Kakuriyo: Bed & Breakfast for Spirits, Vol. 1

Kakuriyo: Bed & Breakfast for Spirits #1

by Waco Ioka (Illustrator/Adaptor), Midori Yuma

Faced with the choice of being married to a strange spirit or being made into dinner, Aoi decides to create a third option for herself!

Aoi Tsubaki inherited her grandfather’s ability to see spirits—and his massive debt to them! Now she’s been kidnapped and taken to Kakuriyo, the spirit world, to make good on his bill. Her options: marry the head of the inn her grandfather trashed, or get eaten by ayakashi. But Aoi isn’t the type to let spirits push her around, and she’s determined to redeem her grandfather’s IOU on her own terms!

Aoi wants to work off her debt to the Tenjin-ya inn, but she only has one day to find a position and none of the managers are willing to hire a human! If she can just get someone to see past her family background, Aoi is certain she can prove her worth!

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

200 pages, Paperback

First published November 15, 2016

Reviews

[Dani ❤️ Perspective of a Writer · Rating 5 out of 5]

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


Aoi Tsubaki inherited her grandfather’s ability to see spirits—and his massive debt to them! Now she’s been kidnapped and taken to Kakuriyo, the spirit world, to make good on his bill. Her options: marry the head of the inn her grandfather trashed, or get eaten by ayakashi. But Aoi isn’t the type to let spirits push her around, and she’s determined to redeem her grandfather’s IOU on her own terms! If she can just get someone to see past her family background, Aoi is certain she can prove her worth...

There's nothing special to the art of Kakuriyo: Bed & Breakfast for Spirits vol 1 but that doesn't mean that what it does show isn't done really, really well! I really enjoyed the way the different ayakashi were portrayed. I've read manga with ayakashi before but never with the numbers to be found in this manga and I was quite, quite excited by all the ones I met... I also loved the look of Kakuriyo the place. The distilling the Aoi's background was done quickly and throughout the volume as events came together, the art played a factor in that each frame was maximized in these explanations.

Aoi can see spirits or ayakashi, and feeds them when she can. When she feels one ayakashi she doesn't realize he came for her. The idea of Aoi having to take on her father's debt is not a part of American culture, but it is very true in Asian culture. Most Asians are responsible for the debt that their parents rack up and this is the situation that Aoi is in. I like that she uses the talent she has, for cooking, to do something about it. This is soooo female empowering. Since most shoujo mangaka are women I feel like many are a step ahead of American writers in incorporating strong ideas about the power women have in their stories.

I LOVE the idea of the premise but was really excited at how the plot developed through Kakuriyo: Bed & Breakfast for Spirits vol 1. With ayakashi they like making deals, because the one they are dealing with feel like they have some power in the outcome when in reality the deal is in the ayakashi's favor. The same is true with Aoi but she works at fighting to win anyway. We really get a sense in this volume of her character and that she won't just accept the situation just because she's told that is the way it is. I can really get behind a character like Aoi! The action part of the plot is just starting but this is a great foundation to head into the next volume with...

My tension in this first volume stemmed from meeting the different ayakashi. If I didn't like and enjoy Aoi's interactions with the spirits then me liking Aoi wouldn't really matter much. So I was really happy at how mysterious Ōdanna is and what his motives may be... he could have had his way immediately so you know there is more to this then there appears. And I was so glad the mangaka gave us Ginji!! He totally won me over at how he treated Aoi and I know he will be a great ally for her. The rest of the staff are all Aoi enemies at this point so we will have to see how those relationships form, I'm just happy I've liking the way the ayakashi have been portrayed.

Kakuriyo: Bed & Breakfast for Spirits vol 1 shows how this is a series with great promise!! I love the food angle and how that is Aoi's talent. When characters make you root for them so early in a series you know you are in for a great story of perseverance and it certainly is a bonus that I'm loving the ayakashi too...

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

Thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review. It has not influenced my opinions.

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[SHOMPA · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this way more than I thought I was going to!

[Bookishrealm · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great intro to a new manga series for me! I've been looking for more foodie manga to check out since reading and loving Food Wars. Unlike Food Wars, Kakuriyo contains some fantastical elements which I loved. So, this story focuses on a character by the name of Aoi whose grandfather made some really poor decisions in terms of his relationship with the ayakashi. As a result, he agrees to bargain off whichever of his granddaughters exhibit the best gifts. Unfortunately that happens to be Aoi. She is then sent to the world of the ayakashi where she is either forced to get a job/find housing and somehow manage not to get devoured or marry the demon king. There are so many interesting characters! While I thought that the pacing was a little off when it came to the plot, I'm really intrigued in how Aoi is going to manage to continue to live among the ayakashi and use her talent in cooking to survive. This has potential to be a really fun series and I can't wait to continue on to the next volume.

[Yesy (The Book Vagrant) · Rating 5 out of 5]

solid start

I'm in!

[Autum · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was cute and I love the art. I’m excited to see where the plot goes in this one. I’m not a big fan of the love interest, but I loooove the fox!

[Laura A. Grace · Rating 5 out of 5]

VIDEO REVIEW HERE: https://youtu.be/mjnZoWzcGwg

Okay, this first volume REALLY surprised me with how much I DEEPLY enjoyed it!

I will quickly admit that I don't know much about yokai or Japanese folklore nor do I usually read series focused around it, so I really worried if I would enjoy this when it won a shoujo event I was hosting. (I'm reading the three top most-voted series and this came in second place!)

However, my worries quickly fled after meeting Aoi and seeing her determination and how strong she is! More than that though, I loved seeing how caring she is towards the ayakashi in light of her own struggles and trauma. I honestly was surprised by how much depth there was to her character right from the start and how all her actions made sense. I also didn't expect her to be in college and I think it added another intriguing layer to her character because how this first volume started was nothing like I expected. LOL!

She is wonderful and really loved reading more about her as the story went on, even though my heart hurt for her as she questioned everything about her Grandpa. BUT! Despite everything she learns, she STILL loves him and misses him. I wish I could wrap her in hugs!

Ginji is easily my favorite character and loved ALL their forms! Even more, their kindness towards Aoi really warmed my heart! They are so caring, and kind, and have such a beautiful smile that they feel the most heartfelt and genuine in their actions and conversations involving Aoi. It honestly made me really happy considering everyone but Ōdanna is so rude and mean to her!

Speaking of him, I liked him I think! (Or maybe I should use a question mark LOL) There were times I felt relaxed because he seemed so friendly (yeah, I would have been devoured because I let my guard down early LOL), but there were certain panels that showed him in such an eerie way that it gave me goosebumps! SUCH well-done art as it really showed "the other side" of him that doesn't seem nearly as easy-going. Though I'm trying to figure out how nice he actually is because he felt like the most second genuine person, he is so standoffish to Aoi at the end that I don't know how he feels. I'm wondering if maybe some of that is on purpose to protect her?

I suppose that is TBD, but I LOVED this first volume! I felt very much swept away, but in a way that isn't necessarily magical as it really feels mysterious with a touch (a lot?) of danger! Not only that, I just love how down-to-earth Aoi is and how she has such a good head on her shoulders. I am most impressed by her and her character because she is nothing like I thought she would be and I'm already fighting the urge to go find merch of her! LOL!

EAGERLY looking forward to reading volume two!!

[Victoria ✮⋆˙ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really cute and interesting manga, I loveeeeee the premise. It's pretty unique from stuff I've read before that involve a human seeing yokai and spirits, it's refreshing!

[Brittany · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars
This was a cute start to the manga and I love how there are end notes at the end of the volume explaining and adding detail to some things.
Aoi inherited the ability to see spirits from her grandfather as well as his debt. She learns he might not have been the man she thought he was but cannot bring herself to hate him. She has been brought to the Inn to be a bride to pay the debt but Aoi wants none of that and declares she will find a way to pay it off instead.
There are many types of Ayakashi portrayed in this volume and I cant wait to learn more about all of them. I do think the fox, Ginji, is rather adorable and I want his story.
This was fun and I will absolutely continue on with the next volume.

[Violet ♡]

Food. Yokai. Inn. Arranged marriage. That's Kakuriyo, Volume 1 for you! 



The story follows: Aoi, a young woman who can see yokai and doesn't want anyone around her to be hungry, got kidnapped by the handsome Ōdanna and was told that she needed to get married to him as payment for her grandfather's debt. Of course, she doesn't want that, so she made her own way.😌

This is a light paranormal fantasy read with a hint of romance in the following volumes, I think. The art style is okay. I might continue the series in the future. And yes, it already has an anime adaptation. ✨

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this one. Not sure why she’s so anti marrying the powerful spirit lord and willing to anger him and possibly be eaten by him or other spirits, but I’m sure she has her reasons? 4 solid stars.

[Kayla Brunson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love the idea of Ayakashi owing an inn in the demon world. I can’t wait to read more about Aoi and see how her paying off her debt plays out(If it happens lol). We have some interesting characters here and I'm off to pick up with next volume.

[ambyreads✿ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute, I’m interested to read more!

[Jinghay (these.blank.pages) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tell me a manga includes cooking/baking and I'll GOBBLE that stuff up right then and there, like pass it here ✨ Opening a cafe or restruant has to be one of *the* most wholesome tropes, and I'll honestly never get tired of it

I actually had the pleasure of discovering the anime for this series a while back and it instantly became a comfort show! The vibes in the manga are a little different from how I remember it being in the anime, however it's definitely still enjoyable and comforting in its own way. The characters seem to have a lot more personality (?) and Aoi herself seems to be a lot more headstrong and tsundere than she is in the show - which I actually enjoy a lot!

The overall vibes though just takes me back to my teen years of reading 'Kamisama Hajimemashita' so I'd highly recommend this series if you also enjoyed that :))

Rating: 4/5

[Jenna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the shine, so I decided to start reading the manga. So far, the anime was a pretty close adaptation.

[Made by Caroline · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75⭐️

[Dana · Rating 5 out of 5]

This review will be for the whole series; read at your own risk.

Read 7 volumes

Um I love it. I love that Aoi is so stubborn and yet willing to work off the debt instead of taking the easy way out. I like the odanna and I’m interested to see their relationship develop. I like Ginji and I bet he was the ayakashi that fed her as a kid.

I’m so excited to get into this series! It reminds me so much of Kamisama Kiss but for a slightly older audience. Love it so far!

Edit 7/5/21: obsessed with this manga! The food makes me so hungry! And I’m nervous about the potential love triangle; I’m rooting for the Odanna and Aoi!

[Shae · Rating 4 out of 5]

A solid and fun start to a new manga series! This is like a mash up of The Water Dragon's Bride and Kamisama Kiss! It makes my heart happy!

[Azbaqiyah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Plot - 4 ⭐️
Character - 4 ⭐️
Writing Style - 4 ⭐️
World Building - 4 ⭐️
Art - 4 ⭐️
Cover - 4 ⭐️

Overall - 4 ⭐️

[Hadia · Rating 3 out of 5]

*3.5 ⭐

[Kelli · Rating 3 out of 5]

When the story’s a yokai inn/found family joint, I’m willing to forgive a lot.

(I’m sure that speaks to no deep-seated issues I should address or work on.)

Aside from “tough character + cute fixation” and magical girl stories, manga is so FOR telling stories about groups of yokai becoming a character’s found family.

That said, I have a few reservations about this story.

There’s a lot of “telling” versus “showing” up front. To the point that I feel the first chapter of this first volume could’ve been a list of bullet points and nothing else and you’d get the same effect.

Also, the relationship dynamic between our main pair gives me some pause.

I don’t know if it’s necessarily bad—but it’s certainly problematic? I know you need a “problem” for your central story to revolve around—or else you don’t have a story. But, I’m concerned that any resolution to this problem may result in some still troubling gender dynamics???

My bad feelings may be wrong—but, when one character is an ancient being and the other is a teenage girl, things don’t usually settle in an a-okay way. (Kamisama Kiss, aside, of course.)

So, we’ll see how this goes.

I do want to give this series a couple more volumes before I make any calls~

[Mary Catelli · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first volume of a manga series.

After the death of the wayward grandfather who raised her, Aoi is going to college -- and feeding the ayakashi she meets along the way, even though her ability to see them has led to people to think she's crazy.

She meets an unusual one, as large as a man, and gives him food as well. And thus is dragged off to an inn, where the unusual one proves to be an ogre (oni, I presume) and wants to marry her -- which her grandfather had promised to pay off a debt. She'd rather work it off.

It involves not being pretty enough to be a waitress, a fox with nine forms, a tea house that can't stay open, those jealous that the ogre wants to marry her, cooking, and more.

[Adriana · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great start to a new series! The Ayakashi are all very interesting and so is the world of Kakuriyo. The Odanna that brought her to the other world is acting all mysterious. I think he is trying to protect Aoi. I wonder how Ginji will play into this because he says he's known her since she was little. Maybe he was helping her and maybe he'll end up being a love interest too. He might just be really loyal to Odanna and be Aoi's best friend. I'm sure the other characters will warm to her. I am really curious why her grandfather is so powerful and if she will present any powers. Also, love that this is going to have lots of nice food descriptions!

[Lexie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Talking about food and spirits and ogres huh?

Sounds like my kind of shoujo!

Aoi is young (19? Maybe 20?) but level headed and since this is a supernatural shoujo of course there's a lot more to it then "my deceased grandpa was a deadbeat and bartered me off to pay his debt". Already Ginji, the nine tail fox, and Ōdanna, the ogre to marry Aoi are acting suspect.

[amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great start to a series, and I love the food descriptions included in it! I also like that there is a glossary at the end with definitions of the terms used for different ayakashi, foods, and other aspects of the story that may be unfamiliar to readers who don't know much about Japanese mythology or culture. Looking forward to the rest of the series!
4.5

[BeckyisBookish · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid start for a first volume. Nothing amazing but I do love a stolen bride story with rh vibes. Why is everyone opposed to being whisked away by a handsome demon to be his bride? Like wtf else did you have going on on a Thursday evening. Ungrateful is what it is.

4 no sense of adventure out of 5 fine make it harder for yourself

[Jaimie · Rating 4 out of 5]

So cute 💕

[Snail · Rating 4 out of 5]

This writer has a kind of bizarre sense of pacing, but I enjoyed this a lot more than I had expected to! I like how the grandpa’s character polarizes others.

[Lissa Hawley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just as delightful as the anime.

[Jemailyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.75☆

Interesting. I've watched the anime version of this and I liked it. I never knew Aoi's granpa, Shiro, was a womanizer who fathered many children. I thought he was only gallivanting between the apparent and the hidden realms. Ha! That's the advantage of manga for you, it's more detailed.

[kyky · Rating 5 out of 5]

Omg why was this so good. I am so invested. I am going to devour (haha get it) the rest of this series asap. 11/10 having a blast