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Of the Red, the Light, and the Ayakashi #1
Of the Red, the Light, and the Ayakashi, Vol. 1
In the curious town of Utsuwa, where spirits known as ayakashi roam, lives Yue, a sheltered boy born and raised at the local shrine. On the night of the winter festival, Yue descends the mountain for the first time and encounters two boys. Though Yue wants nothing more than to become friends with his new acquaintances, Mikoto, the master of the shrine who rules over Utsuwa, declares that Yue must choose one of the boys as his "Meal"! Faced with this incomprehensible decision, what will Yue do?!
160 pages, Paperback
First published July 27, 2012
11 people are currently reading
572 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews
August 8, 2018
Intriguing! I'm not sure if all of the mystery is deliberate or if some portion is because it was adapted from another format and the reader is expected to know more, but I found it very interesting and am looking forward to finding what's going on, especially with the mysterious hooded guy -- I'm not even sure yet whether he is good or bad. Actually I'm not sure whether any of the supernatural characters are good, although some are clearly bad (if merely "bad" by the human definition of eats=bad).
August 9, 2015
I usually don't review mangas, but this one is special.
The story of AkaAka begins with a dream filled with red camellia and the
passing of a strange mask. The owner of this mask is a young boy named
Yue who lives at a temple populated with rather unusual residents. The
nearby town Utsuwa is holding a winter festival. Kurogitsune, his fox
spirit friend, decides it’s the perfect opportunity for the sheltered
Yue to experience the sights, sounds, and most of all–the food! Even
though Yue is forbidden to ever leave the temple, they sneak into town,
not realizing what they’ve set into motion…(from MangaHere)
The manga is also bassed on a visual novel with the same name.
Plot:
As to tell the truth, the plot of this manga is actually a bit in haze. Actually, we don't even know for sure if Yue is human! We do have some clues that are given that makes it look like he's actually a demon, but those are not formal and nobody says, "yes, this person over here is a human/demon!" but more on that later. I do love how everything is mysterious(even without the mystery inside the story). Every person can see the plot differently, and I really recommend to those who like Japanese demons/myths/literature, this is for you.
Writing:
As I read the manga in both Japanese and English, I must say, the writing of the dialogues is really good. There's never too much information, and it's really nice to the eye. I'm currently reading a manga called Kamusari, and let me tell you, when there's an overdoze of text, it makes you wanna put down the book. Seriously.
Art:
AkaAka's art can be described in one word: gorgeous. It's not drawn by the same person as who created the art of the visual novel, but the drawing style gave the same, amazing atmosphere: the feeling of the Japanese supernatural motif. For some people, the drawing of the body might not appeal, as some see it too 'slender' and 'bone showing', which in my taste, is not bad. It's actually in the right place.
Hero- Yue:
Yue is the hero of the story. He's friendly to other and sometimes even naive, carefree and going by his own pace. Yue can't see people 'normally'- he sees them as simple shadows(that are illustrated in a shape familiar to a fox). Except for two people. Those are Tsubaki and Akiyoshi.
The story isn't like 'yes! Yue is a demon!' but it does gives us hints that he is one of them. Huh.
Tsubaki:
Unlike Yue, Tsubaki is not the happy go around person. He's serious and has a grim expression on his face. Actually, he hates everything. Even the camellia flower he was named after (Tsubaki= Camellia in Japanese). He's a loner and keeps his distance from everyone, like a true Emo.
Akiyoshi:
Our fellow stalker who is sensitive to the supernatural. He sees himself as the protector of the city, when in reality, he's an asthmatic boy with a mask over his face and runs around with tissues.
Kurogitsune:
He's Yue's guide/friend. He's a Kitsune, a Japanese fox demon, who always saves Yue's ass. He's also the one who drags him out into the human world and makes them both get into trouble in the first place. If not him, nothing in the novel would happen, and believe me, Yue would be dad without his foxy friend. But he can be kinda like this:
Overall:
If you want a mysterious and beautiful plot and world setting, this is the manga for you!
5 STARS
Liked:
-Plot
-Characters
-World setting
Disliked:
-A bit too mysterious
The story of AkaAka begins with a dream filled with red camellia and the
passing of a strange mask. The owner of this mask is a young boy named
Yue who lives at a temple populated with rather unusual residents. The
nearby town Utsuwa is holding a winter festival. Kurogitsune, his fox
spirit friend, decides it’s the perfect opportunity for the sheltered
Yue to experience the sights, sounds, and most of all–the food! Even
though Yue is forbidden to ever leave the temple, they sneak into town,
not realizing what they’ve set into motion…(from MangaHere)
The manga is also bassed on a visual novel with the same name.
