It usually takes a full volume to captivate me the way Kaoru Mori does with just the first page of A Bride’s Story Volume 1. To call this manga beautiful would be an understatement. It is absolutely gorgeous. And it’s not just the art, the writing for this manga is pretty great.
Set in Central Asia during the 19th century, A Bride’s Story introduces us to 20-year-old Amir Halgal right as she meets her new husband, Karluk Eihon, who is 8 years younger than her. Through the Eihon family has reservations due to Amir’s age, the match benefits them both economically and politically. As the story progresses, there is the growing tension with the Halgal clan that starts to come into play. Most view the pair with pity, the relationship between Amir and Karluk is the central focus of the story and is very sweet. There is no doubt that the two are fond of each other, but the age gap does prevent this from being a deeper romance in the first volume. Amir treats Karluk as a younger brother while, Karluk is enamored with her beauty and personality, he is still too young to desire anything more.
For the first volume in a longer series, not a lot happens. If I were to lay out the plot points, which mostly just establish how day-to-day life is in the Eihon compound, it would seem very boring. With any other writer, it might be but Mori has a way of making even a scene where Amir makes rabbit stew engaging and informative. The story doesn’t drag at any point, moving along at a pleasant pace that’s only enhanced further by the art.
Mori’s art really does make this manga stand out. From the details in clothing, furnishings, architecture, and even animals, Mori never cuts corners. Everything in this period story feels so real and grounded while distinctive. Amir’s clothing is visually different from clothing worn by the Eihon family, but no matter how detailed the costumes are, they never feel stiff or lifeless. Mori not only excels at rendering the details, she does it in a way where it feels like it has weight and movement.
A Bride’s Story is a manga that feels like a classic, both in story and art style, which is odd to say as it’s still ongoing. Volume 9 is scheduled to release mid-next month. Just be warned, the current release schedule is slow. At most, we’ve seen no more than 2 books released a year since 2011, so don’t expect volume 10 to be released until middle to late next year. That being said, this is a manga you shouldn’t put off starting but just make sure you take your time reading through it. The story feels almost dream like and each panel is a work of art so there is no need to rush through it.
Story: 8.5/10
Art: 10/10
Rating: 9.5/10
Volume 1, as well as all currently released volumes, are available on Amazon and Volume 9 is scheduled to release on September 19, 2017.
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