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In shojo manga, romantic relationships between the main characters and sometimes even other of the cast can be the priority. After all, many of them are set up to follow first loves, star-crossed couples, and so on. Bride of the Barrier Master of course does that, but in the third volume we also get to see it explore other types of relationships by letting us see how various pairs of siblings interact. 

Editor’s Note: There are some spoilers for volume 3 of the Bride of the Barrier Master shojo manga below. 5g4jq

When Bride of the Barrier Master began, we ended up introduced to the bad relationship between the twin siblings Hana and Hazuki. Because Hana didn’t developer her powers at the same time as her sister, she was treated abysmally by her family. So when they did appear and she turned out to be one of the most powerful potential of the Association of Practitioners, she decided she’d prefer a peaceful life and hide them. Saku, her now-husband, discovered she wasn’t what she seemed, married her for the sake of maintaining and repairing the barriers, and now we’re definitely seeing their love story as they grow closer to each other. 

But since then, we’ve gotten to see other siblings. One is the dynamic between Saku and his younger brother Nozomu. Nozomu adores his brother, but has a complex that keeps him from getting close to him. He sees himself as so inferior, he keeps putting himself down, bouthing his brother, and increasing the gulf between them. Saku doesn’t see him as a burden or problem, but Nozomu can’t get that. So much so that when Hana came into the picture in the second volume, he treated her poorly too. But upon a certain interaction the Nijouin twins at Hana’s behest in volume 3, we get to finally see him clear the air with her. As a result, we also see growth from him and new potential with his relationship with Saku.

Speaking of the Nijouin twins, Kikyou and Kiriya present yet another interesting foil we can use as a comparison for existing characters upon their introduction in Bride of the Barrier Master volume 3. They’re the third pair of siblings and second pair of twins in the shojo manga. However, the two get along incredibly well and show tremendous care for each other. While Kikyou takes the lead in the pair, much like Hazuki likely did between her and Hana, her treatment of Kiriya is far kinder. Likewise. we see Kiriya’s consideration and willingness to step up for her. It’s a dynamic that allows us to better understand how “bad” things got between Hana and Hazuki and the potential for how Practitioner families could be.

In a way, it also feels like Bride of the Barrier Master is setting up Hana to perhaps have a better relationship with her twin sister Hazuki. Which would be great, because it would continue the story progress we started to see in volume 2. Kureha is maintaining its clever tone, keeping Hana a strong individual, while also not making the focus be entirely about two people getting together in the end. I’m hoping it means Hana and Hazuki get a chance to recover from what their parents’ toxic relationship did to them.

It is great when shojo manga prioritize relationships other than romantic ones, and I loved getting to see Bride of the Barrier Master do that with its sets of siblings. Especially since they aren’t all happy ones. We get to see characters grow as a result of their interactions with one another, plus perhaps the promise of one getting a second chance to become a healthier one.

Bride of the Barrier Master volume 3 will launch on November 26, 2024 via Yen Press, and volume 4 of the manga doesn’t have a release date yet.

The post Bride of the Barrier Master Volume 3 Compares Sibling Relationships appeared first on Siliconera.

When we have these sorts of manga series where there’s someone who is the scrape goat and bullied, then picked as the one for a major, desired figure, it can sometimes feel like the moment ends after… well… they get together and married. With volume 2 of the Bride of the Barrier Master manga, we have a situation where Kureha and Odayaka provided enough additional motivating factors and situations to keep that story going and a reader invested.

Editor’s Note: There will be spoilers for the first volume of the Bride of the Barrier Master manga below, as well as plot point overviews for the second. 60hp

So in the first volume of Bride of the Barrier Master, we ended up introduced to Hana and Hazuki Ichise. Both are magical practitioners, though Hazuki is considered the golden child due to seemingly being more powerful. The truth of it is Hana is the more powerful of the two, so much that she has three Shikigami spirits working alongside her and two are humans, but her abilities didn’t manifest until later. Because of that, the family prized Hazuki and ignored or abused Hana. But Hana was fine with that, because she wanted a normal life.

However, Saku Ichinomiya, head of the clan that keeps barriers up in Japan depending everyone against evil supernatural forces realizes her strength. He needs her assistance to repair and maintain one of the five Pillars, now that he’s head of the family and clan. This, in turn, means marrying her. So the whole first volume involved getting to the point where they meet and form an agreement. There was even a contract guaranteeing Hana a peaceful life and stipend so she could live carefree.

