Black Bird

is a Japanese shōjo manga series written and illustrated by Kanoko Sakurakoji. The story depicts the life of a high school girl who can see supernatural beings. It was serialized in Shogakukan's Betsucomi magazine from July 2006 to December 2012 and published in 18 bound volumes from January 2007 to April 2013. Viz Media licensed the series for an English-language release in North America. The first chapter was previewed in their now-defunct Shojo Beat magazine in 2008. Viz published all 18 volumes from August 2009 to March 2014. In Japan, it was adapted into a drama CD, a light novel, and a stage play. Sakurakoji also published a new one-shot chapter of the manga in Betsucomis May 2019 issue (released on April 12). In 2009, Black Bird won the 54th Shogakukan Manga Award in the shōjo manga category. According to ICv2, Black Bird was the sixth best-selling manga series in the United States for 2011. Plot Misao sees things that other people can't. Normally, the monsters would do harmless things. But suddenly, on her sixteenth birthday, the creatures she sees take it farther by trying to kill her. She's saved by a childhood friend from her past, Kyo Usui, who just so happens to be a demon, or yōkai, as well as the clan leader of the tengu. She finds out that she is the rare "Bride of Prophecy", also known as "The Senka" or "The Holy Fruit", and depends on Kyo for protection from those who wish to eat her for her blood, which gives the consumer incredible power. She further gets to know that marrying her brings immense prosperity to the whole demon clan of the groom and is thus the object of conflict among the clan leaders of different demon clans, who want to be her suitors. Kyo wants to marry her but to do so he has to put more than just his life at stake. Moreover, the "Senkaroku", or "Record of the Holy Fruit", restricts their love.