Danica Davidson
June 13, 2021 
In the world of Bite Maker: The King’s Omega, three genders exist: alpha, beta and omega. It’s rare to be an alpha, and alphas are beautiful and intelligent. Most people are betas. And then there are omegas, who are extremely rare, and only they can have a child with an alpha.
Noel is a high school girl with a crush on a boy she’s known for years. Her flighty friend, Iyo, reminds Noel that if she takes off her glasses and lets her hair down, she’s suddenly and miraculously gorgeous. Iyo runs into an off-limits part of a building to see the alpha Nobunaga, though she’s warned that his pheromones will drive her crazy. Noel goes after her to try to get her back. Iyo has already found Nobunaga and sure enough the pheromones are getting to her, because she tells this man she barely knows that she wants to have his baby.
Noel angrily confronts Nobunaga, thinking he’s done something to Iyo, and Nobunaga realizes that Noel is one of those extra rare omegas. So then he becomes obsessed with her, not Iyo. Noel is able to contain more composure in front of an alpha than her friend, but Nobunaga’s presence also really gets to her. Nobunaga is convinced that Noel is his fated partner, but Noel still has feelings for the boy she’s known for years.
There are some steamy scenes, though it doesn’t show too much and it receives an older teen rating. The escapist fantasy of falling helplessly in love is pretty common in romance manga, as well as other forms of romance, but this manga also has a real obsession with baby making. The opening page has Nobunaga staring out at the reader and saying, “You’re going to . . . have my baby.” He repeatedly talks about getting someone pregnant. The scenario is probably meant as part of the fantasy, but to this reader the repeated demands of pregnancy came off as creepy.
Nobunaga is a dark sort of hero, who gives off dangerous vibes but who can also be seductive. When he’s not talking about pregnancy or bragging about the power of his pheromones he is more accessible, such as when he vows to protect Noel and not let anyone harm her. While Bite Maker has some familiar romance tropes, it also has a primal urgency to it that may captivate some readers, but also alienate other readers who don’t relate to all the forceful pregnancy talk.
Story & Art: Miwako Sugiyama
Publisher: Seven Seas
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Danica Davidson is the author of the bestselling Manga Art for Beginners with artist Melanie Westin, and its sequel, Manga Art for Intermediates, with professional Japanese mangaka Rena Saiya. Check out her other comics and books at www.danicadavidson.com.
