香魚子

Story:
I don't understand the purpose of this manga. It seems like the mangaka tried to make the most unlikeable bunch of characters possible in sixteen chapters. The main characters are hard to connect with excluding Nico, and the story is more violent than I expected with a lot of blood and knives and guns.

Characters:
Edgar had no redeeming value; he was manipulative and abusive. He also choked a chick out with his bare hands and barely blinked, which is dark for a shoujo manga. I don't know if he loved his friends/servants or not, as one of his closest friends jumped off a cliff, and the guy got over it within two pages.

Lydia is a basic girl, who, at times, shows her independence only for Edgar to swoon her out of it. She's reminiscent of the classic horror movie chick because she doesn't know when to leave a creepy situation. Edgar has endangered her life enough, and the chick still doesn't know how to leave. When she was finally able to return home, I thought she had grown beyond Edgar, but apparently, his manipulation knew no bounds. Lydia should be thankful for her magical animal sidekick, Nico. I like that she wasn't “completely” spineless, but that is all.

Ermine is okay but like Raven, her undying loyalty to Edgar confuses me. Her ties to that prince were never explained well. Ermine and Raven are the only non-English characters, who I guess are Japanese or some other race. I wish she could have more personality than fawning over some guy.

Raven, a kid housing a murderous spirit, is an emotionless shell that would give his sanity and life to Edgar at a moment's notice. I wish this guy actually had a personality. He's like a living gun only existing for someone to pull the trigger.

Nico is my absolute favorite. He had common sense, leadership skills, and a cute fluffy tail.

Art:
The artwork is good. It meets the standard of crisp lines, fashionable clothes, and pretty scenery. The eyes are a bit blurry, though.

Overall:
In conclusion, I don't think this was a good story. I have read many cliche stories before that I have loved for one reason: the characters. In Hakushaku to Yousei, there is not one human character that I liked, and that is why I found this story a struggle to finish. Not to mention it had a lackluster ending. This manga may have worked better as a psychological story.
… (mere)