水神の生贄 1 [Suijin no Hanayome 1]

水神の生贄 [Suijin no Hanayome] #1

by Rei Tōma, 藤間麗

平和な日常から一転、突然異世界へと引き込まれてしまった有紗陽。
ムラの豪族の息子、翠葉流に助けられるが翠葉流の母によって水神への生贄として湖へと沈められてしまう…。
無慈悲な水神の妻となることを約束させられた有紗陽は…！？

「こんな幼子とは愚かな」

「いいだろう妻にしてやる」

少女の数奇な運命がいま動き出す――。

Genres: Manga, Fantasy, Romance, Graphic Novels, Young Adult, Shojo, Comics

182 pages, Paperback

First published November 26, 2015

About the author

Rei Tōma (Japanese: 藤間 麗,Tōma Rei) has been drawing since childhood, but she only began drawing manga because of her graduation project in design school. When she drew a short-story manga, "Help me dentist" (ヘルプ me デンティスト), it attracted a publisher's attention and she made her debut right away. Her magnificent art style became popular, and after she debuted as a manga artist, she became known as an illustrator for novels and video game character designs.

Dawn of the Arcana is her first long-running manga series, and it has been a hit in Japan, selling over a million copies.

Reviews

[Lois Bujold · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very nice, clean art. I've read the first four volumes.

A young girl from our era falls into a pond and emerges in ancient Japan (like, even pre-Heian.) The local villagers decide to sacrifice her to the water dragon god who lives in their nearby lake. The god, who is immortal, bored, bishonen, and possibly on the Asperger's spectrum, rescues her on a whim, and hijinks ensue. About volume 3 the narrative fast-forwards her to high-school age, so she can have wider kinds of adventures and more serious romance. A sort of thoughtful Japanese version of Outlander, I suppose.

It is unclear at this point if the story is going to go toward the romance model of Beauty and the Beast, The Tale of Genji, or some other direction altogether. The ancient setting is quite interesting and engagingly drawn.

Ta, L.

[Mir · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is awfully similar to a number of other manga plotlines. Also, at first the heroine Asahi seemed awfully childish and I was afraid it was going to be one of those creepy romance mange where the girl is supposed to be a teen but looks and acts about seven. But it turned out Asahi actually is a child, and a sheltered one who doesn't understand what is going on. And I find Subaru's character and his rejection of the practices of his village interesting, so I will read at least one more volume.

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

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

Asahi is a little girl happily living with her parents in modern times. One day she approaches a pond and is pulled in, waking up in feudal Japan. A boy her age comes to her aid, offering to take this frightened girl to his village. She's not treated well and is rescued on the whim of the water god.

I've read Rei Tōma's other series, Dawn of the Arcana, and really enjoyed it! The thing both series share is TO DIE FOR ART!! Art is my #1 draw to a manga. If I enjoy the art then I'm ready to settle down and get into a manga story. I actually think Tōma's art has gotten EVEN BETTER! I LOVE the simple backgrounds, light use of screens and even better I ADORE the way she frames scenes. You feel the palpable emotions and understand what is happening! In other words the art doesn't disappoint and it totally sucked me into all 3 characters' lives.

So you know why I picked this cute little series up... but did the world pay off?! Was I excited by the characters?! Was I invested in events?!

YES, YES, YES! To be honest this is not a new idea... characters coming from the modern world to the past and being stuck there (frankly I LOVE this trope) mixed with a water god who is fascinated by humans for the first time in forever. I've seen it and yet Tōma with her fresh art and BRUTAL take on feudal Japan makes quite a compelling story. It's not perfect, but I was swept up in the drama of this little girl's life and how her coming totally changed the trajectory of the water god and Subaru.

Part of what I LOVED was Asahi and Subaru! GAH! They are so cute and naive... You had to kind of suspect what was coming because duh water dragon bride title, but I love how it came to be... also our young couple HAVE CHARACTER ARCS... so I’m super excited!! Tōma frames them out well and in a natural way that is unexpected for a manga.

And the water dragon is SUPER intriguing... He is not a warm and fluffy god who has been misunderstood. No he's dark and has had TONS of time to plumb deeply. We only get little glimpses of what he's willing to put Asahi through to start coming up from that deep dark place he's been residing in. He's so mean at first... it’s so cool! He doesn’t care about humans and that made me want to keep reading... Right now he's cold as ice and there is no hurry to see him soften, I like that and look forward to his slow change...

