Man Falls in Love with Poisonous Birdman
About:
Warning:
This review will contain spoilers for the manga and anime series Zhenniao. While the manga may vary slightly from all other forms of media, it may have similar story elements and could be considered spoilers.
Content Warning: There may be references to death, blood, abuse, confinement, military, violence, murder, sexual assault, social gap, power imbalance, kidnapping, disability, war, and self-deprecation, as they appear in the manga.
Synopsis:
Fei was once part of a prolific family of Zhen keepers but is now a shogun. Zhen are a coveted breed of bird person whose wing colors are determined by the amount and potency of poisonous plants they consume. This has the added effect of making their bodies toxic to all who may interact with them. But this danger of owning one only makes them all the more alluring to the upper echelon. Unfortunately, Fei’s brother passed away while caring for his greatest Zhen, Cai Hong, who happens to have been sold to his captain.
With Fei’s history in Zhen-keeping, his role as a soldier is steadily redirected to Zhen-keeping because the captain is determined to submit Cai Hong to a festival where Zhen are judged for their vibrant colors. Fei stopped keeping Zhen for a reason, and regardless of Cai Hong’s role in his brother’s death, Fei has no interest in raising another Zhen. Cai Hong is as aggressive as expected, now a Zhen known to kill his keepers, but there’s something strange about Cai Hong. Fei just can’t figure out what it is.
Review:
This is a super sketchy art style, and it’s equally inconsistent. The character designs are unique, with some of the pointiest noses I’ve ever seen. The Zhen are super detailed, too, which is a positive, but it can be so detailed that, when paired with the sketchy style, it can be challenging to discern what’s going on. Sketchy styles are pretty hit-or-miss for me. I can’t decide if I really like it in this particular story or not, but it’s not the worst I’ve ever seen. Perfect art, this is not, for sure.
Where this shines, though, is in the story. The Zhen are stunning creatures caged up and either neglected or abused as nothing more than objects. Cai Hong longs to be loved but discovers that his very nature, the thing he adores about himself, his poisonous feathers, can cause those he loves to die. So, he puts a wall between himself and humans, pretending to be the vicious creature he is perceived to be to avoid actually hurting anyone. Fei, similarly, loves Zhen but stops raising them because he’s seen how cruelly they are treated when they aren’t the epitome of Zhen. Both of them want a connection with each other, but the fear of hurting one another keeps them apart. This leads to Cai Hong making the ultimate sacrifice of giving up his color and one defense mechanism, his poison, so that he can be with Fei. Fei also gives up comfort as a shogun to be with and protect Cai Hong. It’s a story of immense pain and sacrifice, and I love it.
As much as I like the story, I do think the translation is a little awkward on this one. After some cursory research, I found that this one was published by the same publisher that did Good-bye, Heron, which I also complained about regarding the translation. These are the only two I’ve identified as being from this publisher that I’ve read, so I’m not confident this is an issue with the publisher, but I have my suspicions. I wouldn’t say this title is as bad as Good-bye, Heron, but it has the same awkward and stilted dialogue in some spots. It’s so disappointing when this is such a good story.
Now, this story actually comes with a separate side story that is super unique. It is not a romance by any means, but it’s so interesting. It’s a story of personified bees and flowers. We follow a bee who is getting pollen from all the beautiful flowers, including one that hasn’t fruited. The poor flower that hasn’t fruited longs for the bee’s attention and promises to become a beautiful fruited flower next year. As promised, he does, but as he and the bee discover, the flower fruits draw in bugs to consume. The flower tries to dissuade the bee, but the bee ignores him, entranced by his fruit. It’s such a painfully beautiful and short tale. I adore it. I think this whole volume is worth reading to experience that single short story alone.
Results:
The art in this is rough, but I think the story more than makes up for it. The main story is wonderful, and then we get that flower and bee personification story at the end, which was such a unique treat. This story is one that shouldn’t be missed. It’s truly a refreshing experience.
Have you read Zhenniao? If so, what do you think? Do you agree with my assessment? Do you not? Let me know, and comment below!