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A Strange and Mystifying Story #1
A Strange and Mystifying Story, Vol. 1
Akio Yamane's ancestors have died young for generations, and he despises the cursed lineage his family has given him. Then one day, Akio falls ill! But when he unknowingly summons a protector god, a man with long ears and a tail appears before him, completely naked!
200 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2006
28 people are currently reading
312 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 53 reviews
November 9, 2021
Honestly not sure what this is supposed to be?? Like it was a collection of stories, but they weren’t related at all? When the first one ended and new story with new characters started I thought it would be at least a little related if not in reoccurring characters, then at least in premise. It went from being a story about a guy with a cursed family and demon to a regular student/teacher romance? Then it was about some dude and a runaway indentured servant that breaks into his house? Then it wraps back around to side characters from the first story. Which is fine, but this a multiple book series? So is this just going to continue being random stories? Or will we follow the first story again in the next volume even though it’s already technically been resolved?
As for the stories they were okay, nothing that got me super excited. I liked them enough, but I read them a few hours ago and I’ve already forgotten most of what happened so nothing really stuck with me. I’m not sure if I’ll even pick up the next volume. I mostly want to pick it up just to see how the series will continue. Otherwise I don’t care too much about anything that’s happening with these characters.
As for the stories they were okay, nothing that got me super excited. I liked them enough, but I read them a few hours ago and I’ve already forgotten most of what happened so nothing really stuck with me. I’m not sure if I’ll even pick up the next volume. I mostly want to pick it up just to see how the series will continue. Otherwise I don’t care too much about anything that’s happening with these characters.
October 29, 2023
October 2023
Kindle edition
I think I have the paperback edition lying around somewhere. This is one I've read before. The art was good with the story on the slightly darker side of light. A cursed family dying out with the last to summon Setsu to eat the curse away. I preferred the upbeat director and the friend to the main characters. They were adorable and kept the story from getting too much of a downer. The side stories are okay with a teacher/student romance and a historical. Need more of the director/friend.
Kindle edition
I think I have the paperback edition lying around somewhere. This is one I've read before. The art was good with the story on the slightly darker side of light. A cursed family dying out with the last to summon Setsu to eat the curse away. I preferred the upbeat director and the friend to the main characters. They were adorable and kept the story from getting too much of a downer. The side stories are okay with a teacher/student romance and a historical. Need more of the director/friend.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 17, 2015
Sometimes i didnt like it.
February 27, 2020
I have read really pornographic manga. I've read fantasy/shape-shifter manga. Gay, romance, enemies to lovers, all kinds. This didn't do any of it well. There is no character development. The story is very jumpy. There is little porn and its not sexy. Its certainly not romantic. There was no real plot and the resolution was like...ok. Then it changed to other characters which is where other reviews said it got better but I am uncomfortable with teacher/student relationships and didn't buy the book for it so I'm done. Annoyed and frustrated and a little angry about it too.
July 4, 2018
I was in the mood for m/m or BL stuff...which is weird for me...but tiss my mood.
Decided to start curbing this mood by picking this up.
My perverted ass was looking forward to the smutt. But it was lacking.
The plot and storyline were okay. Too much yapping about boring things then sexy times or rounded, intriguing dialouge/scenes.
You win some. You lose some.
Decided to start curbing this mood by picking this up.
My perverted ass was looking forward to the smutt. But it was lacking.
The plot and storyline were okay. Too much yapping about boring things then sexy times or rounded, intriguing dialouge/scenes.
You win some. You lose some.
December 17, 2019
It was interesting but I got a little confused with the various stories. Maybe because I took a break in reading? It did make me say," Aww" a few times. The older man had a ton of personality. I wasn't wowed but an interesting story.
December 17, 2017
I always get happy and excited to actually see yaoi in bookstores, so even though I'm not a fan of anthros and the cover art made me think this would be a comedy, I bought it. And I'm so glad I did! It was a lot more serious than I thought it would be. It was right up my alley - sexy, dramatic, and unpredictable, with just the right amount of humor to break up the tension but not kill the mood.
