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Kazue Kato
Viz Media (Distributed
in the UK by Simon and Schuster)
14 April 2011/ ISBN 1421540320
Fantasy/Manga
Amazon
US
|| UK
Reviewed
by Rachel A Hyde
Rin Okumura
and his twin brother Yukio have always lived at the Southern Cross
Boys’ Monastery, looked after by their guardian Father Fujimoto,
a famous exorcist. Unacademic Rin needs to get a job and his brother
hopes to train to be a doctor, but after an argument Father Fujimoto
tells Rin the truth – that his father is Satan himself! He
has little option but to enroll in the True Cross Academy and train
to be an exorcist, but his awakening powers might be more hindrance
than help.
Stories about butt-kicking demon busters with special powers seem
to be currently one of the most popular story types, and here is
one with plenty to recommend it. This one has some beautiful drawings
of buildings and a fun way of keeping track of who is who with the
character description sheets. I love the juxtaposition of the grotesque
and the pretty, with flowers, gardens, demons, fight scenes and
more that complement the story excellently. There is plenty of scope
for plot here and some enjoyable surprises, as well as a coming-of-age
theme where Rin has to find out who he is and how he is going to
live his life. I look forward to seeing how this one works out. |
