Black Bird is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Kanoko Sakurakoji. It’s a supernatural, psychological thriller and dark fantasy story that follows the main character Misao Harada and her involvement with the tengu demon clan. Black Bird has been serialized in the shōjo manga magazine Bessatsu Hana to Yume and collected in 18 volumes as of December 2021.
Plot Summary
The story focuses on Misao Harada, a high school student who can see demons. On her 16th birthday, she is told that she is a senka – a human bride with demon blood who can grant power to the demon clan she marries into. Because of her blood, Misao is suddenly declared the bride of Kyo Usui, the head of the tengu clan and her childhood friend.
As the plot unfolds, more is revealed about the tengu clan’s politics, abilities, history and rivals like the Tsuchigumo clan. Misao also learns that the tengu clan needs her to bear the future clan head’s child and inherit her senka powers. She is conflicted between her feelings for Kyo and her desire to live normally.
Main Characters
- Misao Harada – The main protagonist, a high school girl who can see demons.
- Kyo Usui – The head of the tengu demon clan who becomes Misao’s husband.
- Shrimp Tengu – Kyo’s devoted servant.
- Igarashi – A tengu elder who distrusts Misao.
- Taro – Misao’s childhood friend who has romantic feelings for her.
Number of Volumes
Black Bird is comprised of 18 collected volumes in total that have been released over the past 15 years. Here is a breakdown of when each volume was published:
| Volume | Release Date |
|---|---|
| 1 | July 3, 2006 |
| 2 | November 3, 2006 |
| 3 | March 2, 2007 |
| 4 | July 3, 2007 |
| 5 | October 3, 2007 |
| 6 | February 1, 2008 |
| 7 | June 3, 2008 |
| 8 | October 3, 2008 |
| 9 | February 3, 2009 |
| 10 | June 2, 2009 |
| 11 | November 3, 2009 |
| 12 | March 2, 2010 |
| 13 | July 2, 2010 |
| 14 | November 2, 2010 |
| 15 | March 1, 2011 |
| 16 | June 3, 2011 |
| 17 | November 1, 2011 |
| 18 | December 2, 2021 |
As shown, Black Bird started serialization in 2006 and new volumes continued to be released at a steady pace of 2-4 volumes per year. There was a long 10 year gap between volumes 17 and 18, with volume 18 finally published in December 2021.
In total, the dark fantasy series spans 18 collected volumes as of the end of 2021.
Manga Publication History
Black Bird has been published in the following manga magazines and formats over the years:
Bessatsu Hana to Yume
– The manga first appeared as individual chapters serialized in this Japanese shōjo manga magazine published by Hakusensha.
– Chapters were serialized monthly from October 2006 to December 2011.
– There were occasional breaks between chapter releases.
Collected Volumes
– The manga chapters were compiled into 18 collected volumes published by Hakusensha.
– Each volume contains approximately 8-9 chapters on average.
– The first volume was published on July 3, 2006. The latest 18th volume was released on December 2, 2021.
Digital Releases
– Starting in 2012, the manga volumes were digitally released on various platforms like Kindle and Kobo.
– This made the volumes accessible globally to readers outside Japan.
– The digital versions maintained the original right-to-left Japanese manga format.
English Translation
– The manga was licensed for English release by Viz Media in 2009.
– The first English volume was published on September 1, 2009 and new volumes continued to be released until October 2013.
– In total, 16 volumes have been published in English so far.
– The releases contained left-to-right text as customary for English manga.
Anime Adaptation
– A 13 episode anime television series adaptation of Black Bird aired from July to September 2008.
– It was produced by Studio Deen and directed by Shinji Takagi.
– The anime roughly adapted the events of the first 7 volumes of the manga.
– It helped to boost awareness and popularity of the Black Bird manga series.
Conclusion
In summary, the dark fantasy manga Black Bird by Kanoko Sakurakoji currently spans a total of 18 collected volumes as of December 2021. It was first serialized in 2006 in the magazine Bessatsu Hana to Yume, with new volumes being published regularly every 2-4 months in Japan.
16 volumes so far have been translated to English and released digitally and physically worldwide. An anime adaptation further boosted the profile and readership. For fans of supernatural romance and psychological thrillers, Black Bird provides an expansive, engaging manga series to enjoy.
