Manga Mondays (6): My Hero Academia, vol. 01

Manga Mondays is a weekly meme hosted by Alison @ Alison Can Read

My Hero Academia, Vol. 01 (My Hero Academia #1)
by Horikoshi Kohei
Original Title: 僕のヒーローアカデミア (Boku no Hero Academia)
ISBN:1421582694 (ISBN13: 9781421582696)
Demographic: Shonen
Genre: Action, comedy, school life
Published by: Shueisha (Japanese), VIZ Media (English)
Purchase from: VIZ Media

Synopsis:

What would the world be like if 80 percent of the population manifested superpowers called “Quirks” at age four? Heroes and villains would be battling it out everywhere! Being a hero would mean learning to use your power, but where would you go to study? The Hero Academy of course! But what would you do if you were one of the 20 percent who were born Quirkless?

Middle school student Izuku Midoriya wants to be a hero more than anything, but he hasn’t got an ounce of power in him. With no chance of ever getting into the prestigious U.A. High School for budding heroes, his life is looking more and more like a dead end. Then an encounter with All Might, the greatest hero of them all, gives him a chance to change his destiny…

Review

My Hero Academia is set in present Japan where having super powers brought upon by “Quirk” is so common that it’s literally rare to not have it. The strength of one’s quirk varies from person to person. Some people — Villains— use their powers to do evil but there are others—Heroes— who have taken it upon themselves to save humanity from evil. Everyone can become a hero, so to speak, but to be a “professional” Hero isn’t an easy task. First, you need to get into the hero academy, U.A. High School, where the entrance exam’s passing stats is less than 1 out of 300 and then after graduating will a person only become a Professional Hero.

In MHA, heroes are treated like celebrities. The most famous and also hailed as the strongest is All Might. Kids and adults alike look up to him including our protagonist, Midoriya Izuku or Deku for short. Even at age 4, Deku was already set on becoming a hero like his idol, All Might, probably more than anyone in the world ever wanted. However, in the sea of people with quirks/super powers, Deku is one of the rare type—the quirkless one. So this story revolves around how Deku becomes the greatest hero ever without his own quirk.

When I started reading MHA, I thought that it was going to be just another shonen manga. This isn’t the first time I’ve read about a useless and weak underdog protagonist that ascended to greatness because of perseverance and hard work. Besides, I wasn’t really into super heroes or xmen-ish stuff, but there’s another hero manga called One-Punch Man that I really enjoyed so I gave this one a shot.

Kohei Hirokoshi’s art looks great. His character style for Deku is spot on. Kohei made Deku look ordinary and unhero-like, but his expressive wide eyes that give him a perpetual look of innocence set him apart from other characters in the series. His personality also sets him apart from other Shonen Jump protagonists. He’s not as hot-headed like Naruto nor is he as jolly as Luffy. He is fully aware of his weaknesses. He doesn’t try to deny them and he doesn’t act tough, instead he acknowledges them yet he never loses his sight on his goal. He’s the type of guy who’d probably lose to anyone in a physical fight and he knows it. But it never stopped him from wanting to help.

In a way, Deku reminds me of David from Steelheart because they are both Hero/Epic geeks! Since Deku doesn’t have superpowers, he has taken to analysing heroes’ superpowers much like what David did in order to defeat Epics although for Deku it really was just a hobby that later on became an important weapon against his enemies. David has this obsession on wanting to join the Reckoners much like Deku wants to become a Hero.

I find Deku to be extremely relatable. He is the character that every person who has ever been a fan wants to be. Deku’s being a hero otaku/geek never sat well with his classmates and he was oftentimes bullied by it. In Japan, the term Otaku translates to geek but it has a very negative connotation that could be synonymous to pervert. He was often shun for loving the things he loved and laughed at because this thing he loved the most is the very thing that he wants to be, but has been decided from the day he was born that he could never be. But he was given a chance.

Kohei did really well in portraying Deku's emotions through the art. I could feel his desires, his hope, and sadness very palpably. I cried when he cried, and I smiled when he laughed. Honestly, I felt like a mother to him. I just want him to reach his goals and be happy.

Overall, I think I'm obsessed with this series now. It is so good! And Kohei Hirokoshi is a great artist and story teller. The characters are so diversed. It's impressive that there could be so many mainstay characters and not have their personalities overlapping each other while still being natural and noncontrived. 

You all need to read this whether you’re into manga or not because the story and the characters are just so perfect!