We meet the other gods who don’t like the water dragon... and I do appreciate the role they play in developing Asahi and Subaru's relationship!! We see they are kinder than the water god but no less capricious. We also meet Subaru's mother who is basically the villain of the manga. These guys aren't really developed much. They have potential and Subaru's mother certainly goes BOLD on how to handle Asahi and Subaru's crush but they are pretty shallow at this point. I do think his mother is a great character to effect change in Subaru to keep him growing as Asahi adjusts to living in his world...

The plot was all character driven and the tension came from the fact you didn't really know what the water dragon would do... Asahi and Subaru are basically little kids at this point! I personally LOVE character driven plot so I loved it... I am looking for some outside pressures once the kids grow up more... Rei Tōma has done it again... created a world that is familiar but one in which I'm intriguing and want to visit again!

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Art
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Leads
⋆⭐⭐⭐⭐ Others
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Plot
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Tension
⋆⭐⭐⭐⭐ Development


BOTTOM LINE: GAH SO GOOD, NEXT ONE, NEED NEXT ONE...

This is a multi-volume series and there may be references to the plot of those volumes... SO READ WITH CARE! Here is my review of 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9

______________________
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...

[Bookishrealm · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a solid start to the series! I’m really interested in seeing how it all plays out especially because I feel like there might be a slight love triangle. After reading this, I also feel like this is the type of series where readers see a lot of character development. I think both the dragon god and our main character have a lot of growing up to do and I’m wondering if that is going to help them develop some sort of chemistry. I enjoyed the artwork and I’m excited to be starting a new fantasy manga series.

[Alexa (Alexa Loves Books) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’ll admit to being 50/50 on this one when I cracked it open to read, but I actually wound up pleasantly surprised? Still not 100% invested, but curious enough to potentially continue on.

[Violet ♡]

This is my third Rei Tōma read. And, sadly, I did not enjoy this one. 😟



The main character got into a foreign land only to encounter harshness and childish adults. It's heartbreaking to read. She's only a young girl!

Consider her parents' reactions and feelings as their young child vanished into thin air. 😬

[Online Eccentric Librarian · Rating 3 out of 5]

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

Those who like Rei Toma's other series, Dawn of the Arcana, will find many of the same themes here. Oppression, adults preying on children, helplessness, moments of kindness, ambivalence, pain, and callous torment/despair. Indeed, the overall theme here in this dark fantasy is even more oppressive than Dawn of the Arcana, which is saying quite a bit. But at the same time, so many conventions were ejected by author Toma to create a wholly unique story without the platitudes one would typically see in the shoujo genre.

Story: Little girl Asahi is happily living with her family in the modern world - until the day she approaches a pond and is taken from the present to one resembling a feudal era Japan. Confused, scared, alone, she is found by a boy her age - Subaru. He brings her home to his village to protect her. But his mother sees an opportunity to use her as a sacrifice to the water dragon and ensure prosperity for the village. Saved by the water dragon god as a source of possible entertainment, Asahi is confusing to the god and he is unsure how to even keep her alive. Now a pawn of the gods of the realm, Asahi seeks to return to the village and eventually to her own home in modern Japan. But the villagers don't take kindly to a sacrifice returning - and Subaru may not be able to save her from the villagers cruelty once again.

The recurring theme here is that humans are greedy and the gods are capricious. This is no heartwarming story of a god who falls in love with a mortal; Asahi is nearly starved to death and emotionally tormented by the gods who are unsure what to do with the mortal in their midst. Petty jealousies and rivalries among the gods makes this feel more like a Greek tragedy than a Japanese shoujo manga.

In the feudal era human world, motivations are purely for survival and then subsistence. Sacrificing a child for the 'greater good of all the villagers' is an acceptable act, of course. Subaru objects but is easily manipulated and gone around by his mother, the instigator of much of Asahi's torment. An "if the witch burns she must be evil" type of scenario only adds to the ugliness of the scene.

The pain of being with ambivalent gods and cruel mortals definitely creates a pall that can make this title very hard to read. It's one cruelty after another heaped on our young lead character and then Asahi's utter confusion and even despair in understanding why her wonderful life was supplanted without warning.

Because of the very heavy themes, I have to admit I'll probably not continue this series. The writing is excellent, the illustrations well done, and this is just as good as Dawn of the Arcana. But at the same time, I tend to read manga for adventure and as a feel-good experience. This is just a bit too harsh an indictment on life for me. Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.

[Dana · Rating 5 out of 5]

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

Read 11 volumes

I just adore Rei Toma’s works. ‘Dawn of the Arcana’ was so good and this one is shaping up to be fantastic too. We follow Asahi, a girl pulled from the modern world into a somewhat medieval Japan. She attracts the attention of the water god, a god who looks down on humans with a cold, clinical gaze.

