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Title: Kekkaishi
Genres: Shounen, Action, Supernatural
Author: Yellow Tanabe
Artist: Yellow Tanabe
Publication: Shōnen Sunday
Start Date: February 18, 2004
End Date: On-going
Number of chapters at review: 157 scanned
Number of chapters read by reviewer: 157
General Overview: Two Kekkaishi protect Karasomori, the land where a powerful lord died hundreds of years ago, from the Ayakashi (demons) who arrive every night to receive power from the land.
Category Ratings: (1-10 scale)
Art: 8
I really like the art. The main character's designs is unique, and the art as a whole has just the right amount of detail. Fights are definitely a high point because we get really good views of the techniques used, as opposed to something like Air Gear where attention is lavished on certain moves.
Plot: 7
The plot centers around Karasumori, the land the school is built on, and where a lord who had a special power died 500 years ago. His death immersed the land with a power that is so attractive to the demons because the more time they spend there, the more they evolve and the faster they heal. Throughout the series the plot focuses on various demons attempting to gain power from Karasumori, and we also get the history of the characters and the land. The plot does become deeper as some of the smarter demons form an organization to take over Karasumori, and we find that the Kekkaishi have 'allies' with their own powers and organization. The plot seems to be getting deeper, and some of the complaints that I earlier had are probably gone with Yoshimori taking on a greater role outside of Karusomori. Still this may only be temporary.
Characters: 7
I still agree with my earlier view that the characters are well made. Yoshimori is unique in his amazing level of laziness, and a lot of the humor in the story comes from that. Tokine is your typical smart female sidekick, but I have no problem with that. I wish that we got a better look at the characters of the Urakai though, and even though I like the fact that Yellow can kill of a character, he/she might want to let us get to know the character better before they die.
Theme: 3
I was probably wrong when I said Kekkaishi had no theme. It does and it focuses on Yoshimori's wish to protect Tokine from further harm. Of course I also think this is pretty weird considering the fact that Tokine seems more capable of protecting herself than Yoshimori. Do we really need another manga where the guy has this desire to protect the girl who doesn't need protecting. It would be a lot cooler if Yoshimori wasn't so shortsighted. He also wants to protect the town, but that isn't really an important part of the story, and we really don't get to meet the citizens to care enough about protecting them.
Originality: 7
Kekkaishi definitely has a different flow than other shounen fighting mangas, yet it also sticks to tradition in certain areas. As I said in my earlier review, the skills used by the Kekkaishi are simple and well thought out. It definitely makes for good fights where you have to use your brain.
Overall: 7
Kekkaishi is definitely a manga worth reading, and provides a relief from the other major shonen titles with it's relaxed plot. I still can't say whether or not the plot will get deeper, which I hope it does, or else things will get pretty boring. Still, I recommend this manga to fans of the other major shonen fighting mangas.
Pictures
Old Review
Genres: Shounen, Action, Supernatural
Author: Yellow Tanabe
Artist: Yellow Tanabe
Publication: Shōnen Sunday
Start Date: February 18, 2004
End Date: On-going
Number of chapters at review: 157 scanned
Number of chapters read by reviewer: 157
General Overview: Two Kekkaishi protect Karasomori, the land where a powerful lord died hundreds of years ago, from the Ayakashi (demons) who arrive every night to receive power from the land.
Category Ratings: (1-10 scale)
Art: 8
I really like the art. The main character's designs is unique, and the art as a whole has just the right amount of detail. Fights are definitely a high point because we get really good views of the techniques used, as opposed to something like Air Gear where attention is lavished on certain moves.
Plot: 7
The plot centers around Karasumori, the land the school is built on, and where a lord who had a special power died 500 years ago. His death immersed the land with a power that is so attractive to the demons because the more time they spend there, the more they evolve and the faster they heal. Throughout the series the plot focuses on various demons attempting to gain power from Karasumori, and we also get the history of the characters and the land. The plot does become deeper as some of the smarter demons form an organization to take over Karasumori, and we find that the Kekkaishi have 'allies' with their own powers and organization. The plot seems to be getting deeper, and some of the complaints that I earlier had are probably gone with Yoshimori taking on a greater role outside of Karusomori. Still this may only be temporary.
