A dramatic romance featuring the themes of reincarnation and immortality! Jumping right in, Yaotsukumo introduces us readers with a common tale of a mortal who wants to live, and an immortal who wishes to die. The story is intriguing and there are many elements that set it apart from every other story about immortals. ...Right up until the end, where it falls completely flat. Whether it is due to the author's poor storytelling ability or whatnot, the fact remains that Yaotsukumo starts off with a great amount of potential, but is unfortunately not utilized to its full extent.

One of the key charms of Yaotsukumo is the art style. While others may disagree, I really enjoyed the art style. It is a refreshing change: the author utilizes bold strokes of black with creative angles that give scenes a very intense feeling. This works especially well for such a manga filled with gore and action, and the clean artwork makes it easy for the reader to follow along. However, it is important to note that sometimes the character anatomy is a bit off, and the art style combined with said unique angles makes it difficult to differentiate between what is the author's style (eg: thin limbs) vs. what is anatomically incorrect (eg: heavily elongated limbs).

The two main characters have simple designs, but they are effective and memorable. Side characters tend to have slightly more complex designs, but their main flaw is that they are one-time-use characters. Whether it be Tsukumo's best friend, the servant Mutsuki, or even the tsukumogami Aria, they are all quickly introduced and abandoned just as quickly. There is absolutely no room given for these characters to develop. Even the growth between the two main characters is small and limited.

Overall, Yaotsukumo was an enjoyable read, albeit far too short. The manga pulls you in for an enriching and one-of-a-kind tale, only to suddenly disappear and leave you yearning for more. Unfortunately, no amounts of fantastic artwork can fill the huge gaps within the story of Yaotsukumo.

In short, a summary:

+ Easy to get into, and easy to follow.
+ Unique and attractive art style.
+ Imaginative and heavily action-packed.
- Unsatisfying story that feels undeveloped and incomplete.
- Barely any character development.
- Characters aside from Yao and Tsukumo are never delved into and hold no significance after their entry-chapter ends.