The main story has a darker theme than I expected. The main character comes from a cursed family line. Everyone dies mysteriously. He's a realistic, believable, and sympathetic character who feels the curse is just a superstitious belief and who resents his extended family for perpetuating the rumors. Even as he falls ill due to its effects, he defies the family legacy and tries to live a normal life. But he soon grows too ill to continue, and in an act of desperation he summons a demon and asks for his help to get rid of the curse. The demon is actually very handsome, charming, and kind, but as he consumes the man's curse to rid him of it, he knows it is a painful process so he makes love to him to distract him from the pain. So the man resents him for using his body, not realizing the demon is trying to do him a favor. As his friends and coworkers become enamored with and accept the demon, he slowly begins to realize he's not such a bad guy.
There are two short stories after the main one. The first is one of my favorite tropes, a student/teacher relationship, in which the teacher comes to care for the shyest boy in class. The second is a story set in feudal Japan, in which a carver helps a sex slave escape his master. This one feels really rushed but I still enjoyed it a lot.
The stories in this book are pretty unique and have a lot of variety. I was very pleasantly surprised and have already preordered the second volume. I can't wait for more!
The main story has a darker theme than I expected. The main character comes from a cursed family line. Everyone dies mysteriously. He's a realistic, believable, and sympathetic character who feels the curse is just a superstitious belief and who resents his extended family for perpetuating the rumors. Even as he falls ill due to its effects, he defies the family legacy and tries to live a normal life. But he soon grows too ill to continue, and in an act of desperation he summons a demon and asks for his help to get rid of the curse. The demon is actually very handsome, charming, and kind, but as he consumes the man's curse to rid him of it, he knows it is a painful process so he makes love to him to distract him from the pain. So the man resents him for using his body, not realizing the demon is trying to do him a favor. As his friends and coworkers become enamored with and accept the demon, he slowly begins to realize he's not such a bad guy.
There are two short stories after the main one. The first is one of my favorite tropes, a student/teacher relationship, in which the teacher comes to care for the shyest boy in class. The second is a story set in feudal Japan, in which a carver helps a sex slave escape his master. This one feels really rushed but I still enjoyed it a lot.
The stories in this book are pretty unique and have a lot of variety. I was very pleasantly surprised and have already preordered the second volume. I can't wait for more!
May 12, 2019
Art was good but it’s noncon so automatic one star. Also there were these two random short stories at the end and both included underage relationships (disgusting). The first one was even about a teacher/high school student relationship which is another automatic one star for me.
March 11, 2019
Its a good start. Looks like there are 4 seperate story arcs. Should be interesting to see where it goes.
January 16, 2018
I was hoping there'd be more smut, not going to lie. I don't exactly read yaoi manga for the plot since there usually isn't any, or a very shallow one. But it was only shown once and even that was mostly blocked by conveniently placed arms or lack of detail. I like Setsu, he's a grumpy jerk a little bit, but the main character is the typical whiny defiant uke and I couldn't have cared less for him, and not really for the other characters. A big chunk of the book is chapters from other mangas (or just one off mini stories? I don't know, I skipped them) so it's only about 2/3 the size of a regular manga, i.e. not as much happens and you can feel it. Cute and fluffy, and I was hoping for something a bit more serious. Not crap, I've definitely read worse, but this volume ends on a good enough note I'm honestly content to stop here.
July 23, 2018
One of my favorite stories from Tsuta Suzuki. Gorgeous art, with a wolf dog guardian Setsu and the sole surviving member of the Yamane clan, Akio in the title story. The yamane family is cursed, and Setsu protects the family, "just wasting some time." Setsu smells so good, and Akio doesn't understand why he reacts to it the way he does. Yes, he is a very cute tsundere character. Extra stories: Nylon Vinyl, and The Gods Don't Exist, are also in this volume. Nylon Vinyl is a student/teacher romance that is rather sweet, and a bit humorous. The Gods Don't Exist, is a historical drama of an escaped indentured servant, and the engraver he forces to take him in. Both are quite sexy without being "lewd." Love these stories and am very happy to finally own them.
January 26, 2023
This really is strange and mystifying. I don't actually get the story at all. I own volumes 1-3, so I'll read the next one before deciding what to do, but I have the feeling this will be a DNF series, for me.
The art is okay, but very angular and sometimes messy. The story is basic but not well paced or explored. There's definitely non-con, which is disappointing. It's mostly sex and illogical transitions. There's no exploring the world created here, or any decent exploration of character development or world-building.
Overall, I wanted more depth.
I also wasn't a fan of the extra bonus stories. None were connected to the main story, until the final short. I skimmed through the unrelated ones, but none of them had any bearing on the main story. They were a waste of pages that could have been put to better use by expanding the main story.
The art is okay, but very angular and sometimes messy. The story is basic but not well paced or explored. There's definitely non-con, which is disappointing. It's mostly sex and illogical transitions. There's no exploring the world created here, or any decent exploration of character development or world-building.
Overall, I wanted more depth.
I also wasn't a fan of the extra bonus stories. None were connected to the main story, until the final short. I skimmed through the unrelated ones, but none of them had any bearing on the main story. They were a waste of pages that could have been put to better use by expanding the main story.
July 30, 2021
CW: Non con, Dub Con in the main story. Side stories include: Teacher/Student relationship, Age gap with minor.
I enjoyed this a lot more than I was expecting to. I read this volume a long time ago and didn't enjoy it that much. The dubious consent bothered me, but it doesn't anymore. We follow a man who is cursed and dying, who summons a demon to take the curse away from him and save his life. This wolf demon then kisses and sucks the curse right out of him with the promise that he'll disappear once the curse is gone.
This was surprisingly sweet. I really like this relationship and I look forward to seeing how it develops.
I enjoyed this a lot more than I was expecting to. I read this volume a long time ago and didn't enjoy it that much. The dubious consent bothered me, but it doesn't anymore. We follow a man who is cursed and dying, who summons a demon to take the curse away from him and save his life. This wolf demon then kisses and sucks the curse right out of him with the promise that he'll disappear once the curse is gone.
This was surprisingly sweet. I really like this relationship and I look forward to seeing how it develops.
December 7, 2017
I got the book because I liked the write up for it. However I was disappointed in the actual book when I got it. Yes, Akio was cured and managed to get attached to the protector god who he called Setsu. When Setsu got rid of the last of the plague demon that was making Akio sick, he didn't disappear as expected because Akio didn't want him to go. There was a lot of vague hints of how Setsu was curing Akio but nothing clear cut. While more might be explained in the future books in the series, I have no desire to read them.
May 27, 2021
Really struggled to finish this one. I left it un. The first story is interesting enough, about a man with a family curse and the man or yokai or something that he summoned to help him. But when we switch to a story between a new teacher and an abused student, the manga lost me completely. Did the mangaka have to make the interaction between the teacher and the student so sexual? The poor boy needs help and friends, not a lay, honestly. I’ll try the next volume, but I’m not sure about this series.
December 17, 2020
Disclaimer: I don't read a lot of manga so don't have a lot to compare this to.
There were so many quick, unexplained time jumps in the story that made it difficult to keep up with what was happening and how relationships were developing. Half the dialog seemed to be useless sound effects as well. And the so called "erotic" bits were weirdly drawn to the point where I hardly knew what I was looking at.
All in all: not my thing.
There were so many quick, unexplained time jumps in the story that made it difficult to keep up with what was happening and how relationships were developing. Half the dialog seemed to be useless sound effects as well. And the so called "erotic" bits were weirdly drawn to the point where I hardly knew what I was looking at.
All in all: not my thing.
February 17, 2024
the main story was kinda... interesting ig but it's noncon/dubcon so just immediately no. the art is gorgeous tho so that's a shame. oh and when the short stories began i was just so confused like wtf were they doing in this book?? i expected them to at least have SOMETHING. (ANYTHING AT ALL) to do with the main story but nope. ALSO, the age difference (ex: teacher/student) is also just a big no no for me so... yeah.
January 27, 2021
There was nothing strange or mystifying about this story, it was completely lacking in pretty much everything. Sadly I'm one of those people that wants to continue what I start so I probably will read the other volumes but I will not be rushing out to buy them by any means. The first bonus chapter, was so drawn out and boring as well. The second bonus chapter, is just kind of awkward and creepy.
April 10, 2021
I love this manga
This was so sweet. I thought Akio was really mean at first but the transition to feelings was kind of abrupt. I liked Setsu from the beginning. Hard on the outside and squishy on the inside. Not very explicit but very cute. I think I will read volume 2. There was some extra in the end. I liked that a lot too.
This was so sweet. I thought Akio was really mean at first but the transition to feelings was kind of abrupt. I liked Setsu from the beginning. Hard on the outside and squishy on the inside. Not very explicit but very cute. I think I will read volume 2. There was some extra in the end. I liked that a lot too.
August 18, 2022
1.3!
damn, the director is quite shameless lol.
i really like the charac designs, esp for the MC! the art style is pretty nice tho honestly, i couldn’t tell what was happening sometimes hajaksjs. the story itself was kinda confusing as well. i don’t care much for it or the characs. i also didn’t like the short stories at all so there’s that.
damn, the director is quite shameless lol.
i really like the charac designs, esp for the MC! the art style is pretty nice tho honestly, i couldn’t tell what was happening sometimes hajaksjs. the story itself was kinda confusing as well. i don’t care much for it or the characs. i also didn’t like the short stories at all so there’s that.
March 9, 2019
I enjoyed this story and am going to get volume 2. I hope there's more insight into the characters going forward because some emotional shifts just seem a bit abrupt, but I like the characters and want more of these stories.
May 26, 2019
Zero interest in continuing reading this series. I might anyway because it's one of the few series I can purchase from comixology. I wish more of the popular series would make their way over there.
A pretty forgettable read, in all honesty. Does the rest get better? The pacing isn't very good.
A pretty forgettable read, in all honesty. Does the rest get better? The pacing isn't very good.
February 25, 2020
I have high hopes for this series; although I really disliked the two bonus stories, I really enjoyed the main story and plot. It's...a bit reminiscent of the previous generation of June stories, in the bad way, but the great art and ending make me have high hopes.
June 29, 2022
As a fan of any dubcon/CNC/noncon, m/m, and shifter, I was into this. I wish it was a little more *ahem* graphic. I did NOT appreciate the short story at the end with a teacher/minor student relationship. Yuck.
July 14, 2022
Story wise it was just okay, kinda hard to follow/read at times. This first volume kinda ends the main story abruptly and has two extra short stories which are cute but also just "okay''. Will keep this volume for my collection but probably won't actively hunt down the other volumes.
December 14, 2017
Amazing!!
The art was beautiful!! The story was great and moved along very nicely. I can’t wait to read more from this author.
The art was beautiful!! The story was great and moved along very nicely. I can’t wait to read more from this author.
August 21, 2018
1.5 - Story wasn't really my cup of tea but a decent enough read.
January 2, 2019
I have fallen into the BL smut journey again >a<
March 18, 2019
It was good... wish vol.2 was in stock.
March 30, 2019
Cute
Cute stories. Minimal plot heavier on the relations. I liked the diversity un characters and story. The author clearly enjoyed writing this piece.
Cute stories. Minimal plot heavier on the relations. I liked the diversity un characters and story. The author clearly enjoyed writing this piece.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 53 reviews