The Satan-Slaying Manga ‘Blue Exorcist’ Doesn’t Blaze New Trails, But It Still Rules [Review] By David Brothers A lot of stories, especially superheroic ones, end up being fairly predictable due to formulas like the monomyth of Joseph Campbell, where each narrative must hit certain points in order to be “complete” or “good.” Formulas are common in manga, too, especially shonen (or boys’) manga like Kazue Kato’s Blue Exorcist, about how the son of Satan becomes a demon fighter. It’s a series full of characters and plots that you’ve seen elsewhere, and while I wouldn’t describe it as innovative, it is very good, because of how well it works inside the shonen manga framework. Blue Exorcist is unbelievably charming and well-drawn, and more than willing to have fun with familiar tropes. Blue Exorcist stars Rin Okumura, with his younger twin brother Yukio playing a supporting role. In the first chapter, Rin witnesses the death of his father figure at the same time he discovers that he’s actually the son of Satan. This means that he has access to an extremely powerful blue flame and a fancy sword, but also that an order of exorcists known as the Knights of the True Cross want him dead before he grows into Satan’s power and becomes a threat to humanity.Rin makes an unlikely compromise: He rejects Satan as a father and demands to be allowed to become an exorcist. When Mephisto Pheles, President of True Cross Academy, asks him why he wants to be an exorcist, Rin replies, “So I can kick Satan’s ass!!!” Somehow this works and he joins up. Kapow! All it takes to do anything is confidence and willpower!Again, fans of anime and manga may find that many of these character types seem familiar.Imagine someone who’s rowdy, and maybe a little stupid but makes up for it with earnestness and sheer brute force. He’s the guy you want on your side in a fight, because he’ll fight until he wins. He’s a good guy, really, a big believer in things like loyalty, sticking up for the little guy, and making friends out of enemies. And though the fact that he’s dumb as rocks is a problem, you can’t help but love him. He’s got a dark past, maybe, but he doesn’t let it get to him. That’s Rin.Read much more at ComicsAlliance.
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The Satan-Slaying Manga ‘Blue Exorcist’ Doesn’t Blaze New Trails, But It Still Rules [Review]

By David Brothers

A lot of stories, especially superheroic ones, end up being fairly predictable due to formulas like the monomyth of Joseph Campbell, where each narrative must hit certain points in order to be “complete” or “good.” Formulas are common in manga, too, especially shonen (or boys’) manga like Kazue Kato’s Blue Exorcist, about how the son of Satan becomes a demon fighter. It’s a series full of characters and plots that you’ve seen elsewhere, and while I wouldn’t describe it as innovative, it is very good, because of how well it works inside the shonen manga framework. Blue Exorcist is unbelievably charming and well-drawn, and more than willing to have fun with familiar tropes.

Blue Exorcist stars Rin Okumura, with his younger twin brother Yukio playing a supporting role. In the first chapter, Rin witnesses the death of his father figure at the same time he discovers that he’s actually the son of Satan. This means that he has access to an extremely powerful blue flame and a fancy sword, but also that an order of exorcists known as the Knights of the True Cross want him dead before he grows into Satan’s power and becomes a threat to humanity.

Rin makes an unlikely compromise: He rejects Satan as a father and demands to be allowed to become an exorcist. When Mephisto Pheles, President of True Cross Academy, asks him why he wants to be an exorcist, Rin replies, “So I can kick Satan’s ass!!!” Somehow this works and he joins up. Kapow! All it takes to do anything is confidence and willpower!

Again, fans of anime and manga may find that many of these character types seem familiar.

Imagine someone who’s rowdy, and maybe a little stupid but makes up for it with earnestness and sheer brute force. He’s the guy you want on your side in a fight, because he’ll fight until he wins. He’s a good guy, really, a big believer in things like loyalty, sticking up for the little guy, and making friends out of enemies. And though the fact that he’s dumb as rocks is a problem, you can’t help but love him. He’s got a dark past, maybe, but he doesn’t let it get to him. That’s Rin.

Read much more at ComicsAlliance.

Source: comicsalliance.com

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