Okay, it's been awhile since I read manga or watched anime. I recall plenty of bizarre and weird things, yet I wasn't quite prepared for this… Oh, Sakurano’s The Lion and the Bride is pretty mundane compared to past experiences. This is the story of Yua, a high school student who crushes on her science teacher. That affection is returned, and when Yua’s last remaining relative-her grandmother- passes unexpectedly, Sensei Takahashi makes a surprising proposal. Namely a marriage proposal. He just forgets to mention one small detail. Aloof Subaru, one of Yua's classmates, is his son!

Takahashi was sweet. He’s a real white knight, with a drive to protect. He also reminded me a lot of Cho Hakkai, from Gensomaden Saiyuki. They have a similar appearance, quiet demeanour, and caretaker personalities. Not surprisingly, Yua was somewhat immature. Granted, she's still a teen, but dang. Subaru, closer to her own age, reminds me of Sanzo, from Gensomaden Saiyuki. He has a certain aloofness that hides a caring, white knight personality similar to his father's, and a broken soul too it seems, but we don't really learn why this volume. The barriers between Yua and Subaru begin to break down, and he begins to feel protective towards her.

Overall, I enjoyed Lion and look forward to the next volume. The title confused me. Where does Lion come from. I did find the age difference disturbing at first. I'm guessing it's a 10 year difference, give it air, and really it only disturbed me because she was in high school. The older people get, the less a gap that big matters. Indeed, both my sister and I have partners considerably older than we.

***Many thanks to Netgalley and Akita Publishing for providing an egalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. ( )

Oh wow! What a love triangle!
Yua is a high school girl in a secret relationship with her teacher. But one day her grandmother, her last surviving family member, passes away and leaves her all alone in the world. And then, her beloved Sensei, supporting her again as he always has, asks her to marry him. She’s convinced that she’s about to begin a happy newlywed life, but it turns out Sensei has a huge secret...?! Sensei's son happens to be the boy at school that Yua despises... or is he her crush? Sensei is afraid that a boy her age will steal Yua away from him. But does he suspect his own son to be the culprit?
Dripping with drama and romance, this graphic novel really turns the heat up. Skillfully written and story boarded. Easy to follow dialogs. Beautifully drawn illustrations.
The ending leaves you on a cliffhanger that will make you curse out loud LOL 😉 ( )