Rakuen no Bijo to Yajuu
Beauty and the Beast of Paradise Lost

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DISCLAIMER: it's difficult to review this series as a completed manga as I believe that Kaori Yuki planned to write more but was unable to due to the fact her health took a really bad downturn. With this in mind the plot was probably more rushed than was intially planned.
Now that's out of the way, let's get on with the review.

So I actually really love this manga, I initially picked up the first three volumes at a London bookstore London and after devouring them in record time I had to pick up the rest.

As somone who loves romance, dark fairy tales and fantasy ... this ticked all my boxes! But it was the characters that really sold it for me, Kaori Yuki has a knack for creating imperfect characters that you just can't help but root for. Both the Beast and Belle are flawed in their own ways, which is what makes their romance all the more heartfelt. They're just two damaged people who find something in each other that they just can't find anywhere else.

That being said, like all of her other work, Kaori Yuki can't help but make things more than a little convoluted. I won't hold it against this series though because I feel if the story had enough time to develop things wouldn't feel quite so crammed in and rushed. Having said that, I love the world she created and the very her take on a classic fairy tale.

But unlike her previous work, this is a lot less dark and gory. So if you're put off by her heavier stuff, then dw, this is has no gore and incredibly minimal horror.

The character designs are really fun and different, I love her unusual and whimsical take on the Beast and the castle inhabitants. And as ever, the clothing is immaculate.

One plus of its length is that it's a very quick read and won't take up quite so much bookshelf space!

If you want a non-soppy romance with plenty of fantasy action then I thoroughly recommend it.


And shout-out to Kaori Yuki for working through such an intense health scare. She truly is amazing.