Characters: 7
I still agree with my earlier view that the characters are well made. Yoshimori is unique in his amazing level of laziness, and a lot of the humor in the story comes from that. Tokine is your typical smart female sidekick, but I have no problem with that. I wish that we got a better look at the characters of the Urakai though, and even though I like the fact that Yellow can kill of a character, he/she might want to let us get to know the character better before they die.
Theme: 3
I was probably wrong when I said Kekkaishi had no theme. It does and it focuses on Yoshimori's wish to protect Tokine from further harm. Of course I also think this is pretty weird considering the fact that Tokine seems more capable of protecting herself than Yoshimori. Do we really need another manga where the guy has this desire to protect the girl who doesn't need protecting. It would be a lot cooler if Yoshimori wasn't so shortsighted. He also wants to protect the town, but that isn't really an important part of the story, and we really don't get to meet the citizens to care enough about protecting them.
Originality: 7
Kekkaishi definitely has a different flow than other shounen fighting mangas, yet it also sticks to tradition in certain areas. As I said in my earlier review, the skills used by the Kekkaishi are simple and well thought out. It definitely makes for good fights where you have to use your brain.
Overall: 7
Kekkaishi is definitely a manga worth reading, and provides a relief from the other major shonen titles with it's relaxed plot. I still can't say whether or not the plot will get deeper, which I hope it does, or else things will get pretty boring. Still, I recommend this manga to fans of the other major shonen fighting mangas.
Pictures
General Overview: Two Kekkaishi (the guy Yoshimori and the girl Tokine), both heirs of the Hazama clan, protect the powerful land which their school was built on from the demons who come every night to gain power. They utilize very simple, but powerful barrier techniques to accomplish their jobs.
Category Ratings: (1-10 scale)
Art: 8
The art by Yellow is simple, detailed, and clean. The design of the characters, and the world they live in stays pretty consistent throughout the series.
Plot: 7
The plot centers around Karasumori, the land the school is built on, and where a lord who had a special power died 500 years ago. His death immersed the land with a power that is so attractive to the demons because the more time they spend there, the more they evolve and the faster they heal. Throughout the series the plot focuses on various demons attempting to gain power from Karasumori, and we also get the history of the characters and the land. The plot does become deeper as some of the smarter demons form an organization to take over Karasumori, and we find that the Kekkaishi have 'allies' with their own powers and organization. Even though the story seems to be getting deeper, there is a laid back feeling throughout the series. The fact that the story is centered around Karasumori seems to prevent Yellow from expanding the story. That organization of 'allies' previously mentioned would be a cool part of the story, but for the most part they are off doing other stuff away from Karasumori.
Characters: 7
The characters are well made, but they are breaking no conventions of manga. I like how they relate to each other, and it is good to know that they aren't immortal. The main problem with this manga lies with the characters though. They seem too content. Yoshi has no major goal like a Naruto or Luffy. He just waits around for demons to attack, and then goes home to bake cake. I am not saying that the characters are bad or that the fights are boring, but if this story wants to reach greatness Yoshimori will need some sort of motivation. The Kekkaishi are also missing 'something'. I thought about it and came to the conclusion that it was individuality in their skills. All of the Kekkaishi use the exact same skills. This is unlike Naruto, Bleach, One Piece, HxH, Hitman Reborn, and pretty much every other manga I have read. This may be a good thing though since it makes Kekkaishi unique.
Themes: 3
There really is no theme that runs throughout the series. Lately Yoshimori has had a desire to do something (not really a theme, but a goal), but he is nowhere near accomplishing it. As I said above, they are too content.
