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Dear Demon King
An island of gemstones and magical beasts floats in the sky...
On this island lives a kind and powerful demon king, Kougyoku.
Some forty years ago, Kougyoku used his magic to restore a stillborn griffin egg to life, and that griffin became his dearest companion, Topaz. In the years that followed, Topaz found that his love for Kougyoku had grown into something deeper than that of a beast's love for his king... and unbeknownst to him, Kougyoku had begun to feel the same.
Now, as Kougyoku struggles to summon the magic needed to restore his island, he is torn between his love for Topaz and his duty as king. And as his beloved finds himself faced with an impossible decision, Topaz is left with no choice but to decide their fates for him, even should it break his king's heart...!
On this island lives a kind and powerful demon king, Kougyoku.
Some forty years ago, Kougyoku used his magic to restore a stillborn griffin egg to life, and that griffin became his dearest companion, Topaz. In the years that followed, Topaz found that his love for Kougyoku had grown into something deeper than that of a beast's love for his king... and unbeknownst to him, Kougyoku had begun to feel the same.
Now, as Kougyoku struggles to summon the magic needed to restore his island, he is torn between his love for Topaz and his duty as king. And as his beloved finds himself faced with an impossible decision, Topaz is left with no choice but to decide their fates for him, even should it break his king's heart...!
232 pages, Paperback
Published November 25, 2025
About the author
Emu Soutome
24 books16 followersSOUTOME Emu
Name (in native language): 五月女えむ
Associated Names:
しゃもじゃこ (五月女えむ)
Shamojako (SOUTOME Emu)
Syamojako (SOUTOME Emu)
Circle: Shamojako
Name (in native language): 五月女えむ
Associated Names:
しゃもじゃこ (五月女えむ)
Shamojako (SOUTOME Emu)
Syamojako (SOUTOME Emu)
Circle: Shamojako
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
February 9, 2026
this was a perfect little standalone fantasy BL manga 🥹 with so much care, love and heartbreak wrapped all together
February 11, 2026
4,5/5 ✯
Przeuroczy tytuł z intrygującym kryształowym światem, fajowskimi postaciami pobocznymi i iście szykownym Królem Demonów - kocham jego obcasy, nie mogłam się napatrzeć! 🧛♀️ Bawiłam się naprawdę dobrze przez cały wieczór i gdyby nie ten jeden przeskok czasu (coś mi tam brakowało, choć generalnie nie jestem ich fanką), śmiało pozostawiłabym 5 gwiazdek. :]
Przeuroczy tytuł z intrygującym kryształowym światem, fajowskimi postaciami pobocznymi i iście szykownym Królem Demonów - kocham jego obcasy, nie mogłam się napatrzeć! 🧛♀️ Bawiłam się naprawdę dobrze przez cały wieczór i gdyby nie ten jeden przeskok czasu (coś mi tam brakowało, choć generalnie nie jestem ich fanką), śmiało pozostawiłabym 5 gwiazdek. :]
May 28, 2026
CUUUUTE!!! How lovely and wholesome with a cute fantasy plot!! I wish it did go harder on the threats though.. it was mainly just mentioned. Wish this was just a bit longer so we could have gotten to know each character in depth.
Also im kinda reeling at the rating on this one?? Although i do understand kinda why… that timeskip kinda sucked and seemed like nothing happened!!
Also im kinda reeling at the rating on this one?? Although i do understand kinda why… that timeskip kinda sucked and seemed like nothing happened!!
November 13, 2025
This was so sweet
December 9, 2025
I received this book from the publisher (TokyoPop) in exchange of an honest review.
A sweet manga about a demon king (who despite the name is the sweetest man) and the gryphon he saved and helped hatched and is now an adult man who loves his demon king a lot. I just couldn’t resist this adorable manga I had fun reading it. I did feel for Topaz (the gryphon) as he really tried hard to woo the demon king. I would just like to tell him that we early on learn that the demon king does have feelings… he just has a way to handle those.
