Comics / Manga

Taimashin: The Red Spider Exorcist Volume 1

By Leroy Douresseaux
March 8, 2010 - 08:13

Taimashin The Red Spider Exorcist cover image is courtesy of Anime Castle Books

Horror/Action; Rated 16+ Young Adults”

Taimashin: The Red Spider Exorcist is the creation of famed Japanese science fiction and horror novelist, Hideyuki Kikuchi, the creator of Vampire Hunter D.  Like D, Taimashin’s lead character is another butt-kicking monster killer.

In Taimashin: The Red Spider Exorcist, Vol. 1, readers meet a young office worker named Megumi Ohtori.  Megumi enjoys drinks with friends and fun with her boyfriend, Ryouji.  A night at a spring festival in Seoul, South Korea, however, ends with Megumi plunged into a freakish, fantasy world.  It begins with Megumi believing that a stranger is shadowing her every step.  She gets help from a greedy, old crone.  Then, ghastly creatures, led by a sexy and wicked woman named Inran, try to abduct Megumi.  It ends with a peculiar man, Akamushi Fujiwara, the Dancer, rescuing her.  Is this weird showdown between Inran and the Dancer real or is Megumi losing her grip on reality?

Even after reading the first five chapters of this story, as presented in the first volume of Taimashin: The Red Spider Exorcist, I still haven’t read enough to give the series a solid grade.  Too much of the concept and the narrative remain in the shadows, but it is an enjoyable read.  I like its mix of zombie, ghouls, and bloodletting with big fights and Megumi’s domestic drama.  The art, by Korean Shin Yong-Gwan, is beautiful, and Yong-Gwan is quite good at storytelling and especially good at creating mood.  Taimashin is some creepy stuff.  Don’t read at night, but do read it.

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Last Updated: August 31, 2023 - 08:12