La Fiancée du maître des portails - Tome 1

結界師の一輪華 [Kekkaishi no Ichirinka] (Comic) #1

by Odayaka (Illustrator), Kureha

Eighteen-year-old Hana, born to a branch family of a clan of guardians, has always been stuck in the shadow of her more capable, beautiful, and popular twin sister. When a strong power awakens within Hana, she chooses to hide it so she can continue living a quiet life out of the spotlight. But that ideal lifestyle begins to slip out of reach when Saku Ichinomiya takes over as the new head of the Ichinomiya clan and sets out to find a bride strong enough to stand by his side!

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

178 pages, Paperback

First published September 30, 2022

About the author

This profile might contains more than one author:
- Mangaka: おだやか
- Novelist: オダヤカ . (disambiguated, please refer Odayaka .)

Reviews

[Cindy ✩☽♔ · Rating 4 out of 5]

The female lead is funny and relatable. The male lead is likeable and honest. The story is promising so far. Honestly, we’re off to a smashing start 😄

[Laura A. Grace · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hmmm…I'm not sure how I feel about this one.

This was one of my most anticipated manga releases from Yen Press, but it was a lot different than I expected. Granted, I'm not sure what I was expecting because it's been so long since I've read the blurb, and when I started reading, I didn't read the blurb beforehand.

I felt the beginning was very triggering with the sisters, which honestly surprised me. It was like an instant flashback of reading My Happy Marriage with how the family treated the sisters SO differently. This was exactly the same kind of vibe, except that Hana has a…unique sense of humor.

I was VERY angry at her parents for how crappy they treated Hana, but I couldn't seem to laugh at how Hana sort of degraded herself. It's like she really did take pride in being her sister's "scraps," which I think was meant to be funny, but I couldn't muster the ability to laugh or smile alongside her. It hurts my heart that just like Miyo, Hana's parents' words have become weapons and they have shaped these young women's views in a negative way. To say it was upsetting to read is an understatement.

The romance didn't quite unfold the way I expected. I knew this was sort of like a "political" marriage and that there wasn't any real love between the leads, but I guess I didn't expect what to unfold actually unfold? I feel I don't know enough about Saku to form a real opinion of him yet, but I feel that if I give more volumes a read, I WOULD really like his character. He definitely seems to be in the "he fell first" trope, which is nice!

Problem is, I don't know if I want to keep reading. Not because I disliked this volume per se, but I don't feel very invested after this volume to keep reading. I felt I was more sad about Hana's treatment and her way of viewing herself than I was happy about certain events when reading.

I guess "to be determined" if I'll keep reading or not because I genuinely don't know. I feel rather melancholy right now, which feels a little bit of a letdown as I wasn't expecting to feel this way when starting. I'm sure it "gets better" in the sense Hana WILL become happier with Saku, but I don't know if I'm invested enough to keep reading to see that unfold.

[Izzy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun first volume that has left me pretty intrigued overall for where the series will go.

[Lauren loves llamas · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a huge fan of the Bride of the Barrier Master light novels, I had to check out this manga. Would my mental picture of the characters match with artists’? And how would Hana’s unique POV translate into images?

It’s been years since Hana gave up on getting treated the same as her twin sister Hazuki. They were born into a branch family of one of the five clans of practitioners, charged with protecting the unknowing rest of the nation from shades. Everything was fine until their tenth birthday when the children had to summon their shikigami, a form of protection spirit. But while Hazuki summoned a human-form shikigami (the highest type), Hana only summoned a butterfly (the lowest). After that, their parents devoted all of their time and attention to Hazuki, verbally denigrating Hana as nothing but her sister’s scraps. So when her powers suddenly grow a few years later, she doesn’t even consider telling her parents. Instead, she’s happy to coast along as near-powerless practitioner with little expected of her. That all changes when the new head of their clan, Saku, catches her – and her powerful shikigami – in action.

