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乙嫁語り [Otoyomegatari] #5

Bride Stories, Vol. 5

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Aunque en un principio aceptaron de mala gana, Layla y leyli han llegado a apreciar a los que serán sus futuros esposos, pero antes de la ceremonia tienen que aprender muchas cosas paras ser unas dignas amas de casa... Y Smith no quiere perderse ni un detalle de los ritos nupciales de la región.

200 pages, Paperback

First published January 15, 2013

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630 people want to read

About the author

Kaoru Mori

100 books852 followers
Kaoru Mori (森 薫) is a Japanese manga author. Her stories tend to be intricately drawn female lead historical dramas set in exotic locations like Britain and along the silk road. Her series include Emma (2002-2008), Shirley (2003-present) and the best known A Bride's Tale (2008-present).

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5 stars
1,235 (47%)
4 stars
990 (38%)
3 stars
330 (12%)
2 stars
35 (1%)
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5 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 207 reviews
Profile Image for Julie (Let's Read Good Books).
1,732 reviews486 followers
September 3, 2018
4.25 stars

Most of this volume centers around the twins' wedding. They are, of course, their usual impulsive, self-indulgent selves, and I felt bad for Sarm and Sami. I don't think the boys are going to know what hit them as they are ordered through life by their new demanding brides. To give the girls some depth, they finally realize that by marrying, they are effectively leaving their family and joining a new one instead. Oh, how the bitter tears of two young women who finally, FINALLY, realize that their lives have been changed more than they stopped and thought about. Lucky for them, their parents only live a short walk away.

The volume ended with Amir and Karluk. Amir finds an injured hawk, brings it home, and attempts to nurse it back to health. I thought this was a really depressing chapter.
Profile Image for Dave Schaafsma.
Author 6 books32.1k followers
June 6, 2015
Laila and Leily's nineteenth century Silk Road wedding day arrives, painstakingly rendered with carefully researched historical detail by Mori, so there's festivities as one might expect, and this is something readers have been waiting for, but there is this darker aspect of it that Mori gets at as she shows you what it might have been like for women and girls then. Still, she loves to draw women in dresses, various period costumes. . . and actually includes an appendix where she shows her interest and skill in drawing girls in various period costumes. So there seems to be a could interesting things going on for Mori as artist and storyteller. She's really good in this period piece.
Profile Image for Ignacio.
1,441 reviews303 followers
October 31, 2020
El final de la historia de la boda recupera lo mejor del dibujo del segundo tomo, recreándose en los pequeños detalles del evento; sobre todo esas comidas patagruélicas alrededor de las cuales parece girar todo. Después ya volvemos a Amira y Karluk. El capítulo sobre un día en su vida con la estructura de cómic con viñetas a toda página no está mal, pero la historieta protagonizada por el halcón herido es otra cosa. ¡Qué manera más elegante de seguir definiendo a ambos personajes y la relación entre ellos!
Profile Image for Sesana.
6,270 reviews329 followers
June 7, 2014
For me, the absolute best part of this volume was knowing that we were probably seeing the back of Laila and Leily. Sorry, but shout-y characters just annoy me. I loved that this time, we got a much more in-depth view of a central Asian wedding ceremony of the time. It looks like we're getting back to more Amir, which is good.
Profile Image for Elizabeth (Miss Eliza).
2,737 reviews171 followers
December 12, 2013
I really liked the wedding of the twins, it was so sweet. Also, I know I've mentioned this before, but once in awhile I feel lost because I don't remember every single detail from each volume, but not this one! It was very well self contained but still with continuing story arcs. Also, how bad ass is the grandma on her goat? Also, if you have a stomach bug like I do, it's best to avoid reading this till you are better. 1) The tons of food made me hungry, 2) how they prep the tons of food, ie, killing, skinning, everything gross that could be done to a sheep is done to a sheep. I don't eat sheep, and this made me really really really never ever ever want to eat sheep.
Profile Image for Elizabeth A.
2,151 reviews119 followers
November 4, 2017
We continue this series with a much anticipated wedding. The twins are finally getting hitched. I continue to love the historical setting, and the art is astoundingly good; the pen and ink details showcases the talents of a master craftswoman. I really loved getting an insider look at all the customs and traditions of marriage in these communities, but overall this was my least favorite of the series so far. The twins are bit too shout-y in this one, and while I empathize with their frustrations, I was glad to leave them behind as our journey along the Silk Road takes us away from what is hopefully wedded bliss for the two of them.
Profile Image for Doc.
1,959 reviews30 followers
August 6, 2020
Twin Bride Trials

Troublesome twins Laila and Leily are the focus of the tale for this volume as they are preparing to wed childhood friends Sarmaan and Farsami. Once again my lack of knowledge about life on the Silk Road in this time period does not diminish my joy of these stories which are filled with interesting characters, lovely artwork, and a bit of emotional investment as the world unfolds before the reader.

