Now No One Lurks Beneath The Snow Manga Review (Minor Spoilers)

Synopsis:

Now No One Lurks Beneath The Snow tells the story of our unnamed protagonist, whom I will refer to as Heroine, and Kay. Though their backgrounds could not be more different, the two share a common fate: being held captive by family obligations.

To the relatives who raised her, Heroine is just a tool to be used. Years of mistreatment have crushed her belief that she deserves anything better. Yet Madame Kay stirs in her a dream she cannot silence. Madame Kay lives in a fancy manor and comes from considerable wealth. Her family tells her that she must get married for the sake of her happiness. But no matter how much Kay wants to believe this obvious lie, Heroine can see right through it.

Now No One Lurks Beneath The Snow is author and artist Aneido’s take on a queer Japanese fairytale. They carefully weave lesbian eroticism into a contemplative story about venturing into the unknown, confronting fear and hesitation, and uncovering beauty, happiness, and healing.

The Good:

Many queer stories swing between extremes, telling either idyllic tales stripped of real-world struggles, or bleak narratives consumed by hardship and pain. This story straddles the line between both, showing the difficulties of lesbian relationships and gender exploration in older times while still providing a satisfying ending that will leave readers with hope.

As a certified hentai master, and someone who bluntly has had plenty of lesbian sex in her life, I’ve seen far too much porn labeled as yuri that is clearly made for people who aren’t lesbians. Since most lesbian porn is created for the male gaze, riddled with inaccuracies, or oddly tailored for straight women, it feels indescribably refreshing to find erotic lesbian manga made with queer folks in mind. Readers who know will recognize Aneido’s focus on hands, collarbones, and the small of the neck. Now No One Lurks Beneath The Snow carries an authenticity in its eroticism that only a queer author could provide.

The Bad:

With its fairytale flavor, the tale embraces vagueness that can feel magical to some, but contrived or grating to others. While I personally found its hamminess endearing, I can see it being a turn off to some readers.

The incredible erotic lesbianism on display is marvelous! But if the goal of reading is to simply enjoy a “finger painting” session, the darker themes around it might be distracting. It’s not impossible to focus on those hotter moments and skip through some pages if that’s the reading purpose, but the remainder is still quite introspective at times.

Also, this one may be a difficult read for anyone who has suffered from familial abuse, particularly anyone who has experience with being forced into heterosexual relationships. This doesn’t hurt the well crafted story in any way, it’s just worth noting as a potential turn off for some readers.

The Verdict:

Now No One Lurks Beneath The Snow blends contemplative fantasy with erotically evocative artwork to create a gripping queer romance story. This manga is perfect for readers looking for a fairytale starring a main character beyond the gender binary, and for lesbians craving hentai that delivers exactly what they want from their erotic, art-filled tales. Its themes of identity, desire, and self-discovery are sure to ring true with queer readers across the spectrum.

If you liked Now No One Lurks Beneath The Snow, you might also like…

• 5 Seconds Before a Witch Falls in Love by Zeinko Sumiya
• Shiroi Heta no Futari by Ryoko Yamagishi
• Beauty and the Beast Girl by Neji

Credits:

• Writer and Artist: Aneido
• Localization By: Red String Translations
• English Translation: ZorritoIV

Thank you to Manga Mavericks Books for providing an advance review copy of this manga. Receiving an advance copy had no impact on the reviewer’s opinions.

Article edited by: Adam Wescott