Anyone familiar with Greek myths know the relationships between the gods were complicated and all of them were characters, so that should already offer something of a hint of what potential Ueji Yuho’s Lord Hades’s Ruthless Marriage manga might have. Now that the first volume is available via Yen Press, it’s easy to see how various traits and myths are adapted for this comedy.
Hades is a strong, serious, stable leader and god of the Underworld. He’s beloved by his forces, like Hypnos and Thanatos. However, moments after dealing with an escapee from Tartaros, we see the majestic god… blindfolded and with an arrow sticking out of his forehead.
Said arrow is one of Eros’ When Hades removes the blindfold, the first person he sees is the one he’ll fall in love with. And, while he’s very put off by this, his minions like Hypnos and Thanatos are delighted. Everyone’s been worried because he is single and alone, and they want him to be happy.
However, after saying he won’t get married and retreating to his palace, the goddess of spring Kore drops into his lap when the blindfold is gone. The arrow disappears, his guards come in to arrest her, but… it seems he doesn’t feel as though he’s in love with her. He suggests it must have been a dud.
Yet, this ends up being the impetus for hijinks! The whole pantheon (and adjacent beings) are essentially determined to marry Hades off. As such, deities like Zeus, Hera, Athena, Demeter, and Poseidon all show up.
Here’s the thing though. Lord Hades’s Ruthless Marriage feels like a very telegraphed manga. It’s one where you can see where things are leading. Especially upon hitting the chapter when Demeter appears. However, the fun of it comes from the situation. Yuho’s take on these gods is incredibly fun. Hades is a real stoic standout, especially as the foil to the more outlandish and larger personalities around him. Kore is surprisingly relatable and, despite seeming like a super energetic, “genki” girl, has some depth and practicality to her.
This means someone can appreciate the absurdity of the situations. God X appears. They want to marry or see Hades get married. We get to read about these interactions, while continuing to see the development of stars Hades and Kore. Situations resolve and it starts all over again with another god.
Honestly, I loved the way Yuho adapted various Greek gods for the Lord Hades’s Ruthless Marriage manga. These are larger than life characters. Many of the circumstances and past stories dealing with them were over-the-top and silly. So to have a comedic story with a little hint of romance waiting of the wings really works. Especially given how we know in the myths gods would hook up and date around. The first volume is a lot of fun and feels like it offers a bit of potential to go places in the second.
Volume 1 of the Lord Hades’s Ruthless Marriage manga is available now, and Yen Press will publish the second volume on April 16, 2024.