After we get to see the union of the twins and their childhood friends we return to Amir who takes us on a tour of life in her home while Henry Smith moves on to his next destination. In a tale of compassion and mercy the volume ends on a story of an injured hawk that Amir tries to save showing once more the incredible skill Kaoru Mori has bringing her characters to life. Also be sure not to miss the side story "Queen of the Mountain" where granny gets to shine as the protagonist. :)
Profile Image for Mike.
932 reviews44 followers
November 22, 2014
While A Bride's Story is a slice of life manga and these chapters would stand reasonably well on their own, they do continue directly from volume 4 and feature characters introduced throughout the series. I would recommend starting at the beginning.

** This review contains mild spoilers. **

Chapters 23-25 feature the wedding day celebration of mischievous twins Laila and Leily. Mori goes into exquisite detail here, from the preparation of the feast to the specifics of the ceremony, exploring and explaining the culture and traditions through the actions of the characters and the twins own learning process.

The remaining two chapters (and short side story) go back to Amir and Karluk's village, telling three separate tales of normal (and less so) daily life.

In addition to learning the way of life of the various villages, details of the larger world they inhabit start creeping in.

Mori's incredible touch and careful research shines as usual in both sections. You can feel the effort expended and everything is conveyed such that the reader can understand what's being done and why. Additionally impressive is that a lot of it is done without dialog, without any negative effect. There are numerous instances where Mori's confident enough to let the art speak for itself for several pages at a time, and it works wonderfully.

This is no small part because the art is amazing as usual. Mori consistently provides more intricate backgrounds and designs than I have ever seen in any other manga, and conveys emotion brilliantly with body language and facial expressions. A particular treat is The Daylong Song (chapter 26), which is comprised entirely of full page art. The final chapter is a simple story that resonates beautifully with several intertwined emotional layers working together.

Perfectly paced and wonderfully told, A Bride's Story continues to amaze five volumes in.

10/2013

Edit 11/22/14: Reread this to refresh my memory for volume 6. Just as great the second time through. The last two chapter in particular are incredible.
Profile Image for Kathleen.
1,330 reviews22 followers
February 3, 2019
So Kaoru Mori is also responsible for Victorian Romance Emma, an anime I loved (and a manga I have not yet read but definitely will after this). A Bride's Story is set along the Silk Road in the nineteenth century and it is amazing.

The eponymous bride, Amir, is only in about half of the volumes; the rest split off and follow an English anthropologist named Mr. Smith as he tries to get home. After the first two volumes it becomes very slice-of-life, which honestly I prefer; it lets Mori show off her research and truly incredible art, plus we get a lot more character development.

The basic setup is that Amir, a twenty-year-old girl, has come to marry Karluk, a twelve-year-old boy. Naturally the marriage is a little weird for both of them, but they're making it work (and being very sweetly cute along the way). Unfortunately, Amir's family has decided they can give her to a better tribe, and wants her back. No one except Amir's brothers want that to happen. Things get dark in a hurry.

And then get light again as Henry Smith, an anthropologist staying with the family (and a delight), has to make his way home through several other stories- the bittersweet story of Talas, a young widow; Laila and Leyli, a set of twins who would like to be married but to very specific people; Anis, a lonely young wife, and her friend Sherine; and more.

These are so good, guys. The story is well told, the art is absolutely flabbergastingly incredible (seriously, google this stuff), the research is impeccable. I'm mad the last two volumes aren't in English yet (or at the very least aren't anywhere I can get my paws on them) because I want mooooore.
Profile Image for Jennifer.
1,734 reviews1 follower
September 17, 2017
This volume chronicles the twins' (Laila and Leily's) double wedding. Their hilarious antics (including ditching part of their wedding activities) are hinted at on the book's cover. In spite of their selfish tendencies, they have matched themselves well with supportive husbands. Although I found the girls a bit annoying, I kind of hope Mori revisits their story later in the series. I'd love to see if marriage and responsibility helps them grow up just a bit.

Because of this volume, I now know how to gut a sheep, the ins and outs of wedding ceremonies in 19th century central Asia, and some aspects of a married woman's daily life.

One of the cutest parts of this volume is a frame that shows a sentimental side of Amir as she watches her husband, Karluk (8 years her junior), sleep, and she thinks to herself, "I hope he grows up quickly." 💜
Profile Image for Mona.
148 reviews5 followers
November 30, 2017
Trigger warning : people would are uncomfortable with blood,dead animals and flesh should be cautious with this volume. There was food preparation for the wedding celebration and they basiacally slaughtered a whole herd of sheeps and skin as well as butchered them on the pages. Another animal death at the end chapter as well.

The twin's grooms can do no wrong. I really,really like these boys and I hope we get to see more of them in the future volumes.My feelings for the twins remained the same.

The wedding was extravagant and emotional.As expected.It didn't move me for some reason.

There was a chapter that shows a day in Amira's life.That was so warm,domestic and simply adorable.

