Manga Review: The Betrayal Knows My Name, Vol. 1 [Paperback]

I've finished "The Betrayal Knows My Name Vol. 1" by Hotaru Odagiri.

Product Description

Abandoned as a baby and raised in an orphanage, the kind-hearted high-schooler Yuki Sakuragi is driven by a need to find the reason for his existence. Plagued by mysterious dreams, Yuki also possesses the strange ability to read the deepest, darkest thoughts of anyone he touches. As both the dreams and his powers intensify, there appears before him a beautiful young man named "Zess," whose face tugs on Yuki's memory. He warns Yuki not to venture outside on Walpurgis Night, the eve of the blood-red moon, which invites death. But when Yuki's compassion leads him to disobey Zess's order, has Yuki carelessly thrown his life away before he's even given himself the chance to find out the very reason for it?

Product Details
Paperback: 368 pages
Publisher: Yen Press (June 28, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0316119415
ISBN-13: 978-0316119412


My Review:

I've seen the anime but it doesn't compare to the manga.

Yuki was abandoned as a baby and he has a special power when he touches people he gets flashes of their feelings and memories.  He has always known he was different but doesn't know where he got this power or who he really is.  He is a very friendly and compassionate person but a classmate Uzuki doesn't see him that way.  He is so full of rage that he is possessed by a demon known as a Duras.

He attempts to kill Yuki by running him over with a car but he is saved by a beautiful black haired and silver eyed man.  He goes by the name Zess or Luka and his mission in life is to protect Yuki at no cost.  Yuki feels like he knows this man from somewhere.

Then he meets his older brother who wants to take him home to Tokyo.  He finds out his parents have died and he learns that he comes from a family that has special powers.  He also learns about the history of the Zwelts and meets the rest of the team (all of them have different personalities).   Also we learn the history of Luka's past!

Wow the art work is so beautiful, well detailed and colorful (the color pages which are glossy).

This manga deals with the emotional attachment of friendships, deep bonds between friends/team mates and the lost of a love one or being alone.

There is a lot of action and back story to keep you very interested and want to read the next manga in the series!

I highly recommend reading this series if you love action, character development, gorgeous detailed artwork and the deep bonds between friends and team mates.

5/5

Thanks Hachette Book Group and Yen Press for sending me this manga to review, greatly appreciated!

Other Manga in Series:

1.  The Betrayal Knows My Name Vol. 2
2.  The Betrayal Knows My Name Vol. 3 - Apr 24, 2012
3.  The Betrayal Knows My Name Vol. 4 - Aug 21, 2012