With a new installment due out next month, it seemed an excellent time to catch up on the volumes out since I last talked about how much I like this series. (The last book I covered was volume 9 in 2018.) This most recent is A Bride’s Story volume 12, which came out in September 2020. As anthropologist Mr. Smith retraces his tracks before contemplating returning home, that’s an excuse for author Kaoru Mori to check in with the variety […]

Following on from the previous book, we continue with the story of Pariya’s engagement in A Bride’s Story volume 9. (That’s her on the cover, expressing her feelings through the symbolism of bread designs in her typically brash manner.) I suspect many readers can identify with her. She cares strongly, but she doesn’t know how to express herself in a culturally appropriate fashion. She’s got a friend who seems to naturally know how to say the right things, making people […]

When A Bride’s Story began, it was the story of Amir, a woman in an unusual marriage (because her age was considered advanced for wedding in her culture). Now, volume 8 focuses on another difficult bride, Amir’s friend Pariya (first seen in the second book). I’ve always liked Pariya, because her struggle is based on not fitting in. She’s too direct and plain-spoken for her culture, with interests outside the typical domestic sphere. Which makes her a problem for her […]

As expected, I greatly enjoyed A Bride’s Story Volume 7, although my recommendation comes with caveats. Kaoru Mori’s artwork is as lovely and detailed as always, but much of it this time around is dedicated to drawing women at the bathhouse, which means lots of lovingly illustrated naked breasts. Americans who get upset over nudity won’t want to read this volume (but they probably aren’t aware of this series anyway). There is something refreshing about the variety of bodies she […]

It’s an anniversary for Amir and Karluk, the couple married in the first volume of A Bride’s Story. He’s only 12 years old, and he’s proud to still be growing taller. That leads to the need for new clothes, which drives the couple to a family council, as they struggle with how much he wants to be treated like a man and how much he still needs to be taken care of. The couple’s feelings clash, but at the root, […]

When I realized that a new volume of A Bride’s Story, my current favorite manga series, had come out FOUR months ago and I hadn’t read it yet, I knew the last few months had been busier than they should be. Yet the positive side of that is … new Bride’s Story! The twins, Laila and Leily, are getting married, which gives Kaoru Mori ample reason to draw beautiful historical garments and portray many customary preparations for the celebration, including […]

My fear that Kaoru Mori was going to follow anthropologist Mr. Smith away from the original bride Amir is thankfully not justified. As the series continues, the story sprawls, with chapters introducing new characters as Smith meets them as well as other chapters continuing to follow life with Amir. As volume 4 opens, we see more of what has happened with Amir’s family after they were unable to capture her back. Their reputation is damaged, which might ultimately result in […]

We follow Mr. Smith, the English scholar who’s studying nomadic cultures, out of the previous volume into new adventures. But never fear, fans, Amir and her husband Karluk make an appearance, riding to the rescue at just the right time. Moreover, by moving the reader to a new group of characters here in volume 3, we learn more about society at the time, see more gorgeous Kaoru Mori art and costume designs, and in a way, mimic how the nomad […]