is a Japanese supernatural

Supernatural

The supernatural or is that which is not subject to the laws of nature, or more figuratively, that which is said to exist above and beyond nature...

 shōjo manga written and illustrated by Kanoko Sakurakoji

Kanoko Sakurakoji

is a Japanese manga artist. She writes primarily for Shogakukan in the shōjo manga magazine Betsucomi. She is best known as the author of Backstage Prince and Black Bird. Black Bird received the 2009 Shogakukan Manga Award for shōjo manga...

. It has been serialized by Shogakukan

Shogakukan

is a Japanese publisher of dictionaries, literature, manga, non-fiction, DVDs, and other media in Japan.Shogakukan founded Shueisha which founded Hakusensha. These are three separate companies, but are together called the Hitotsubashi Group, one of the largest publishing groups in Japan...

 in their Betsucomi

Betsucomi

, formerly known as Bessatsu Shōjo Comic, is a monthly Japanese shōjo manga magazine published by Shogakukan, originally aimed at young girls, but increasingly marketed to older teens and young women. It is released on the 13th of each month...

magazine since 2007. It depicts the life of a high school girl who can see supernatural beings. Black Bird received the 2009 Shogakukan Manga Award

Shogakukan Manga Award

The is one of Japan's major manga awards, sponsored by Shogakukan Publishing. It has been awarded annually for serialized manga since 1955 and features candidates from a number of publishers.The current award categories are:...

 for shōjo manga.

In 2008, Viz Media

VIZ Media

VIZ Media, LLC, headquartered in San Francisco, is an anime, manga, and Japanese entertainment company. It was founded in 1986 as VIZ LLC. In 2005, VIZ LLC and ShoPro Entertainment merged to form the current VIZ Media LLC, which is jointly owned by Japanese publishers Shogakukan and Shueisha, and...

 announced they had licensed the series for an English

English language

English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...

 release of the series in North America. The first chapter was previewed in their now-defunct Shojo Beat

Shojo Beat

Shojo Beat is a shōjo manga magazine formerly published in North America by Viz Media. Released in June 2005 as a sister magazine to Shonen Jump, it featured serialized chapters from six manga series, as well as articles on Japanese culture, manga, anime, fashion and beauty...

magazine and the first volume of their version was released on August 4, 2009.

The series has been adapted into a drama CD as well as a light novel.

Plot

Misao sees things that other people don't. Normally, the annoying monsters would do harmless things. But on her sixteenth birthday, these creatures she sees take it up farther, trying to kill her. They would be the only bother, until demons have gone serious into killing her or taking her for his own. She's saved by a childhood friend from her past, Kyo Usui, who just so happens to be a demon as well.
Avoiding moments of death with Kyo protecting her, her own future turns out that she is the rare, "Bride of Prophecy."
The demons are set onto her, and it just happens, that Kyo wants Misao as well.

Characters

Misao has been plagued with the ability to see monsters ever since birth. Because of her ability, she was never able to make any friends until she met Kyō. Misao became extremely attached to Kyō, but because she is the "bride of prophecy", she can only be the bride to the head of the family, Kyō's brother. In hopes of making her his bride, Kyō left Misao's side in order to become the head of the family. Ten years later, Misao, now in high school, ignores the monsters she sees in order to live a normal high school life. The monsters were harmless until her sixteenth birthday; on the day she turned sixteen, a monster possessing one of the schools idols attacks her. Before she was injured any further, Kyō came to save her and healed her wound by licking it.

Perverted and cocky, but a powerful Tengu with black wings. Kyo met Misao during their childhood. His older brother, Shou, was supposed to be clan leader, but Kyo surpassed him for Misao's sake (as only a clan leader may seek her as their bride). In order to stay close to Misao, he moved back to his house next door to her's and took a job as a math teacher at her school. He is always protecting her and healing her wounds, also finding moments to steal a kiss. In his demon form, his hair grows longer and he wears a mask that looks like a crow's beak. Kyo took Taro under his wings to train him and make him stronger after Taro was abused by Shou. He is about 20 years old.

Sho Usui (烏水 祥/僧正 Usui Sho)

Kyo's older brother, and original heir to the Tengu Clan. Once the clan realized how cruel he is, Kyo became the heir. He does not truly love Misao. Sho was very cruel to her. Unfortunately (in his mind)kyo stops him. He hates that his brother was always there in case he failed. The previous Clan Leader called Kyo "the spare tire" or "back-up plan". While he cared little for Misao, he hates that she chose Kyo over him.

Taro

One of the eight daitengu. After nearly being killed by Sho, Kyo trained him to become stronger. He has two brothers, Jiro and Saburo, and they are all triplets. They are six years old.

