Rin gets into the swing of things at True Cross Academy
Many manga, most actually, can be grouped based on their core story, art, character types and action to name a few items. It’s rare when a manga feels new and original so it’s with great pleasure to talk about Kazue Kato’s creation, Blue Exorcist. While it does share the spiritual and school angle of other manga, Blue Exorcist feels fresh and original with an art style, story, pacing and characters that are fun and engaging. In a manga landscape full of copies and imitations, Blue Exorcist has managed to separate itself while touting some very strong, established, story elements. How is this possible, let’s take a look at volume 2 of Blue Exorcist and see how the son of Satan is fairing.
As Rin continues class, taught by his twin brother Yukio, and joined by Shiemi Moriyama, a new challenge presents itself in the smart and rough looking Ryuji Suguro. Another exorcist in training, Suguro is dealing with a heavy past that makes him loathe the apparent slacker Rin. The two hard heads clash but in a sideways manner end up helping each other, and this assistance will be needed when an offsite study session turns deadly and the young class of exorcist are attached on school grounds by deadly, high level demons. As Rin adapts another hurdle, the blue night, is put in his path. 16 years ago many holy men and women were consumed by a mysterious demonic blue flame. Suguro’s family, his shine was a victim as were many others. Now it’s even more imperative that Rin hid his secret as being the son of Satan just got a whole heck of a lot worse.
Volume 2’s in manga are a beautiful thing. The impact and revelations of volume 1 have passed and the core characters end up settling into a more normal routine that will last a few volumes (in longer series) as well as set the stage for future events and introduce more key characters. Blue Exorcist volume 2 does just this by bringing Shiemi into the fold, introducing Suguro and providing more back-story with the events of the blue night. This is the story provided in volume two as the introduction of Suguro also serves as the telling of an event 16 years prior that made many angry, was the loss of many lives and just so happens to tie into the birth of Rin and his brother, it must right? Story points accomplished in volume 2 folks. More characters, back-story and main character development and it flows very well, works very, very well.
The art is excellent as seen in volume 1 with great design and some reasoning behind the design (as seen with Suguro). The world of True Cross Academy is very detailed and serves as its own character and the way in which demons and spiritual entities are drawn is a nice, if not familiar, fresh take on the supernatural. As readers may be able to tell this manga fan is a big fan of Blue Exorcist and why not, it’s got everything from action, great characters, compelling story and oozes of sleek design. Love it!
