Comics / Manga

Nura: Rise of the Yokai Clan Volume 5

By Leroy Douresseaux
October 3, 2011 - 22:27

Nura Rise of the Yokai Clan Volume 5 cover image is courtesy of Anime Castle Books.

Rated “T” for Teen

Why is teenaged Rikuo Nura not fully human?  That is because he is three-fourths human and one-quarter yokai, the supernatural creatures of Japanese folklore.  His grandfather is Nurarihyon, Overlord and Supreme Commander of the powerful Yokai consortium, the Nura Clan.  Nurarihyon wants Rikuo to take up his mantle as the next leader of the Nura Clan, but his grandson doesn’t want that position.  Humans fear yokai, and Rikuo just wants to be normal and not scare humans.  Still, his yokai blood awakens at night, and he becomes the “Third,” the future yokai leader and current Underboss.

As Nura: Rise of the Yokai Clan, Vol. 5 (entitled A Yokai with Wings Darker Than Night) opens, the Nura Clan is in a state of disarray because Nuraihyon is missing, and many clan members doubt Rikuo’s ability to lead.  Ready to take advantage are the 88 Demons of Shikoku, who have moved into Ukiyoe Town.  Their leader, the vicious Tamazuki, not only wants to take over the town, but also to destroy the Nura Clan.  Perhaps, it is time for Rikuo to form his own Night Parade of a Hundred Demons.  Meanwhile, Gozumaru and Mezumaru, the self-styled Gozu-Mezu Spy Team, have infiltrated the 88 Demons’ base.

THE LOWDOWN:  With each volume of Nura: Rise of the Yokai Clan, I realize that it is increasingly less likely that the series will disappoint me.  It is a unique fantasy manga that mixes elements of the superhero team comic book with boy hero fantasy fiction.  It’s like X-Men meets Percy Jackson and the Olympians.  There are also crime fiction and gangsta/thug elements, which add some grit and even more inventiveness to this unique horror comic book.  Also, creator Hiroshi Shiibashi has a quirky, but solid drawing style that seems to move like quicksilver across the pages – the perfect visual style for graphic storytelling involving mythological creatures like the yokai.

POSSIBLE AUDIENCE:  Readers looking for the best graphic novel series on the market will want to try Nura: Rise of the Yokai Clan.

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Last Updated: August 31, 2023 - 08:12