By Yuki Sato
Del Rey, 290 pp.
Rating: Older Teen (16+)

People get sick. It is the inevitable truth, considering the frailty of the human body (not to mention our environment). Everyday, new diseases are being discovered. In human society, doctors play a very important role; they are the caretakers. Well-versed in the healing arts and with a license to practice, doctors set out with a goal of maintaining and prolonging human life. What about those mystical and magical creatures of legend? Aren’t they also plagued with the same diseases and germs that humans have to deal with on a day-to-day basis? Who takes care of them?

Yokai Doctor, one of the newest series from Del Rey, answers that question, introducing us to Kuro Gokokuji, who oddly enough, is in the business of healing those that go bump in the night. No one knows of Kuro’s ghastly profession until he encounters Kotoko Kasuga, a young, spiritually sensitive girl who comes from a long line of exorcists. Yet, Kotoko can only see spirits, rather than cause them any harm. She is the new girl in town, quickly gaining popularity because of her “abilities.” After some encounters with the unknown, Kotoko vows to be Kuro’s assistant, in an attempt to understand the world of yokai better.

This is an interesting book because, for me, it really teeters on the line between cliché and breaking stereotypes in terms of characters and the overall writing. Kuro and Kotoko are people we’ve met many times before: the meek boy who is coming out of his shell, and the tomboyish girl who just wants to fit in, but is just too different. Read any shonen series and you’ll know what I’m talking about. Same thing goes for the writing; the plot is a half-assed version of xxxHOLiC. It’s littered with the usual fan service (though this was light on it) and shonen Golden Rules like “believe in yourself!” and “friendship conquers all!” This feeling is maintained for the majority of the volume, but at points, it peppers in some really interesting content: Kuro’s demon past and how it ultimately affects his relationship with the human world, the development of Kotoko’s abilities, and the possible future confrontation between exorcist and doctor. Even though Kuro has somewhat of a bleak personality, I am interested in how he assimilates into human society.

The real treat of this spooky softcover is the artwork. It is simple without anything missing. When I see Kuro or any of the yokai that he encounters, I feel like I am getting the entire picture, like the right amount of time was spent on each and every panel. Speaking of the yokai, you could almost say that they are a straight from the scroll adaptation! Each one is either a brilliantly detailed creature that strikes fear into the hearts of readers or a goofy, floating, amorphous blob with a dopey smile on its face. Either way, Yuki Sato does a wonderful job at capturing the mood of the scene through her art.

In conclusion, I would keep an eye out for Yokai Doctor as a book to follow in the next few months. Though it doesn’t show as much promise as some of the newer 2009 titles (Pluto: Urasawa x Tezuka, Cirque du Freak), it has the potential to go in a lot of different directions story-wise, which itself is an exciting enough prospect!

Volume one of Yokai Doctor is available now.