First off, while the manga is a faithful adaptation of the first half of the light novel, it’s still a completely different animal from it. One of the things I love is Hana’s, well, unique take on things. If you’re familiar with Maomao from Apothecary Diaries, you’ll know what I mean. All she wants is a quiet life in the country with her shikigami. While that’s communicated here, I think a lot of her quirkiness and general lackadaisical attitude are lost. But, overall, I do get a ridiculous amount of joy out of stories where the main character is secretly hiding their powers – but then gets to reveal in some grandiose and usually life-saving way to the people that have sneered at them.

There’s a tiny bit of romance. It’s a contract marriage, after all, but there’s definitely hints that Saku is interested in Hana. Hana, on the other hand, is just interested in getting her country house! The relationship that shines the most, however, is that between Hana and Hazuki. Like her parents, Hana’s mostly estranged from her, though it’s more because Hazuki is so busy trying to be the perfect daughter.

The black and white art is gorgeous and Hana especially looked exactly what I imagined her as. All of the characters are well defined and expressive. I was especially thrilled by her shikigami Miyabi and Aoi. The action scenes were well done and easy to understand, though there weren’t that many in this early part of the story.

Overall, while I like the light novel better, this is still a good manga in its own right. Recommended for fans of strong heroines!

I received this book for free from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Content notes: toxic family, verbal abuse

[Kaitlynne · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5

This was giving My Happy Marriage x JJK vibes (Only because of the way one of the monsters looked, and the Domain Expansion concealment barriers, and the comment about how spirits nursing grudges turn into shades... listen, don't look at me that way. It's not my fault my brain always tries to connect things to JJK) hopefully it doesn't turn out to be quite as traumatic.

I thought this was a good start to a series and I can't wait to see what happens next.

I was a little icked out at first when I found out the main love interest is 24, but our female lead is 18, so it's FINE.

I love Hana and how resilient she is as our MC. I like that she hasn't let all the hurt turn her into a mean person, and how she has a plan in place for what she wants to do.

I love the back and forth between Hana and Saku, I thin they're absolutely hilarious together and I can't wait to read more about them and see how their relationship develops.

I I really disliked Hana's parents. They are absolutely horrible, and I hope they get what they deserve for treating their daughters so horribly. I'm curious to see if/how Hana and Hazuki will work out their issues, because yes Hazuki has said some terrible things to her, but that's just a result of all the pressure her parents are putting on her. The sisters are dealing with the trauma in very different ways. I cannot STAND Hana's parents, and I hope they both get what they deserve.

Thank you so much Edelweiss and Yen Press for the DRC! All thoughts and opinions expressed are entirely my own.

[Mehsi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I decided on this one on a whim, it looked fun and I liked Hana. I felt for her though, she didn't come into power immediately so she was treated horribly by her family. I loved how strong and determined she was, she wasn't going to woo her family anymore + she had some big plans. But what happens when the clan gets a new head and he needs a wife? And oh yes, Hana is super strong? Say hello to marriage of convenience (though of course, like often with that trope I am hoping there will be more than that). I wasn't sure how I felt about that kiss, it felt a bit forced.
The art was fun! Oh, and I really liked the shikigami that Hana had. And that despite everything Hana tried to be there for her sister.

[dobpizzazz · Rating 5 out of 5]

beautiful art
an actual unique storyline
kind side characters

it’s a yes from me

[Sheepy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yeah this is exactly the kind of series I enjoy, very much like my happy marriage but not as abusive

[Hisgirl85 · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars. That was a lot to pack in, and I'm not sure how satisfied I am. I am banking some of my disappointment on the advertisement being similar to My Happy Marriage, with beyond the bare bones of the plot of a girl abused by her family marries the strong, sought after guy in a world with magical family clans, it is not. The characters are different. The tone is different. It's like saying if you like The Shape of Water you'll like Alien vs Predator. Which, you might, but...like...they are very different.

