Mao vol 4 by Rumiko takahashi

Mao comes across yet another of his fellow apprentices who should not be alive after 900 years. It seems no one remembers every detail of what happened so long ago between all of the apprentices and their master, so Mao keeps searching for answers. Mao and fellow apprentice Hakka take out several water shikigami with the help of Nanoka, who has an affinity for earth spells and can take on water monsters with ease. Many bad guys are looking for the “taizanfukun” spell that Mao's master was guarding, the most powerful onmyoji spell said to grant long life. The last Mao saw of it, Byoki was devouring it, so now everyone's sending shikigami after Mao to see if his connection to Byoki can restore the taizanfukun spell.

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This series is really non-stop, just like Takahashi's many other series. Just when Nanoka thinks she's going to be getting a breather, another set of demons or monsters is after them. Those things get dealt with, in a usually awesome magical fashion, and then here come more former apprentices to get in Mao's face. There is one element of slow burn, and that's of Nanoka's development. She's kind of an accessory, the audience stand-in, so it seems like Takahashi is hesitant to make her too dissimilar from the audience. Her power is developed much slower when compared to what we're learning about Mao and his abilities. Hopefully, now that we know of her earth affinity, we can see her getting some more spell-time. 

Takahashi has a very distinct art style with really heavy lines. Having read some of her other works, I am sometimes pulled out of the story and reminded of a frame in another story that has a very similar composition or character, but this probably won't distract most readers. Her creatures and demons are delightful, though, and much different from other mangaka. 

Sara's Rating: 9/10
Suitability Level: Grades 10-12
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This review was made possible with a digital reader copy from the publisher through Net Galley.

Reviews of previous volumes in this series: vol 1, vol 2, vol 3

Publisher: VIZ Media
Publication Date: March 2, 2022
ISBN: 9781974723539 (Paperback)

Tags: Rating: 9/10, Suitability: High School, Manga, Horror, Historical Fiction, Magic, VIZ Media