Twin Star Exorcists: ONMYOJI vol 1 BY Yoshiaki Sukeno

Meet Rokuro and Benio, the Twin Star Exorcists, and 14-year-old junior high students.  Benio is descendant from a long line of some of the best Exorcists in Japan, and Rokuro has a fierce natural talent but is trying desperately to be anything but an Exorcist.  The Exorcists are tasked with finding Kegare, demons made from mankind's sin and evil-doing, and destroying them.  Some are even advanced enough to travel to Magano, the Kegare's home dimension, and destroy them there, although that's where the really strong ones live.  So why are these two the Twin Star Exorcists? because they have been deemed the most powerful Exorcists of East and West Japan, destined to get married and birth the prophesied child who will destroy all Kegare!

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Exorcism is a popular topic in Japan, as there are lots of demon tales in Japanese folklore, so exorcism manga titles have to have something to stand out from the crowd.  For me, it is the adversarial relationship between Rokuro and Benio that is sure to soften up as chapters go by.  Both characters have dark-and-twisty parts that have shaped them into the jaded figures we meet at the onset, and the slow reveal of it is keeping me hooked into new volumes.  There is no steady ramp up of bad guys, however.  The pair keep getting pummeled with new bigger-badder baddies without the resolution of previous bad guys, so at some point that might snowball out of control.  Sukeno's illustrations are great, with action sequences that are detailed and easy to follow.

VIZ rates this for Teen because there is some fantasy violence and bloodshed.

Sara's Rating: 7/10
​Suitability level: Grades 9-12th

Publisher: VIZ Media
Publication Date: July 7, 2015
ISBN: 9781421581743 (Paperback)

Tags: Rating: 7/10, Suitability: High School, Manga, Demons, Action Adventure, VIZ Media ​