Originality: 7
It's originality comes from it's simplicity and relaxed feel. I really do like the techniques the characters use. Simple, yet powerful when used correctly. No unrealistic power jumps (well, for the protagonists).
Overall: 8
Regardless of my criticisms, I am really enjoying Kekkaishi right now (a helluva lot more than Bleach and One Piece). I like the characters and the developing plot. The kekkai (magical barrier) they use is wonderful in it's simplicity. I came across this manga Jan 5 in a desperate search for more shounen manga (had just finished devouring Hitman Reborn). It is now a favorite. That said, I understand why it isn't as popular as the big 4 (Naruto, HxH, One Piece, Bleach). Where those 4 mangas try to do something great (and sometimes fail at doing so), Yellow seems content with playing it safe. Even the name Kekkaishi is unassuming (to my American ears anyway). If Kekkaishi wants to reach greatness, the story needs to move past protecting Karasumori or else it will get repetitive. That said, it is a very good manga, one you should definitely read if you are into the 4 previously mentioned.
Category Ratings: (1-10 scale)
Art: 8
The art by Yellow is simple, detailed, and clean. The design of the characters, and the world they live in stays pretty consistent throughout the series.
Plot: 7
The plot centers around Karasumori, the land the school is built on, and where a lord who had a special power died 500 years ago. His death immersed the land with a power that is so attractive to the demons because the more time they spend there, the more they evolve and the faster they heal. Throughout the series the plot focuses on various demons attempting to gain power from Karasumori, and we also get the history of the characters and the land. The plot does become deeper as some of the smarter demons form an organization to take over Karasumori, and we find that the Kekkaishi have 'allies' with their own powers and organization. Even though the story seems to be getting deeper, there is a laid back feeling throughout the series. The fact that the story is centered around Karasumori seems to prevent Yellow from expanding the story. That organization of 'allies' previously mentioned would be a cool part of the story, but for the most part they are off doing other stuff away from Karasumori.
Characters: 7
The characters are well made, but they are breaking no conventions of manga. I like how they relate to each other, and it is good to know that they aren't immortal. The main problem with this manga lies with the characters though. They seem too content. Yoshi has no major goal like a Naruto or Luffy. He just waits around for demons to attack, and then goes home to bake cake. I am not saying that the characters are bad or that the fights are boring, but if this story wants to reach greatness Yoshimori will need some sort of motivation. The Kekkaishi are also missing 'something'. I thought about it and came to the conclusion that it was individuality in their skills. All of the Kekkaishi use the exact same skills. This is unlike Naruto, Bleach, One Piece, HxH, Hitman Reborn, and pretty much every other manga I have read. This may be a good thing though since it makes Kekkaishi unique.
Themes: 3
There really is no theme that runs throughout the series. Lately Yoshimori has had a desire to do something (not really a theme, but a goal), but he is nowhere near accomplishing it. As I said above, they are too content.
Originality: 7
It's originality comes from it's simplicity and relaxed feel. I really do like the techniques the characters use. Simple, yet powerful when used correctly. No unrealistic power jumps (well, for the protagonists).
Overall: 8
Regardless of my criticisms, I am really enjoying Kekkaishi right now (a helluva lot more than Bleach and One Piece). I like the characters and the developing plot. The kekkai (magical barrier) they use is wonderful in it's simplicity. I came across this manga Jan 5 in a desperate search for more shounen manga (had just finished devouring Hitman Reborn). It is now a favorite. That said, I understand why it isn't as popular as the big 4 (Naruto, HxH, One Piece, Bleach). Where those 4 mangas try to do something great (and sometimes fail at doing so), Yellow seems content with playing it safe. Even the name Kekkaishi is unassuming (to my American ears anyway). If Kekkaishi wants to reach greatness, the story needs to move past protecting Karasumori or else it will get repetitive. That said, it is a very good manga, one you should definitely read if you are into the 4 previously mentioned.
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... i like it... and its unique 
