Quick Answer
Yes, if you want a patient, atmospheric supernatural mystery with real worldbuilding. It's a slow-build story, so go in expecting a gradual reveal rather than an immediate hook.
Quick Verdict
“The Daemons themselves take a while to come into focus, but Yuru and Asa's separate halves of the mystery are compelling enough on their own to carry the wait.”
Best for: Readers who want a patient, folklore-heavy supernatural mystery with real worldbuilding underneath it.
Not for: Readers who want fast answers or a story that doesn't split time between two separate leads.
| Quick facts | |
|---|---|
| Format | Manga, 52 chapters, 13 volumes |
| Run | 2021–present · ongoing |
| Community score | AniList 7.4 · MangaUpdates 7.3 |
| Content | Fantasy violence, dark themes |
| Where to read | Square Enix Manga & Books — official |
Hiromu Arakawa, the creator behind Fullmetal Alchemist and Silver Spoon, turns her attention to Japanese folk horror and rural mysticism with this one. Twin siblings Yuru and Asa were separated as children and raised apart, each unaware of the truth of their birth: they're the "children who sunder day and night," born to command powerful supernatural beings called Daemons. Yuru lives a quiet life in a remote mountain village, while Asa is kept as a prisoner elsewhere, bound to a mysterious duty she can't explain. Neither knows the other exists until the secrets buried under their village start surfacing.
Arakawa's gift for grounded, lived-in worldbuilding is all over this book. The mountain village setting feels like a real, functioning place with its own customs and history rather than a generic fantasy backdrop, and the mystery of what the village's guardians are actually protecting unfolds patiently instead of getting dumped in exposition.
The sibling bond at the center of the story does real emotional work even before Yuru and Asa are back in the same room. Both of their halves of the story matter on their own, so when the mystery of their shared birthright starts connecting the two threads, it feels like a payoff instead of a twist for its own sake.
Arakawa also brings her usual mix of dark stakes and dry, character-driven humor, which keeps the folklore-horror atmosphere from becoming oppressive. The blocky, expressive art style she's known for translates well to both the eerie village imagery and the more grounded character comedy.
This is a slow-build story, and the deliberate pacing that makes the worldbuilding land also means the central mystery takes real time to pay off. Readers looking for a fast hook or immediate answers about what the Daemons actually are will need patience.
Because the story splits time between Yuru and Asa's separate situations for a long stretch, the momentum can feel uneven depending on which half you're more invested in at any given point.
This is a patient, atmospheric supernatural mystery from a creator with a strong track record for grounded worldbuilding, and it mostly earns that patience. The slow reveal of what Yuru and Asa actually are, and what it costs them, is worth sticking with if you're willing to let it take its time.
Strengths
Weaknesses
Another folklore-steeped supernatural series that unfolds its mysteries patiently instead of rushing to explain itself.
A gentler, more episodic take on rural Japanese folklore and the spirits living alongside it.
A different genre, but a similar commitment to dense, thoughtful worldbuilding underneath the central mystery.
| Platform | Format | Pricing | Region notes | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Square Enix Manga & Books | Print & digital volumes | Paid | Region availability varies | Open |
No, it's still ongoing in Japan, with Square Enix releasing English volumes as translations catch up.
No, it's a separate, unrelated story by the same creator, Hiromu Arakawa.
They're powerful supernatural beings tied to Yuru and Asa's birthright, though the manga reveals what that actually means gradually rather than upfront.
