The gold standard of bromance—an irresistible appeal for relationship dynamic enthusiasts, **“The Betrayal Knows My Name”** by Odagiri Hotaru（小田切ほたる）

2026.05.11

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Introducing Kadokawa Shoten ASUKA COMICS “The Betrayal Knows My Name”!

Below is a quote from the back cover. This post includes impressions and a review that touch on the story! If you just want a quick idea of what it’s about, I’d be happy if you read only the red text and highlighted parts.

Yuki, who was raised in an orphanage, had always been searching for the reason for his existence.

Then, before Yuki appears Zess, a young man who somehow gives off a strangely familiar feeling.

When the two finally meet, the curtain rises on a battle that has continued since the distant past.

From Kadokawa Shoten ASUKA COMICS “The Betrayal Knows My Name 1”

A long-running battle manga and a true gold standard of bromance

…or at least, that’s how I see it. What I love most about Hotaru Odagiri’s（小田切ほたる）works are the intricate artwork and the grand, immersive worldbuilding. Since this is technically “bromance,” I honestly wondered whether it was the right fit for a blog mainly focused on BL works—but in the end, I simply couldn’t resist talking about a series I truly love, so I decided to feature it here. (And I regret nothing…!!) As for the “bromance” mentioned in the title, that’s just my personal interpretation, and I know some readers may see it more as “a wholesome shoujo manga.” I’ll leave that judgment up to each individual reader, so if this kind of content isn’t your thing, please feel free to skip this article.

If you’ve heard the title before but are unsure whether you’ll enjoy a long series, I’d like to introduce the relationships between the various partners! If any pairing catches your interest, you definitely won’t regret giving it a read (＾＾)

Summoned high-ranking demon Luca × his former lover, Yuki, a first-year high school student boy.Special ability–wielding siblingsOpposites who become each other’s reason for existence.
・Yuki, the protagonist who began living alone this spring after growing up in an orphanage, and Luca, who claims to have been his lover in a past life. Their mutual devotion is absolutely irresistible in its strength of love for each other.・A gentle, calm and easygoing younger brother and a cheerful, lively, and beautiful older sister. They share the same special ability, and each other’s existence is deeply important to them. It feels as if they are being wrapped in an exceptionally warm and comforting embrace, which is very soothing.・A calm, composed honor student with quick thinking and a seemingly delinquent boy who is rough in speech and behavior and often avoided by others, but is actually kind at heart—two complete opposites. The wounds they carry from a past incident continue to linger…
Former best friends who are now enemies.A caring newbie and an arrogant tsundere.Two former entertainment industry stars form a new duo.
・Bound by an ancient fate, they have spent thousands of years unable to reconcile or share a true connection. Will this lifetime’s battle finally bring it to a conclusion…?・A tsundere who once shined as a young shogi player, and a newcomer who joins the current battle in order to defeat a certain enemy. The gradually built sense of trust between them is simply the best.・A popular idol and a highly sought-after actor unexpectedly become partners. An unlikely combination, yet there is certainly a form of affection different from romantic love between them…

The number of characters is really impressive…!!

・There are so many characters that just describing their relationships takes several lines. What’s fun is that any of them could easily become your favorite. It’s incredibly enjoyable. However, to be honest, the story isn’t exactly a light, pop-style one. They seriously fight and get injured. It hurts, but you can fully experience a kind of excitement that’s different from the flutter of romance found in shoujo manga.

・There are many back-and-forth shifts between the past and the present. As for what is happening in the current timeline, it is a solid fantasy work, so once you understand the setting, it becomes easy to read and thoroughly enjoyable. Personally, before each new volume was released, I would reread the previous ones before buying it, immersing myself deeply until I fully understood everything. It might have some complex or difficult parts…!! It’s surprising that this work is already over 10 years old… Σ(ﾟДﾟ)

The outcome of the final-stage battle

・I think the ending is quite divisive. Since I’m including spoiler-heavy thoughts, to be honest there are parts that are hard to fully accept, but it is a story that allows you to keep thinking and interpreting it until the very end. As for how it ultimately concludes, it is of course a matter of personal preference, but I really hope it has a happy ending. I can’t help but look at it almost like a parent thinking, “They’ve come this far, they deserve it.” That’s how dearly beloved these characters are, created by Odagiri-sensei (Odagiri-sensei / 小田切先生) to me. There are still many unclear points regarding updates and current status, but I’d like to take my time and enjoy the existing works (＾＾)

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