Plot:
As to tell the truth, the plot of this manga is actually a bit in haze. Actually, we don't even know for sure if Yue is human! We do have some clues that are given that makes it look like he's actually a demon, but those are not formal and nobody says, "yes, this person over here is a human/demon!" but more on that later. I do love how everything is mysterious(even without the mystery inside the story). Every person can see the plot differently, and I really recommend to those who like Japanese demons/myths/literature, this is for you.
Writing:
As I read the manga in both Japanese and English, I must say, the writing of the dialogues is really good. There's never too much information, and it's really nice to the eye. I'm currently reading a manga called Kamusari, and let me tell you, when there's an overdoze of text, it makes you wanna put down the book. Seriously.
Art:
AkaAka's art can be described in one word: gorgeous. It's not drawn by the same person as who created the art of the visual novel, but the drawing style gave the same, amazing atmosphere: the feeling of the Japanese supernatural motif. For some people, the drawing of the body might not appeal, as some see it too 'slender' and 'bone showing', which in my taste, is not bad. It's actually in the right place.
Hero- Yue:
Yue is the hero of the story. He's friendly to other and sometimes even naive, carefree and going by his own pace. Yue can't see people 'normally'- he sees them as simple shadows(that are illustrated in a shape familiar to a fox). Except for two people. Those are Tsubaki and Akiyoshi.
The story isn't like 'yes! Yue is a demon!' but it does gives us hints that he is one of them. Huh.
Tsubaki:
Unlike Yue, Tsubaki is not the happy go around person. He's serious and has a grim expression on his face. Actually, he hates everything. Even the camellia flower he was named after (Tsubaki= Camellia in Japanese). He's a loner and keeps his distance from everyone, like a true Emo.
Akiyoshi:
Our fellow stalker who is sensitive to the supernatural. He sees himself as the protector of the city, when in reality, he's an asthmatic boy with a mask over his face and runs around with tissues.
Kurogitsune:
He's Yue's guide/friend. He's a Kitsune, a Japanese fox demon, who always saves Yue's ass. He's also the one who drags him out into the human world and makes them both get into trouble in the first place. If not him, nothing in the novel would happen, and believe me, Yue would be dad without his foxy friend. But he can be kinda like this:
Overall:
If you want a mysterious and beautiful plot and world setting, this is the manga for you!
5 STARS
Liked:
-Plot
-Characters
-World setting
Disliked:
-A bit too mysterious
August 21, 2020
I definitely wanna read more of this series, it was a little confusing at first but by the end of the volume I was left wanting moreeee
July 23, 2016
Not too bad, but there's so many unanswered questions at the moment it's hard to know what's going on. What is known seems promising, however.
June 5, 2017
3.5, I think? I'm curious enough to keep reading but I'm not loving it yet.
March 8, 2018
This review originally appeared on my blog, Books Without Any Pictures:
http://bookswithoutanypictures.com/20...
Of the Red, the Light, and the Ayakashi (Vol. 1) was so bizarre that I’m not even sure where to begin. I found the book at a small Japanese snack shop in Union Market in DC. It was sitting by the checkout counter, and I can’t resist buying books. So I brought it home and started reading.
The book begins as a sheltered boy who grew up at a shrine makes his way down the mountain with his fox spirit friend to attend a local festival. He isn’t really supposed to have left the shrine, but couldn’t resist the call of adventure. And as Yue explores the festival, we can quickly see that he isn’t used to interacting with humans, but nobody seems to notice anything amiss or pay him any attention. He meets two boys while he is out, and they are the only people who seem to notice that Yue even exists. Upon returning to the shrine, Yue is told that one of them shall become his Meal.
The art and writing are dreamlike and surreal. We hear a lot about the Meal, but never enough to know exactly what it entails. We know that it’s special for those at the shrine, and is seen as a rite of passage. It’s described in the kind of way you’d expect to hear about menstruation or a first sexual encounter, in a “you’ll know when it’s time” or “you’ll understand when you’re older” and “don’t worry so much about it, everything will be okay and make sense when the time comes” type of way. But making a Meal out of a person has sinister connotations, and the interplay between the innocence of childhood and the thought of potential murder/cannibalism contrasts in such a delightful yet ominous way. We see Yue wanting to grow up and fit in with his older acquaintances, but also fearing the future and what it might bring.
This is the kind of manga that’s fascinating, but when you finish the volume, your main thought will be, “…what the hell did I just read?”
Verdict: If I see another volume on clearance somewhere, maybe I’ll pick it up, but I’m not sure that I’d seek it out at full price. It’s bizarre and surreal, but it doesn’t pull me in the way that some of the other manga series that I’m reading do.
http://bookswithoutanypictures.com/20...