Ryo Sagami (Sagami Ryo)

Another of the eight daitengu. He is very protective of Kyo, and dislikes Misao at first. He is Hoki's older brother. He has a sickly wife named Ayame.

Hoki

Another of the eight daitengu, and Sagami's younger brother. He looks very feminine.

Buzen

Another one of the eight daitengu.

Zenki

Another one of the eight daitengu.

Shuhei Kuzunoha (Kuzunoha Shuhei)

Leader of the Kitsune Clan. He is killed by Kyo when they fought for Misao's love.

Tadanobu Kuzunoha (Kuzunoha Tadanobu)

Kyo's childhood friend. They met completely by accident, and formed a friendship based on their shared love of porn. He allowed his younger brother Shuhei to beat him when they fought for the leadership of the Kitsune Clan, because he never wanted to fight his best friend. He is in love with a human girl named Renko. He and Shuhei have an older brother who is not mentioned by name, nor appears in the manga. After Kyo kills Shuhei, he becomes the head of the Kitsune Clan. Eventually, he is forced to challenge Kyo for Misao, but loses. However, he is allowed to live.

Renko

A human girl who attends the university that Misao's father teaches at. She is Tadanobu's lover, and will do anything to protect him. She even goes as far as to threaten to kill Kyo if he hurts Tadanobu. She has competed in archery tournaments in the past. Eventually, she is accepted by the Kitsune Clan. Only Tadanobu is allowed to call her Ren.

Yoshio Harada (Harada Yoshio)

Misao's father. He is a university professor and participates in digs. He teaches Renko. He is very protective of Misao, but says that he will accept her boyfriend if he makes her happy.

Yoko Harada (Harada Yoko)

Misao's mother. She remembers Kyo and trusts him a lot.

Kensuke Dodoji (Dodoji Kensuke)

A snake demon, and heir to his clan. He is very shy, unlike his twin sister Kiyo. He becomes friends with Misao, but is supposed to take her as his own. However, he is much too softhearted to do this. He gives Misao poison, which she uses to paralyze Shou.

Kiyo Dodoji (Dodoji Kiyo)

Another snake demon, and Kensuke's twin sister. She is in love with Kyo, and will do anything to get him. She is very beautiful. She shows up at Misao's school, and asks her to give up Kyo.

Ayame

Sagami's wife. She is very sickly, but gets extremely excited when Sagami gets a chance to visit her. She is cured by drinking some of Misao's blood. She has the power to show images in a pool of water. She showed Kyo Misao, when he was away from her for ten years. She also showed Sho, and he learned this skill just by watching her.

Raikoh Watanabe (Watanabe Raikoh)

Like Misao he can see demons and spirits. However he refuses to believe that humans and demons can live in harmony and uses his abilities to destroy them.

Roh

The man who resurrected Sho after he was trapped under the storage house. He has a daughter named Kaede. Was Sho's servant until he died while resurrecting Sho.

Kaede

Her father Roh supported Sho's ambitions to seize clan leadership. She is Sho's newest attendant. She was abandoned by her parents as a child and became an outcast in the village because of it. She also fell in love with Kyo because he was outcast by the village for trying to become the new clan head. She develops a strong hatered for Misao because of her feelings for Kyo.

Manga

Shogakukan

Shogakukan

is a Japanese publisher of dictionaries, literature, manga, non-fiction, DVDs, and other media in Japan.Shogakukan founded Shueisha which founded Hakusensha. These are three separate companies, but are together called the Hitotsubashi Group, one of the largest publishing groups in Japan...

 released the first of the series' bound volumes

Tankobon

, with a literal meaning close to "independently appearing book", is the Japanese term for a book that is complete in itself and is not part of a series , though the manga industry uses it for volumes which may be in a series...

 on January 26, 2007. As of July 26, 2010 there are 11 volumes and the series is still running in Betsucomi. The manga is licensed in North America by Viz Media

VIZ Media

VIZ Media, LLC, headquartered in San Francisco, is an anime, manga, and Japanese entertainment company. It was founded in 1986 as VIZ LLC. In 2005, VIZ LLC and ShoPro Entertainment merged to form the current VIZ Media LLC, which is jointly owned by Japanese publishers Shogakukan and Shueisha, and...

 as part of their Shojo Beat

Shojo Beat

Shojo Beat is a shōjo manga magazine formerly published in North America by Viz Media. Released in June 2005 as a sister magazine to Shonen Jump, it featured serialized chapters from six manga series, as well as articles on Japanese culture, manga, anime, fashion and beauty...

 imprint. It is also licensed in Taiwan by Tong Li Publishing.

