It looks like your standard sappy romance manga but it's not!

I don't write a lot of reviews but I think it's a shame that this great manga has such a low score. I think that is largely due to misunderstanding the story and the characters.

Hakushaku to Yousei tells the story of a fairy doctor (a person who can see and communicate with fairies) and a man searching for a fairy-related treasure. The story is original and well told. The plot is character driven - not romance driven. So, even though there are romantic elements, your attention will always be drawn to whatever predicament the characters are in. The past plays a significant role in the story but it is not overbearing. The original creator does a fantastic job of pacing and revealing information at just the right moment.

The characters are realistic. They use their brains but are sometimes ruled by their hearts. Lydia, the main female character is sensible and strong. But she isn't presented as the stereotypical "I can overcome anything the world throws at me" shoujo lead. Likewise, Edgar's true nature is never swept under the rug. Raven truly is a stoic that few can understand - even the reader isn't given special insight into his character. I love the fact that I was often taken for a loop when the characters didn't do what I expected (what would be conventional for this genre of manga) but did do what was natural to them. It's also important to note that the characters are not ridiculously intuitive. They don't always figure things out right away, they don't always know what's going on and that means the reader doesn't always know right from wrong either. If you are the type of person who wants to know and understand everything right away, you probably won't enjoy this manga. If you enjoy being thrown into the story with the characters, you probably will enjoy this manga.

I have absolutely no complaints about the artwork. However, there isn't anything particularly outstanding about it either. I do appreciate the level of detail in the backgrounds and in the characters' clothing. It's not so complicated that it's distracting, but it's still very good. Also, I'm glad that the fairies looked natural - not whimsical.

Hakushaku to Yousei was a very enjoyable read. I will definitely watch the anime so that I can see the characters in action. I will also purchase the light novels so that I can see what happens to these wonderful characters!