A Bride’s Story is an engrossing tale of the daily life a young woman from a nomadic tribe who has been engaged to a young boy from another tribe.
I’d heard a fair bit about A Bride’s Story before my first read and it didn’t disappoint, immediately become one of my all time favorites. It’s an extremely carefully done character driven tale that depicts a situation unthinkable to modern times very accessibly. Amir is welcoming of her new life betrothed by her family to a very young future husband in another tribe with different traditions from her own and it is very interesting to watch as everyone gets used to each other. The story is well layered, with diverse personalities and customs coming into play and several external complications lying in wait. Though some will find the pace slow, for me the best part is that the story knows when to get out of it’s own way and take its time to let a scene unfold properly.
I’ve read a lot of excellent manga by a lot of talented artists, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything that compares to this. The detail in the art is AMAZING. Mori fills every panel with intricate, painstakingly perfected details and patterns. Just phenomenal stuff page after page. Several scenes, including the rabbit hunting and wood carving ones, were just jaw-droppingly gorgeous.
A Bride’s Story is one of the best, most lovingly created stories I’ve ever read. The premise depicted is from another time and very alien to modern sensibilities, but it’s done so well you can’t help but pull for the unusual young couple.
Highly recommended.
Derailments of Thought 