Rating: 4.5/5 stars

Manga Mondays (5): No Longer Heroine, Vol. 1

Manga Mondays is a weekly meme hosted by Alison @ Alison Can Read

No Longer Heroine (No Longer Heroine, Vol. 1)
by Momoko Kouda
Original Title: ヒロイン失格 (Hiroin Shikkaku)
Demographic: Shojo
Genre: Comedy, drama, romance, school life
Published by: Shueisha

Synopsis:

This could be any girl. Imagine being a heroine of a love story. Hatori also believed that one day she would get married to her childhood friend, Rita.

But that's not how the world works! This is a hilarious comedy that honestly paints a painful unrequited love story of this young girl!

Hatori is a conceited girl who believes that her future is written in the stars, and that is: to be with her childhood friend, Rita, together forever. It has been cemented in her mind that she is the heroine in Rita’s story. Even Rita’s girlfriends in the past never fazed her because she’s 100% sure that they are soulmates. She never even bothered to confess to him. But then Rita gets a new girlfriend, Adachi. At first, Adachi seemed like the most unlikely person to be with Rita: shy, outcast, lame, and not so cute like Hatori, so Hatori initially just shrugs her off until she realized that there’s more to Adachi and she knew that Rita was noticing it too. This is the first time that Hatori legitimately feels threatened by another girl; the time when she started feeling like she might not be a heroine after all, but only a supporting character. So she comes up with plans to show Adachi that only she is suited to be with Rita and not Adachi. However, practically everything she does hilariously backfires on her and only resulted to Adachi getting even closer to Rita.

Hatori is not a likeable person. She’s a fake towards Rita’s admirers and girlfriends. She tries to force Adachi into situations where she will feel bad about herself. She lies to her to make her look silly, and she wants to steal Rita from Adachi. She can be insensitive, rude, and a downright bitch. She is not the typical heroine, instead she's more like the typical villain in shojo manga. Adachi, on the other hand, is more suited to be a heroine. Even after hearing Hatori badmouthing her, she quickly forgave Hatori. Not once holding grudge on her. She is very understanding of Hatori's feelings because she knew that Hatori is in love with her boyfriend and she sympathized with her. Adachi is everything that Hatori is not.

Despite all that, I found it hard not to sympathize with Hatori, though I am by no means justifying her actions. Unrequited love is just something that I automatically sympathize with. She truly believed for the longest time that the love of her life will one day be with her forever and then suddenly, the realization that she's wrong suddenly came crashing down on her. Even if that's idiotic  to begin with, it doesn't change the fact that it hurts like hell.

Her past with Rita is something that should be taken into account too. Their friendship is a unique one that goes all the way back to their childhood. It was fun to see them bond. As well, these are all done in a comic way that I couldn’t help but laugh at her especially since none of the things she did ever did a damage toward Rita and Adachi’s relationship. The art is good too and the author’s portrayal of Hatori’s face when she’s crying or distressed is so damned hilarious. It was so hard for me to take her seriously. However, there is also an underlying tiny bit of sadness that can be felt in spite the exaggerated comedy. 

Overall, this volume is a good start for the manga. It's very comedic but it tends to downplay serious events which kinda makes this seem shallow. Also, Hatori is a severely flawed character, but I would love to see her grow into someone more mature.

Rating: 3 stars

Manga Mondays (4): Shaman King, Volume 20 [Mt. Osore Le Voile arc Part 2]

Manga Mondays is a weekly meme hosted by Alison @ Alison Can Read 

Shaman King (Shaman King, Vol. 20)
by Hiroyuki Takei
Original Title: シャーマンキング (Shaman King)
Demographic: Shonen
Genre: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Supernatural
English, Paperback, 210 pages
Published January 6th 2009 by VIZ Media LLC (first published January 6th 2004)
Purchase link: VIZ Media 

Volume Summary:

We continue to look back to the past, when Yoh and Anna were bound together and Matamune sacrificed himself to save them. But in the present, Yoh seems to have sacrificed his chance to become Shaman King, and Ren still lies unconscious. Will Lady Jeanne keep her end of the bargain and save Ren's life?

Warning: Spoilers ahead!

You can read my review of volume 19 here.

This is the second time I'm writing this review. I first wrote it on notepad but my laptop suddenly died on me so it all got lost. :( Anyway, volume 20 picks up right after volume 19, when Anna finally decides to go with Yoh to the temple to pray, though she was extremely reluctant, scared that she will accidentally summon an oni (ogre-like demon) most especially since it was New Years and there will be thousands of people praying in the temple, thus it will be inevitable to sense their emotions such as worries, hope and fear.

