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クプルムの花嫁 [Cuprum no Hanayome] #1
The Coppersmith's Bride: Volume 1
Shiina, a freshman in college, is enjoying a cozy life in Niigata Prefecture dating her coppersmith boyfriend, Shuu. She’s grown used to the rhythmic sound of his hammer, inwardly dubbing him the “smithing nut” for his obsession with hunkering down in the workshop, even on his days off. What she’s not ready for is a sudden proposal out of nowhere! Barely out of high school, is she ready for the next step? And more importantly, can she really hack marrying into a prestigious smithing family?
Kindle Edition
Published January 5, 2023
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
January 5, 2023
This was interesting to read!
I had read the first chapter on Book Walker and absolutely LOVED it! So much so, I preordered it shortly after reading! I was very excited for this romance because it seemed childhood friends-to-lovers and absolutely loved both the main characters!
However, the more I read once the volume released, I was surprised to find that this is more of a "love letter" of sorts (if that's the right word) about the city that the main characters live in. While I was a little disappointed that there wasn't as a huge focus on the romance like I was hoping for, I did think it extremely interesting to learn more about Japanese coppersmithing and the city they lived in. The Niigata prefecture sounds like such an interesting place to visit! It was also the first time I've ever seen a manga take place there, so it lowkey felt I was a tourist traveling when reading (especially later on when Shiina and Shuu were on a date), which was pretty cool!
Overall, this first volume was different then expected though not in a bad way. It was more "educational" then the fun love story I was expecting, so if you enjoy learning about new places and new things with an overarching love story (that is sort of on the back burner), I would recommend checking this out!
I had read the first chapter on Book Walker and absolutely LOVED it! So much so, I preordered it shortly after reading! I was very excited for this romance because it seemed childhood friends-to-lovers and absolutely loved both the main characters!
However, the more I read once the volume released, I was surprised to find that this is more of a "love letter" of sorts (if that's the right word) about the city that the main characters live in. While I was a little disappointed that there wasn't as a huge focus on the romance like I was hoping for, I did think it extremely interesting to learn more about Japanese coppersmithing and the city they lived in. The Niigata prefecture sounds like such an interesting place to visit! It was also the first time I've ever seen a manga take place there, so it lowkey felt I was a tourist traveling when reading (especially later on when Shiina and Shuu were on a date), which was pretty cool!
Overall, this first volume was different then expected though not in a bad way. It was more "educational" then the fun love story I was expecting, so if you enjoy learning about new places and new things with an overarching love story (that is sort of on the back burner), I would recommend checking this out!
April 18, 2023
Shuu loves coppersmithing. And probably his childhood friend Shiina. A little proposal goes a long way to sealing the deal on that front and we also learn the ins and outs of the smithing business, plus how much the mangaka loves this region of Japan.
I’ll give this manga this much - it loves, loves, loves the idea of coppersmithing and is ready to show off just how much skill is involved in the craft. And how great Tsubame-Sanjou, the city the story takes place in, actually is.
And that love is pretty infectious. This fascination is presented and on display in a way that feels a lot cozier than, say, the art info dumps of Blue Period, which tend to be a bit stodgy. This just wants you to know how amazing these tradespeople are and it’s quite good about conveying its sentiments, both through the words and the art (the art is good, but it is positively lavish when showing the products made).
As for the story itself, this is definitely a tradecraft first, romance second sort of deal. It’s not that the romance is bad - I greatly appreciate them dispensing with the courtship and dealing with the idea of Shiina marrying into the family instead - but it isn’t great either.
For everything I just said, there’s a sweetness to the pairing of Shuu and Shiina, but not necessarily a lot of chemistry (some, to be fair, they clearly care for one another). Shuu is the quiet and strong type, but he doesn’t quite make the leap to interesting. His understated way is okay and he’s appropriately fixated on his craft… it just lacks a little.
I mean, the story apparently knows it, which is why Shiina is there to be gyaru as all get out and dote on Shuu and just generally be up to something. But she’s not quite right either. I’m a sucker for a good gyaru character, yet Shiina’s just okay.
Part of the problem is that she’s 18, yet looks younger, which is just one of those manga things that’s annoying. She supports Shuu, but we learn depressingly little about her own life and aspirations. She’s in college, but I don’t think they ever say for what and she has friends who show up for literally two or three pages and then vanish.
It’s one of those stories that I feel picky about for no good reason, but just feel like it could be stronger in some nebulous way. Probably because the concept and characters are enough that I wish it was stronger to support my enthusiasm for what it’s trying to do
And it can be acting a little awkwardly at cross purposes at times. While it’s great that the family lets Shiina be herself, there’s one section that feels egregiously fanservice-y and I can’t imagine anybody around her buying into it (the fact that during this segment she’s lecturing potential customers about the quality of smithing while wearing short shorts and a crop top does not help).
[If there are traditional coppersmithing families in the Tsubame-Sanjou that do have such gyaru in short shorts and crop tops helping sell their wares to straight-laced older clients I apologize for my accidental prudishness.]
I guess the romance angle is helping prop up the straightforward presentation of copper crafting and vice-versa, so in that respect you can forgive parts of the book for being a little iffy since it isn’t relying on just the one thing and instead meant to be taken as a whole.
And I do forgive it. There’s a charm to the whole enterprise that isn’t necessarily reflected in the characters themselves, or the craftsmanship, or even my own review. Our leads are fine and all, but some of the omake outshine the main event simply from all the gushing going on and how the information comes across.
3 stars - it could be more, but it could be a lot less too. Two parts don’t necessarily make the most perfect whole, but this story is a fun jaunt that does make more out of those parts than you’d think. I’ll definitely read more of the series, just don’t come into it looking for the next great manga romance.
I’ll give this manga this much - it loves, loves, loves the idea of coppersmithing and is ready to show off just how much skill is involved in the craft. And how great Tsubame-Sanjou, the city the story takes place in, actually is.
And that love is pretty infectious. This fascination is presented and on display in a way that feels a lot cozier than, say, the art info dumps of Blue Period, which tend to be a bit stodgy. This just wants you to know how amazing these tradespeople are and it’s quite good about conveying its sentiments, both through the words and the art (the art is good, but it is positively lavish when showing the products made).
As for the story itself, this is definitely a tradecraft first, romance second sort of deal. It’s not that the romance is bad - I greatly appreciate them dispensing with the courtship and dealing with the idea of Shiina marrying into the family instead - but it isn’t great either.
For everything I just said, there’s a sweetness to the pairing of Shuu and Shiina, but not necessarily a lot of chemistry (some, to be fair, they clearly care for one another). Shuu is the quiet and strong type, but he doesn’t quite make the leap to interesting. His understated way is okay and he’s appropriately fixated on his craft… it just lacks a little.
I mean, the story apparently knows it, which is why Shiina is there to be gyaru as all get out and dote on Shuu and just generally be up to something. But she’s not quite right either. I’m a sucker for a good gyaru character, yet Shiina’s just okay.
Part of the problem is that she’s 18, yet looks younger, which is just one of those manga things that’s annoying. She supports Shuu, but we learn depressingly little about her own life and aspirations. She’s in college, but I don’t think they ever say for what and she has friends who show up for literally two or three pages and then vanish.
It’s one of those stories that I feel picky about for no good reason, but just feel like it could be stronger in some nebulous way. Probably because the concept and characters are enough that I wish it was stronger to support my enthusiasm for what it’s trying to do
And it can be acting a little awkwardly at cross purposes at times. While it’s great that the family lets Shiina be herself, there’s one section that feels egregiously fanservice-y and I can’t imagine anybody around her buying into it (the fact that during this segment she’s lecturing potential customers about the quality of smithing while wearing short shorts and a crop top does not help).
[If there are traditional coppersmithing families in the Tsubame-Sanjou that do have such gyaru in short shorts and crop tops helping sell their wares to straight-laced older clients I apologize for my accidental prudishness.]
I guess the romance angle is helping prop up the straightforward presentation of copper crafting and vice-versa, so in that respect you can forgive parts of the book for being a little iffy since it isn’t relying on just the one thing and instead meant to be taken as a whole.
And I do forgive it. There’s a charm to the whole enterprise that isn’t necessarily reflected in the characters themselves, or the craftsmanship, or even my own review. Our leads are fine and all, but some of the omake outshine the main event simply from all the gushing going on and how the information comes across.
3 stars - it could be more, but it could be a lot less too. Two parts don’t necessarily make the most perfect whole, but this story is a fun jaunt that does make more out of those parts than you’d think. I’ll definitely read more of the series, just don’t come into it looking for the next great manga romance.
September 2, 2025
I finally got back around to this series. I think it's a real hidden gem that would probably be more popular if it had physical releases. It's mostly a story about two people starting their lives together with an extremely interesting artisan backdrop. Highly recommended.
March 25, 2023
August 11, 2023
Extremely cute. A fun read. I enjoyed things young romance very much.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews