The Ogre's Bride
Japanese light novel series
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The Ogre's Bride (Japanese: 鬼の花嫁, Hepburn: Oni no Hanayome) is a Japanese light novel series written by Kureha and illustrated by Yū Shiroya.[2] It began serialization as a web novel on the Novema website in 2019.[3] It was later acquired by Starts Publishing who began publishing it under their Starts Shuppan Bunko imprint in October 2020. A manga adaptation illustrated by Jun Togashi began serialization in Starts Publishing's noicomi digital magazine in December 2021. A live-action film adaptation premiered in Japanese theaters in March 2026. An anime television series adaptation produced by Colored Pencil Animation Japan is set to premiere in July 2026.
| The Ogre's Bride | |
First light novel volume cover | |
| 鬼の花嫁 (Oni no Hanayome) | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Romantic fantasy[1] |
| Novel series | |
| Written by | Kureha |
| Published by | Novema |
| Original run | 2019 – present |
| Light novel | |
| Written by | Kureha |
| Illustrated by | Yū Shiroya |
| Published by | Starts Publishing |
| Imprint | Starts Shuppan Bunko |
| Original run | October 28, 2020 – present |
| Volumes | 9 |
| Manga | |
| Written by | Kureha |
| Illustrated by | Jun Togashi |
| Published by | Starts Publishing |
| English publisher |
|
| Imprint | Noicomi Comics |
| Magazine | noicomi |
| Original run | December 24, 2021 – present |
| Volumes | 9 |
| Live-action film | |
| Directed by | Chihiro Ikeda |
| Written by | Manato Hamada |
| Music by | Erina Koyama |
| Studio | Shochiku |
| Released | March 27, 2026 |
| Runtime | 122 minutes |
| Anime television series | |
| Directed by | Kazuhito Ōmiya |
| Written by | Yumi Kamakura |
| Music by | Masaru Yokoyama |
| Studio | Colored Pencil Animation Japan |
| Licensed by | Crunchyroll |
| Original network | Tokyo MX, BS11, GTV, GYT, CBC, ytv, FBS, SBS, HTV, HTB, tbc, RSK, AT-X |
| Original run | July 5, 2026 – scheduled |
Synopsis
Yuzu Shinonome, an ordinary high school student living in a world where monsters and humans coexist, has been treated unfairly by her parents, who dote on her younger sister, Karin, who was chosen as the bride of a fox spirit. Furthermore, her boyfriend Yamato breaks up with her because he has fallen in love with Karin, even though she has already been chosen as the bride. After that, Karin demands Yuzu to give away her a dress she received as a birthday present from their grandparents, who have always been kind to her. However, when Yuzu refuses, it develops into a sisters' quarrel, and as a result, the dress is torn, and Yuzu, enraged, raises her hand against Karin. Enraged that his bride, Karin, has been hurt, the fox spirit Kozuki Yota pours flames on Yuzu, causing her hands to get burned. Thus, Yuzu, who ran away from despair at not being loved or needed by anyone at home, happens to meet Kiryuuin Reiya, the next head of the Kiryuuin clan, the highest-ranking ayakashi. Reiya then tells Yuzu, "I've missed you, my bride."
Characters
- Yuzu Shinonome (東雲 柚子)
- Voiced by: Hina Suguta,[4][5] Manaka Iwami (reading play),[4][5] Saori Hayami (anime)[6]
- Portrayed by: Ai Yoshikawa[7]
- The protagonist, a high school girl.[8] She has never been loved by anyone before except by her grandparents, and has been neglected by her parents and bullied by her sister.[9] She has good relationships with friends and teachers at school, and her grandparents are worried about her. While she is kind and considerate, she also has the personality of silently enduring difficult and painful things.[10]
- Kiryuin Reiya (鬼龍院玲夜)
- Voiced by: Masaaki Mizunaka,[4][5] Toshiki Masuda (reading play),[4][5] Yūichirō Umehara (anime)[6]
- Portrayed by: Ren Nagase[7]
- A demon spirit and the next head of the Kiryuin clan. He has jet black hair and red eyes, and a beautiful appearance that is inhuman. He is expressionless and ruthless, but has high charisma. He is only kind to his bride Yuzu, whom he falls in love with.[10]
- Kooni (子鬼) / Sou (ソウ) and Ao (アオ)
- Voiced by: Momoka Terasawa (Sou), Miyu Kobashi (Ao) (anime)[11]
- Two beasts that Reiya created with his spiritual power. One has white hair and the other has black hair. Although small, she is highly skilled, forcing Yota to retreat.
- Karin Shinonome (東雲 花梨)
- Voiced by: Akari Kageyama,[4][5] Sayaka Senbongi (reading play),[4][5] Manaka Iwami (anime)[12]
- Yuzu's younger sister and Yota's bride.[13] Unlike Yuzu, she has a sociable personality, and was very spoiled and doted on by her parents and Yota as she grew up.[13] Yota was also unable to defy anyone around her. Because of this, she is very selfish and immature in both mental age and behavior, and looks down on Yuzu [13] and does not want to acknowledge that she has been chosen as the "demon's bride" [9].
- Kogetsu Yota (狐月瑶太)
- Voiced by: Yuto Suzuki,[4][5] Chiaki Kobayashi (reading play),[4][5] Ryōta Ōsaka (anime)[12]
- A fox spirit [13] who has Karin as his bride. He is a high-ranking spirit among the spirits and is also a wealthy.[13] He dotes on Karin and is prepared to do anything for her.[13]
- Touko (透子)
- Voiced by: Nichika Ōmori (reading play),[4][5] Sayaka Senbongi (anime)[12]
- Yuzu's best friend and has been Tokichi's bride [13] since middle school. She has a ponytail and a headstrong personality, but is very caring towards her friends.[13] She sympathizes with Yuzu's situation and hates her parents and her sister Karin intensely. She especially hates Karin so much that she doesn't even want to call her by name, calling her "that woman".
- Nekota Toukichi (猫田東吉)
- Voiced by: Genki Okawa (reading play),[4][5] Natsuki Hanae (anime)[12]
- A cat demon ayakashi who takes Touko as his bride, he goes by the nickname "Nyankichi".[13] He dotes on Touko, but is dominated by her.[13] He is a low-ranking ayakashi and has weak spiritual powers.
- Araki Takamichi (荒鬼高道)
- Voiced by: Taito Ban (anime)[14]
- Oniyama Ouga (鬼山桜河)
- Voiced by: Nobunaga Shimazaki (anime)[14]
- Oniyama Sakurako (鬼山桜子)
- Voiced by: Aya Endō (anime)[14]
- Tsumori Yukinosuke (津守幸之助)
- An onmyoji who is hostile towards Reiya.
- Ichiryusai Mikoto (一龍斎ミコト)
- The daughter of a family with the protection of a dragon.
- Kiryuin Senya (鬼龍院千夜)
- The current head of the Kiryuin family and Reiya's father. Regardless of his appearance, he is carefree on the inside, unlike his son.
- Kiryuin Sara (鬼龍院沙良)
- Chiya's wife and Reiya's mother. Although her marriage to Chiya is arranged, the couple has a good relationship.
- Kosetsu Nadeshiko (狐雪撫子)
- The current head of the Kosetsu family, the pinnacle of the fox spirits. She speaks in an old-fashioned way. She is usually calm, but can be ruthless depending on the situation.
Production
When the author found out that "Novema! Character Short Story Contest" was being held on the theme of "Ayakashi x Romance" on "Novema!", he was thinking about what to write for his submission when the phrase "I've found my bride" and the scene of the two meeting came to mind. He submitted this story to the contest, won the Excellence Award, and it was later decided that the story would be published as a book.[15]
The author points out that one thing he is careful about is "not to overdo Reiya's expressions of affection". This is due to the author's belief that "no matter how much you love someone, there is a line that you cannot forgive", and citing the scene where Reiya makes Yuzu quit her part-time job without permission, the author said that he was conscious of "showing love in a way that is considerate of the other person, without being pushy".[16][17]
Media
Light novel
| No. | Title | Release date | ISBN | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arc 1 | ||||||||||||
| 1 | 運命の出逢い | October 28, 2020[18] | 978-4-81-370993-0 | |||||||||
| 2 | 波乱のかくりよ学園 | December 28, 2020[19] | 978-4-81-371025-7 | |||||||||
| 3 | 龍に護られし娘 | May 28, 2021[20] | 978-4-81-371097-4 | |||||||||
| 4 | 前世から繋がる縁 | September 28, 2021[21] | 978-4-81-371156-8 | |||||||||
| 5 | 未来へと続く誓い | December 28, 2021[22] | 978-4-81-371195-7 | |||||||||
| Shinkon-hen (新婚編) | ||||||||||||
| 6 | 新たな出会い | August 28, 2022[23] | 978-4-81-371314-2 | |||||||||
| 7 | 強まる神子の力 | February 24, 2023[24] | 978-4-81-371397-5 | |||||||||
| 8 | 消えたあやかしの本能 | July 28, 2023[25] | 978-4-81-371461-3 | |||||||||
| 9 | もうひとりの鬼 | May 24, 2024[26] | 978-4-81-371589-4 | |||||||||
Manga
A manga adaptation illustrated by Jun Togashi began serialization in Starts Publishing's noicomi digital magazine on December 24, 2021.[27] The manga's chapters have been collected in nine tankōbon volumes as of March 2026.[28]
The manga is published in English on NTT Solmare's MangaPlaza website.[29][30][31]
| No. | Release date | ISBN |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | August 25, 2022[32] | 978-4-81-376124-2 |
| 2 | February 24, 2023[33] | 978-4-81-376176-1 |
| 3 | July 28, 2023[34] | 978-4-81-376210-2 |
| 4 | January 26, 2024[35] | 978-4-81-376271-3 |
| 5 | May 24, 2024[36] | 978-4-81-376316-1 |
| 6 | November 22, 2024[37] | 978-4-81-376377-2 |
| 7 | June 13, 2025[38] | 978-4-81-376443-4 |
| 8 | December 26, 2025[39] | 978-4-81-376541-7 |
| 9 | March 27, 2026[28] | 978-4-81-376572-1 |
Reading play
A reading play of the series was performed at Hamagin Hall Viamare between November 18 and 19, 2023.[4][5]
Live-action film
A live-action film adaptation was announced on December 3, 2025. The film is produced by Shochiku and directed by Chihiro Ikeda from a screenplay written by Manato Hamada. It premiered in Japanese theaters on March 27, 2026.[7]
Anime
An anime television series adaptation was announced on June 10, 2025.[40][41] The series will be produced by Colored Pencil Animation Japan and directed by Kazuhito Ōmiya, with Yumi Kamakura handling series composition, Hikari Tanaka designing the characters, and Masaru Yokoyama composing the music.[6] It is set to premiere on July 5, 2026, on Tokyo MX and other networks.[42] The opening theme song is "Hitokoto" (ヒトコト; 'A Word') performed by ClariS, and the ending theme song is "Shinboshi" (心星) performed by Ikusaburo Yamazaki.[43] Crunchyroll will stream the series.[44] Medialink licensed the series.[45]
Episodes
Reception
The manga adaptation won the grand prize at NTT Solmare's Digital Comic Awards in 2023.[49] The manga adaptation was also ranked third for the Tsutaya Comic Award in 2023.[50]
See also
- Bride of the Barrier Master, a novel series also written by Kureha
- The White Cat's Revenge as Plotted from the Dragon King's Lap, another light novel series written by Kureha