
The premise is great - Masamichi gets run over by a car and is bleeding out, then a specter shows up and gives him a deal: I rescue your life, but ur body and soul is mine, so i can eat you. (Literally, he nibbles on Masamichis ripped off leg.)
Masamichis ofc says yes, because why not, and well then he is Shinos servant with everything.
So - i read that after the chinese novel "Don't you like me" which has a similar supernatural premise, but uh was rly bad. So I already like this story more, because there is actualy plot happening. About the antique shop Shinos has, about Masamichis work there and some supernatural stuff with the items and shit (don't wanna spoil anything).
Yes it's a bit dubious, especially when Shino wants Masamichis energy which (you guessed it) can be obtained via sex - which he calls rape. Shino is pretty open with that, that yes he raped ppl and then ripped them apart and ate them, because why not? He's a thousand year old specter. (There is actually no rape happening here so.. hm yet?) Sadly he can't do that now, because he got cursed, but Masamichi is now his servant, so he can do that to him. Masamichi avoids that topic somehow, because he rather gets a ripped off leg again than getting raped (i get that).
So i guess it's a bit... hm.
The other thing thats a biiiit annoying is Masamichi himself. He's the typical japanese uke-char. Has it hard in his life, no friends, introvert, can't speak his mind yadda yadda, you probably know the checklist for those uke chars.
The biggest "dafuq" moment is, that after the rape-talk Masamichi is all ... but he's otherwise really nice (after being there for 4 days) and i wanna know more about him and be close to him and he has it so bad because of the curse and ... yeahhh pretty much Stockholm syndrome, i would say.
Sadly I like Shino a lot - for being a thousand year old specter and not giving a shit about the current dos and don'ts of the time? Like yeah, in history that was normal, and why should he bother. The whole story will probably be about Masamichi getting Shino to feel stuff like humans, get whats wrong and what not and so on.
Like i said, it's nice, if you can oversee the stockholm stuff? If red flags trigger you, you probably shouldn't read it.
February 10, 2024
This is apparently completely rewritten from its original serialization with a different publisher, and I'm not sure the author is happy about that. But it's an interesting start to a series, and I'll definitely give it a second volume, although I could have done without a few sections, such as the discussion about how someone might "enjoy" being raped. (The would-be instigator of said rape does not, it must be said, actually understand what "rape" really means. But still.)
April 7, 2024
This book was written for me basically. Best impulse purchase I've made in recent times lol.
March 5, 2024
I found this opening volume of The Contract Between a Specter and a Servant an enjoyable read. The story's premise was interesting and both Masamichi and Shino came across well as characters. I enjoyed their interactions and when the book ended it left me intrigued about how things would continue for them, making me keen to read on in the series. Recommended for fans of fantasy BL light novels. I am giving this book four stars.
I received this book as a free eBook ARC via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
I received this book as a free eBook ARC via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
August 14, 2024
A cute read.
If you like xxxHolic, you should give series a try.
If you like xxxHolic, you should give series a try.
March 26, 2024
Initially, I was skeptical of Yen Press labeling this as BL, especially since I couldn't find more info about this series online. But after checking the Japanese listings of this series (and there are five volumes released so far), I was able to confirm that Masamichi does end up developing deeper feelings for Shino (which was already implied by a few passages in this volume anyway). This was further confirmed by the author's note at the end, in which they talk about how this series was previously published and that this one is a rewrite. I didn't particularly feel like the rewrite was against their wishes; if anything, I felt that they were eager to have the chance to slow down the pace of Masamichi and Shino's relationship and explore more facets of our main characters.
With that being said, this first volume was actually shorter than I expected, so I suppose it makes sense that it functions as more of an introduction of our main characters and as a foundation for what their relationship will be like moving forward. The first 25% or so was frustrating given how side characters acted, but as soon as Masamichi gets hit by that car, it's pretty smooth sailing.
I should say that, towards the end of the volume, there is one very questionable extended conversation between Masamichi and Shino regarding rape - but at the same time, it isn't justified and further highlights how "other" Shino is and how different his worldview is compared to humans. And that's one thing I do like about this series so far. Shino is complex, and you can't entirely pinpoint his morals as either good or bad. In fact, his understanding of what is "good" and what is "bad" is entirely different from how humans understand those concepts.
On one hand, so many callous things can come out of his mouth; on the other hand, he may not entirely understand the concept of callousness. He isn't afraid to insult Masamichi and call him a servant, but at the same time, his actions speak of a generosity that hasn't been afforded to Masamichi by anyone who isn't his family. As evidenced by the extended exchange about "eating" Masamichi, Shino can also be open - albeit hesitantly - to further conversation and alternative means to an end. And, though he says otherwise, it's clear that Shino is capable to experiencing human emotions to some degree, even expressing a degree of (begrudging?) affection for his old master.
