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Title | Volume 1
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Author | Nagabe
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Publisher | Seven Seas - 2017
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First Printing | Mag Garden Publisher - 2016
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Title | Volume 2
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Author | Nagabe
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Publisher | Seven Seas - 2017
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First Printing | Mag Garden Publisher - 2016
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Title | Volume 3
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Author | Nagabe
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Publisher | Seven Seas - 2017
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First Printing | Mag Garden Publisher - 2017
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Title | Volume 4
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Author | Nagabe
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Publisher | Seven Seas - 2018
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First Printing | Mag Garden Publisher - 2017
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Title | Volume 5
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Author | Nagabe
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Publisher | Seven Seas - 2018
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First Printing | Mag Garden Publisher - 2018
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Title | Volume 6
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Author | Nagabe
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Publisher | Seven Seas - 2019
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First Printing | Mag Garden Publisher - 2018
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Title | Volume 7
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Author | Nagabe
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Publisher | Seven Seas - 2019
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First Printing | MAG Garden Publisher - 2019
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Title | Volume 8
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Author | Nagabe
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Publisher | Seven Seas - 2020
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First Printing | MAG Garden Publisher - 2019
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Title | Volume 9
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Author | Nagabe
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Publisher | Seven Seas - 2020
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First Printing | MAG Garden Publisher - 2020
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Title | Volume 10
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Author | Nagabe
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Publisher | Seven Seas - 2021
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First Printing | MAG Garden Publisher - 2020
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Title | Volume 11
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Author | Nagabe
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Publisher | Seven Seas - 2021
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First Printing | MAG Garden Publisher - 2021
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Title | Volume 12
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Author | Nagabe
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Publisher | Seven Seas - 2022
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First Printing | MAG Garden Publisher - 2022
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Category | Manga
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Warnings | None
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Main Characters | Shiva, Teacher
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Main Elements | Demons
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 Volume 1
Once upon a time...
In a land far away, there were two kingdoms: the Outside, where twisted beasts roamed that could curse with a touch, and the Inside, where humans lived in safety and peace. The girl and the beast should never have met, but when they do, a quiet fairy tale begins.
This is the story of two people - one human, one inhuman - who linger in the hazy twilight that separates night from day.
Volume 2
Untouchable
To be touched by an Outsider is to become an Outsider. A clawed, black hand reaches out to touch Shiva's cheek in her sleep. The hand does not belong to Teacher. Who is this strange new Outsider, and what do its creepy murmurings about "mother" portend?
Enter a fantasy realm shrouded in mystery, in a dark fairy tale-like setting for fans of The Ancient Magus' Bride.
Volume 3
Homecoming
Shiva's aunt has come to the Outside to bring her home, with several soldiers in tow. Alarmed at this show of force, Teacher tries to protect Shiva, but to no avail. Meanwhile, chaos threatens to engulf the small hamlet on the Inside. Where does Shiva truly belong?
Volume 4
A fate worse than death
Shiva's little white lie has had devastating consequences. While she reels from the shock of the horrific events that have unfolded, Auntie reveals to Teacher how Shiva came to live under her roof - and the cruel fate that awaits all who are afflicted by the curse.
Volume 5
What Teacher feared most is true - the child Shiva has been afflicted with the curse of the Outsiders. Yet somehow, even touched by that blight, she remains humans. How can it be possible? And what of the Insiders, and the revelation from their Holy Father? His divine words portend trouble for Shiva and Teacher alike.
Volume 6
Pursued by soldiers, Teacher and Shiva left their home and searched for a new one in a distant hamlet. They thought to hide away there, but fate was not so kind to them. The cursed soldiers... The Insiders' plans... Even Teacher himself. The mysteries surrounding them slowly begin coming to light...
Volume 7
OF MONSTERS AND MEN
Hounded by two transformed soldiers desperate for salvation and with Teacher reeling from revelations about his own forgotten former life, the past finally catches up to Teacher and Shiva. With danger closing in around them at terrifying speed, is there nowhere safe for them to live a normal life together...?
Volume 8
WHEN ALL HOPE IS LOST
For Shiva’s sake, another life must be sacrificed. Teacher thought he had steeled himself to commit the deed, but perhaps some lingering trace of his humanity stilled his hand. Unable to harm others, he realizes the only recourse is to instead sacrifice himself. But what remains once the soul is gone?
Volume 9
DIRE CONSEQUENCES
Teacher has lost himself, becoming just another wandering Outsider. At first, Shiva doesn’t want to believe, but as she realizes she’s been forgotten, she falls into despair. Will the two of them ever truly connect again? Meanwhile, the truth of the world—and the machinations of gods—begins to come to light within the Inside. Humanity makes a choice. A little girl makes a choice. Their actions lead the way to a future that must not come to pass.