In volume 20, the readers finally understand the true reason why Matamune was sent to accompany Yoh to meet Anna. It’s because Anna’s situation greatly resembles that of Hao’s. Hao is the major villain in the series who was first born 1000 years ago and is reincarnated every 500 years in time for the Shaman fight. Hao was Matamune’s master, the one who gave him the abilities he currently possesses, and the one Matamune killed due to his evil intentions to humanity. This has never stopped plaguing Matamune’s thoughts and though Hao became evil in the long run, he was still the first person to show compassion to Matamune. It’s revealed that the reason why Matamune travelled and read a lot is because he is looking for a way to forgive himself from everything he had done to the master he loved so greatly.

I love that this arc also establishes the connection between Anna and Hao and why it is only Yoh who holds the key to defeat him. Both Anna and Hao have the reishi and the only difference is that Hao can control the onis while Anna can’t. It was mentioned in one of the chapters in SK that the reishi is born from loneliness. Everyone becomes lonely at some point in their lives, but how much loneliness does it take for that power to form? Anna was abandoned by her parents in Mt. Osore because they were scared of her powerful shamanic abilities. How does it feel like to be resented by everyone including your own family? To know exactly what they’re thinking and feeling about you? The reishi also has the power to absorb other people’s feelings so it’s not only Anna’s feelings that she’s handling. Every hate, fear, worry, greed… she knew all of these because she felt all of them.

This is where Yoh comes into the picture. Even though he knew that Anna will call forth an oni, he still took her to the temple. In another perspective, this can only look as idiocy; waiting for a tragedy to happen. But in Anna’s perspective, this is a big deal. For the first time in her life, she found someone who’s not scared of her abilities, someone who’s willing to believe in her, trust her. Yoh showed her love.

This is read from RIGHT to LEFT

I don’t know if Yoh realized it but he’s definitely bluffing there. He hardly escaped the small oni Anna summoned before and the other one before that. And I think she also knows that there's so way Yoh can defend her from her oni. But like I said, bluff or not, this is huge for Anna. The thought that someone, for the first time in her life, is willing to be by her side and help her go through her curse finally broke the walls she carefully surrounded herself with.

Even when the oo-oni (giant oni) materialized, Yoh didn’t leave her side. He fought it no matter if it’s a lost cause. Even if saving her means sacrificing an important friend to Yoh. This is also what Matamune wished he should’ve done to Hao a long time ago. He thinks that if he only believed in Hao and stayed by him as a friend, he would’ve been saved. Instead, Matamune killed him and until now, he’s still drowning in regrets. But by sacrificing himself to save Anna, maybe he can finally let go of all those regrets and move on.

In this volume, we find out that the bear claws necklace that Yoh is wearing in the whole course of the series originally came from Hao who then gave it to Matamune so that he can retain his spirit form. When his spirit died, the necklace remained and Yoh promised that when he becomes powerful enough, he would use it as a medium to call his spirit back again. Thinking this and looking back at the events in SK, I can’t help but feel sad; only knowing now that the necklace holds such important memories and promise.

Also, something I noticed about this backstory is that it’s narrated by Yoh. I initially thought this was narrated by Anna because it looked like she started the flashback, but it’s really Yoh who’s narrating it. It’s so rare that he shows affection for Anna so just by knowing that he’s thinking of his feelings for Anna and Matamune makes my heart so damn happy.

I keep telling myself that volume 19 is my favourite volume in the series, but whenever I read volume 20, I can’t help but cry. It has so much feels! Those two images are actually from volume 19 but it wouldn’t have made sense if I included them in the review of previous volume because this is where everything comes into place.

Rating:  5/5 stars

Manga Mondays (3): Shaman King, Volume 19 [Mt. Osore Le Voile arc Part 1]

Manga Mondays is a weekly meme hosted by Alison @ Alison Can Read

Hello my babies 

Hey all! I was doing a major clean-up of my shelves and book boxes last week and came across some of my volumes of Shaman King (and other manga). Shaman King is one of my most favorite manga series and 19 & 20 are my most favorite SK volumes so I thought to reread it since it's New Years and the volumes take place during the season. I used to be a major shipper of Anna and Yoh as well and this is my favorite arc in the series, so why not revisit some old friends?

Warning: Spoilers ahead! 