You can also clearly see some character development in Masamichi himself just in this short volume. In the beginning he's described as painfully introverted, awkward, and always second-guessing himself. It's why he gets fired from his part-time job. By the end of this volume, he has become a little bit more assertive and honest, and quicker to defend himself whether physically or verbally against Shino. He's able to read Shino and to know when to push his boundaries with his words and actions, and I hope that in the future volumes he's able to use this newfound courage when interacting with other people.
While I was fairly disappointed by how short this volume was (though I suppose this length is to be expected from light novels), I still thought it was a good introductory volume. This series holds a lot of promise, and I'll definitely read the second volume when it comes out in July.
With that being said, this first volume was actually shorter than I expected, so I suppose it makes sense that it functions as more of an introduction of our main characters and as a foundation for what their relationship will be like moving forward. The first 25% or so was frustrating given how side characters acted, but as soon as Masamichi gets hit by that car, it's pretty smooth sailing.
I should say that, towards the end of the volume, there is one very questionable extended conversation between Masamichi and Shino regarding rape - but at the same time, it isn't justified and further highlights how "other" Shino is and how different his worldview is compared to humans. And that's one thing I do like about this series so far. Shino is complex, and you can't entirely pinpoint his morals as either good or bad. In fact, his understanding of what is "good" and what is "bad" is entirely different from how humans understand those concepts.
On one hand, so many callous things can come out of his mouth; on the other hand, he may not entirely understand the concept of callousness. He isn't afraid to insult Masamichi and call him a servant, but at the same time, his actions speak of a generosity that hasn't been afforded to Masamichi by anyone who isn't his family. As evidenced by the extended exchange about "eating" Masamichi, Shino can also be open - albeit hesitantly - to further conversation and alternative means to an end. And, though he says otherwise, it's clear that Shino is capable to experiencing human emotions to some degree, even expressing a degree of (begrudging?) affection for his old master.
You can also clearly see some character development in Masamichi himself just in this short volume. In the beginning he's described as painfully introverted, awkward, and always second-guessing himself. It's why he gets fired from his part-time job. By the end of this volume, he has become a little bit more assertive and honest, and quicker to defend himself whether physically or verbally against Shino. He's able to read Shino and to know when to push his boundaries with his words and actions, and I hope that in the future volumes he's able to use this newfound courage when interacting with other people.
While I was fairly disappointed by how short this volume was (though I suppose this length is to be expected from light novels), I still thought it was a good introductory volume. This series holds a lot of promise, and I'll definitely read the second volume when it comes out in July.
July 16, 2025
I found this book while I was looking around the Yen Press site. I caught a sale in their store on a series I was curious about and threw this one in the cart.
I am liking the light novels that I’ve read so far. I liked this one so much I picked up the rest of the series (I found another sale - yay!!!)
It’s about country mouse Masamichi (an introverted farm boy) and Shino, a shikigami. Shino offers Masamichi a contract after the worst day of his life (that day was so bad!!). I won’t say more since the book is short, less than 200 pages. I was a little worried about the length but it was a good start and the author’s note was interesting to get where the author is taking the series.
It really is about two people beginning a relationship. Not romantic but think about it how do you or how did you become friends with the people you’re friends with? It’s like that. You’re together, you talk, mess up, figure out what’s ok and what’s not ok and find commonality. And go from there.
Looking forward to the adventures Masamichi and Shino get up to. I do like supernatural and cursed object stories (BL/yaoi or not).
I loved this quote from the book. Shino is encouraging Masamichi to continue his education:
“He who has acquired wide and varied knowledge will clothe his soul with colorful garments…The ignorant one will be bare-chested and unashamed.”
March 29, 2024
Cw of death, attempted SA, gore
Been on a light novel kick lately, so I was excited to see this just came out in English. It's a short read, but enjoyable. It's an interesting premise.
There's one scene I feel like it's necessary to mention because of it's serious subject matter and the jarring tone was something. Up until this point we get some sense our male lead is not human. But it becomes painfully clear with the attempted grape scene. The author is definitely trying to show his otherness. However, the tone seems a bit too light. Almost edging on comical. Which was how I read it. It was unsettling. It was meant to be unsettling I'm sure. But the delivery was off. It kinda took me out of the story. My eyes just bugging out in disbelief at what I was reading. So a big warning to those sensitive.
I did still enjoy the book, but not having warmed up to our ml in the short 160 something pages I'm hoping I eventually do??? Argh. I wanna read more!!
Been on a light novel kick lately, so I was excited to see this just came out in English. It's a short read, but enjoyable. It's an interesting premise.
There's one scene I feel like it's necessary to mention because of it's serious subject matter and the jarring tone was something. Up until this point we get some sense our male lead is not human. But it becomes painfully clear with the attempted grape scene. The author is definitely trying to show his otherness. However, the tone seems a bit too light. Almost edging on comical. Which was how I read it. It was unsettling. It was meant to be unsettling I'm sure. But the delivery was off. It kinda took me out of the story. My eyes just bugging out in disbelief at what I was reading. So a big warning to those sensitive.
I did still enjoy the book, but not having warmed up to our ml in the short 160 something pages I'm hoping I eventually do??? Argh. I wanna read more!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 25, 2024
I've not read many light novels so I wasn't sure how I was going to like this but I can honestly say I was blown away. The author's writing style is clean and engaging. I absolutely loved the characters and how true to themselves they stay while also showing growth for each other in their strange relationship. I can't wait to read more! I also now need to hunt down the original story since this was a rewrite!
A note on this being a "BL" or not... I have to agree with the author, this should not be considered a true BL, but rather a story depicting how a strong bond grows between two people. But on that note, BL fans, especially those open to all forms of the genre as such, will definitely 100% love this story.
A note on this being a "BL" or not... I have to agree with the author, this should not be considered a true BL, but rather a story depicting how a strong bond grows between two people. But on that note, BL fans, especially those open to all forms of the genre as such, will definitely 100% love this story.
November 3, 2025
Hmmm this was kind of creepy, bizarre and frustrating at the same time yet i enjoyed it.
Masamichi was a young man who got hit by a car until his body literally crushed, his leg fell off from his body. His ribs broken. And then suddenly came this beautiful man named Shino who offered him a second chance to live by being his servant. Turned out, Shino was a Specter. Not only that, he also ate Masamichi's leg that fell off because of the car accident and even licked the blood on his body.
In the end, Masamichi was granted a second life and started his days by being Shino's servant. And oh boy let me guess, i think Masamichi would develop a deeper feelings towards Shino.
Masamichi was a young man who got hit by a car until his body literally crushed, his leg fell off from his body. His ribs broken. And then suddenly came this beautiful man named Shino who offered him a second chance to live by being his servant. Turned out, Shino was a Specter. Not only that, he also ate Masamichi's leg that fell off because of the car accident and even licked the blood on his body.
In the end, Masamichi was granted a second life and started his days by being Shino's servant. And oh boy let me guess, i think Masamichi would develop a deeper feelings towards Shino.
May 9, 2024
The beginning and end of the first volume were strong, but I felt myself slugging through the middle at parts. Overall, I really like the setup and seeing the MC slowly grow more confident and articulate his feelings. I read the authors note in the end at this being a rewrite that'll focus on their growth together a bit slower, so I'm excited to see where this goes. Thank gosh for no major red flags.
May 9, 2024
This was an interesting start to a series and I will definitely check out the next volume. I will say that I think some of the translation choices didn’t really fit the information we were given. I wish I knew what the original words were or that they had left some more of the Japanese in.
August 5, 2025
It’s one of that classic trope when the two people met by chance and they grew closer together after such opportunity. I think the familiarity is the thing that keeps me to finish it, and I love how warm and FULL OF CONSENT this book is. Way to go, way to go!
June 25, 2024
3½ ⭐ for an interesting premise and start to a newly rewritten old series.
RTC
RTC
August 18, 2024
Kinda sus with not much plot. I can definitely tell that this is an older story that’s been revised. It has the kind of barren vibe of the early 2000s.
I’ll probably still read book two.
I’ll probably still read book two.
October 15, 2024
I quite enjoyed the first book that explores the beginning of the strange relationship between Adachi and Shino. Some scenes can be a triggering, or at least awkward, reading, though.
March 3, 2025
4.5 rounded up. Really liking this story and can't wait to read more!
July 8, 2024
I don’t even recall my reasoning for buying this book, but I had it on my shelf, I read it and I enjoyed it.
The story follows Masamichi Adachi who had a really bad day only to end up practically dying in a hit and run. As his luck would have it, a beautiful man named Shino appears and after having a taste of Masamichi, he heals him. In exchange for granting him a life, Masamichi becomes Shino’s servant.
