She publishes under two names in Japanese, that spell the same but are written with different characters. - 硝音あや: for shōjo manga - しょうおとあや: for BL manga
The first volume was pretty cute, but this one was honestly just okay. I already had the ebook of volume 3 checked out before finishing this; otherwise, I think I would have DNFed the series here, but as it is, I'll give it one more volume to see if it gets better. I just don't find the storyline super interesting anymore, and I had a hard time keeping track of who was who at points because some of the character designs are so similar. If volume 3 isn't better, I think I'll call it a loss at that point.
As the second volume of a manga my rating is affected by the first volume! See my review of volume one...
On her 16th birthday, orphan Himari Momochi inherits the ancestral estate she’s never seen. Momochi House exists on the barrier between the human and spiritual realms, and Himari is meant to act as guardian between the two worlds. But on the day she moves in, she finds three handsome squatters already living in the house, and one seems to have already taken over her role!
GAH!!! Another reviewer called the art worthy of "artgasms" and I can't help but agree!! It's so darn gorgeous. I loved the spirit parade and the little Ayakashi that add a touch of comedy to the story. And the shikigami have come into their character designs very well. They just pop and I can't want to get to know them even more. In fact we meet 3 students from Himari's class and they are just as striking as the Ayakashi in design!
The mystery of Aoi and Nue is lifted in this volume enough for you to realize this is going to be a really great story! The little story You May Enter at the end was adorable and explained a lot. I love when a mangaka shows things from character's youth that shed light on where they are today. And Aoi is simply so sweet with Himari. He isn't overbearing or strong arming her and in fact she is shown to be a pretty strong lady herself when she resists some of his desires.
I was really feeling the story in this volume. It's like we got half the story in volume 1 and now we are completely setup! And I like.... I really, really like! I was just a little uncertain if everything was going to stay as shallow as it was presented. My feelings were a little light as I went into this one... but they were quickly engaged! I believe this is a series that I'm going to enjoy very much!
The world was very simply presented but that was deceptively shallow. Sure there were hints that there was more to it but in this volume we actually get more. It really, really helped that there was more plot that showed us more and that there is plenty in this world to touch on! I actually don't mind that this was a slow build. I think the story is more mysterious because we think things are one way only to find out we aren't seeing everything... That is truly exciting!!
⋆ ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Authenticity ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Tension ⋆ ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Plot ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Art
BOTTOM LINE: The potential was built upon... this is going to be good... now I'm going back in for volume 3!
______________________ You can find this review and many others on my book blog @ Perspective of a Writer. See my manga and graphic novel reviews in a special feature called Saturday Morning Cartoons...
I borrowed this from the library pre-covid and then returned it before I read it. Glad I finally decided to pick it up again and get back into this series!
I absolutely love the art of this manga. Aoi looks so delicate though, even with the power as the nue, in his human form he looks so...waif-like; especially around the eyes and mouth.
Nevertheless, I hope that there’ll be more interaction between Himari and Aoi; and more than just the hero-damsel in distress kind that has become a pattern in the first two volumes.
Shouoto is able to expand a bit more of Himari's world by the end of this volume. By touching on her going back to school, it gives urgency to the protagonist's end goal of the series. Shouoto also foreshadows one of my favorite arcs of the series and is even able to stress the bond between Himari and Aoi. Their insta-connection is starting to form genuine sparks. It'll be fun to see them come to life all over again.
As Himari continues to discover the magic and potential dangers of Momochi House, the more the shikigami come to trust her. I can tell Ise and Yukari view her as less of a nuisance (even if the former still doesn't completely trust her; that'll change), and Zushi's introduction reinforces that. The bonus story also has enough charm with a slight sinister edge to leave readers wondering what Shouoto will reveal next. There was some art that didn't look as polished as the last volume, yet I love seeing Shouoto's growth and how that'll continue to build in a longer series (as I mentioned in my last review).
First Read Review (October 16th, 2016):
It's been a long time coming that I read the next volume in this series, and I didn't even know my local library ordered Volumes 2-5 until fairly recently (it also slipped my mind to request interlibrary loans for this series, but whatever).