Shaman King (Shaman King, Vol. 19)
by Hiroyuki Takei
Original Title: シャーマンキング (Shaman King)
Demographic: Shonen
Genre: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Supernatural
English, Paperback, 210 pages
Published November 4th 2008 by VIZ Media LLC (first published May 13th 2004 by Shueisha)
Purchase link: VIZ Media

Volume Summary:

The unthinkable has happened--Yoh has withdrawn from the Shaman Fight! What happens now? To understand Yoh's future we must revisit his past, back to when he and Anna first met. How did their acquaintance shape Yoh's fate, and what terrible secret still burns between them?

The volume begins with a prologue that picks up after Yoh Asakura decided to quit the Shaman fight in order to revive Ren Tao. I don't remember exactly what happened prior to this, but it has always been Yoh's dream to become the Shaman King but Yoh being Yoh, he easily sacrificed this dream to save a friend. However, the person really affected the most by his decision is Anna Kyoyama, Yoh's fiancee who has made it a point to make him the Shaman King. In the last few pages of the prologue, we see her piling stones on Yoh's oracle bell symbolizing that she's accepting the death of Yoh's dreams whilst remembering the time they first met, which then leads us to the proper start of the arc.

The Mt. Osore Le Voile arc tells the story of how Anna and Yoh met, but more than that, it introduces us to Matamune, a spirit cat that has been serving the Asakura clan for a thousand years. When I first met Matamune, I thought that he was only a passing character which will later be buried in the growing list of SK characters, but no, I was astounded by how huge his role is in this series. He is practically the character that every reader doesn't know is missing from the start till the end of the manga. Matamune is appointed by Kino Asakura, Yoh's grandmother, to accompany Yoh to Mt. Osore to meet his fiance, Anna, which surprised Yoh because, well, he's an awkward 10 year old who doesn't have friends in school and has never even talked to a girl so it really made him nervous. This is an arranged marriage orchestrated by Kino. The Asakura clan is well-known in the Shaman world and as the Shaman fight is fast approaching, Kino wanted Yoh to be married to a powerful shaman in the hopes that she could help Yoh win the Shaman fight.

Alhough I initially thought that Matamune was only a passing character, I came to like Matamune very easily. Not only is he a cat (because kitties are way cute,) but he's also very perceptive, intelligent, likes to read books, and he wears traditional Japanese clothes too. A single glance at him will also tell you that he's old, has depth and has so much story to tell. But more of him in the next volume. Let's get back to Anna and Yoh first because their first meeting is the highlight of the volume for me. :P

If you're looking for a shonen manga with romance in it, Shaman King is not for you. The series has almost no romance in it. We have the YohxAnna couple but these two have the most bizarre relationship in the world of fiction. The readers know that Anna loves Yoh as she openly admits it a couple of times in the series, but she doesn't display her feelings for him in a way normal people do. I don't believe her physical abuse of Yoh is a way of affection because she practically beats up everyone whom she regards as being an idiot or everyone who goes against her orders. But Yoh is much harder to decipher. He's always way too scared of getting beaten up by Anna as is shown by him always shaking like a scared kitten at the thought of Anna's wrath. He never openly admitted that he loves her as well so it made me think that this love is a one-sided thing on Anna's part UNTIL this arc. Um, excuse me while I fangirl, because volume 19 chapter 164 is where Anna and Yoh met for the very first time and you know what happened? Yoh totally fell in love at first sight with Anna while Anna glared daggers at him and told him to "die" just because he was blocking Anna's way. And in a total Yoh fashion, he cries (comically) and flees in fright. Okay, still fangirling here.

This is even funnier because there's a poem that's constantly showed in the previous chapters:

The one who awaits you
Will never let you feel lonely
Know this at least
Know this at least

And the one who's waiting Yoh is Anna who's already making Yoh feel lonely AND terrified.