Of the Red, the Light, and the Ayakashi (Vol. 1) was so bizarre that I’m not even sure where to begin. I found the book at a small Japanese snack shop in Union Market in DC. It was sitting by the checkout counter, and I can’t resist buying books. So I brought it home and started reading.
The book begins as a sheltered boy who grew up at a shrine makes his way down the mountain with his fox spirit friend to attend a local festival. He isn’t really supposed to have left the shrine, but couldn’t resist the call of adventure. And as Yue explores the festival, we can quickly see that he isn’t used to interacting with humans, but nobody seems to notice anything amiss or pay him any attention. He meets two boys while he is out, and they are the only people who seem to notice that Yue even exists. Upon returning to the shrine, Yue is told that one of them shall become his Meal.
The art and writing are dreamlike and surreal. We hear a lot about the Meal, but never enough to know exactly what it entails. We know that it’s special for those at the shrine, and is seen as a rite of passage. It’s described in the kind of way you’d expect to hear about menstruation or a first sexual encounter, in a “you’ll know when it’s time” or “you’ll understand when you’re older” and “don’t worry so much about it, everything will be okay and make sense when the time comes” type of way. But making a Meal out of a person has sinister connotations, and the interplay between the innocence of childhood and the thought of potential murder/cannibalism contrasts in such a delightful yet ominous way. We see Yue wanting to grow up and fit in with his older acquaintances, but also fearing the future and what it might bring.
This is the kind of manga that’s fascinating, but when you finish the volume, your main thought will be, “…what the hell did I just read?”
Verdict: If I see another volume on clearance somewhere, maybe I’ll pick it up, but I’m not sure that I’d seek it out at full price. It’s bizarre and surreal, but it doesn’t pull me in the way that some of the other manga series that I’m reading do.
March 24, 2021
A solid start to a series!
For more detailed thoughts, check out this video! https://youtu.be/uPfx38lwV6w
For more detailed thoughts, check out this video! https://youtu.be/uPfx38lwV6w
October 30, 2019
Confusing and subpar compared to other supernatural series like Noragami, xxxholic, Kamisama Kiss, and The Demon Prince of Momochi House (among others). This first volume does have pretty art, but the story is just nonsensical for the most part. Sadly disappointing. I won’t be continuing with the series.
May 20, 2018
Introducing almost 20 characters and every possible plot point in the first volume renders this a nearly incomprehensible mess.
August 28, 2013
I'm obviously reading this in English online. I don't know Japanese... yet.
September 25, 2024
To me, art styles in manga novels and anime shows are what makes them good or bad, with the plot coming second. I liked the art style used in this series, so I picked up the first two volumes to check things out, and I’m not at all disappointed by the art style. Yes, I dove into reading this odd manga, knowing nothing at all about it, so when Yue felt he knew the mysterious boy at the festival despite not knowing him, I wondered if this would develop into a yaoi novel. Yaoi manga novels aren’t my usual choice in books, but I felt like something different at the time.
Unrealistic as talking animals are, my favorite character is Kurogitsune, Yue’s fox friend. I’m not sure if Kuro (that’s how I’ll be referring to the fox from now on) is a spirit animal or normal animal, but regardless of what exactly he is, I adore him! Kuro won me over on the second page of the book when Yue fed him a rice ball/something-or-other and burned his little tongue. I felt bad for him, but he was adorable regardless!
Entertaining as this book was, there was a twinge of fear in the back of my mind. Why is that? Let me tell you… Kuro the fox spirit animal is both the side character everyone loves and is the animal companion people helplessly adore. With my track record in favorite characters either turning out evil or dying (with no in-between), I’m praying to the manga gods that sweet little Kuro lives on throughout the series! If Kuro dies in any of the volumes, I’ll refuse to read the rest of the series!
I didn’t have a favorite part in reading this book, but I did like the unique culture developed in this novel. I wondered about the significance of pinwheels, and as an animal enthusiast on a normal day, I wanted to know so much more about the unique connection between Yue and Kuro… Is Kuro really Yue’s spirit animal? Is Kuro just a talking fox? How can Kuro transform from fox to boy and fox again? What are his powers, and how does he fit into the rest of this series? Will Kuro become a character who influences Yue to choose a meal from the two mysterious boys? I need to know!
There weren’t many memorable scenes or chapters within this novel, but one thing that confused me was a scene that happened three-quarters of the way in the book; a demonic shadow creature of unknown origin came out from nowhere and chased Yue and Kuro, then disappeared without going into attack mode when Yue’s I-want-to-be-your-friend interests noticed him running. It was weird, and I have no context on what or who the creature is, what they have to do with the rest of the saga, or what they want to do with a meal they’re obsessed with. This book was confusing, overall, and I’ve only now decided not to finish reading this series, as it can only get odder from here on out.