There was less recap this time and more plot. The end of the volume promises really exciting things to come, so I'm interested to see where this series goes next. I'm also really liking Himari, though I wouldn't say she's as memorable as Anise was from Kiss of the Rose Princess (also by Aya Shouoto).
But my favorite character is definitely Aoi, because I like the balance between his mature and childish sides. Plus, his Nue form is still incredibly gorgeous and makes me swoon every single time it shows up.
Aya Shouoto also continues to basically give us all artgasms too, so that's appreciated! Hopefully I'm able to get caught up on this series as soon as I can.
Ask and you shall receive apparently. Got some more background on aoi to start off this volume. I still love the art and the story seems to be really ramping up. We have a dead person in the house that needs to be removed but first to determine who it is.
I think Aya just isn't the mangaka for me. I've tried her Kiss of the Rose Princess series. It started off great but then it tanked. I can see why people would like her stuff but this isn't for me.
Himari is well-intentioned but constantly makes things more complicated than they need to be and Aoi is ridiculously naive (albeit for plot-relevant reasons) but also adorable and sweet. Their friendship and crush are so ridiculously sappy, but it's cute enough that I don't mind.
This volume explored the lore with more depth and introduced some new, interesting elements while retaining the fluffy, saccharine, domestic elements which appealed to me in the first installment. I'm a bit annoyed it left off on a cliffhanger chapter instead of a complete chapter, but I would likely have continued to the next volume regardless.
Still mostly cotton candy with a taste I enjoy, but in this case it covers a few heavier topics such as suicide and murder between the candy-sweet domestic parts. I liked the edge that added.
3.5 ⭐️ Fabuła zaczyna się rozkręcać. Chociaż przez większość książki przysypiałam to końcówka wzięła z zaskoczenia. Plot twist, którym zakończony został ten tom, zdecydowanie zachęca do sięgnięcia po dalsze części.
ok pop off Aya Shouoto!!! Love the dark turn this story is taking. What I like most about this series so far is that there is a healthy balance of action and comedy. Wonder what's going to happen next.
Himari Momochi continues to discover the strange and whimsical world of the Momochi House. The house lays on the line between the mortal and immortal realm and three "squatters", including the Omamori-sama (Guardian) of the house aka the titular Demon Prince, Aoi, which the house has chosen as its protector. Upon discovering that he cannot leave the premises, Himari will do everything she can to help Aoi discover his past and set him free. Will demons escape? Will the world upturn? What's up with the water on the floors? Or her visiting classmates' strange dark secret?
Fast-paced, equally dialogue and action driven, the house will reveal more secrets, laughter, possible romance, new characters and pacing that will drive you to pick up the next volume;
The Demon Prince of Momochi House, Vol. 2 continues to be a fun & intriguing love story with some mystery elements thrown in. The character interactions are charming & the panels feature pretty fantasy art. This ended on a bit of a cliffhanger with one of the mystery story-lines and I'm super curious to see where things go. Looking forward to getting my hands on the next installment!
Me: I don't love the waifish, sickly master of the house in traditional clothing skulking about type..
Also Me: Loving the waifish, sickly master of the house in traditional clothing skulking about type
I'm not completely sold on this series yet but I am enjoying what's happening so far. This could go either way at this point, my interest could peter out or the series could really pick up steam and become something worthwhile. Time will tell since I will be continuing on.
3.5 stars. A bit repetitive. “I want to help Aoi! How can I help Aoi? What can I do to help him?” By chapter 6 I was bored. Luckily it picked up bit of a storyline by the end so I’m willing to move on to volume 3.
I read this one the phone app while having morning coffee, the digital edition is made in such a way you CAN do this. By the way, did you know I have a thing for ninetail foxes that acquire human form? No?
It's been a minute since I've read this series and I was feeling a bit nostalgic for it. It's definitely as good as i remember emner it... for now at least lol
I don't know about this one. It's felt pretty immature and rushed so far. The ending was interesting, but I don't know if that is enough for me to pick up the next one.