But really, who knew that the only person who could actually beat Anna in the mean scale is her past self? But as this arc is supposed to shed a better light to Anna, her past is revealed later on. And once
again, I was surprised by the revelations in this volume. I still have a lot of questions about her
origin since the volume only mentions her state when Grandma Kino found her in Mt. Osore and not
where she actually came from, though we did learn that Anna is a very powerful itako who has the ability to read minds and summon oni (demons) uncontrollably. After the meeting with Yoh, she accidentally conjured an oni which was easily defeated by Matamune, and later another one. After the encounter with the second oni and Yoh has proved himself a decent person, they are seen watching music specials on TV awkwardly together since their favorite musicians are both performing. This chapter is another favorite because it shows the start of Anna opening up to someone and also because the moments are fangirl-worthy. Yoh says mushy things innocently to Anna and there's a lot of blushing and perverted thoughts. Anna slaps him in return and Yoh ends up asking her out on a date. Really, not only does this volume captures Anna in a better light but it also does the same to Yoh's feelings for her. I honestly cried out of happiness when I read this again. I remember now why I loved these two so much. Anyway this chapter marks the end of the volume. Next week on Manga Mondays, I'll post my thoughts for the second part of the Mt. Osore Le Voile arc where I'm hoping to cover Yoh's character and Matamune and Anna's connection to Hao. :)

Rating: 5/5 stars

I just realized that I talked about this volume as if you knew this title, lol. I forgot you might not even know what shamans are. I honestly don't know if shamans portrayed in this series are what shamans truly are, but anyhow, here's to hoping that you have at least watched the anime because aside from the crappy ending (the manga has much better and real ending), the anime is actually really good and very funny too!

Manga Mondays (2): Attack on Titan, Volume 1

Manga Mondays

Manga Mondays is a weekly meme hosted by Alison @ Alison Can Read

Attack on Titan (Attack on Titan, Vol. 1)
by Isayama Hajime
Original Title: 進撃の巨人 (Shingeki no Kyojin)
Demographic: Shonen
Genre: Action, Fantasy, Drama, Mystery, Post-Apocalyptic
English, Paperback, 208 pages
Published June 19th 2012 by Kodansha Comics (first published March 17th 2010

Description:

What's left of humanity survives in fear for their lives in this exciting, terrifying new manga that's a number one bestseller in Japan. Humankind is down to just a few thousand people who live in a city surrounded by three concentric walls. The walls protect them from their enemies, the ravenous giants known as the Titans. The Titans appear to have only one purpose: to consume humanity.

For one hundred years, what's left of mankind has lived in the city on earth, protected by walls that tower over even the Titans. Untouched by the Titans for a century, humanity has become complacent. But Eren Jaeger has had enough. While his fellow citizens are content to hide, Jaeger has the passion to take action to not only protect the city, but to learn what the Titans actually are. But on his first mission he comes face to face with horrors beyond his imagination... and secrets from his own past that could shift the tides of war.

Jaeger and his friends are determined to survive. But everything about their situation is a mystery that only becomes more complicated the more they learn. Attack on Titan is a breathtaking debut from a young talent, and a phenomenon that is sweeping Japan! (Source: Midtown Comics).

Review:

The description doesn't lie, my dear reader-friends, Attack on Titan is indeed a breathtaking manga. You might not think that action-packed still images can render you speechless, unable to to work your jaw from too much awe much like an action-packed motion picture does, but do me a favor and try reading this manga because. It. Will. Blow. You. Hard. Period.

It's not specified whether Attack on Titan is set in past, future or present. The world during the story is devastated by Titans, gigantic human-like beings ranging from 5m to 15m tall. But though they look like humans, they are genderless and have no human intelligence. They are incredibly strong and they eat humans even though they have no digestive systems, as if the essence of their existence is to predate on human beings alone.

For a hundred years, humankind has been protected from the Titans by 50-meter high walls. In the first chapter, we see our male MC, Eren Jaeger, aspiring to become a member of the Scouting Legion, those who are actively fighting Titans outside the walls. Most people have given up the hopes that Titans will someday be eradicated, more so because the Scouting Legion, the only troop that they trust to save them from the Titans has never had a positive result moreover, their numbers continue to dwindle by more than half whenever they scout the outside. It was a lost cause, some would say. However, Eren is different. He is ambitious. Young and weak as he is, he is very courageous to the point of stupidity. Even though most people are contented with their life inside the walls, Eren wanted to brave the Titans outside and bring freedom to the human race.

It has been exactly 107 years since the walls were built. Since people started living peacefully again. But on that day, a Titan (Colossal type) that's taller than the walls broke through and disrupted the peace inside. This led to more Titans invading. Lots of people were devoured, including Eren's mother. The rest who survived were evacuated to Wall Rose, the second line of defense against the Titans.

