To be an Exorcist – review of the manga “Chronicle of Ghosts”, vol. 1–3

I haven’t read the manga about exorcists yet. Did I like the story from the author of Natsumegu Seiju? The answer to this question may prove to be more difficult than it seems.

 

A sister who disappears without a trace 

Teenage Hanaichi Sukami, despite her young age, is already a talented exorcist. He writes down his experiences in a notebook called the Chronicle of Ghosts, the pages of which are filled with various ways of dealing with supernatural threats. Her younger brother Kyouichi is also keen on the profession practiced by her sister, but the girl does not allow him to more difficult cases. The boy wants to prove himself at all costs, which unfortunately leads to a tragedy. Kyouichi and a group of friends from the occult club set off to investigate the mystery of the disease-causing deity. When he tries to seal it, the young man’s inexperience emerges and he is finally helped by his sister. Not everything ends well, because after the battle is over, Hanaichi disappears without a trace. After six years, Kyouichi is still trying to find his sister, until one day he comes across a mysterious girl. It turns out to be a shinigami and a friend of Hanaichi. There is a new hope of finding the missing exorcist, but first you have to complete the Chronicle of Ghosts to the end.

Mish mash

In the following chapters, we learn the secrets of various places and strange characters that the heroes have to face. For example, they come across a macaron monster, which turns out to be the soul of a confectioner who has a crush on Hanaichi. The tone of the story is often serious, and the manga does not shy away from grotesque violence. There is also humor and a bit of eroticism, which, to be honest, is completely unnecessary here and can knock the reader off the beat. If a more serious tone had been kept for the rest of the story, it would have only been to her good. I have the impression that the author does not quite know what she wants to convey

Chaos also manifests itself in the graphic layer. The manga cards are packed to the brim. One usually contains five or six frames, and the pages at the end of the volumes and between the chapters contain various reflections by the author. Natsumegu Seiju does not regret black and shades of gray, and due to the number of frames on spreads, he can tire it a bit. The fuzzy font used in the translated onomatopiasis also does not help. The color is found outside the dust jacket on the first two pages of each volume. I did not find any linguistic or translation errors.

Summary

Reading the Chronicle of Ghosts turned out to be a strange experience. Mixing serious and brutal moments with humor of not very high flying causes a certain dissonance. Unfortunately, this procedure does not work here, and if the author decided on a uniform tone of the story, it would only do her good. In the end, the Natsumegu Seiju manga didn’t win my heart. Those who do not mind sharp turns in the atmosphere of the story told, can find something for themselves here. Hope to find a better exorcism manga next time.