Manga Tengu’s Love prioritizes characters
Sometimes the official description for a manga or anime doesn’t accurately reflect the series. I suppose Hachioji Section: Tengu’s Love is a manga that is particularly suitable, as first episode summary doesn’t really capture what’s going on in the main characters’ lives. Because this series is so much more than what we see. It’s not just a love story between a human and a supernatural being. It’s also about two people growing as individuals, finding new freedom through their relationship with each other, and dealing with traumas they may not have known they had.
Editor’s Note: There will be some minor spoilers for the first episode of Hachioji Section: Tengu’s Love manga below.
Kotarou is an orphan. He has returned to his grandfather’s house where he spent time as a child, and has now grown up and found a job. However, now that he has returned, he also has fleeting memories of the time he was lost in the forest. It was about a woman with wings. Only after moving to the right place does what was lost come flooding back and he is reunited with Hime, a tengu who found and took care of him when he was a child, lonely and scared.
However, there was a surprise when they reunited. She had tried to warn him before and now. But since they met again under a certain tree, according to tradition, the two had to get married. Her family and clan encouraged this, since she was the princess and leader of the group now.
It seems like the perfect setup for a romantic comedy! Except, not really. Instead, Tomo Nanao goes a little deeper by taking other factors into consideration. As a result, Kotarou and Hime seem to be deeper and more well-realized characters in Hachioji Section: Tengu’s Love manga. As I read, I found myself hoping that the two would overcome their painful pasts and grow up for each other, instead of just coming together as a couple.
In Kotarou’s case, it’s clear that he’s dealing with the trauma of being an orphan and lonely. In moments both alone and with Hime, Nanao conveys his loneliness and situation through art. He’s clearly not used to the sudden companionship she brings. He’s reliving memories, happy memories, and is shocked that people in the area remember him from his short time there. I also feel like he’s sometimes surprised by Hime’s care and enthusiasm.
With Hime, we see a woman finally getting the chance to be free and do things she only dreamed of. She always wanted to see what the human world was like. She craved the chance to participate in experiences we take for granted. Because of her family circumstances, she needed to shoulder the burden and responsibility for the sake of others and not do things for herself. Meeting Kotarou again is not just a chance to fulfill the promise they both shared. It is a chance to make her dreams come true, especially in a way that allows her to be safe and not a spectacle for being a tengu.
Watching the first episode of Hachioji’s Specialty: Tengu’s Love, It’s pretty easy to see what’s going to happen to the characters in the manga. The fact that there’s this “promise” between Kotarou and Hime, as well as the obvious attraction, makes it seem like a given. But I feel like the fun of it will come from the growth and recovery they’ll both go through as a result of their developing relationship.
Episode 1 belong to Hachioji Section: Tengu’s Love available through Yen Pressand volume 2 of the manga will be released on December 10, 2024.