Volume 10
REVELATIONS
Shiva has escaped, thanks to the agonizing decision made by the king of the Insiders to betray his kingdom. Now, with locket in hand, Shiva has returned to the cottage to rejoin Teacher. What she discovers there will bring her to tears as an unimaginable truth comes to light.
Volume 11
ASHES TO ASHES, DUST TO DUST
Everything eventually crumbles to dust, even a cozy stone cottage. The creaky floorboards and sooty chimney are now only a sweet memory. Time marches inexorably forward. Only the world will remain, spinning ever on. As everything slips into the past, what remains of Shiva and Teacher’s last moments?
This was a story of two people—one human, one inhuman—who lingered in the hazy twilight that divides night from day. Now it reaches its end.
Volume 12
It was inevitable that the road walked by Teacher and Shiva would be sorrowful, but not all of their times together were bleak. Many of their days held quiet, shimmering joy; comfortable days of sunlight and soft breezes where nothing of significance happened. Days that remained unseen…until now. These are the side stories of two people—one human, one inhuman—who linger in the hazy twilight that separates night from day.
I saw the cover of one of the volumes and I knew I was going to love this series. Nagabe has a special skill at drawing scary creatures that are exquisitely beautiful at the same time. Teacher in particular, yes, he has a skull for a head, but those sweeping horns, that fuzzy hair, those floppy ears, turns a creature of nightmare into a sweet, innocent, naive being. He can't move anything in his face, but his eyes alone express so much emotion. And his concern for Shiva and his lack of knowledge of his own kind make him completely endearing. I sometimes just flip through the pages to stare at the art, so beautifully done.
The story too is engrossing. We start with Teacher taking care of Shiva, though we don't know how this came about other than Teacher found her abandonned on the Outside. See, he's an Outsider, cursed to be black and deformed, to lose his sense of touch, his memory, and all knowledge of who he was before. And yet he took this child in, took care of her even though they must never ever touch for fear that Shiva too will be cursed. We don't quite understand the origin of the curse, something to do with two gods that had a disagreement. And as the series progresses we find there are other Outsiders that consider Teacher to be something other than what they are, they appear to be born to this form, created by someone named Mother. Those humans that are cursed tend to not last very long, forgetting who they were and disappearing. But Teacher remains, and no one knows what to make of him, he doesn't appear to be losing more of his memory, and yet he doesn't seem to be the same as the other Black Children.
Shiva is special too. A child so full of love you can't help but love her back. She doesn't mind that her guardian is a little weird looking, and while she can sometimes get annoyed at his ineptness in the kitchen, she finds it more funny than anything. In fact, this series is an interesting mix of dark moments (there is death, village razing, and more) and of humour (oh, you simply MUST see the scene where Teacher, Shiva and Auntie are all cooking!). Shiva appears to be immune to the curse, and yet seems to be able to pass it along to others. She is also wanted, by Mother and by the Insiders. We don't really understand why yet, or how she came to be special.
The series moves back and forth between cute domestic scenes that make you go "Awww", to terrifying moments of death and destruction and pain, to the mystery of what is going on. Why is Teacher different from the other Outsiders? Why is Shiva wanted by gods? And of course, don't forget the art, I don't know what kind of mind can come up with this bizarre and twisted creatures, yet make them beautiful and magnificent at the same time, even the beast that walks around holding his own head. You'd think that'd be kind of scary but most of the time you end up laughing as others play games with his head, or he inconveniently loses it somewhere. A wonderful series and I simply must read more. Unfortunately not only do I have to wait for translations to get more, I must also wait for them to be written in the first place! At least in the meantime I can keep going back over the ones I have. I have not read a lot of manga but this one is my favorite so far.
May 2025
This must be the most beautiful, haunting, touching manga ever written. The creatures are terrifying, yet etheral. The story full of mysteries, when we find out what made Shiva and Teacher special, I never would have guessed. I thought many things, but certainly not this. And that made it all the more wonderful, because on some level, they weren't special, or magical, or divine, or chosen ones. They neither save not destroy the world. And that's what I loved most about this series, not the moments of action and adventure, but the little moments, a smile, a hug. Baking a pie, or doing the laundry. The calmness of Teacher was comforting, Shiva was adorable and loving.
Its a cozy manga, while still managing to be disturbing and dark. The worldbuilding is complex and actually I had some trouble figuring out some of the details even when they were explained. But then that wasn't what I cared about the most, it was those quiet moments picking berries or plucking apples. A moment of beauty in a world of horror.
The series finishes with book 11 but don't skip book 12, its full of those sweet moments.
Siúil, siúil, siúil a rúin
Siúil go socar agus siúil go ciúin
"Walk, walk, walk, my love, walk softly and walk quietly"
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