Betrothed to a Fox Demon Volume 1 Review

There’s nothing like a good supernatural romance series, something we’re not seeing as much of lately with the fantasy/isekai trend in the genre instead. Well, Square Enix is here to solve that with one of their latest debuts: Betrothed to a Fox Demon. But does this first volume impress? Let’s take a closer look!

The story follows demon-slaying exorcist Kuro Kyogane, whose clan has been keeping Japan safe from demons for a thousand years. However, Kuro is the current clan head and has no interest in getting married, which is causing no end of strife with the Kyogane clan guardian, Saji. No matter how many eligible women Kuro meets, they’re put off by his prickly attitude and desire to live his life slaying demons and nothing else. And having lost his parents to them, it’s no surprise he’s so hellbent on his revenge, but there’s more to life than just that…

In the end, Saji has no choice but to force a bride upon Kuro. He’s introduced to Fuyu, a woman he saved several years ago when demons attacked her village. Understandably, he doesn’t remember her at all, but Fuyu, who lost everything but her life that day, wishes to repay him. And slowly, thanks to her unwavering determination and optimistic personality, the two bond over their history and fall in love.

Unfortunately, Kyogane brides for the last thousand years have always been sacrificed to Kyubi (otherwise known as the nine-tailed fox), and on the day of their wedding, Fuyu is prepared to follow in their footsteps. Kuro, of course, had no idea, and when he finds out about this, he sets out to slay the Kyubi once and for all. And although he thinks he succeeds, the Kyubi instead possesses Fuyu! And while this doesn’t appear to have had any ill effects on her other than giving her fox ears and a tail, the two absolutely can’t live out a blissful married life like this. So, they set out on a journey to figure out a way of lifting the curse.

At first I thought this story was going to be relatively slow to resolve anything with the romance, but in fact most of what I’ve talked about so far happens in the first two chapters (of which there are five in this volume). Instead, it seems the long-running narrative is going to revolve around solving the Kyubi problem while avoiding the attention of the Exorcism Agency, who are not going to want to leave Fuyu alive for long should they find out she’s possessed by a demon. Least not, the Kyubi of all things.

And really, it’s refreshing that the romance is the aspect that mangaka Anju Hino eagerly moves along with. There’s no awkwardness between Fuyu and Kuro; they’ve made peace with their relationship, and they’re not afraid to ask difficult questions if the need arises. Instead, the focus can be on what lies ahead and fending off any other demons that Kuro happens to come across.

This isn’t Hino’s first work to reach the English market (The Unexpected Marriage is on MANGA UP!), but it is the first title to be released in print here. I like how the art manages to capture the warm atmosphere between Kuro and Fuyu, but Hino also excels at drawing the many action scenes. And as this is a supernatural series primarily, the demons are all absolutely terrifying. Just by looking at them, you get the perfect sense of how powerful and dangerous they truly are and by contrast, how powerful Kuro is to be able to defeat them single-handedly.

Hino has done well to create a series that draws you in and proves engaging throughout. It could have been dark and relatively grim (particularly given the setup and the duo’s backstories), but instead the story is relatively balanced with humorous or more carefree moments that offer some respite from the rest. I certainly find myself looking forward to seeing what awaits these two as they continue their journey.

As mentioned, Betrothed to a Fox Demon Volume 1 comes to the West thanks to Square Enix Books and has been translated by Ko Ransom with lettering by Ayoub Bensidi. The translation reads well, as you would expect with Ransom on the job, and there’s a good variety in the lettering as well. The release comes with several colour pages at the beginning and some translation notes at the end.

The series is ongoing in Japan, with four volumes currently available. Here in English, Volume 2 is scheduled for a release in early September with #3 following in December, so we’re in for a bit of a wait now. However, this is also available on MANGA UP!, so if you can’t wait for more compiled volumes, that is an option.

Overall, Betrothed to a Fox Demon is a supernatural series with a surprising amount of depth to it already. Anju Hino has risen to the challenge of telling a story that’s not just about demon slaying but also a pure love story between two people who really needed one another.

A free preview can be read on the publisher’s website.
Our review copy from Square Enix Books was supplied by Turnaround Comics (Turnaround Publisher Services).

©Anju Hino / SQUARE ENIX CO., LTD.