The Firefly Wedding shojo manga synopsis on the list of upcoming VIZ Media releases caught my eye some time ago so I decided to give it a go, as the premise reminded me of Korean web novels about heroines stuck in unwanted marriages, and I’ve been on that kick. Yet, despite the strong female lead, it wasn’t quite what I expected.
I had an opportunity to check out the release by VIZ Media, ahead of the release on January 14, but some of you may have caught the manga on the Comikey app. Oreco Tachibana’s manga starts off slow as we meet Satoko, the daughter of a rich noble with an evil stepsister and stepmother. Satoko seemingly has no issues dealing with them, but she has a bigger problem: a heart condition standing in the way of her biggest desire – getting married. Satoko sees marriage as a duty to uphold and a way to make sure her family’s status stays intact.
Yet, when she gets kidnapped and assaulted all that goes out the window. While in captivity she meets an assassin who is tasked with killing her. To save herself, she offers him the only thing she can think of: marriage. A very typical shojo trope, with a stubborn and dedicated lead.
Yet, it went downhill when Satoko’s love interest, Shinpei, was introduced. He is initially intriguing and their dynamic is interesting to look at. But the pacing after their meeting was a bit off, the island felt rushed, and it felt like the author was coming up with more and more uncomfortable situations to put Satoko in. There was also a hint of a love triangle, but I could be wrong as I haven’t read past the first volume. This is just a personal preference, and while I didn’t mind how dark this story was at times (Satoko’s assault, the killing) keep in mind that this may be triggering for some. It’s not exactly a portrayal of a healthy relationship.
I will probably give the second volume of Firefly Wedding a go too (to keep the consistency with Andria McKnight’s translation). But for this one, I’d give it a 3.5/5 for the strong start and interesting female lead.
VIZ Media’s edition of Firefly Wedding Vol. 1 is now out in print and digital.
HOTARU NO YOMEIRI © 2023 Oreco TACHIBANA/SHOGAKUKAN
Anime Corner was given a review copy of the manga through NetGalley.
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