[Mk · Rating 4 out of 5]

just read the light novel so I am re-reading the manga over lunch

[S.Q. Eries · Rating 4 out of 5]

In Summary
Bride of the Barrier Master is fun, fluffy stuff. Yeah, Hana’s clan is entrusted with safeguarding the welfare of Japan with their mystical powers, but so far it’s about the snubbed girl getting back at everyone who badmouthed her with the help of the most eligible guy in her circle. It’s inevitable they’ll fall in love eventually, but for now, everything is business between this hard-headed pair.

The Review
Hana is a modern-day teenager born to an ancient heritage. Since time immemorial, Japan has been safeguarded by five crystal pillars. Because they are constantly under attack by spiritual forces, five clans blessed with mystical powers have the duty of protecting the pillars, and Hana’s family belongs to one of those clans.

For Hana’s parents, status within their clan is everything. So they lavish attention and resources on Hazuki, Hana’s talented twin sister, and scorn Hana, whose powers are a fraction of her sister’s. But Hana has a secret: her powers are far greater than her sister’s. However, she doesn’t want to be her parents’ tool, so she hides her true abilities with the goal of leading a normal life away from the magical clans. Unfortunately, the new clan head Saku Ichinomiya ruins her plans by asking her to be his bride!

Bride of the Barrier Master is a fantasy involving multiple clans, supernatural objects with very specific rules, and a magical organization with a ranking system and various roles. However, the mangaka conveys these varied world-building details clearly and succinctly even as the narrative focuses on the thrust of the story. Mainly, Hana’s disdain for the people that have scorned her all her life.

Hana’s parents are extremely one-dimensional in that respect. It’s disconcerting how they’ll insult Hana in almost the same breath that they dote on Hazuki. But their motives are crystal clear, as are Hana’s when she makes her decision to deny her parents the satisfaction of knowing she is the extraordinary daughter they dreamed of having.

So while the fate of the world – erm, Japan depends on her clan, Hana’s indifferent to that responsibility. Her aim is a quiet life and comfortable retirement, far and away from the business of guarding mystical pillars. Given the humiliations she’s suffered beneath these elitist magical practitioners, it’s understandable.

And that dream is how our male lead is able to manipulate her to do his bidding. Saku is the complete package: good looks, intelligence, talent, and the authority of the clan head. Only Hana’s not interested in any of that. She’s got zero interest in romance and doesn’t plan on marrying. Saku, though, is interested in her, if only for her magical abilities. As family head, he bears the responsibility for protecting a crystal pillar. Only he can’t do it alone. He needs a spouse who can match his power, and when he catches Hana dispatching a stray shade, he knows he’s found his match.

Thus the courtship begins. Only it’s more like a comedy routine. In a certain sense, Saku is as pragmatic as Hana. He first tries persistence. When that doesn’t work, he makes an offer she can’t refuse – one billion yen, a house, and a generous retirement package in exchange for a marriage in name only. Plus, the satisfaction of the rubbing it in her parents’ faces. The narrative isn’t lovey-dovey in the least yet, but the protagonist is definitely one that I can cheer for.

By the way, the light novel on which this story was based implied the twins are identical, but the manga has presented them as fraternal twins. An understandable choice – that way there’s no doubt which character is which. However, the character designs are really young. Saku and Hana are 24 and 18, respectively, but they look more like 16 and 12. Also, the spiritual forces threatening the clans are more laughable than scary. So far all of them have the same buggy cartoony eyes that aren’t exactly intimidating.

Extras include an afterword and bonus story.

For more manga and book reviews, drop by my blog Keeping It In Canon!