This book was a page-turner, but only at first. I liked the characters, Yue’s innocent and gentle aura, I appreciated the bond between Yue and Kuro, but even before I reached the halfway point, I found myself bored by the story overall, so the dialogue didn’t stick in my brain even as I finished reading the book, which was a downer, but my interest was gone. I don’t know if that’s a book problem, or a me-as-a-reader problem, but that’s simply how I feel.
If I were the author of this series in place of author HaccaWorks and artist Nanao, there’s so much I’d change that in making all my alterations, this book would be a stand-alone that wouldn’t even be the same series! I’d want things to make more sense, but few manga novels I’ve read ever have…
Finishing my review—Strange as this might be to voice, but something I’ll say anyway, is that this book… kind of reminds me of a yaoi version of Fruits Basket by Natsuki Takaya, but with spirited-away characters and familiars instead of Chinese Zodiac representations appearing human as well as animal. I haven’t decided yet if I like or dislike this series, but I’m going to read the next volume later today; after that, I’ll decide to finish reading this series or set it aside. My hope for this series only getting better remains, but my interest is stagnant, at best…
Really finishing my review now, I rated this book a 3/5 stars on GoodReads, but it wouldn’t take much convincing to rate it less than that. The artwork drew me in, Kuro stole my heart adorably by simply being his sweet self, but I didn’t understand the whole point of this manga saga or messages within the writing… I’d likely recommend this series to my fellow otaku friends who’re as much animal enthusiasts as I am. I’d say to them, “The series, overall, is easygoing, if a little boring amid slow moments where the characters lack dialogue amid interactions, yet there’s an adorable fox shifter who steals your heart by the end of the third page. If that doesn’t happen, ask for your money back… but you know I’m right, as I’ve never steered you wrong where book recommendations are concerned, my friends!” Fueled by coffee, I’d be saying that with a lot more enthusiasm than now.
Unrealistic as talking animals are, my favorite character is Kurogitsune, Yue’s fox friend. I’m not sure if Kuro (that’s how I’ll be referring to the fox from now on) is a spirit animal or normal animal, but regardless of what exactly he is, I adore him! Kuro won me over on the second page of the book when Yue fed him a rice ball/something-or-other and burned his little tongue. I felt bad for him, but he was adorable regardless!
Entertaining as this book was, there was a twinge of fear in the back of my mind. Why is that? Let me tell you… Kuro the fox spirit animal is both the side character everyone loves and is the animal companion people helplessly adore. With my track record in favorite characters either turning out evil or dying (with no in-between), I’m praying to the manga gods that sweet little Kuro lives on throughout the series! If Kuro dies in any of the volumes, I’ll refuse to read the rest of the series!
I didn’t have a favorite part in reading this book, but I did like the unique culture developed in this novel. I wondered about the significance of pinwheels, and as an animal enthusiast on a normal day, I wanted to know so much more about the unique connection between Yue and Kuro… Is Kuro really Yue’s spirit animal? Is Kuro just a talking fox? How can Kuro transform from fox to boy and fox again? What are his powers, and how does he fit into the rest of this series? Will Kuro become a character who influences Yue to choose a meal from the two mysterious boys? I need to know!
There weren’t many memorable scenes or chapters within this novel, but one thing that confused me was a scene that happened three-quarters of the way in the book; a demonic shadow creature of unknown origin came out from nowhere and chased Yue and Kuro, then disappeared without going into attack mode when Yue’s I-want-to-be-your-friend interests noticed him running. It was weird, and I have no context on what or who the creature is, what they have to do with the rest of the saga, or what they want to do with a meal they’re obsessed with. This book was confusing, overall, and I’ve only now decided not to finish reading this series, as it can only get odder from here on out.
This book was a page-turner, but only at first. I liked the characters, Yue’s innocent and gentle aura, I appreciated the bond between Yue and Kuro, but even before I reached the halfway point, I found myself bored by the story overall, so the dialogue didn’t stick in my brain even as I finished reading the book, which was a downer, but my interest was gone. I don’t know if that’s a book problem, or a me-as-a-reader problem, but that’s simply how I feel.