I have never read a manga that's as action-packed as Attack on Titan. The first volume literally left me jaw-slacked and speechless. I couldn't get over the intensity of the scenes, most especially during the invasion! You can just feel the tragedy and drama AND Eren's angst coming off the pages. The author is ruthless. If you're looking for rainbows and butterflies, this is NOT the book for you. He doesn't care who dies and how they die. I was giddy from all that's transpiring but I couldn't help chanting "more!" in my mind. Fortunately, that's what exactly Hajime-san gave his readers. One after the other, he'd bomb you with push-me-on-the-edge scenes. Really, even writing this review makes me breathless.

For a first volume, Isayama Hajime really did a wonderful job with world building. He strategically left out some details on the world of the story for readers to wonder but in such a way where readers are also well-informed about the setting. The intensity in the first volume is very palpable. Truly, this is a terrifyingly beautiful story. I just hope this job well done would continue on with the rest of the volumes.

On Art: I love the artwork. None of the boys could be considered a bishie but regardless, I am in love with the detailed drawings!

On Cover: The first time I saw this cover,I was immediately turned off. That Colossal Titan didn't look very pretty to me, lol. Anyway, the guy mid-air is Eren sporting the 3D maneuver gear exclusive to the military which they use to jump from wall to wall which also doubles as scabbard for swords.

Rating: 5/5 stars!

Manga Mondays (1): Blue Exorcist, Vol. 1

Manga Mondays

Manga Mondays is a meme hosted by Alison @ Alison Can Read

This is my first post for Manga Mondays although I've been reading manga since forever. ;p

Blue Exorcist (Blue Exorcist, Vol. 1)
by Kazue Kato
Genre: Shōnen, Action, Supernatural
English, Paperback, 200 pages
Published April 5th 2011 by VIZ Media LLC
Buy the book: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Synopsis:

This world consists of two dimensions joined as one, like a mirror. The first is the world in which the humans live, Assiah. The other is the world of demons, Gehenna. Ordinarily, travel between the two, and indeed any kind of contact between the two, is impossible.

However the demons can pass over into this world by possessing anything that exist within it.

Satan is the god of demons, but there's one thing that he doesn't have, and that's a substance in the human world that is powerful enough to contain him!

For that purpose he created Rin, his son from a human woman, but will his son agree to his plans? or will he become something else...? An exorcist?

Originally published in Japanese as 青の祓魔師 (Ao no Exorcist); translated in French and English as Blue Exorcist

Review: (Might contain minor spoilers)

When it comes to books, I'm more of the romance type but when it comes to manga, I'm all for the shōnen, action and adventure.

Okumura Rin, our hero, is like your typical shōnen protagonist who is short-tempered, strong-willed, boisterous and war freak. He is the son of a priest/exorcist and is the older twin brother of Yukio who is everything that Rin is not. Yukio is intelligent, patient, polite, responsible and has ambition in life. He is also the more weak-willed one who used to get bullied a lot. I'm a sucker for siblings with unconditional love for each other, so the flashbacks for when Rin used to save and protect Yukio from the bullies moved me.

Rin and Yukio have just finished middle school and while Yukio is to go to True Cross Academy as a scholar, Rin is left to go job hunting. Now, this is where the plot escalates rather quickly. When Rin left for a job interview, he began seeing weird little dark things floating around that no one else seems to be able to see. After, he is confronted by one of his gangster enemies, who later turned out to be a demon. It was also here that Rin discovered that he, too, was demon and the son of Satan, no less. But though he and Yukio are twins, only Rin inherited Satan's demon-blood. This secret was guarded by their adoptive father in order to hide Rin from Satan. These revelations happened in one chapter only and though shōnen manga generally tend to have eventful pilot chapters, I found it slightly discomforting since I've grown more accustomed to the slower pacing in YA novels and other shonen manga.

The second chapter focuses more on Rin and Yukio's relationship as siblings especially after what happened to their adoptive father. Here, we realize that Yukio is not as weak-willed as readers think he is. He continues to be the responsible one to his immature older twin brother which is just amusing to no end. In the third chapter, we meet a new character, Shiemi, an overly shy girl whose grandmother had just died and who also had an instance with a demon which Rin and Yukio helped to exorcise.

Overall, Blue Exorcist is a good addition to the list of shōnen manga with great promise, awesome drawing style and a humor to contend with the rest of them. Rin is definitely a crush-worthy bishie and I can't wait to read more of his adventures!

Cover: That's Rin looking cool and badass. Blue flame is the symbol of Satan and it only appears when he removes the sword from its scabbard. He also grows a tail and his ears become elongated like that of an elf's.

Rating: 4/5 stars