[encore_un_manga · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dès les premières pages, ce premier tome frappe fort. On découvre le quotidien éprouvant de Hana Ichise, sans cesse rabaissée par ses parents et constamment comparée à sa sœur jumelle Hazuki, brillante et admirée de tous. Hana encaisse les humiliations avec une force admirable, portée par un courage discret et une vraie détermination à exister par elle-même. Impossible de ne pas être touchée par son histoire.
Mais tout bascule lorsqu’un pouvoir immense s’éveille en elle. Ce don, loin de lui offrir la liberté qu’elle espérait, attire au contraire toutes les convoitises. Son destin prend alors un tournant brutal, la liant malgré elle à Saku Ichinomiya, le nouveau chef de famille, aussi arrogant que puissant, qui la force à devenir son épouse sous contrat afin de renforcer les piliers magiques protégeant le Japon.
Cette plongée dans un univers d’exorcistes et de barrières mystiques a parfaitement répondu à mes attentes. Le récit est riche en émotions, porté par une héroïne trop longtemps ignorée, dont la véritable valeur commence enfin à émerger. Le contraste entre ce que Hana subit et la puissance qu’elle recèle rend son parcours d’autant plus poignant.
Visuellement, c’est un vrai régal. Les dessins sont sublimes, qu’il s’agisse des scènes du quotidien, des expressions chargées d’émotions ou des séquences d’action plus intenses. Le monde dans lequel évolue Hana est dangereux, peuplé de créatures menaçantes, et son rôle s’annonce central dans la lutte à venir.
Saku Ichinomiya est également un personnage qui intrigue. Son lien avec Hana, à la fois contraint et prometteur, laisse entrevoir une dynamique complexe et pleine de tensions pour la suite.
Ce premier tome soulève de nombreuses questions et pose des bases solides pour une série qui s’annonce intense et captivante.
👉 Un début haletant, fort en émotions et très divertissant.

[Sesana · Rating 3 out of 5]

In some ways, this is similar to a lot of Cinderella inspired romance manga/manhwa/webtoons I've read over the last few years. The main character is neglected and emotionally abused by her parents in favor of a sibling who seems to have more potential, magical in this case. The setup feels very similar to My Happy Marriage, for example, except that the main character has had a very different reaction to her parents' abuse. Hana responds by emotionally withdrawing from her parents entirely, to the point of concealing her own powers. She also isn't a shrinking violet in any sense. She has a strong sense of self and what she wants in life, which is really nice to see. It means that she's unlikely to get pushed around too much later on, and I like that for her. It's also nice to see that the narrative understands that the favored sibling is also under immense pressure and is being damaged by her parents' expectations. There's the seeds of a beautiful sibling relationship here, and I think that may be focused on almost as much as the clear romance. As a romantic lead for Hana, the one thing Saku has to recommend himself is the opportunities his power and wealth represent for Hana, which doesn't exactly make him an inspiring option right off the bat. But there's also hints that his relationship with his parents is also fraught, and he seems to entirely understand Hana's perspective on her family immediately. I expect his character will get more depth as the series goes on. Still, it's a really slow start to the romance, and I think the main draw is going to be Hana as a solo character instead of as part of a couple.

[Kelli · Rating 4 out of 5]

So, I enjoyed this more than I expected from first impressions.

In this first volume, we’re introduced to a magical world in which several family clans act as stewards for the safety and continued prosperity of Japan. Hana Ichise is a daughter of one of these clans. For most of her life, she has been considered very negatively by her family due to her seemingly small amount of magical ability. As such, when it comes time for the oldest son—Saku Ichinomiya—of the most prominent clan to select a wife, Hana isn’t even in the running. But, when Saku notices that Hana is hiding something about her powers, he can’t help but be intrigued. More, he decides he wants Hana to be his wife!

This series certainly has a degree of wish fulfillment to it—but, it’s got just enough charm to transcend being too overly contrived or simplistic.

Though I feel that Hana’s family circumstances are a tad overwritten—I get the point in 2 pages, I don’t need 20–her relationship with Saku is very dynamic and fun to read. They have some interesting chemistry and plenty of banter. This is a series that is definitely trying to appeal to the sensibilities of a large audience. The dialogue feels very contemporary and easily accessible.

