BLUE EXORCIST Vol. 1

BLUE EXORCIST Vol. 1

Writer/Artist: Kazue Kato

$9.99, Viz Media/Shonen Jump, 200 pgs.

ISBN 978-1421540320

Brothers Rin and Yukio Okumura are orphans. Raised in a boys’ home by the stern but caring Father Fujimoto, the boys are polar opposites. The volatile Rin is foul-tempered and quick to fight, while Yukio is studious and bookish, soon to enter True Cross Academy in pursuit of his goal of becoming a doctor. Their differences become even more pronounced with Rin learns that his mysterious father is, in fact, Satan himself. Determined to make Satan pay for ruining his life, Rin vows to use his newly-discovered demonic powers to become an exorcist. He too enters the True Cross Academy, only to find that his relationship with Yukio is about to get a lot more complicated…

If any of this sounds familiar, it ought to: BLUE EXORCIST is very well-done, with a briskly paced script and some very slick art, but it’s quite possibly the most derivative manga I’ve ever read. That doesn’t mean the series isn’t enjoyable. It is. As I said, it’s a well-done manga. It’s just that it feels cobbled together from a manga checklist. Teen protagonist with father issues? Check. Brother issues for good measure? Check. Young hero must come to grips with unwanted power he inherits on the cusp of adulthood, a power which might destroy him? Check. Emotional volume turned up to eleven at all times? Supernatural overtones, many of which are more than a little derivative of other franchises? A school setting? Check, check, and check. If you’ve read three or four manga—or watched an anime or two—odds are you’ve seen all of this before. There’s even a scene in which Rin falls to his knees while yelling “Father!” Now that is classic!

Of course, just like fans of American superhero comics eagerly devour the same basic storylines over and over again (as a lifelong fanboy, I say that without judgment), fans of shonen manga respond well to the familiar, provided it’s delivered with a high level of craftsmanship. For fans of certain genres, familiar tropes enrich the experience. At best, the familiarity acts as thematic shorthand enabling the reader to feel as if they instantly understand the setting and relate to the characters. At worst…well, who doesn’t love a paint-by-numbers popcorn movie? Bottom line is, every critic goes on about BLUE EXORCIST’s copycat nature, but they all like it. Including me.

TIPS FOR LIBRARIANS: This series has only been published in English since 2011, so there are no money-saving combined editions; you’re stuck buying the individual tankōbon. Eleven volumes have been released to the U.S. market thus far, with a twelfth dropping in November. Also, if you’re unfamiliar with manga demography, stop by the “Resources for Librarians” page of this website and download my Graphic Novel Collection Development guide; it’s all explained in there.

READERS’ ADVISORY NOTES: This series is marketed under the Shonen Jump Advanced label, meaning that it courts a slightly older audience than the average shonen manga. It’s not an adult title; it’s no seinen manga by any stretch of the imagination. The content is comparable to a PG-13 film, and audiences who’ve enjoyed series such as Fullmetal Alchemist, Bleach, and even the Harry Potter franchise (trust me, there's more than a passing thematic similarity) will probably enjoy this one. Writer/artist Kazue Kato is a woman, too, a fact that will interest many readers looking for female voices in comics.

CONTENT ADVISORY: Mild adult language, stylized supernatural action/violence

Review © 2014, C. Michael Hall.