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 passive 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.
