Love Monster is the title of a manga written by Riko Miyagi, and was put into twelve volumes in between 2002 and 2006. While a more mature title, it would be acceptable for those ages of thirteen and older. This shoujo manga is concentrated on paranormal activities, as well as the romance between the two main characters, building up to the all over story arc of the main female character needing to decide which is more important, her love for her fiancé, or the entire world around her.

Hiyo Osora is not a particularly bright young woman. Thus, when she fails the entrance exams to high school, she is certain her life is over. It is then that she gets an invitation to the private, never-heard-of boarding high school known as SM Academy. Here she discovers that everyone in attendance is a demon of some kind, including her. Her life gets even more complicated when the school president and powerful crow demon Kurou Tenma announces on the very first day that she is his fiance. To make matters worse, she also discovers that she is the legendary white crow demon, who has a destiny far beyond what she’d hoped.

The plot of Love Monster can be slight trite at some points. While the author was creative in the mythology of the white crow, and of the several different types of demons around Hiyo, the plot lines all revolve around people wanting to be in possession of the white crow, and more specifically, white crow feathers which are supposed to grant the wishes of anyone who has them. Most of the books are made up of this, with just a touch or two upon the plot arc of the white crow needing to destroy the demon king, who has returned in the form of Hiyo’s eventual lover, Kurou. At the very end though, the plot concentrates heavily on the decision Hiyo needs to make, and is less about all the demon men that fall in love with her on the way there.

Riko Miyagi’s art is quite beautiful in this manga series. Love Monster is full of beautiful people that become frightening with just a glance away and then back again. With a few strokes of an ink pen, handsome men turn into werewolves and snake demons, and then go back to their attractive human personas, while their eyes still tell the tale of something more sinister beneath the surface. While there are problems with shadowing and backgrounds, Miyagi does an excellent job of showing her story as much as telling it through her dialogue, which conveys the personality of her characters quite well.

If you are looking for a story with more mature subjects, than Love Monster is certainly for you. While it is not juvenile fiction, it is perfect for anyone thirteen or older, and adults will enjoy the unique characters and amusing behavior of the main heroine.