Some of these collaborative series (that have 3 different people contributing to the story) can be very inconsistent quality-wise.

But, this one is working for me so far. Especially as you go into this series expecting more a romance than an isekai-adjacent type of story, I think you’d enjoy this story too. It’s got some hints of “My Happy Marriage” to it~

[Felix The Pirate Cat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Moment gibt es wirklich viel zu viel interessante Mangas auf dem Markt - und diese Reihe ist dabei keine Ausnahme. Lange Zeit habe ich erfolgreich einen Bogen darum gemacht. Doch nun konnten mein Frauchen und ich uns nicht länger vor unserer Neugier verstecken.

Hana ist eine wirklich tolle, wenn auch leicht... äh... durchgeknallte Protagonistin, die nicht in Selbstmitleid versinkt, sondern sich lieber von allem lossagt, was ihr im Leben eine Last sein könnte. Umso überraschender ist es da, dass auf einmal das neue Familienoberhaupt ausgerechnet sie zu seiner Braut auserkoren hat.. tja, dumm gelaufen, wenn man erwischt wird, dass man doch mehr Fähigkeiten hat als alle von einem gedacht haben.

Hana wird auf ihrem Weg nicht nur von ihrem Mann begleitet, sondern auch von ihren Shikigami. Die sind einfach herrlich. Ich liebe diese Truppe. *gg* Ich bin schon sehr gespannt, wie es mit der Geschichte weiter geht. Denn auch Hanas Zwillingsschwester Hazuki hat es in ihrem Leben bei der Familie definitiv auch nicht leicht. Ich finde es traurig, dass zwei Schwestern derart entfremdet sind... *seufz*

[Chivonne Campbell · Rating 4 out of 5]

That was such a fun read. Reminds me of when I was a teenager experiencing the joy of manga for the first time. The worldbuilding and characters were great! I love how they incorporated the family drama into her upbringing and didn't just give a lame reason like "you're hair is black and we are a blonde family." I also like that the main character has a brain in her head and understands that her sister is a victim of circumstances, like herself, and doesn't hate her.

For whatever reason I decided to time myself reading this manga. I think it usually takes me about 45 min-1 hour to read a well written manhwa/manga, closer to 45 min mark for action genres. This one I read in about 35 minutes. I'm a fast reader and I did get interrupted by my kids a few times, but the story pulls you into it so I didn't want to stop reading.

Overall 3.5 stars. I would recommend for those who like fantasy romance with a bit of family drama and marriage of convenience tropes.

If you are a publisher or author and are interested in having me read your novel and write honest reviews like this one, check me out here. https://chivonnecampbell.com/professi...

[Nazish Ahmed (Nazish Reads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Hana so much! Instead of getting angry and making herself look like a bad guy because of how everyone has treated her just because they thought she was weak, she embraced it and did her own thing so that everyone wouldn't pay attention to her. She is a strong character because of how emotionally strong she is despite her circumstances and feeling lonely. She doesn't try to get outright revenge on people, but she also isn't as forgiving as many anime/manga main characters are (which I love and it's refreshing, she doesn't let people walk all over her and use her), she kind of got revenge but in a way where it's not so obvious to everyone and in a way where she didn't have to actually do anything.


Blog: nazreads.ca
Twitter: Naz_readsanime
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[Kat · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5★ - this ended up being better than expected! though the beginning reminded me so much of my happy marriage.....and I wasn't a fan of how saku hit hana at one point to make her pay attention, even though it was made out to be a little whack on the head....

otherwise, I'm liking hana's character a lot, and the revenge on her parents especially has been satisfying so far. not sure what to think of her sister (the hair pin scene was quite sweet, but then it quickly dissolves into bad blood again when saku comes over to announce his marriage to hana)....or her brother, who hasn't had a single line. but there's some good progress in the romance already!

