I don’t normally read manga or watch anime (other than Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, which I would recommend to literally anyone). I had heard of The Ancient Magus’ Bride manga by Kore Yamazaki and it’s anime adaptation, thought the premise was deeply weird, and wanted to see if that was truly the case. I was also sick, and willing to read something far outside my comfort zone in order to distract from that.
Wikipedia description: “Having been ostracized by both her relatives and partially by society, orphaned Japanese high school student Chise Hatori decides to sell herself at an auction in order for somebody else to take her in and have a new place to call home. At the auction in London, she is sold for five million pounds to Elias Ainsworth, a seven-foot-tall humanoid with an animal skull for a head. The magus, who seems closer to a demon than human, either brings her the light she desperately seeks or drowns her in ever deeper shadows in her new country, Great Britain. The series deals with a romantic slice-of-life storyline in a surreal and supernatural light.”
Luckily, it surprised me. The premise and descriptions almost seemed out to trick potential readers – instead of an iffy master-servant dynamic, it immediately became about self-worth and the importance of a found family. They even quickly clarified that the “bride” part was (mostly?) a misunderstanding between main characters Chise and Elias. This is a gentle, emotional story with genuine character growth. And I am not an expert but the illustrations seemed very well done, with it having almost none of the “scantily-clad women” that these genres are famous for.
I would recommend it! It’s ongoing, so I have no idea when it’ll finish being published. There’s a good chance I’ll read it again when it ends.