If I were the author of this series in place of author HaccaWorks and artist Nanao, there’s so much I’d change that in making all my alterations, this book would be a stand-alone that wouldn’t even be the same series! I’d want things to make more sense, but few manga novels I’ve read ever have…
Finishing my review—Strange as this might be to voice, but something I’ll say anyway, is that this book… kind of reminds me of a yaoi version of Fruits Basket by Natsuki Takaya, but with spirited-away characters and familiars instead of Chinese Zodiac representations appearing human as well as animal. I haven’t decided yet if I like or dislike this series, but I’m going to read the next volume later today; after that, I’ll decide to finish reading this series or set it aside. My hope for this series only getting better remains, but my interest is stagnant, at best…
Really finishing my review now, I rated this book a 3/5 stars on GoodReads, but it wouldn’t take much convincing to rate it less than that. The artwork drew me in, Kuro stole my heart adorably by simply being his sweet self, but I didn’t understand the whole point of this manga saga or messages within the writing… I’d likely recommend this series to my fellow otaku friends who’re as much animal enthusiasts as I am. I’d say to them, “The series, overall, is easygoing, if a little boring amid slow moments where the characters lack dialogue amid interactions, yet there’s an adorable fox shifter who steals your heart by the end of the third page. If that doesn’t happen, ask for your money back… but you know I’m right, as I’ve never steered you wrong where book recommendations are concerned, my friends!” Fueled by coffee, I’d be saying that with a lot more enthusiasm than now.
July 24, 2017
An intriguing work, sweetly and softly sinister, contemporary yet ambiguous. It reminds me very much of my own Tales of the Navel/The Shadow Forest, only this manga has its own uniquely Japanese speculative setting. Our main character finds himself drawn to two boys. No one else quite seems real to him. The curious household assures him that this is because one of these two boys will become his 'meal'. What does this mean? The main character is drawn into the mystery of this question, of who and what he is, along with the reader.
December 13, 2017
I went and bought this with no idea what the story entailed. I can safely say that I made the right decision. What seems to be a calm and fun series slowly brings in a darker plot. The characters are a joy to see, especially their interactions with one another. Art gets a thumbs up. Would definitely recommend this series
September 16, 2018
I have mixed feelings about this story, so I will be reading volume two in order to decide if I will continue.
The story is a little confusing and I'm not fully sure what is going on, but I do kind of like the three (four?) main characters. I quite like the graphics also.
I'm hoping volume two clarifies the story for me a bit more because I feel it could have potential.
The story is a little confusing and I'm not fully sure what is going on, but I do kind of like the three (four?) main characters. I quite like the graphics also.
I'm hoping volume two clarifies the story for me a bit more because I feel it could have potential.
August 4, 2017
Hmm, this one is super odd. It's very mysterious and a lot of unclear details. Apparently it's based off a video game(??) so maybe that would help wth clarity of the storyline? It's definitely interesting, but also really confusing...
September 12, 2020
不思議な話。
主人公の由はもっと陰陽師？奉仕？由はシンの生まれ変わり？じゃないけど。。。そいうっぽい？ちょっとカゴメと桔梗みたいな関係かな。
彼はあやかしになったみたいけど、それもちょっと違うから微妙存在。彼が何も知らないから、読書する人も何も知らない。少しずつこの世界を理解に進む。
好きかどうかまだわかんないね。絵はきれい。夏目友人帳をちょっとにっている。。。けど封印気は全然違う。
主人公の由はもっと陰陽師？奉仕？由はシンの生まれ変わり？じゃないけど。。。そいうっぽい？ちょっとカゴメと桔梗みたいな関係かな。
彼はあやかしになったみたいけど、それもちょっと違うから微妙存在。彼が何も知らないから、読書する人も何も知らない。少しずつこの世界を理解に進む。
好きかどうかまだわかんないね。絵はきれい。夏目友人帳をちょっとにっている。。。けど封印気は全然違う。
July 30, 2017
Very confusing but interesting.
September 11, 2017
Good volume.
November 21, 2017
I didn't know what was going on but strangely, I liked it!
December 9, 2017
Lush visuals, a surprising suspenseful story, and quirky characters makes this an intriguing first volume.
September 12, 2018
It was ok
January 7, 2019
Really enjoyed this, the mystery of the spirited-away people and the likes. c:
March 17, 2019
at first the story is a bit confusing, but then it gets really good and leaves you craving for the next volume.
November 25, 2019
Might have to reread this at another time
unfinished
May 11, 2020It wasn’t bad, just not to my taste, at least at the moment!
March 29, 2021
3.25/5 Stars
April 22, 2021
Interesting mystery series.
Read
May 2, 2021I'm either mildly intrigued or mildly confused
January 10, 2022
Greatly confused, love the art and Kurogitsune
September 24, 2023
Meh, this could get interesting, but I hate it when things aren't explained.. this whole volume was just one confusing mess.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews