Twin Star Exorcists: Volume 8 manga review

Manga
Twin Star Exorcists: Volume 8 manga review
By Leroy Douresseaux
May 2, 2017 - 22:36

Viz Media
Writer(s): Yoshiaki Sukeno, Tetsuichiro Miyaki, Bryant Turnage
Artist(s): Yoshiaki Sukeno
Letterer(s): Stephen Dutro
ISBN: 978-1-4215-9160-5
$9.99 US, $12.99 CAN, £6.99 U.K., 200pp, B&W, paperback
Rating: T (Teen)

Twin Star Exorcists Volume 8 cover image

Rated “T” for “Teen”

Rokuro Enmado, who does not want to be an exorcist, meets a mysterious girl named Benio Adashino. This 14-year-old is serious about being an exorcist, and she wants to fight the monstrous creatures called Kegare. Because their destinies are intertwined, Rokuro and Benio are called the “Twin Star Exorcists.” They are fated to marry... and to conceive the “Prophesied Child.”

Twin Star Exorcists, Vol. 8 (Chapters 26 to 29) opens in Magano, the underworld where the Kegare live. Shimon Ikaruga (one of the Twelve Guardians) has joined Rokuro and Benio on a rescue mission to this evil realm in order to save his sister, Sayo. Their adversaries are two Basara (Kegare that can speak like and resemble humans), Hijirimaru and Higano.

However, Basara are exceedingly powerful and skilled. It will take everything they have and more – especially with Benio knocked out of the fight. Mayura Otomi, a not particularly talented exorcist, joins the fight and to save her friends, she will have to discover a new source of power within herself. Plus, a dark truth about Benio's spiritual guardian is revealed.

THE LOWDOWN: The Twin Star Exorcists manga once had a narrative that seemed to be in a constant state of flux. The introductions of new characters and subplots seemed constant, but the characters grew and evolved.

Twin Star Exorcists Volume 8 is about character evolution, but in the four chapters contained in this graphic novel, the series shows its battle manga chops. Creator Yoshiaki Sukeno offers explosive fights and spectacular effects. I might have missed the character drama and behind-the-scenes intrigue in which this narrative usually dabbles. However, the awesome battles were indeed awesome, and the final page of this graphic novel teases more good stuff to come.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS: Fans of action-fantasy, shonen manga will want to try the “Shonen Jump” manga, Twin Star Exorcists.

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Rating: A/10