[R. · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I first found this series I thought it was a manga, so was surprised when they turned out to be light novels, but there is a manga, too! It's fun to see more of the characters and their expressions, plus we see the outfits Hana talks about and exactly how different her sister's kimono and accessories are to her own. As is common with series that have both manga and light novels, the light novels cover a lot more in one volume, so we aren't entirely through the first novel in comparison to this one manga release. Still, it would be nice to see more of these characters in either form, even if Saku is still pushy and demanding.

[Natalia HW · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great start to a series. Hana, the FMC, is shunned by her family as being worthless as her magic is weak. When her magic does become powerful, she decides to hide it. She is successful at that, except when it comes to Saku Ichinomiya, the MMC and heir of the clan and most powerful wizard (who obviously discovers it). He needs a powerful bride to perform a protective magic spell around the empire, so they enter a marriage of convenience.
There is abuse, a class/caste system, magic, romance, and monsters. It's cute.

[Noell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Abandoned Daughter Gets an Upgrade!

I have seen a few mangas like this floating around the internet. I must say it was fun to see one of the contest marriages and the girl get the guy (even by contract) and the power. However, still a ways to go to see what happens next.
I will say I am glad there wasn't any physical abuse those it is clear there was golden child syndrome going on here. Hopefully by there can be true reconciliation in the future.

[Priscilla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Un shojo avec un très beau dessin qui met en avant une jeune exorciste qui a toujours été rejetée par sa famille à cause de sa médiocrité, comparée à sa sœur jumelle exceptionnelle. Mais plus tard, celle-ci va développer une puissance inégalée qu'elle ne souhaite pas dévoiler, jusqu'à ce que le chef d'un clan décide de la prendre en épouse... Un premier tome introductif où l'on découvre le principe des cinq clans protégeant le monde des démons, une héroïne puissante, mais en quête de liberté avant tout et un jeune chef de clan qui a besoin d'elle. Prometteur !

[Shawna Haney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good

This manga is very enjoyable. The story is a about twin sisters one who summoned a human form shiki and the other just a butterfly. The one with the butterfly is treated differently from her sister cause of the "lack" of power. I don't want to give away the hold story but it was very interesting and I can't wait to read book 2.

[Yuna · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is like My Happy Marriage, if the FMC had the opposite personality. It's much more lighthearted and amusing, though at times the humor was pushed too hard for my liking. I like that Hana just wants to work a normal office job and then retire in the countryside--girl after my own heart. I'd read the next volume.

[Rebecca Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

Series is pretty average. Nothing egregiously bad but nothing standout either. I would like it more if Hana wasn’t enormously overpowered compared to everyone else, but I think that may have been the point. She can’t send the smackdown to her shitty parents if she’s not basically a goddess in mortal form.

[Aqua · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not terrible, but this is basically just a clumsier and shallower version of My Happy Marriage. Maybe the novel is better, I dunno, but everything happens so fast it feels like a story outline more than an actual story.

[Nikki · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love a light and fluffy manga with a nice background story. That is what this manga is. Also I read the light novel. The light novels are really good to read and are more descriptive about the settings of the world and the characters.

[cvtherin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Damn, starting out hard with that useless second daughter trope, huh?

But I liked it. It was fun and I liked the chemistry between the main character and her love interest. Also liked that even though she’s hella OP, she’s also like "fuck this world, I’ll be an office worker instead!" Bless.

[Diana · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story and art were what intrigued me. The FL is great, but the ML has so many red flags. It reminds me of the Apothecary Diaries. So while I enjoy the main story, the romance, I'm afraid, is going to leave me cringing.

[☽ Jess ☕️ · Rating 4 out of 5]

J'ai vraiment aimé le coup de crayon magnifique et l'intrigue est intéressante, avec une touche d'humour apportée par le personnage principal.
J'ai hâte de voir ce que ça peut donner par la suite car c'était une très chouette découverte.