[Manga] Hakushaku to Yousei 1 (伯爵と妖精 1)

I stumbled upon a translation of Hakushaku to Yousei’s light novel and read bits of it. And boy, I miss this series!

Lydia works as a fairy doctor – people who specialize in fairies and other mythical creatures. But during those times in the Victorian Era, fairy doctors are a thing of the past.

She, then, meets an Earl who claims to be a descendant of the legendary Blue Knight Earl. But before he can fully claim the title he has to get a magical sword that symbolizes his lineage. This sword is said to be located in the realm of fairies. For that, he needs Lydia to help him find the sword.

Edgar and Lydia will be my forever OTP! There’s that undeniable attraction between the two yet they both distrust each other. They are opposites but not wholly opposites with a past they can’t shake off. That’s what attracts me to them. Edgar is a cunning guy who knows how to use his charms to his advantage. Like Lydia, his source of grief draws me in. Who is he really? What’s behind those sweet words and gentleman acts?

On the other hand, Lydia may be a country bumpkin, but she’s got good judgment and takes pride in her line of work. She gives it her all when it comes to anything about fairies. Though I sensed a bit of complex when Nico mentioned that it has always been Lydia’s weak point when somebody needs her. I can’t help but wonder what had she gone through in the past.

The plot revolves around mythological creatures and a bit of sorcery. They talk about fairies, selkies, and other folktales often found in European countries. I’ve been fascinated with these stories, and I enjoy reading about them here.

I’ve seen some novel illustrations, and it looks different than the manga art. Upon checking, it seems like the manga has a different artist (Ayuko) than the novel (Takaboshi Asako). This explains why the characters look less sharp on the edges and more “polished”, suitable for a shoujo manga. I like both arts though. Each style suits the form they are used.

I admit, reading the manga is some sort of stopgap measure on my part to fill in my need for more Hakushaku to Yousei and didn’t really expect to like this. But I enjoyed my time reading the manga! It’s sad that the serialization stopped at volume four and the novels are not available digitally so it’ll take time plowing through this series.