Manga Review: The Invisible Man and His Soon-to-Be Wife Volume 1
The Invisible Man and His Soon-to-Be Wife was my top 10 most anticipated manga announced for 2023. It looked like it would have everything I’d want in a manga. The cover seems wholesome and I always love looking at dapper men and well-dressed ladies.
But did it hold up to my high expectations? Let’s dive in.
Official Summary
Yakou Shizuka, a quiet and bashful woman, works at a detective agency. Her boss Tounome, who owns the company, is the gentlemanly type, kind and dapper, though he has an extra talent--he's invisible! His special ability is perfect for detective work, but he quickly comes to find it doesn't work on Yakou, who is blind and always knows if he's near. Charmed, Tounome is determined to get her to date him and isn't against using his many skills. Yakou's quirky coworkers, a contrarian human man and a sisterly beastwoman, kindly watch over her as she stumbles and blushes through the uncharted waters of office romance.
Quick Information
Mangaka: Neko Iwatobi
Publisher: Seven Seas
Published: February 28, 2023
Genre: Comedy, Romance, Supernatural
Rating: Teen 13+
Series Status: Ongoing
Review
The story is about a Detective Agency where a blind office worker named Yakou Shizuka works with her colleagues and the owner of the Detective Agency, an invisible man named Tounome Akira. While the world is not so different from our own, there is obviously a supernatural element given the not-so-disguised title and cover.
Yakou is a very adorable, easily likable character. She's kind, expressive, and remarkably self-sufficient despite her disability. Tounome stands out as the male lead by being polite, romantic, and even a bit nervous around Yakou. He also shares a bit of his own backstory that leaves a heavy emotional impact despite the rest of the volume's upbeat manner. It also goes without saying but his wardrobe is top tier. Their relationship is truly adorable.
The art style was one of the things that drew me to this manga initially. The inside pages also come with a very unique teal background amidst the normal black and white we typically see in manga. This really makes the characters stand out and brings them into sharp focus.
One of the things I was not expecting however, is that its story format is similar to The Way of the House Husband and not a continuous or deep story. The chapters are stand alone sections. The story focuses on its characters and their interactions through vignettes rather than having an overarching ongoing plot. The lack of leaning into the detective agency is a serious let down.
The Invisible Man and His Soon-to-Be Wife is a very wholesome manga with beautiful art which keeps the overall vibe of the story: being wrapped up in warm, sugary goodness. However, the vignette storytelling style and the lack of an overall plot did hamper my own personal enjoyment. Your mileage may vary!