Bride of the Barrier Master Volume 3 Compares Sibling Relationships

In shojo manga, romantic relationships between the main characters and sometimes even other members of the cast can be the priority. After all, many of them are set up to follow first loves, star-crossed couples, and so on. Bride of the Barrier Master of course does that, but in the third volume we also get to see it explore other types of relationships by letting us see how various pairs of siblings interact. 

Editor’s Note: There are some spoilers for volume 3 of the Bride of the Barrier Master shojo manga below.

When Bride of the Barrier Master began, we ended up introduced to the bad relationship between the twin siblings Hana and Hazuki. Because Hana didn’t developer her powers at the same time as her sister, she was treated abysmally by her family. So when they did appear and she turned out to be one of the most powerful potential members of the Association of Practitioners, she decided she’d prefer a peaceful life and hide them. Saku, her now-husband, discovered she wasn’t what she seemed, married her for the sake of maintaining and repairing the barriers, and now we’re definitely seeing their love story as they grow closer to each other. 

But since then, we’ve gotten to see other siblings. One is the dynamic between Saku and his younger brother Nozomu. Nozomu adores his brother, but has a complex that keeps him from getting close to him. He sees himself as so inferior, he keeps putting himself down, badmouthing his brother, and increasing the gulf between them. Saku doesn’t see him as a burden or problem, but Nozomu can’t get that. So much so that when Hana came into the picture in the second volume, he treated her poorly too. But upon a certain interaction the Nijouin twins at Hana’s behest in volume 3, we get to finally see him clear the air with her. As a result, we also see growth from him and new potential with his relationship with Saku.

Speaking of the Nijouin twins, Kikyou and Kiriya present yet another interesting foil we can use as a comparison for existing characters upon their introduction in Bride of the Barrier Master volume 3. They’re the third pair of siblings and second pair of twins in the shojo manga. However, the two get along incredibly well and show tremendous care for each other. While Kikyou takes the lead in the pair, much like Hazuki likely did between her and Hana, her treatment of Kiriya is far kinder. Likewise. we see Kiriya’s consideration and willingness to step up for her. It’s a dynamic that allows us to better understand how “bad” things got between Hana and Hazuki and the potential for how Practitioner families could be.

In a way, it also feels like Bride of the Barrier Master is setting up Hana to perhaps have a better relationship with her twin sister Hazuki. Which would be great, because it would continue the story progress we started to see in volume 2. Kureha is maintaining its clever tone, keeping Hana a strong individual, while also not making the focus be entirely about two people getting together in the end. I’m hoping it means Hana and Hazuki get a chance to recover from what their parents’ toxic relationship did to them.

It is great when shojo manga prioritize relationships other than romantic ones, and I loved getting to see Bride of the Barrier Master do that with its sets of siblings. Especially since they aren’t all happy ones. We get to see characters grow as a result of their interactions with one another, plus perhaps the promise of one getting a second chance to become a healthier one.

Bride of the Barrier Master volume 3 will launch on November 26, 2024 via Yen Press, and volume 4 of the manga doesn’t have a release date yet.