Nanami finally heads to Izumo, but leaves Tomoe behind. It’s for his own protection, but will she be able to handle everything without him?
Creative Staff
Story/Art: Julietta Suzuki
Translation/Adaptation: Tomo Kimura
What They Say
Mizuki loves living at the shrine with Nanami, but he hates that he has to stay behind when she goes to school. He hates even more that Tomoe gets to go with her. But Mizuki isn’t used to the human world, so Nanami thinks it’s safer if he just stays put. Can Mizuki become a master of the mundane, or will his secret foray into town end in disaster?!
Content: (please note that the content portions of a review may contain spoilers):
This volume starts off with a pair of lighthearted chapters, starting with a focus on Mizuki. Upset that Nanami doesn’t think he’s used to humans, and bored in the shrine, he decides to find the tengu Kurama and figure out how he’s managing to survive in the human world. It takes only a few adorable mishaps before Mizuki realizes he’s completely overwhelmed, and begins to wonder why even humans strive to make it in this place. Then, we’re reminded of the one-sided romance when Nanami convinces Tomoe to take her to the amusement park. But when she finds an object that Tomoe takes pains to hide away, she can’t help but remember the human woman her shinshi once loved.
Meanwhile, Nanami prepares for the meeting at Izumo, and a run-in with fallen kami makes her decide against bringing Tomoe with her. Not realizing she is only protecting him from the harsh words of other kami the fox becomes irritable, but Nanami has other things to worry about once she gets there. The other kami don’t appreciate her presence, as was to be expected, but the one who invited her, Okuninushi, also has another task in mind for her – she must use her purity to protect the gate to the land of the dead, and only then will he apologize to Kayako. But the gate is already under attack, led by a dark human boy who is after something very powerful
While both Mizuki’s chapter and the “date” are cute and fun, it just feels like filler as we wait for Nanami to finally go to Izumo. The romance remains as one-sided as ever. Nothing really pushes forward, and though questions about the woman Yukiji are raised, not a single one is answered. I still find it commendable that Suzuki is putting of the romantic aspect of the manga in favor of plot and character growth, but she can only keep it up for so much longer before something really needs to happen here.
However, those problems are minor overall. Readers are still reminded of Nanami’s strong personality as she powers through the romance, and again when she pushes her way into the meeting even after other kami try to scare her off. Despite her own problems, helping others is her number one priority – she left her strongest supporter behind so he wouldn’t be insulted, and is only at Izumo to gather an apology for Kayako. Despite that, she never comes across as weak or self-sacrificing, only determined and kind.
In Summary
We leave this volumes with some interesting hints of what’s to come. Nanami is certain her mysterious helper is Mikage, the old tochigami who gave the human girl his powers. This brings up several questions: was Nanami just a random replacement? And why did he choose to leave, if he’s continuing to be so involved in what happens? And although the true identity of the boy Kirihito has been revealed (through a bit of backstory that is just far too convenient), Nanami and the other characters remain in the dark. Rather than just another grumpy antagonist, Kirihito may be the first true foe of the series, and it will be interesting to see how Nanami handles this on her own.
Content Grade: B+
Art Grade: A
Packaging Grade: B+
Text/Translation Grade: A-
Readers Rating: [ratings]
Age Rating: 13+
Released by: Viz Media
Release Date: February 7th, 2012
MSRP: $9.99
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