Muhyo & Roji Volume 13 cover image is courtesy of barnesandnoble.com.

Rated “T” for “Teen”

Need some ghosts busted?  People call Toru Muhyo and his assistant, Jiro “Roji” Kusano, when they have ghost problems.  Muhyo has achieved the highest rank in magic law, executor – someone who can perform exorcisms.  Roji is Muhyo’s sweet-natured and accident prone assistant/sidekick, who devotes himself to the study of magic law so that he can one day pull his own weight.  For Muhyo & Roji’s Bureau of Supernatural Investigation serving justice to evil spirits is their specialty.

As Muhyo & Roji’s Bureau of Supernatural Investigation, Vol. 13 (entitled A New Book of Magic Law) opens, all hell has broken out at the M.L.S. (Magic Law Society), as the Magic Law Association continues its war against Ark, the forbidden magic law group.  Ark assassin Ghostmaster Ivy Cortlaw has invades the M.L.S., unleashing a torrent of ghosts, including the Gingko Hag.  It seems that the Hag is looking for the same thing everyone else is, the “Writ of Passage,” some device or object that will help in the battle to stop Ark master, Teeki.  However, Muhyo must also have his new book of magic law, but can the writing of it be finished before Ivy kills them all?

THE LOWDOWN:  Several volumes earlier, I wondered if Muhyo & Roji’s Bureau of Supernatural Investigation would slowly fade away into mediocrity.  Where could this narrative go without becoming repetitive?  However, creator Yoshiyuki Nishi has proven to be highly imaginative.  Around the central conflict (M.L.S. vs. Ark), Nishi has fashioned imaginative worlds and a breathtaking collection of distinctive ghost, ghouls, and spirits that continue to grow.  The story blends heightened drama with frequent cliffhangers and shocking reveals, which is the how Nishi makes you want to read Muhyo & Roji’s Bureau of Supernatural Investigation.

POSSIBLE AUDIENCE:  A spirited dark fantasy and ghost story, Muhyo & Roji’s Bureau of Supernatural Investigation will thrill fans of magical series.

A