Author: Hiroyuki Takei Translator: Lillian Olsen, Erin Procter Genre: Manga Quick description: The opening ceremonies are over and the first challenge of the Shaman Fight is assigned. The shamans are dropped off in North America with the mission to reach the Patch Village in 3 months - with no directions or guidance. Alongside Yoh are allies, enemies, and spirits - all of whom have their own reasons for wanting to become the next Shaman King. Most notable is Hao, the enigmatic yet familiar self-professed "Future King". Again we will include a few more volumes here. It should be very obvious but everything from here onward will be spoilery. I don't think there is an issue mainly because well, this series is over 20 years old.  Omnibus 4 volumes 10-12 Yoh, Ryu, Ren, and Horohoro continue the journey together looking for the Patch village. The towns around have not heard of this village or even the tribe, but they manage to run into a young woman who recognizes it. She tel...

  Author: Hiroyuki Takei Translators:  Lillian Olsen, Erin Procter Genre: Manga Original publication date:  December 1998. The omnibus collection is from 2021.  Basic description:  " When he takes a shortcut through a cemetery, Manta Oyamada meets a strange kid with headphones — surrounded by ghosts. The kid is the teenage shaman Yoh Asakura. Tapping the supernatural swordfighting powers of samurai ghost Admidamaru, Yoh fights Bokuto no Ryu, a sword-wielding gang member. But an even more dangerous opponent is stalking Yoh and Manta — a Chinese shaman who wants to possess Amidamaru." So here is the difficult decision. If we include details about every single volume, it will be all spoiler-filled. So this story is not new, it came out over 20 years ago. That's why is described as "this classic from 1998..." When I read that I was a bit surprised. Then I look back and I go, yeah it has been a long time.  Let's stop focusing on the fact that I feel old with thi...

  Author: Kohei Hirokoshi Series: Vol 17 to 21 Genre: Manga, Sci-fi Description: In a world where 80% of the people have abilities crime has rise and the need for people with special abilities to fight crime created the need for professional heroes. In this world there are Heroes you can go to University, there are elite schools for it as well. One of the most prestigious ones is UA High school. The story follows mainly Izuku Midoriya an 18-year-old student who wishes to be admitted to this prestigious school so he can become a hero. The main setback is that he was born with no abilities or Quirk as they call it. All might the #1 hero meets Midoriya by chance and decides to make him his successor. Midoriya is granted the power and with that, he accepts the responsibility of stopping the One for all All Might's enemy.  Thoughts: Again this is already way into the series so anything mentioned here could be considered a spoiler so this makes it very difficult to mention. These ...

  Author: Rumiko Takahashi Series: Volumes 9 and 10 Original Publication date: 2001 Book description: Kagome a high school living a normal life in the company of her family is transported to Feudal Japan where demons still roam the land. She discovers she is the reincarnation of Kikyo, a priestess that was guarding the Shikon No Tama a very sought-after jewel with mystical powers.  Accidentally Kagome shatters the jewel and it's scattered throughout the land. Now Kagome must find the jewel before it lands in the wrong hands.  Thoughts: This time I have read very little so I am going to make a review of only two volumes. As I have mentioned before, there is no way to do a review even if I am vague in the adventures the gang faces it is spoilers obviously.  Volume 9 The gang continues the fight against Kana and Kagura Naraku's underlings. The townspeople are still being used as a human shield as Inuyasha can't fight without the risk of killing them accidentally. When...

  Author: Rumiko Takahashi  Series: Volume 4-8 Genre: Fantasy, Manga Original publication date: 1997-1998 Description: Kagome is a normal high school student living in her traditional house with her mother, little brother, and mother. One day by accident she falls down a sacred water well and ends up in the Feudal era where demons still roam. She is lost but soon finds herself caught up in a quest. After discovering she is in possession of the Shikon no Tama a powerful jewel that is very sought by demons and evil humans. Thoughts: This series is on the older side, it was first published in Japanese and it has been translated into numerous languages by now. I saw the anime adaptation first. This is the first time I am reading the manga and it has been so long that I barely remember it. I am not sure about the initial plot so can't say how closely related they are, but I am enjoying the manga a lot. As it is a series it is impossible to talk about it without spoiling it. As ...

  Volumes 15 and 16  Author: Kohei Horikoshi Original publication year 2017 Genre: Sci-Fi, Manga Book description: In a world where 80% of the population has abilities crime relate to the use of quirks or special abilities rose. In response being a hero became a very lucrative and appealing career. We follow a group of first years of Yuei, the most prestigious hero school in Japan as they start their training and the first steps to becoming the best heroes out there.  Thoughts: Deku and his classmates have been granted their provisional licenses. They can now operate as heroes. Finally they will go out there and make a difference by helping people out using their abilities. Everyone needs to find an agency that accepts them, to work with them, and provide the guidance they need.  Deku meets Sir, the old partner of All might. Their meeting is not as positive as he would have hoped. Sir is set against Deku as he did not agree to let him be All might's successor. Si...

Volumes: 14 to 19  Author: Kazue Kato Original publication year: 2014-2017 Description: A group of high schoolers is training to be exorcists in the elite school The true cross. They go to high school but alongside their normal classes, they train, fight demons alongside their trained teachers, and gain experience and the knowledge necessary. The main characters are a set of twins who are the sons of Satan. One of them has inherited the blue flame, the power related to Satan himself. Rin is determined to become an exorcist and defeat Satan. He is not alone in this dream, he meets the rest of his class and they all have something to say about that dream of his.  Thoughts: As part of a long series, this will undoubtedly contain spoilers as you can't reference the events without giving away what happens in previous entries. Be warned. They manage to survive the trap by the Illuminati, Izumo's mom manages to pull the last of her strength and contain in her body the spirit of t...

  Author: CLAMP Original publication date: From 1996 to 2000 Description: Sakura Kinomoto is a 10-year-old who lives in Tomoeda, one day she releases a stack of magical cards and s tasked with capturing them all. If she does not, something terrible will happen.  Thoughts: Initially, I had intended to do a review for every few volumes. That ended up not happening because it is very predictable and not much happens as an overall plot. Each chapter is episodic and formulaic.  I do not mean it as a bad thing. This is targeted towards a younger audience, I remember seeing the anime adaptation when I was growing up. I really enjoyed it. By now I barely remember any of it. My memories of the conflicts, the plot, is gone. I just remember some of the characters and my feelings towards them.  With that in mind, as I started to read them I realized there was a lot of content edited out of the original work, or maybe it was censored, or as a younger person, I did not really no...

  Author: Kazue Kato  Publication date: 2013-2014 Genre: Manga Description: A group of teenagers not only go to high school and face the normal Shinanigans they also must cope with the responsibilities of trying to become the next group of Exorcists. They are part of the True Cross a world-wide organization dedicated to rid the world of evil. A very particular student is enrolled in the Exorcist course, Rin, the son of Satan and the only one true vessel, he posses the Blue flame the characteristic power of Satan. Thoughts: This is alsmot halfway through the series so I am not able to discuss this without heavy spoilers. Hope if you do have interest in this series you have already read it. But the spoiler free section is not going to the very long, I will give slight spoilers and try to comment about the direction the plot is going.  I am a bit behind because there is an anime already, so maybe people know the story and this is not new, for me I am experiencing the story...