Personally, the story has a slow pace and there is a greater focus on building the relationship between the two characters than any other plot line. This does sometimes make the story a bit dull, as there is nothing evident happening or anticipated. However this is on the shorter side of light novels so it wasn’t too bad and Shino is shrouded in a lot of mystery so it kept me reading.
It’s both amazing and scary how realistic this book can be. This story doesn’t falter from describing pain or recovery, and discussing topics such as rape. Masamichi’s healing process was far from painless and although supernatural means were used to heal him, I found it intriguing how he still experienced pain. It’s also important to note this book has attempted rape, and Masamichi explains why this is bad in simple terms. However this also puts into perspective that Shino, who isn’t a human, doesn’t understand human concepts very well.
The focus of this story is currently on Shino and Masamichi. It’s a small cast of characters but nonetheless there is a small amount of character growth for each. Although we learn a bit about each character and their past, it is not conclusive. Shino is the most questionable because although he’s lived with humans for a thousand years, he hasn’t adapted seamlessly. I’m curious to know how he’s been living and about his master. There isn’t much romance in volume one as they are getting to know each other, but Masamichi has a lot of thoughts on Shino.
The volume picks up near the end when Shino shows his supernatural powers for work. It was not only interesting but I felt like it gave a boost to the story that was somewhat missing before. This is also when the two characters are comfortable around each other, which makes it feel less awkward to read. I’m interested to see how the supernatural powers play a role in the story going forward.
Overall, I enjoyed reading this volume. The translation can come off as a little boring from time to time, but I feel like volume one is probably a preface to a greater story in later volumes. This reads almost like a slice of life manga or anime, so I would recommend it if you like those. I’m looking forward to the next volume because I would like to see how the relationship between Shino and Masamichi grows, as well as if we’ll get to understand more of their pasts and possibly meet some new characters.
Read more reviews @ Mystic's Review Shelf
The story follows Masamichi Adachi who had a really bad day only to end up practically dying in a hit and run. As his luck would have it, a beautiful man named Shino appears and after having a taste of Masamichi, he heals him. In exchange for granting him a life, Masamichi becomes Shino’s servant.
Personally, the story has a slow pace and there is a greater focus on building the relationship between the two characters than any other plot line. This does sometimes make the story a bit dull, as there is nothing evident happening or anticipated. However this is on the shorter side of light novels so it wasn’t too bad and Shino is shrouded in a lot of mystery so it kept me reading.
It’s both amazing and scary how realistic this book can be. This story doesn’t falter from describing pain or recovery, and discussing topics such as rape. Masamichi’s healing process was far from painless and although supernatural means were used to heal him, I found it intriguing how he still experienced pain. It’s also important to note this book has attempted rape, and Masamichi explains why this is bad in simple terms. However this also puts into perspective that Shino, who isn’t a human, doesn’t understand human concepts very well.
The focus of this story is currently on Shino and Masamichi. It’s a small cast of characters but nonetheless there is a small amount of character growth for each. Although we learn a bit about each character and their past, it is not conclusive. Shino is the most questionable because although he’s lived with humans for a thousand years, he hasn’t adapted seamlessly. I’m curious to know how he’s been living and about his master. There isn’t much romance in volume one as they are getting to know each other, but Masamichi has a lot of thoughts on Shino.
The volume picks up near the end when Shino shows his supernatural powers for work. It was not only interesting but I felt like it gave a boost to the story that was somewhat missing before. This is also when the two characters are comfortable around each other, which makes it feel less awkward to read. I’m interested to see how the supernatural powers play a role in the story going forward.
Overall, I enjoyed reading this volume. The translation can come off as a little boring from time to time, but I feel like volume one is probably a preface to a greater story in later volumes. This reads almost like a slice of life manga or anime, so I would recommend it if you like those. I’m looking forward to the next volume because I would like to see how the relationship between Shino and Masamichi grows, as well as if we’ll get to understand more of their pasts and possibly meet some new characters.
Read more reviews @ Mystic's Review Shelf
April 18, 2024
I don't know what exactly I was expecting with this but it wasn't what I got. In fact, I almost quit reading it within the first couple of chapters. I'm glad that I didn't though because it turned out to be a surprising good story. Masamichi and Shino have an interesting relationship that makes we want to see where it goes. I have rea some backlash online about there being some queer baiting due to it being marketed as LGBTQ+ but having an afterword from the author saying it's not BL. That wasn't really how I interpreted it, more that the author wanted to focus on their relationship in a non-sexual way. There is nothing wrong with that I don't really think that makes it queer baiting. Either way, I plan to keep reading it.
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