Given the nature of the arrangement, I went into the second volume expecting a bit more resistance to the marriage ahead of the ceremony. However, the Bride of the Barrier Master manga doesn’t dawdle or focus too much on that. The wedding goes smoothly. While Saku’s mother and brother don’t approve, we get to see their reactions and treatment change as they meet Hana. So already, one of the elements that might have dragged out the story in similar situations is largely resolved right away.

However, I really appreciated how the rest of the volume helped provide other reasons to keep the story compelling. One is the Ichinomiya Pillar itself. We see the two repaired it. Given the nature of these sorts of stories and the fact there are five others, it left me wondering if that could return as a plot point. After all, it’s a heavy burden on Saku and people like him. Not to mention Hana being as strong as she is could mean her help would be needed by others, now that she’s no longer hiding her power level.

We also get a chance to see what daily life is like for Saku and how he uses his practitioner abilities to aid others. Hana ends up involved in such a case. I’m not going to spoil it for those haven’t read this volume, of course. However, it does provide potential for Hana to grow as an individual. It felt like in the first volume that because of the treatment of her family and others, perhaps she saw her own skills as something to ignore so she could live peacefully. Her work with Saku makes me wonder if that could change a bit and we could see them grow to work together for the greater good.

Naturally, there’s also the developing relationship between Hana and Saku. We could see the two enjoyed sort of picking at or on each other in both of the initial volumes. Hana has someone who knows exactly who she is and accepts her for it. Saku has someone who treats him like anyone else and can properly him. It’s really fun to read through their interactions and grow as a couple. Especially when both will exploit chances to gain ground to improve their own situations.

I really appreciate the Bride of the Barrier Master manga pacing and am glad it isn’t drawing out elements for the sake of drama. It could and still keep its excellent, sometimes comedic tone. But the way it is executing it allows Hana to be the independent, strong, and genuinely funny heroine she is, while also allowing us to see Saku and others appreciate her for herself.

Volumes 1 and 2 of the Bride of the Barrier Master manga are available now, and Yen Press will release volume 3 on November 19, 2024. Yen Press also handles the light novel outside Japan.

The post Bride of the Barrier Master Manga’s Story Stays Strong appeared first on Siliconera.

It isn’t uncommon for manga series to involve two related characters from a family with one supposed to be the best and the other essentially an unpowered spare, but then for things to flip and the underdog being the true force to be reckoned with in the story. Bride of the Barrier Master is exactly that, however in this manga the way the heroine and her situation is handled makes it a more engaging twist.

There are supernaturally gifted families in Japan who keep the country safe by maintaining barriers, and Hana and her twin sister Hazuki are part of the lesser Ichise family. Hazuki is an especially gifted and blessed Practitioner, so much so that she’s even summoned a human Shikigami to assist her in her work. However, Hana just… isn’t anything special. Her Shikigami is a butterfly, she’s ignored by other people, and it even seems like her family sort of actively hates her. 

As you might expect, given the nature of these sorts of series, that doesn’t last. On her fifteenth birthday, she suddenly comes into a power even stronger than Hazuki’s. She’s able to summon two human Shikigamis. 

It’s then that the Bride of the Barrier Master manga gets really good, because Hana doesn’t behave like you’d expect a heroine in this sort of series should. Instead of being a ive figure, a damsel in distress, determines to prove herself, or set on revenge… she doesn’t care. She’s completely detached herself from the situation and has a plan. She wants to be a “career woman” and work at an Ichinomiya company in the regular, human, not-supernatural world. She wants to get that money, retire, and live in peace with her Shikigami Aoi and Miyabi. She’s got plans for herself. 

Until then, she’s going through the motions. Which also ends up being great, because we see her being smart about things. She’ll attend events for the family and just have a ball there. She’ll go to the Practitioner school and take care of issues there. She’ll even use her abilities for good and to help folks. 

And I love how it’s her going through the motions that gets her noticed by Saku Ichinomiya, the new head of the clan. He’s the titular Barrier Master. He’s the one looking for a wife! And he catches her and realizes exactly who and what she is.

I’m not going to spoil the first volume of the Bride of the Barrier Master manga, because we’re getting close to that, but Hana is a fantastic heroine and makes it. Her personality is great. Her response to her situation is perfect. Her handling of situations is ideal. I love where this is going and only want the best for her in subsequent volumes.

Bride of the Barrier Master volume 1 is available now via Yen Press, and volume 2 of the manga debuts on June 18, 2024.

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