I love Asahi, she’s a fantastic main character. Even though she couldn’t talk for the majority of the four volumes I read, she was still so expressive. I really look forward to seeing her grow!

If you liked ‘Yona of the Dawn’, you’ll like this!

7/30/21: oooh a new player enters the field! And he’s from Asahi’s world! This story is just so good!

1/6/22: I finished it! Ugh so good! I wish there was a short story of their life together but it's so cuuuute! I like how it ended!

[Amber · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little weird, but I kind of like it. Although the story seems a little too familiar with all the other magical gods/boys and "normal girl" story lines I have read like Kamisama Kiss, Inuyasha, The Ancient Magus Bride, just to name a few. Still deciding on this one though, but I am willing to give it a try and read more.

[Jana (Nikki) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay, I was doubtful, but this actually turned out to be good. I'm intrigued. Will definitely check out the next volume!

[Kayla Brunson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was a bit wary of this in the beginning, but the ending left me intrigued. I'm super curious to see where this one goes!

[Rod Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

A strong-willed pre-teen girl from our world is transported to a fantasy land where she is sacrificed to a water dragon god and made his child bride. So it's got some creepy overtures, including this image which does NOT depict a penis but which you cannot now see as anything but a penis.



The god characters are all dorks, but I'm intrigued enough by the human characters to give it another volume or two, especially since I did have a mild affection for the creator's previous series: Dawn of the Arcana, Vol. 01.

[◼Zaky◼ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.9*
WOW! this is so good the artwork is so awesome!
Promising,solid potential for a great series!

[Coribookprincess · Rating 5 out of 5]

Das Cover ist so harmonisch und magisch gestaltet, als ich das gesehen habe war klar ich muss diesen Manga lesen.

Der Zeichenstil ist wundervoll und detailliert, der Leser verliert sich sofort in der neuen Welt.

In der Geschichte begleiten wir Asahi in eine neue, fremde, magische und grausame Welt.
Im alten Japan treffen wir auf nette und machtgierige Dorfbewohner, sowie auf magische und faszinierende Götter.
Asahi ist eine zauberhafte und mutige Heldin. Es hat einfach Spaß gemacht sie zu begleiten.
Ich habe regelrecht mit ihr mitgelitten und gefiebert.

Wir befinden uns in einer fremden Welt voller Gefahr, Freundschaft und Magie.
Ich war sofort fasziniert von der Welt und den Göttern.
Ich hoffe wir erfahren noch mehr von den magischen Göttern in Band 2.

Die Geschichte hat mich sofort mitgerissen und ich konnte den Manga nicht aus der Hand legen.

Ich muss unbedingt wissen wie es in Band 2 weitergeht.

Ein faszinierender Manga, mit einem umwerfenden, detaillierten Zeichenstil und einer starken, witzigen Heldin in einer fremden, magischen Welt.

[Sydney (sydneysshelves) West · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mixed feelings. Obviously I hate Subaru's mother. And this village. For their backwards way of thinking. But I'm glad the manga is addressing the God's behavior towards Asahi. I am def intrigued enough to read the next few volumes.

[Marius Paulsen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute af

[Erica Henry · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought it was funny when Asahi slapped the water dragon god in the face lol you go girl

[Amber · Rating 5 out of 5]

a great start to this series! i thought it was cute but also pretty sad. i'm excited to see where it goes!

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Intriguing start!

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well that was a lot darker than I anticipated. Take the darker parts from Dawn of the Arcana and mix it with Yona of the Dawn and that's what this reads like (minus the epic adventure in Yona). I definitely want to read more and I hope things work out for Asahi. I didn't expect the events of the story to be so cruel to her. I also really dislike the Water God and I hope he gets some good development soon because if he's to be her love interest, oh boy does he need to grow up.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. A promising start to the series

[Dorcas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Darker than I expected.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

Normally I am a fan of the age gap trope in sojo manga. But in this particular case it kind of freaked me out a little. This story had some pretty dark things happen to a child and I did find some of it upsetting. I am intrigued by the water god character though. Depending on what happens in volume 2 this may be a series that I don't continue for personal reasons.

[Fern · Rating 3 out of 5]

Actual Rating 3.5 stars

I am intrigued by this story and the really dark themes, but am not sure how I feel about the main characters' and Water Dragon gods' relationship. I will read volume 2 and see if this goes in a different direction than I was expecting.

[Sandy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quite a good start

[Angel White · Rating 3 out of 5]

FMC - Adagio
It’s unexpected for a child to be chosen as the FMC of a romance book. If anything, it’s not a good sign, especially when the MMC has the appearance of an adult man. Even the MMC understands that FMC is incredibly young by referring to her as a child. While the Water Dragon is her supposedly love interest, I’m glad that she showed no interest for him. I think she’s a reasonably realistic child who is traumatised.

