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Reviewed by Ryan Lewis In Volume 11 of Kekkaishi, the various kekkaishi from the Night Troops lament the death of their member, Gen. Our hero, Yoshimori, vows to avenge his death by destroying the ayakashi group, The Kokuboro, responsible for the murder. In the middle of intense training, the Night Troops drop in on Yoshimori. One night, the Kokuboro mount a huge attack of the Karasumori site, and the Night Troops desperately try to defend themselves. This is a return to this series for me. I read the first five or so volumes some time ago. I’m glad to see that what made this title so attractive to me isn’t gone, and has only developed more. As an action manga dealing with supernatural matters, I constantly compare Kekkaishi to Bleach. As a very basic plot, these are quite similar. But the entire mood of each book is different. Kekkaishi’s characters are deeper and more realistic than Bleach’s. Also, the pacing of the book is quite different from Bleach, which proceeds at a breakneck speed for many volumes before a break. Kekkaishi, rather, comfortably builds up tension and empathy. The result isn’t the same urgent feeling of Bleach, but rather a more realistic and less melodramatic mood. I read a review of Kekkaishi where the reviewer described Kekkaishi as a kid-friendly Bleach. This couldn’t be more off the mark. This volume shows maturity in the writing, which is relaxed and confident, while not being boring in the least. Tanabe knows how to spice up non-action story lines with interesting character development and humor. Yellow Tanabe is female, and you can tell the difference in the story. The plot is richer with complex character relationships and nuanced conflicts. The book design is impeccable; a drastic improvement over the Japanese version. The Viz edition emits a mature feeling that’s absent in most manga, especially in the action genre. It’s nice to see them presenting this title differently than every other shonen title they release. The fonts that are used for the text are also nice. Not the usual comic font, but something with sharper edges. A great title, I look forward to reading more Kekkaishi in the future. Postscript: Kekkaishi won the Shogakukan Manga Award for Shonen manga in 2007. This same award was won two years earlier by Bleach. Other recipients in the Shonen section were Inu-yasha, Yakitate! Japan, Full Metal Alchemist, and Hikaru no Go. Comment on this review of Kekkaishi v11 on the Manga Life Forums. |
6 October 2009
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