The last chapter.....that left this volumes to end on a gloomy notes for sure.
Profile Image for Shae.
3,221 reviews349 followers
May 4, 2019
I continue to be blown away by this story, and swept back in time. It makes me want to live in the time that they lived, like the Professor, and observe and enjoy their culture. I loved watching the full marriage ceremony through the twins. I found that to be very fun and enjoyable.
I also really enjoyed the glimpse of the main couple that we got in this novel. We see our bride struggling a little bit with the fact that her groom is so much younger than her. She is ready for more, and ready for a family. She clearly wants these things, but is patient, and wishes for her husband to grow up quickly, so that they can continue to progress forward.
I am so excited to see what is to come in this series. I will never get enough of the art and the beauty of this series!
Profile Image for Majo.
335 reviews140 followers
April 22, 2015
Estuvo muy interesante que explicara cómo eran las bodas, las preparaciones de las novias, de los novios, de las familias, la dote… Pero, Laila y Leily se me hicieron pesadas en estos capítulos pero aún así me hicieron reír con sus travesuras.

El capítulo final volvió con mi pareja favorita: Amira y Karluk los adoro! Pero la historia contada es algo triste…
Profile Image for Jera Em.
152 reviews23 followers
April 15, 2019
The wedding for Laila and Leily with Sami and Sarm was a lot of fun to witness. I loved how jovial everything was and how, even on their wedding day, the twins are quite rebellious! I think their husbands were a good choice seeing as they're already used to this kind of behavior.

I was also glad to see we got back to what Amir has been up to with Karluk. I like that even their disagreements are resolved quite peacefully. A great volume!
Profile Image for Julie.
3,520 reviews51 followers
April 10, 2014
This volume made me cry multiple times. I feel invested in the story of the twins and their (soon-to-be) husbands. So sweet... And the week-long wedding celebration is really impressive. Again, the clothing by itself is quite the feat of detailed drawing.

Also, Amir is still awesome. But Talas!! What will happen to Talas!? *sob*
Profile Image for Mel.
986 reviews38 followers
July 17, 2018
Another wonderful volume in this series! I loved the twins and their storyline, so I hope we get to see them again. It was nice too seeing Amir again. My favorite chapter was the small side-story about Amir’s grandmother being the queen of the mountain.

Beautiful art, a relaxed pace, and charming characters. What more could I ask for?
Profile Image for Diana.
178 reviews
July 9, 2017
Me encantó la historia de estas gemelas. Realmente este es un manga único, totalmente recomendado a aquellos que busquen algo distinto, refrescante y pasado, rico en escenarios, cultura y diversidad. Love it!
Profile Image for Jule.
183 reviews7 followers
December 2, 2019
Les détails, comme ceux des livres précédents durant les scènes de repas, de chasse, de broderie, sont encore une fois sublimes ! J'ai beaucoup aimé les pages consacrées à l'aïeule de Karluk, et à la chasse d'Amir.
Profile Image for Ken Yuen.
1,006 reviews8 followers
February 27, 2020
Going from one bride to two brides. Two brides' stories ah ah ah!

But yeah, we get the story of the wedding. And then some smaller side stories which were pretty cool.
Profile Image for Freya Abbas.
Author 8 books16 followers
January 1, 2022
Beautiful as always. Kaoru Mori never disappoints. In this volume, you get to see a Central Asian wedding.
Profile Image for Lars.
172 reviews1 follower
June 27, 2024
This volume features some of the best and worst storytelling of this series. Mind you, a bad chapter of A Bride's Story is still quite good and worth a read.

The first three chapters focus on Laila and Leily's wedding. I really don't care about these characters. They are annoying, self centered and childish, which I guess is in character as they are supposed to be teenagers? But Mori amps their behavior up to eleven and it is just grating. The drawing and level to historical detail is excellent so these three chapters get. ⭐⭐⭐

In Chapter 26 The Daylong Song and Chapter 27 The Wounded Hawk Mori returns to original protagonists Amir and Karluk. These 2 chapters are stunning. The Wounded Hawk especially is as close as manga can get to art. A beautiful, gentle, heartbreaking, self contained story. I want to read more of those please. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Profile Image for Klinton Saha.
357 reviews5 followers
July 22, 2025
লাইলা ও লাইলি যমজ দুইবোনের বিয়ে হয়ে যায় যমজ দুই ভাইয়ের সাথে। যেহেতু তারা অত্যন্ত দুরন্ত ও অল্পবয়সী ছিল তাই বিয়েতে তাদের নিয়ে অনেক হাস্যরসাত্মক কান্ড ঘটে যায়। শুরুতে তাদের স্বামী সম্পর্কে বিচিত্র ধারণা থাকলেও পরবর্তীতে মনের মিল হয়। বিয়ের পরপরই মি স্মিথ রওনা দেন তার গন্তব্যে।
Profile Image for Erik B.K.K..
780 reviews54 followers
March 1, 2017
"And they lived happily ever after". Wow that's about the cheapest trick in the book for a writer.
Profile Image for Space Cadette.
49 reviews2 followers
December 30, 2022
I loved the twin's story haha
I hope we get more of them in the future
Displaying 1 - 30 of 207 reviews

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