All the adults around her, including the MMC himself, have mistreated and neglected Adagio within the short period of time. She is forced to cling onto whatever hope she has, which is why I don’t believe her relationship with the MMC is love, but instead based on survival.

Secondary MMC - Subaru
While it’s uncertain whether or not Subaru will be her main love interest, he proves to be a highly compatible love interest for Adagio from the very moment of her arrival to the new world. Despite their very short time together, Subaru was the one who truly cared for her with all his heart. Not even the MMC could compare to that. If anything, Subaru is perfect for the main love interest, which I hope he is.

I feel terrible for Subaru because, alike poor Adagio, he’s suffered so much from the village. If anything, he would feel even more hurt because it is his closest loved ones who betrayed him, rather than strangers. He was forced to endure the suffering of Adagio’s supposing death and even believed he was responsible for her death, but it was instead the adults around them who were responsible.

Primary MMC - Water Dragon
The Water Dragon is a strange character since he acts nothing like a love interest. His overall situation is unusual since the village sacrifices young girls for him to be his bride. That begs the question, what happened to these girls? Since the MMC cares very little about humans, I doubt that any of them saw him in the God realm and instead remained dead. But it is weird to imagine that the MMC possibly had wives in the past.

The MMC doesn’t seem very fit for the role of the love interest. After all, he’s cold towards humans and sees them as entertainment. I know that there are tropes where the MMC becomes a better person, but it’s weird when the FMC is a child. There’s not much competition between Water Dragon and Subaru since it’s clear that Adagio would pick Subaru for his kindness, whereas the Water Dragon shows no affection at all.

I would be perfectly fine with the moral and immoral pairing if the moral love interest was at legal age. There are many other series with the moral and immoral pairing, but the moral love interest is typically in their late teens or early twenties. I don’t agree with pairing a teen with an immoral either, but it’s more reasonable than a child such as Adagio.

Although I understand that there is a cultural difference between how Water Dragon and current society see marriage. I wouldn’t exactly call him bad for choosing her as his wife since he perceives the term differently. But it is weird that he is waiting for the FMC to become mature since it is oddly familiar to grooming.

Overall
Despite all my fuss over the incredibly different age gap, The Water Dragon’s Bride is an interesting story. While I wouldn’t call it a spectacular romantic story, I enjoy the drama linked to the village and can only hope for more. I will mention that the artwork is amazing and Rei Toma captured the expressions perfectly, even in the moments of anger or dread.

-

”Even if you had…

… Become a pitiful corpse like them…

… I would never…

… Have looked away from you.” - Subaru

[BeckyisBookish · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yassss! I thought this was so great! I love the modern girl gets sucked into some kind of mystical feudal setting. Giving me Inuyasha vibes! Can’t wait to grab the next ones!

[haven ⋄ f (hiatus) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 - This wasn’t what I was expecting at all. The art style is super cute and really well done. The story is so much darker than the cover makes you think it is. I don’t often put trigger warnings but I feel like I need to with this one.

TW: abandonment, abuse (physical, mental, emotional), starvation, near death scenes, freaky scenes.

There’s a romance, of course. It’s so sweet and I totally approve of it. It’s between two people you wouldn’t expect, because of certain bits of this. Yes, the girl is like 4-5 years old. Yes, the guy on the cover is ancient. No, you don’t have to worry about them like that.

This left off on a really interesting twist. I honestly wonder what happened. What a great cliffhanger.

[StrawberryShojo · Rating 3 out of 5]

The premise of this manga definitely had me a bit concerned considering a little girl, Asahi is sacrificed to god and becomes his bride. I was hesitant to read it, but was relieved to find that the Water God is more detached from humanity than I expected and has very little interest in Asahi.

This is a darker read, but I was pleasantly surprised by the book’s themes of survival, human greed, and apathy. How do you find power and strength as a child in a dog-eat-dog world? The story is off to a strong start.

The art however is a little lackluster. While the character art is unquestionably beautiful, the backgrounds have very little detail. The lack of background art leaves many pages feeling sparse.

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

I can't say that I was super impressed with the other series I've read by Rei Toma, Dawn of the Arcana, but I'm happy to say that I've quite enjoyed the first four volumes of this series, The Water Dragon's Bride. I like that the water dragon god is so completely detached from humanity and even with his interactions with our little heroine, he's still detached. He is making progress to find compassion for humans, but it's nice that it doesn't happen immediately. I'm definitely intrigued to see where this story takes us.