As the story continues we learn more about the demon king, about the land he tries to keep safe, about the rituals he does to help the beasts of his land, about his little quirks, we see how dedicated he is to the point of stubbornness. I really loved the demon king. And Topaz was also such a fun character to follow. That is right, we get the POV of both the guys. And I love that. We don’t just see one POV of love, dedication and more, but two! With Topaz it was instantly clear he loved the demon king and while the demon king was hiding things/trying not to show it too much we do see he has the same feelings. Haha, but instead of talking these two just keep running around each other. One pining, the other trying not to fall. The chemistry between the two was off the charts and I was just rooting for them. OK, sure, it felt a bit weird that our demon king was falling for a gryphon he helped hatch (and helped grow/get to adult), but I guess there is no blood bond I can live with it.
Things escalate around 1/3 in and I was just on the edge of my seat. These two guys are so stubborn. I was at first worried that they would just continue to be away from each other so I was thankful when the demon king (after being pressed by others) went to Topaz to talk. That is always a big plus in my books. I love it when people talk. When people open up. Tell about their feelings.
However I wasn’t such a fan of how we went from a backstory to things being all right again and then learning it had been years. With the transition as it was it felt like Topaz had been like that for just days, maybe weeks. I feel that things could have been handled better. Maybe instead of just a backstory on Topaz also seeing glimpses of our king and Topaz together as they work to get Topaz back.
The last part of the story was really sweet and I love seeing our two finally get a chance at being together. Again their chemistry was off the charts and I just wanted more and more sweet moments, those small bits here and there weren’t enough to satisfy me. Haha. Though the manga decided now was the time to go for sexy times. So things got steamy! I love seeing them take the time to explore.
Shinji x Hisui? I want that story as well! Not just the glimpses we get, but all of it!
The art was SO good! I love the character designs. The men were all handsome (and oh my oh my did the demon king have a fine ass, teehee) and the romance parts were so sweetly drawn! The only thing I didn’t like was Topaz’s glasses, they made him look odd. I much prefer when he didn’t have them on.
So while at times the transitions/time passing felt off and the pacing was a bit weird I still had oodles of fun with this manga and I am so happy I got the chance to read it. It was cute, fun, swoony, sexy, and I really liked it!
Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/
A sweet manga about a demon king (who despite the name is the sweetest man) and the gryphon he saved and helped hatched and is now an adult man who loves his demon king a lot. I just couldn’t resist this adorable manga I had fun reading it. I did feel for Topaz (the gryphon) as he really tried hard to woo the demon king. I would just like to tell him that we early on learn that the demon king does have feelings… he just has a way to handle those.
As the story continues we learn more about the demon king, about the land he tries to keep safe, about the rituals he does to help the beasts of his land, about his little quirks, we see how dedicated he is to the point of stubbornness. I really loved the demon king. And Topaz was also such a fun character to follow. That is right, we get the POV of both the guys. And I love that. We don’t just see one POV of love, dedication and more, but two! With Topaz it was instantly clear he loved the demon king and while the demon king was hiding things/trying not to show it too much we do see he has the same feelings. Haha, but instead of talking these two just keep running around each other. One pining, the other trying not to fall. The chemistry between the two was off the charts and I was just rooting for them. OK, sure, it felt a bit weird that our demon king was falling for a gryphon he helped hatch (and helped grow/get to adult), but I guess there is no blood bond I can live with it.
Things escalate around 1/3 in and I was just on the edge of my seat. These two guys are so stubborn. I was at first worried that they would just continue to be away from each other so I was thankful when the demon king (after being pressed by others) went to Topaz to talk. That is always a big plus in my books. I love it when people talk. When people open up. Tell about their feelings.
However I wasn’t such a fan of how we went from a backstory to things being all right again and then learning it had been years. With the transition as it was it felt like Topaz had been like that for just days, maybe weeks. I feel that things could have been handled better. Maybe instead of just a backstory on Topaz also seeing glimpses of our king and Topaz together as they work to get Topaz back.
The last part of the story was really sweet and I love seeing our two finally get a chance at being together. Again their chemistry was off the charts and I just wanted more and more sweet moments, those small bits here and there weren’t enough to satisfy me. Haha. Though the manga decided now was the time to go for sexy times. So things got steamy! I love seeing them take the time to explore.
Shinji x Hisui? I want that story as well! Not just the glimpses we get, but all of it!
The art was SO good! I love the character designs. The men were all handsome (and oh my oh my did the demon king have a fine ass, teehee) and the romance parts were so sweetly drawn! The only thing I didn’t like was Topaz’s glasses, they made him look odd. I much prefer when he didn’t have them on.
So while at times the transitions/time passing felt off and the pacing was a bit weird I still had oodles of fun with this manga and I am so happy I got the chance to read it. It was cute, fun, swoony, sexy, and I really liked it!
Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/
November 30, 2025
This was an amazing book. The artwork was delicate and the mythical creatures were beautifully done. I have been reading one shots recently and I was getting a little tired of the lack of developed plot and lack of resolution at the end of the book. This book left me feeling content.
December 21, 2025
El estilo de dibujo de Emu Soutome me encanta. Creo que esta es la historia que más me ha gustado. Tiene su pequeño momento de angustia, pero lo que más destaca es la relación de los personajes, que la mayoría del tiempo es cozy y enternecedora. Unos buenos besucos con un par de momentos spicy deja un tomo redondo.
December 10, 2025
Kogyoku es un poderoso rey demonio que gobierna una isla flotante donde crecen valiosas y preciosas gemas. En dicha isla, viven todo tipo de criaturas mágicas que están bajo el amparo del poderoso rey demonio, el cual los protege, cuida y quiere. Allí, en la isla, cada cierto tiempo aterrizan grifos para poner sus nidos e incubar sus huevos. Eso mismo hicieron los padres de Topaz, pero como este no pudo salir del cascarón sin importar lo que sus padres hicieran, lo abandonaron a la muerte. Cuando Kogyoku encontró su huevo, lo tomó entre sus brazos y lo incubó con amor, dándole poco a poco una cantidad de su poder mágico. Después de eso, un grifo con forma humana rompió su cascarón y fue bautizado como Topaz.
De esto han pasado cuarenta años y un adulto Topaz sigue fielmente en la isla junto a su amado rey, el cual sigue viéndolo como a un niño, ignora los sentimientos ardientes de Topaz por él, y sigue pidiéndole que lo ayude a desvestirse por las noches, algo que pone a Topaz entre la espada y la pared, a la vez que pone a prueba su deseo.
Pero las preocupaciones de Topaz crecen cuando Kogyoku falla en su deber más sagrado y no entiende por qué. Y es que, hace muchos años, cuando los humanos atacaron la isla para hacerse con sus gemas, muchos de los seres mágicos que servían al rey demonio fenecieron, pero Kogyoku prometió revivirlos a todos tardase el tiempo que tardase. Siendo un poderoso demonio, capaz de mantener una isla flotando y una barrera mágica protectora veinticuatro-siete, cada noche revive a tres seres, y jamás ha fallado.
Hasta ahora.
Y ese falló será el primero de entre un suceso de catastróficas desdichas en las que Kogyoku acabará malherido por culpa de unos cazadores humanos furtivos, haciendo que la magia de su cuerpo se tambalee y que peligre su vida por no querer hacer descender la isla o quitar la barrera que los protegen y, con ello, ir recuperando sus poderes. ¿Qué puede hacer Topaz para proteger al ser que ama y cargar con algo de su pesada carga?
Siendo una obra ambientada en un mundo conde existe la magia y los seres fantásticos, Emu Soutome nos presenta Querido rey demonio, un hermoso slice of life de fantasía protagonizado por un bondadoso rey demonio, el cual solo quiere cuidar y proteger a sus criaturas de los humanos, y un grifo que, gracias a la magia, puede tener forma humana y que solamente vive por su rey.
Podéis leer la reseña completa en mi blog:
https://unabibliotecaentremundos.blog...
De esto han pasado cuarenta años y un adulto Topaz sigue fielmente en la isla junto a su amado rey, el cual sigue viéndolo como a un niño, ignora los sentimientos ardientes de Topaz por él, y sigue pidiéndole que lo ayude a desvestirse por las noches, algo que pone a Topaz entre la espada y la pared, a la vez que pone a prueba su deseo.
Pero las preocupaciones de Topaz crecen cuando Kogyoku falla en su deber más sagrado y no entiende por qué. Y es que, hace muchos años, cuando los humanos atacaron la isla para hacerse con sus gemas, muchos de los seres mágicos que servían al rey demonio fenecieron, pero Kogyoku prometió revivirlos a todos tardase el tiempo que tardase. Siendo un poderoso demonio, capaz de mantener una isla flotando y una barrera mágica protectora veinticuatro-siete, cada noche revive a tres seres, y jamás ha fallado.
Hasta ahora.
Y ese falló será el primero de entre un suceso de catastróficas desdichas en las que Kogyoku acabará malherido por culpa de unos cazadores humanos furtivos, haciendo que la magia de su cuerpo se tambalee y que peligre su vida por no querer hacer descender la isla o quitar la barrera que los protegen y, con ello, ir recuperando sus poderes. ¿Qué puede hacer Topaz para proteger al ser que ama y cargar con algo de su pesada carga?
Siendo una obra ambientada en un mundo conde existe la magia y los seres fantásticos, Emu Soutome nos presenta Querido rey demonio, un hermoso slice of life de fantasía protagonizado por un bondadoso rey demonio, el cual solo quiere cuidar y proteger a sus criaturas de los humanos, y un grifo que, gracias a la magia, puede tener forma humana y que solamente vive por su rey.
Podéis leer la reseña completa en mi blog:
https://unabibliotecaentremundos.blog...
January 7, 2026
Story and Art by Emu Soutome. Rating: 18+ (explicit sexual content, fantasy age gap, mild fantasy violence). Publisher: Love Love, an imprint of TOKYOPOP. Publication date: November 25, 2025.
"An island of gemstones and magical beasts floats in the sky…
On this island lives a kind and powerful demon king, Kougyoku.
Some forty years ago, Kougyoku used his magic to restore a stillborn griffin egg to life, and that griffin became his dearest companion, Topaz. In the years that followed, Topaz found that his love for Kougyoku had grown into something deeper than that of a beast’s love for his king… and unbeknownst to him, Kougyoku had begun to feel the same.
Now, as Kougyoku struggles to summon the magic needed to restore his island, he is torn between his love for Topaz and his duty as king. And as his beloved finds himself faced with an impossible decision, Topaz is left with no choice but to decide their fates for him, even should it break his king’s heart…!"
This was a five-star BL for me. I think a lot of it had to do with a combination of great things going for this manga: beautiful art, a unique and creative world, a sweet romance, and a work that pulls on your heartstrings.
The gemstone island doesn’t make any worldbuilding sense, but it’s still really cool. And there was a battle ages ago that killed many of the creatures of the island, and Kougyoku, the demon blessed with incredible magic, takes turns resurrecting them one by one in order to avoid overspending his magical energy…because while he is busy resurrecting the dead and protecting his flock, and enabling Topaz to live in a human form, he also has a barrier on the island to keep those pesky humans and sorcerers at bay (but not for long). This demon has stretched himself too thin, and it’s starting to show.
Topaz can tell this is what’s going on, so at night he flies out in his griffin form and patrols the area, looking to see if there’s any trouble to be found, ready to save those in need. Topaz is so devoted to Kougyoku that he will do anything to release him from some of his burdens. The demon king recognizes this in Topaz, and continues to fall for him more and more…but he won’t reveal his feelings out of obligation to his people, and the long history between him and Topaz. So, he does whatever he can to try to suppress them.
As danger starts creeping in on the gemstone kingdom from humans who have purchased magical weapons from sorcerers, there is an attack (particularly focused on griffins) and plenty of denizens of the kingdom get injured, including Kougyoku. HIs injuries are serious enough that his magic isn’t healing him…because if the demon king thinks about himself for once, his magic keeping up the barrier will fail, and he won’t be able to resurrect the creatures of old. Kougyoku cannot stand this, so he lets himself suffer. Topaz can’t stand Kougyoku suffering, so he turns himself fully back into a griffin to return some of Kougyoku’s magic. After all, Kougyoku has been using magic on Topaz for decades to give him a human form.
Topaz is in danger, because the longer he is in his griffin form, the greater the chance he will lose all memory and temperament and behaviors from his time being human. But he’s stubborn, and insists on remaining in that form. To my surprise, after some flashbacks and thoughtful scenes, years pass…and Kougyoku really feels the loss of Topaz’s presence.
Just look at the bottom panel of Kougyoku, how expressive and beautiful it is. You can really see his sorrow and loss. The art in this book is full of emotions like this.
Anyway, I’m not going to continue to spoil things from here…just know that all’s well that ends well, and it ends well and happily, making this manga a keeper for me.
I’ve read several of Emu Soutome’s works and I think out of all of them (I’ve read like 5) this one might be my favorite. I love the fantastical setting and imaginative story threads in this work, plus some good old-fashioned hot BL sex scenes and sweet romance. I believe this is a standalone, but if Soutome ever chooses to revisit this world in a future work, I’m along for the ride.
"An island of gemstones and magical beasts floats in the sky…
On this island lives a kind and powerful demon king, Kougyoku.
Some forty years ago, Kougyoku used his magic to restore a stillborn griffin egg to life, and that griffin became his dearest companion, Topaz. In the years that followed, Topaz found that his love for Kougyoku had grown into something deeper than that of a beast’s love for his king… and unbeknownst to him, Kougyoku had begun to feel the same.
Now, as Kougyoku struggles to summon the magic needed to restore his island, he is torn between his love for Topaz and his duty as king. And as his beloved finds himself faced with an impossible decision, Topaz is left with no choice but to decide their fates for him, even should it break his king’s heart…!"
This was a five-star BL for me. I think a lot of it had to do with a combination of great things going for this manga: beautiful art, a unique and creative world, a sweet romance, and a work that pulls on your heartstrings.
The gemstone island doesn’t make any worldbuilding sense, but it’s still really cool. And there was a battle ages ago that killed many of the creatures of the island, and Kougyoku, the demon blessed with incredible magic, takes turns resurrecting them one by one in order to avoid overspending his magical energy…because while he is busy resurrecting the dead and protecting his flock, and enabling Topaz to live in a human form, he also has a barrier on the island to keep those pesky humans and sorcerers at bay (but not for long). This demon has stretched himself too thin, and it’s starting to show.
Topaz can tell this is what’s going on, so at night he flies out in his griffin form and patrols the area, looking to see if there’s any trouble to be found, ready to save those in need. Topaz is so devoted to Kougyoku that he will do anything to release him from some of his burdens. The demon king recognizes this in Topaz, and continues to fall for him more and more…but he won’t reveal his feelings out of obligation to his people, and the long history between him and Topaz. So, he does whatever he can to try to suppress them.
As danger starts creeping in on the gemstone kingdom from humans who have purchased magical weapons from sorcerers, there is an attack (particularly focused on griffins) and plenty of denizens of the kingdom get injured, including Kougyoku. HIs injuries are serious enough that his magic isn’t healing him…because if the demon king thinks about himself for once, his magic keeping up the barrier will fail, and he won’t be able to resurrect the creatures of old. Kougyoku cannot stand this, so he lets himself suffer. Topaz can’t stand Kougyoku suffering, so he turns himself fully back into a griffin to return some of Kougyoku’s magic. After all, Kougyoku has been using magic on Topaz for decades to give him a human form.
Topaz is in danger, because the longer he is in his griffin form, the greater the chance he will lose all memory and temperament and behaviors from his time being human. But he’s stubborn, and insists on remaining in that form. To my surprise, after some flashbacks and thoughtful scenes, years pass…and Kougyoku really feels the loss of Topaz’s presence.
Just look at the bottom panel of Kougyoku, how expressive and beautiful it is. You can really see his sorrow and loss. The art in this book is full of emotions like this.
Anyway, I’m not going to continue to spoil things from here…just know that all’s well that ends well, and it ends well and happily, making this manga a keeper for me.
I’ve read several of Emu Soutome’s works and I think out of all of them (I’ve read like 5) this one might be my favorite. I love the fantastical setting and imaginative story threads in this work, plus some good old-fashioned hot BL sex scenes and sweet romance. I believe this is a standalone, but if Soutome ever chooses to revisit this world in a future work, I’m along for the ride.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 13, 2026
Kogyoku es el rey demonio que gobierna una isla especial la cual protege después de una mala experiencia del pasado. Se dedica a salvaguardar la vida de todos los habitantes y trae de vuelta a aquellos que ya no están.
A su lado vive Topaz, un grifo que fue rescatado por Kogyoku cuando este era aún un pequeño dentro del huevo, sin embargo es difícil mantener a raya los sentimientos y esto es algo que ambos se darán cuenta
A su lado vive Topaz, un grifo que fue rescatado por Kogyoku cuando este era aún un pequeño dentro del huevo, sin embargo es difícil mantener a raya los sentimientos y esto es algo que ambos se darán cuenta
December 10, 2025
Interesting world building and the artwork was gorgeous (the wings, oh my, the wings) but the story itself was a bit all over the place. Satisfying ending, but went on more of a journey than a stand alone manga can really afford to, so some emotional beats didn't really land as well as they could have in my opinion.
But the wings! So pretty!
But the wings! So pretty!
January 5, 2026
mixed feelings about this one
on one hand, i liked the fantasy element and found the plot itself interesting (and lets not forget about the art, absolutely gorgeous), but on the other hand, i found their relationship a bit icky so i couldn’t bring myself to fully enjoy it… i guess i should’ve read the summary before jumping into it blind lol
on one hand, i liked the fantasy element and found the plot itself interesting (and lets not forget about the art, absolutely gorgeous), but on the other hand, i found their relationship a bit icky so i couldn’t bring myself to fully enjoy it… i guess i should’ve read the summary before jumping into it blind lol
May 11, 2026
A cute fantasy boys love manga with some interesting world-building and fun characters. It feels kind of like "Labyrinth" fanfiction, even if Kougyoku is very different than Jareth outside the outfit. The art is very beautiful and it's rather fluffy, but not entirely overmuch. If you didn't like "A Kiss That Stains The Innocence", this is a lot better than that.
January 1, 2026
here for corsets. THE CORSETS SDFOUHWDFHIPWDHFPC
"this is my flight feather. i cannot fly without it. i swear that i will never fly away and leave you behind... that i will devote myself to you for the rest of my life."
"this is my flight feather. i cannot fly without it. i swear that i will never fly away and leave you behind... that i will devote myself to you for the rest of my life."
Read
September 6, 2025Sacharoza i fluff.
November 11, 2025
Super sweet read that could have had a deeper plot and expanded on the world building a bit more, but I really liked the bittersweet relationship between the two.
November 25, 2025
a sweet little fantasy BL that follows a kind demon king and his griffin companion as they navigate mutual pining among the risk of protecting their magical island home from humans.
December 15, 2025
Absolutely love!
December 23, 2025
4⭐ Son súper bonitos aunque me hubiera encantado verles más en modo pareja
December 27, 2025
Me ha sabido a poco.
January 3, 2026
Teeth rotting stuff!
January 25, 2026
3.5 stars. Amazing art! The story needed more than one volume to properly develop. One of these men raised the other so their relationship is a bit too grooming-adjacent for comfort.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 10, 2026
Genuinely engaging fantasy tale and sweet romance that works well as a one shot; but I wouldn’t mind a sequel.
May 19, 2026
Super sweet and emotional.
Read
June 4, 2026age gap squicked me out unfortunately but it was yaoi egg manga so that's cool I guess
December 30, 2025
HOW WAS THIS SO DARN CUTE! The story was sweet and slow burn for only 5 chapters. So sweet, so much feels! The art is lovely. Its uncensored. Its just the freaking best. I need to devour everything by this author cause I just CANNOT.
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews