Natsu Hyūga’s Kuri Hime Ayakashi Yobanashi novel series is getting a manga adaptation that will be released in the upcoming February 2025 issue of Ichijinsha’s Monthly Comic Zero-Sum magazine on December 27. The manga will be illustrated by Anko Chōchin.
The story follows Kinuko, a part-time college lecturer who teaches weaving and Japanese studies and lives in a weaver’s hut on the grounds of Tamamayu Shrine. Despite her unconventional living situation, she is well cared for by a wealthy family who oversees the shrine, and two young children named Shiro and Kuro always bring her delicious food. However, Kinuko begins to suspect that there may be supernatural beings living alongside her.
Hyūga originally published the story on the Shōsetsuka ni Narō website under the title “Otsukaresan Desu, Gokurō Sama” before it was adapted into a printed version by MyNavi Publishing in November 2016. The novel was later reuploaded to the website with the publisher’s permission. Hyūga released a new volume for the story in May 2018.
The author is also known for their work on “The Apothecary Diaries” (Kusuriya no Hitorigoto) series, which began serialization on Shōsetsuka ni Narō in October 2011. The novels were later published in print by Shufunotomo with illustrations by Touko Shino starting in August 2014. The series was adapted into an anime that premiered in October 2023 and is set to receive a second season in January 2025.
Additionally, Nekokurage’s manga adaptation of “The Apothecary Diaries” has been serialized in Square Enix’s Monthly Big Gangan magazine since May 2017. The manga is currently on its 14th volume, with an English release by Square Enix Manga & Books. Another manga adaptation by Minoji Kurata, titled “Kusuriya no Hitorigoto: Mao Mao no Kōkyū Nazotoki Techō,” began in Shogakukan’s Monthly Sunday GX magazine in August 2017.
Despite the success of the adaptations, Hyūga expressed confusion over the existence of two separate manga adaptations of their novels, which were launched only three months apart from each other. Fans of the series can look forward to the upcoming manga adaptation of “Kuri Hime Ayakashi Yobanashi” and the continuation of “The Apothecary Diaries” series across multiple mediums.