As the Tengu arc comes to a close, Nanami and Tomoe help Kurama find his father and discover the real reason the mountain is in danger.
Creative Staff
Sotyr/Art: Julietta Suzuki
Translation/Adaptation: Tomo Kimura
What They Say
Kuruma’s father, the Sojobo of the Kuruma tengu, is gravely ill. Nanami thinks she can cure him with her supply of Momotan, but first she needs to get past the magic shields of Jiro, the next in line for the leadership of the mountain. And Jiro isn’t the only thing on the mountain the gang needs to watch out for…
Kuruma’s father, the Sojobo of the Kuruma tengu, is gravely ill. Nanami thinks she can cure him with her supply of Momotan, but first she needs to get past the magic shields of Jiro, the next in line for the leadership of the mountain. And Jiro isn’t the only thing on the mountain the gang needs to watch out for…
Content (please note that the content portion of a review may contain spoilers):
Kurama needs to sneak into the training hall to find his ailing father, the Sojobo, so Nanami can give him the healing Momotan. Much to Tomoe’s dismay, Nanami comes up with the perfect plan. Using a special ofuda, Kurama will pretend to be the tochigami so he and Tomoe can distract Jiro. Meanwhile, Nanami will wear her own disguise and sneak in with the Tengu Botanmaru so she can hunt for Kurama’s father. This works at first, until Nanami discovers that Jiro is not the real culprit — instead, an Ayakashi named Yatori has not only tricked Jiro, but has stolen the Sojobo’s soul.
We get more evidence of Nanami’s growth and strength when she uses her “Shield to Ward off Evil” to escape Yatori and break apart Jiro’s shield, allowing her to find Sojobo’s soul, thus solving the mystery and fending for herself without Tomoe or the others at hand. Though she needs eventual rescuing from the Thunder Beast, Nanami is proving herself a force to be reckoned with.
Despite that, the main characters don’t get much development in this arc. Thankfully, there’s an interesting turn in the seemingly black-hearted Jiro that gives his character a little more depth. Through flashback we see his lifelong goal to be the strongest and gain the praise of the Sojobo; because he has gained so much on his own, he can’t understand helping or being helped. This block comes up again when he remembers Suiro’s words, when this person he looked up to crippled himself in order to save Kurama, but is finally breached when he risks his life for Nanami.
Jiro also spurs some movement in the romantic story. Tomoe becomes annoyed with Jiro’s inability to admit his feelings for Nanami — then jealous when Jiro does admit them, accomplishing something he still cannot. Tomoe still has his reasons for keeping silent, but Kurama pokes a few holes in that idea which will hopefully make Tomoe’s excuse fall apart. Meanwhile, Nanami remains not-so-blissfully ignorant that Tomoe actually returns her feelings, and while I hope that Tomoe will slip and say something, waiting for the moment to come is a delightful sort of torture.
In Summary
This volume comes to a clean stop with the end of the Tengu arc. Kurama somehow doesn’t get as much focus, which is disappointing after his development in volume 9. Though the Sojobo is saved we never see a reconciliation between him and his son, and it’s not made clear that Kurama won’t feel the need to take over the clan someday, though Jiro seems to have matured enough to be a more acceptable leader. Still, this arc introduced some interesting characters, and Nanami leaves with a new set of allies that we’ll hopefully see in the future. The romance continues at its deliberate pace, reminding us of its presence without overshadowing other important aspects, like Nanami’s coming of age, and I’m enjoying its progression so much I almost don’t want to see it come to its ultimate climax.
Content Grade: B+
Art Grade: A-
Packaging Grade: B+
Text/Translation Grade: A-
Age Rating: 13+
Released by: Viz Media
Release Date: August 7th, 2012
MSRP: $9.99
1 thought on “Kamisama Kiss Vol. #10 Manga Review”