Volume listing

Drama CD

Columbia Music Entertainment

Columbia Music Entertainment

is a Japanese record label founded in 1910 as . It affiliated itself with the Columbia Graphophone Company of the United Kingdom and adopted the standard UK Columbia trademarks in 1931. The company changed its name to Nippon Columbia Co., Ltd. in 1946. It used the Nippon Columbia name until...

 released Black Bird drama CD on the January 21, 2009. Artists on the drama CD include Kōki Miyata

Koki Miyata

is a Japanese voice actor who works for 81 Produce. He was formerly credited as .-Anime:*07-Ghost *Angel Tales *Baka to Test to Shōkanjū *Baka to Test to Shōkanjū: Ni!...

, Kishō Taniyama

Kisho Taniyama

' is a seiyū who is affiliated with Ken Production. He is also the vocal and lyricist of the Japanese rock unit / band GRANRODEO under the name KISHOW.-TV Anime:* Basquash! * Bleach * Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo...

, Akira Ishida

Akira Ishida

Akira Ishida is a prolific male seiyū born in Nisshin, Aichi, Japan.He was a part of Mausu Promotion from 1988 until March 2009...

, Hiroyuki Yoshino

Hiroyuki Yoshino

is a Japanese voice actor. He is part of Sigma Seven.-Anime:*Allison & Lillia *Angel Tails *Aquarian Age *Azumanga Daioh *Baccano! *Black Jack...

, Takahiro Sakurai

Takahiro Sakurai

is a voice actor who was born in Aichi. He is a member of 81 Produce; his height is .Many of his roles are handsome men. However, he has also voiced reluctant heroes as well as the occasional villain...

, Yuko Kagata, Takehito Koyasu

Takehito Koyasu

is a Japanese voice actor.-Career:Koyasu is part of the voice actor quartet Weiß consisting of Weiß Kreuz voice castmates Shinichiro Miki, Tomokazu Seki, and Yuuki Hiro...

, Kyoko Hikami

Kyoko Hikami

is a Japanese voice actress who was born in Kobe. She is part of the voice actress trio Furil which also consists of Wedding Peach voice castmates Yūko Miyamura and Yukana Nogami.-Notable voice roles:*Sudou in Atashinchi...

 and Mikako Takahashi

Mikako Takahashi

is a seiyū and J-pop singer born May 29, 1980 in Chiba Prefecture, Japan. Under the alias Mikako Hyatt, she forms one half of the Excel Saga seiyū duo The Excel Girls . She is employed by I'm Enterprise...

.

Light Novel

The series was also adapted as a light novel, titled , released on March 26, 2010 (ISBN 9784091332707).

Reception

The sixth volume of Black Bird was ranked 12th on the Japanese Comic Rankings between October 28 and November 3, 2008. The seventh volume was ranked 4th in its first week, selling 75,689 copies. The eighth volume was ranked in 3rd place during its first week and then fell to 27th in the second week of publication. Volume 9 of Black Bird sold a total of 100,014 it its first two weeks of publication, debuting at 11th place on the charts, then falling to 20th place in its second week. The tenth volume of the series debuted on the Oricon charts in 14th place, selling a total of 51,172 copies. The first volume was ranked 4th on the manga section of the New York Times Best Seller list

New York Times Best Seller list

The New York Times Best Seller list is widely considered the preeminent list of best-selling books in the United States. It is published weekly in The New York Times Book Review magazine, which is published in the Sunday edition of The New York Times and as a stand-alone publication...

 on September 3, 2009. The second volume was ranked 7th on November 26, 2009, 9th on December 3, 2009 and 8th on January 7, 2010. Black Bird was awarded the 2009 Shogakukan Manga Award

Shogakukan Manga Award

The is one of Japan's major manga awards, sponsored by Shogakukan Publishing. It has been awarded annually for serialized manga since 1955 and features candidates from a number of publishers.The current award categories are:...

 for shōjo manga.

Anime News Network

Anime News Network

Anime News Network is an anime industry news website that reports on the status of anime, manga, Japanese popular music and other otaku-related culture within North America, Australia and Japan. Additionally, it sometimes features similar happenings throughout the Anglosphere and elsewhere in the...

's Casey Brienza commends the English edition of the manga for being "amusing and sexy. Good if you want to put your critical sensibilities into neutral with something trashy" however she criticises the manga with the comment "its creative horizons are that of a bodice ripper. Don't expect the next modern manga masterpiece." Katherine Dacey, writing for The Manga Critic, criticises Misao for not defending herself even as "demons slash her throat, poison her, push her off rooftops, and slam her against walls." Dacey comments that "younger readers may find [Kyo] sexy, but older readers will see him for what he is: a wolf in knight’s clothing, posing as Misao’s savior while manipulating her for his own selfish interests."

External links

• Official Drama CD site