Manga Review: Kekkaishi, Vol. 13

Kekkaishi, Vol. 13

By Yellow Tanabe
Viz, 200 pp.
Rating: Teen

For many manga, picking up a volume which transitions from one story arc to another can be an exercise in pure tedium. Not so with volume thirteen of Yellow Tanabe’s Kekkaishi. Kekkaishi avoids this classic shonen pitfall by simply deviating from the shonen formula frequently. Though it has a male protagonist who battles his way towards bettering himself, and who “comes of age” (which is practically the definition of shonen manga), Kekkaishi is a peculiarity among the plethora of shonen manga available in the US. First, unlike most shonen manga here in the States, Kekkaishi does not run in Japan’s Shonen Jump magazine, but rather in the more moody and offbeat Shonen Sunday. Second, Kekkaishi has a relatively limited number of characters, compared with some of the huge ensemble casts like those in Bleach, Naruto, or One Piece. Third, we know the limited number of character so well that it’s actually refreshing seeing shifting gears after Kokuboro, and not a total drag.

The first half of volume thirteen is devoted to the completion of the epic Kokuboro arc. I won’t spoil how everything resolves, but it’s fun to see how the characters evolve when the going really gets tough. Afterwards, we are treated with a monster-of-the-day story that closely matches the pre-Kokuboro plot. Finally, we are introduced to a new character who is sure to dominate the next arc and have a story very much interwoven with that of Yoshimori and Tokine’s. My main complaint about this volume and the Kokuboro story arc as a whole has been Tokine’s reduced role. This doesn’t stop her from being several steps ahead of most other shonen manga female protagonists, but her strength of character is what makes it a shame that she takes back seat for so many volumes.

Interestingly, this series has always been compared in the manga blogosphere to Bleach, and I’ve often disagreed. Kekkaishi is more personal, more emotional, less overpowered and ridiculous, less conventional and ultimately much more human. What is strange though is how the general flow of the story arcs has matched Bleach’s so closely. Both have an initial “monster hunting” story arc in which we are introduced to the protagonists and the other main characters. Both Bleach’s Ichigo and Kekkaishi’s Yoshimori also cross spiritual dimensions to assault an enemy stronghold for the sake of a dear friend/comrade. The scope of the series is completely different though (just compare the marathon length of Bleach’s soul society arc to the relatively concise Kokuboro arc), and frankly this is a point in Kekkaishi’s favor. The Kekkaishi manga doesn’t feel drawn out by editorial requirement in the way that many Shonen Jump manga do⎯and that is a welcome relief.

Another high point of Kekkaishi is the smooth and almost anime-like art. Needless to say, the series’ art survived much better than most in the transition to anime. Though most characters are not terribly detailed, the protagonists look great and have very revealing facial expressions.

In case you couldn’t already tell, I think Kekkaishi is the bomb. This is in all honesty probably the best shonen manga I’ve ever read, and let me tell you, that’s a large sample size to choose from. This is an especially amazing feat considering that this is Yellow Tanabe’s first serialized manga. Ever. Compare this to other debut manga, such as Tite Kubo’s mundane Zombie Powder, or CLAMP’s awkward RG Veda, and you’ll realize just what a gem Kekkaishi truly is. It does have some of the same shonen hitches and is a bit formulaic at points, but this rarely detracts from its overall awesomeness.

Kekkaishi has also been made into a highly successful anime (and a Nintendo Wii game!) in Japan, that I recommend you check out ASAP. Sadly, it remains unlicensed in the states. Thankfully, said anime goes on hiatus after the Kokuboro arc rather than follow the abhorrent Bleach strategy of nauseating filler. Let’s hope that Yellow Tanabe’s both debut and masterpiece manga continue at the same amazing quality they have for these first thirteen volumes. Personally, I can’t wait for more!

Volume thirteen of Kekkaishi is available now.