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The Bride of the Death God manga offers an example of incredible pacing so far, and the second volume of the series proves it. While some series with supernatural mysteries and teased forbidden love affairs can take volumes to get into it, Hako Ichiiro gets to the heart of the matter by its eighth chapter. Even so, it never feels rushed, and the resulting lore dump in the following chapters also ensure Shii-kun gets right to his mission and we are more immediately aware of the mystery surrounding Aibi and her condition.
Editor’s Note: There will be some spoilers for volume 2 of the Bride of the Death God manga below.
As a refresher, volume 1 of the Bride of the Death God manga introduced a lot of questions and no answers. What are death gods like Shii-kun? What is this strange Bouquet Syndrome condition Aibi contracted? How come Shii-kun seems to be having flashbacks involving her? Will the rest of the story just be an on-the-run, monster of the week sort of thing as Shii-kun keeps trying to protect her from otherworldly beings after her unusual power? It’s a lot to take in, and in some series it would take at least three or four volumes to get answers to even one or two of them. By the end of the second volume, we get answers to most of them. It’s a pleasant surprise!
Especially since we’re getting two kinds of “explanations,” in a way at once in this second volume. After one attack, another male death god shows up and kidnaps Aibi. It’s then that a female death god also shows up. While he’s explaining to his new captive, she’s telling Shi-kun everything about the situation. This Bouquet Syndrome isn’t a one-time occurrence. It’s a recurring curse. The young woman afflicted has the sort of supernatural power that Aibi does, and that can be bestowed upon others who possess her. But as she reaches the last seven days of her life each time, which is how the whole manga started, it turns into a competition for death gods like Shii-kun and the two here to fight and claim her as his bride.
Now, having this lore drop doesn’t suddenly solve everything. Aibi is captured. Shii-kun has competition. But it explains a lot of the issues we’ve been seeing and gives us concrete details about the situation, while still offering opportunities for fresh insights and additional story beats. Shii-kun is going to go save her, of course. We will likely learn more about the death god system in the process. Perhaps also about how this whole curse Aibi suffers from happened too.
Especially since, while this does explain the flashbacks Shii-kun is experiencing, it doesn’t get into his history and past with her. It just shows he’s aware and perhaps participated in a bride of the death god competition before. That there is a connection. So we’re teased with that knowledge too. And, since all of this comes throughout the second volume of the manga, it never feels rush and instead leads to a satisfying cliffhanger.
Considering Bride of the Death God is a series about concepts and individuals we don’t know and understand, I find it so refreshing to not see it take forever to get answers about certain important elements. Hako Ichiiro is very forthright about some critical details. So instead of us floundering and getting frustrated or the pacing taking forever, we get to know in a more natural and prompt way. I feel like this could help with storytelling in the third volume and beyond.
Volume 2 of Bride of the Death God is available now, and Square Enix will release volume 3 of the manga on May 12, 2026.
