The Demon Prince of Momochi House, Vol. 8

百千さん家のあやかし王子 [Momochi-san Chi no Ayakashi Ouji] #8

by Aya Shouoto

Himari Momochi inherits Momochi House, an estate which exists on the barrier between the human and spiritual realms. Since his battle with Nachi, Aoi has been unable to transform back from being the Nue. Aoi must recover his lost human memories, and Himari enters the spiritual realm to retrieve them.

Genres: Manga, Romance, Fantasy, Young Adult, Graphic Novels, Paranormal, Supernatural

165 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 21, 2015

About the author

Aya Shōoto is a Japanese mangaka.

She publishes under two names in Japanese, that spell the same but are written with different characters.
- 硝音あや: for shōjo manga
- しょうおとあや: for BL manga

Associated Names:
Aya Shōoto
Aya Showoto
Kashi

Reviews

[Jana (Nikki)]

4.5 stars.

Seriously, this manga just keeps getting better. BUT THAT ENDING, OMG. I thought the last one was hard to deal with, but THIS!? I'm seriously not going to survive the wait until Vol. 9. Three months is TOO LONG between volumes!!

[Dani ❤️ Perspective of a Writer]

Check out more manga and graphic novel reviews @ Perspective of a Writer...

As the 8th volume of a manga my rating is affected by the previous volumes! See my review of volume one... and my review of volume two... and my review of volume three... and my review of volume four... and my review of volume five... and my review of volume six... and my review of volume seven...

On her 16th birthday, orphan Himari Momochi inherits the ancestral estate she’s never seen. Momochi House exists on the barrier between the human and spiritual realms, and Himari is meant to act as guardian between the two worlds. But on the day she moves in, she finds three handsome squatters already living in the house, and one seems to have already taken over her role!

We get to travel to a supernatural place with Himari this volume and boy was it super neat and well drawn!! That was a real highlight of the volume!! I love the play of light and darkness in the art this volume as Himari seeks enlightenment about Aoi's past... And how that duality is also expressed in his sibling's character art!

There is a ton of Nue face time this volume and so his rival arrives on the scene and you know games are afoot when Kasha is around! I love how unpredictable Kasha is, almost a Loki character, and how impassive the Nue is in the face of him. That contrast is so authentic!! Also the play on names is so, so well done... Himari learns that all may not be as it seems with her passed parents, but that takes a back seat the the intrigue with Aoi's family!!

WOW!! We think we know everything that went on when Aoi was lured into Momochi House due to volume 7 but in the plot of this volume we learn there is a ton more heartache we know NOTHING about... I was entranced how the plot wove together and we'd back track only to learn more so we could continue forward again!

The mini cliffhangers at the end of each chapter ratchets up the tension... I think this series works so well because the mangaka doesn't rely on one technique for art or story!! She adapts them to work best with the story at hand to increase our connection to Aoi and Himari and what is happening to them in the story. The volume cliffhanger is rather light compared to the chapter ones but it intrigues you so, so much... that you MUST continue!!

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Authenticity
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Tension
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Plot
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Art

BOTTOM LINE: The journey this manga series takes you on is so, so worth each and every volume!!

______________________
You can find this review and many others on my book blog @ Perspective of a Writer. See my manga and graphic novel reviews in a special feature called Saturday Morning Cartoons...

[Alice4170 🌙]

5/5 ⭐️

[Shae]

Each volume of this series continues to get progressively better in my opinion. We continue to get more and more depth to this story, and I am starting to grow more attached to our beautiful characters. The first couple of volumes kept me invested in it because of the amazing art style. I'm at a point now where I am staying for more of Aoi's story.

[Victoria ✮⋆˙]

I'm so happy we finally learnt about Aoi's past in this volume! The story is just getting so complex and I wanna binge the rest of it so badly!

[Jenna]

Aoi’s backstory continued, poor kid.

[Zeph]

April 2017: 4.5 Stars (Shown as 4)
At last, we learn more about Aoi, and how he came to be at Momochi House. I feel so bad for the little guy 3
I wonder where they'll take the next volume. This arc is interesting so far, and I'm looking forward to finding out Aoi/Nue's fate!

[Ruthsic]

Warnings: child abuse

This book delves further into Aoi's past, before he was directed to go the Momochi house; it tells about his childhood as being able to see and interact with ayakashi and the 'siblings' he had; it also tells about him after his mother's death and his step-mother who was terrified of a child who claimed to see spirits. Himari suspects it is remembering the past that will allow the Nue to transform back into Aoi, but she also feels that maybe it is upto Aoi, despite all her efforts. There is a lot to unpack about the Nue-Aoi thing, to be honest, from the demarcation between the two (if there is one), to what is going through Aoi's mind when it comes to what side he wants to stay on. The Nue's deal with Kasha is something that I wish was more clear - I am confused as to what is going on there, and how the latter can just waltz in into the house, but the Nue can't go out.

[Online Eccentric Librarian]

More reviews (and no fluff) on the blog http://surrealtalvi.wordpress.com/

This was quite a thrilling volume - I could barely turn the pages fast enough as we are given a fascinating glimpse of Aoi's past. Kasha, Nachi, Ise, and the Nue are all prominent as Himari is sent on a quest to discover Aoi's history and help him fill in the holes in his memory. But, of course, it is never that easy.

Story: Aoi has permanently transformed into the Nue thanks to Nachi's interference. Himari is told that the only way to turn him back into Aoi is to help him discover the past that Nachi forcefully unlocked last volume. To do so, she will use her Momochi connections to find a path - one that certain Ayakashi in Aoi's family would prefer she doesn't find. For the longer Aoi stays as the Nue, the less likely Aoi will ever appear again.

As with so many of the past volumes, important pivotal plot information is given through red herrings and maguffins. What starts out as investigating a disturbance turns into a fantastic journey down a rabbit hole of discovery. Shouoto really knows how to tell a story and this Volume 8 was one of the best in the series thus far.

Of course, the incredibly beautiful illustration work continues to enchant. Through her simple style we get such a wealth of emotion and personality: the contrast of Kasha's unpredictability and Nue's implacability, Himari's accepting personality and selflessness against the selfish and hunger driven ayakashi.

I also love that we get tantalizing clues to a bigger picture. Nachi, of course, has a whole interesting tale yet to be told. But apparently so does Himari as she is given hints that there is far more to her story and her parents' story as well. And I always welcome Kasha as a foil for the Nue.

In all, a great volume. This remains one of my favorite manga. Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.

[Kye]

Finally Aoi's back story and it's just as devastating as I imagined it would be. Aoi has been through so much, but the mangaka does an amazing job of keeping Himari strong as she seeks to bring Aoi's past back to him. I am interested to see how this resolved and whether we can get the Aoi we know and love back. This series never disappoints.

[DonutKnow]

This one was so exciting!! So many cliffhangers after each chapter. No wonder Aoi seems so quiet and frail, after all he’s been through 😭

Those bonus chapters though, were gold 😍😍 Who would I choose to give chocolates to on Valentines’, Aoi or Nue? 🤔❤️

[Heather D-G]

This continues the story arc from volume 7 and nothing has really been resolved yet. Aoi is still stuck in his Nue form and Himari is investigating his past in order to try and help him. In doing so, she hunts down his family and has a run in with his little half sister — who turns out to be an Ayakashi!

A couple of cute little bonus stories round out the volume, but you’ll definitely want to have the next one close at hand.

[Khari]

この巻の感想はちょっと恥ずかしいけど。。。私はひまりの気持ちを全然分からない。私ならば鵺さまで十分だと思う。いや、葵もかわいいけど。。。鵺はかっこよくて素敵。ま、葵は鵺より取っつきやすいが鵺はセクシー！何その恰好？！乙女の心を誘惑つもり？葵はなんかストイック、ひまりのことを好きでも守りたいの気持ちはそれより強い。自分の気持ちも自分の望みも犠牲してもいい。鵺はそこまで思うところがない。彼はひまりのこと欲しい。それは十分。両方は素敵だけど、私の個人好みは鵺の方。人生は短いからパーと行こう！

[Illy]

I love this series so much. Ugh. It keeps getting better and better. I need more.

[**Sognatrice di libri**]

Bello come sempre ma troppe poche pagine.

[Rebekah Smith]

Aoi has transformed into the Nue and has finally become an Ayakashi. Kasha is a pain as per usual. Himari has gone on a search for the Nanamori family and finds out they do remember Aoi but it is in a term that Himari doesn't want to hear.
"Aoi is dead."

Aoi blames himself for his younger sister becoming an Ayakashi before she was even born. Akane, his younger sister, lives on as a Second Grade School Student in disguise of a human. Her parents can see her because she was born from her mom which was Human.

Himari is determined that finding Aoi's past will turn him back into his normal self so she sets of on a journey and finds his past, but it wasn't enough to help him transform back to normal.

Aoi can turn back to normal if he will just accept the pain and guilt of his past and Himari is determined to help him do just that. Go Himari!!!

[Jessica]

At last, we learn about Aoi's past. However, I wasn't as ... appalled or excited as I expected myself to be. While his past is sad to a degree, it wasn't anything horrible. Partially I feel like it has to due with his abilities to see the Ayakashi. However, I loved the contrast between Aoi as the Nue and Kasha. Their interactions were on point. There are hints that there's more to Himari's story than what has been revealed in past volumes.

Illustrations in this series are beautifully drawn and really encapsulate the atmosphere of the spiritual realm that's inhabited by the Ayakashi. The style is something I look forward to in every volume.

Another volume that pushes the story forward. 3.5 stars

[Sarah]

This shows another great artist at work. This story is really cute showing a great female protagonist saving her love interest and wanting to give him a normal life that he deserves and that is one of the great things about it. I know there is some bits about the great demon saving her from demons but that is just because it seems she seems to be just a tasty treat for every other demon that wonders that big house, but we see her going above and beyond trying to make it so he can be free to be who he was meant to be......a normal teenage boy. I love this story with its strong female lead pls gimme more of it!!!

[Christina]

Well this volume explored alot more of the leading guys' past with a mix of bringing the demon world and the human world together. It really still keeps me on the edge of my seat and it is really beautiful in the artstyle. I think my only qualm with this story though is that sometimes the flirty/romance type moments that occurred in this particular volume are the same poses over and over and that can really get boring at times. But that's again personal preference but I really enjoy the series overall. In addition, it's really adorable and still appropriate for teens even with some weird demon parts. Because of these points I have to give this a 4 out of 5 stars.

[Emma]

Himari is such a great protagonist! She's brave, smart, goes after what she wants, and she's not afraid to share her feelings. I can't imagine the choice she had to make between learning about Aoi's past and her own. I think it speaks to her character as being incredibly curious that she chose Aoi's. It was so interesting to learn about Aoi's past finally. I'm so curious to find it why his parents can remember him when the deal was he became the Nu and no one remembered him. And what is up with his little sister being an ayakashi (demon ghost type thing)?! So many questions left unanswered!!

[Melissa]

In Volume 8 of The Demon Prince of Momochi House, Himari finds a house that might belong to Aoi's family. But do they still remember him? Himari goes on a quest to learn more about Aoi's past so she can help him get his memories back.

I really enjoyed reading about Himari's quest and learning about Aoi's past. Finally the puzzle pieces are coming together! But there is still a mystery at the end that has me wanting to read the next volume already. And I really wish I knew why Kasha knows Aoi/Nue so well.

[The Book Dragon]

Aoi is trapped as the Nue...not good. It's up to Himari to fix everything...unlikely (but this is shojo so probable). Time for an adventure into Aoi's past and see exactly how the curse of Momochi house made him disappear. We're also treated with another great cliffhanger.

Side note...am I the only one who actually likes Kasha? He's charming and devious and mysterious despite being a straightforward selfish character. I also like the Guardian of the Gate. He's spooky and mystical but goofy and charming. The whole dance of 'give me your name' reminds me of Spirited Away. For a moment, I got worried.

This series has 16 volumes.

[J]

As much as I feel we’ve fully plunged the depths of Aoi’s history, I still appreciate the way Aya Shouoto calls back these little references to other aspects of the story. We get a response to why Hayato felt Aoi withdraw from him. I wonder if Himari will get a chance to reveal that to her classmate. I don’t get why the Nue would have anything to do with Kasha at this point, but maybe that will eventually be made clear.

[Thursday,nightmare]

ก็อปปี้วางอีก 3 เล่ม เพราะเนื้อเรื่องต่อกันค่ะ

เนื้อเรื่องเริ่มเข้มข้นขึ้นแล้ว มีเฉลยชีวิตในอดีตของทั้งอาโออิและฮิมาริ ทั้งคู่มีความเชื่อมโยงกันแบบงงๆ เป็นเหมือนโชคชะตาที่ถูกจัดฉากขึ้น เนื้อเรื่องถูกชี้นำไปทางอาโออิเป็นหลักเลย นางเอกเหมือนเป็นตัวประกอบและความรักระหว่างทั้งสองก็งอกงามขึ้นในเล่ม 9 -10 นี้ แต่ก็ไม่ได้ทำให้อินขึ้นเลย อาจารย์โชโอะโตะเหมือนถนัดวาดผู้ชายมากกว่าและยังชูความงดงามของตัวละครชายได้ดีกว่าแบบจงใจ เราเองก็ไม่อาจหลุดโฟกัสจากหนุ่มๆ บ้านโมโมจิได้เลย ขนาดปีศาจจิ้งจอกเด็กยังน่ารักกว่านางเอก 😓

[Kate]

Finally! Chapters that give some actual insight into the characters in the story. This is the best volume to date in this series, and might be worthy of 4 stars if the story continues in this stronger direction. I'm actually excited to read the next volume in the series. The Nue still bugs though. Ick.

[Jennifer]

I find this series interesting and pretty, but I am annoyed by the “inexplicable” events that keep happening. Theoretically Momochi house is under control of Himari (to some extent) and the Nue, but exceptions keep showing up. It’s one thing if they could at least detect when the house is breached, but instead it’s a mystery every time, and the bad guys have no trouble coming and going.

[Kaitlynne]

Did a massive re-read/catch up with this entire series. Beautiful artwork and the story was just as good as I remember it (and it kept me up until 2 in the morning so that's always a good thing...)

You can check out the rest of my review plus others! over at Randomly Kait

[-moonprismpower-]

Aoi’s past is just heartbreaking.... and then for him to be trapped in Momochi house for all this time..... how is this boy so strong? How does he even smile??

Himari picking to find out Aoi’s past over her own? She must truly love him.

[Serena]

More like a 3.75 out of 5 stars honestly. I really do appreciate that Himari is so dedicated to helping Aoi in this one. That being said though, she seems almost too trusting in the spiritual realm in my opinion. But learning Aoi's backstory was so sad to me. It made me feel really bad for him.

[Rachel]

We get to see more about Aoi's background and his family!! Clearly Himari cares deeply about Aoi (not just a surface love) and she wants what is best for him (learns about him at the expense of her). We're finally getting into things and the mystery is starting to clear a bit more!