Manga Review: “Kamisama Kiss” Volume Eight

Article first published as Manga Review: Kamisama Kiss Volume Eight by Julietta Suzuki on Blogcritics.

Kamisama Kiss Volume Eight is a manga by Julietta Suzuki, and it was published in North America by Viz Media’s Shojo Beat imprint in 2012. The series is rated “T” for teens; from what I’ve read of the series so far, I would agree with this rating.

Nanami Momozono is a high school student who becomes homeless after her father skips out of town in order to avoid paying his gambling debts. One night, Nanami meets a man who turns out to be the land god; he gives her a kiss on the forehead and gives her the power of a kami. With this kiss, Nanami becomes the new god at the land god’s shrine. Nanami has two familiars serving her: Tomoe the fox demon and a snake incarnation named Mizuki.

This volume finds Nanami in the land of the dead after falling down a hole at the end of Volume Seven after being assigned to protect the entrance during the kami conference. A human named Kirihito fell into the land of the dead with her. While she’s in the land of the dead, Nanami learns that Kirihito isn’t what he seems to be, and also manages to raise the ire of Yomotsuokami, the kami of the land of the dead.

Tomoe also gets to play a major role later in Volume Eight, and a character the reader hasn’t seen for quite a while also makes a return. At the same time this character returns, the reader also learns a little something about Tomoe as well.

I apologize for the vagueness of some of this plot synopsis, but if I go any farther, I run the risk of going into “spoiler” territory even more than I already have. I don’t want to give too much away, because then no one would have a reason to read Volume Eight after reading this review.

I ended up really enjoying Volume Eight. In fact, I got so wrapped up in what I was reading that I didn’t want to put it down. I think that this was due not only to the actual story itself, but it was also due to Suzuki’s art style. Her art style complements this story very well, which makes the manga just as enjoyable to look at as it is to read it.

If you’ve the previous seven volumes of Kamisama Kiss, then I think you’ll find that Volume Eight is also an enjoyable and satisfying read.

I wrote this review after reading a copy of Kamisama Kiss Volume Eight that my older daughter checked out through the King County Library System.

Manga Review: “Kamisama Kiss” Volume Seven

Article first published as Manga Review: Kamisama Kiss Volume Seven by Julietta Suzuki on Blogcritics.

Kamisama Kiss Volume Seven is a manga by Julietta Suzuki, and it was published in North America by Viz Media’s Shojo Beat imprint in 2012. The series is rated “T” for teens; from what I’ve read of the series so far, I would agree with this rating.

Nanami Momozono is a high school student who becomes homeless after her father leaves in order to avoid paying his gambling debts. One night in the park, Nanami meets a man who turns out to be the land god; he kisses her on the forehead and gives her the power of a kami. With this kiss, Nanami becomes the new god at the land god’s shrine. At this point in the series, Nanami has two familiars serving her: the fox demon Tomoe and a snake incarnation named Mizuki.

This volume has a strong focus on Nanami and Mizuki. Mizuki tries going out among humans on his own, but finds out that he’s not ready. Nanami, meanwhile, tries to take Tomoe out on a “date” at an amusement park. The “date” doesn’t go anywhere near what Nanami had expected.

After these stories, the focus of the volume is on the kami conference that Nanami was chosen to attend at the end of Volume Six. When there’s only enough money for one of Nanami’s familiars to accompany her, it has to be decided whether Tomoe or Mizuki will be going. Once Nanami gets to the conference, she is treated with disdain by some of the other kami. To add to this, she is assigned to go to the entrance to the land of the dead to protect it from being destroyed.

I have to admit that when I first started reading this volume, I was a little disappointed that it didn’t launch immediately into the storyline about the kami conference. However, the first two stories that appear in here are important character development pieces, and the first story also explains why there isn’t enough money for both of Nanami’s familiars to accompany her to the conference. This volume also ends with a bit of a cliffhanger, so now I want to read Volume Eight to see what happens to Nanami at the entrance to the land of the dead.

Overall, I found Kamisama Kiss Volume Seven to be a good read. For Kamisama Kiss fans who enjoy the Nanami and Tomoe pairing, there’s development for this pairing that should satisfy them. Even if you’re not a fan of the particular pairing, there’s still plenty to enjoy when reading Volume Seven.

I wrote this review after reading a copy of Kamisama Kiss Volume Seven that my older daughter checked out through the King County Library System.

Manga Review: “Kamisama Kiss” Volume Six

Article first published as Manga Review: Kamisama Kiss Volume Six by Julietta Suzuki on Blogcritics.

Kamisama Kiss Volume Six is a manga by Julietta Suzuki, and it was published in North America by Viz Media’s Shojo Beat imprint in 2011. The series is rated “T” for teens; from what I’ve read of the series so far, I would agree with this rating.

A high school student named Nanami Momozono becomes homeless after her father suddenly leaves to get out of his paying his gambling debts. After being kicked out of her home, Nanami meets a man who turns out to be the land god. He kisses Nanami on the forehead and gives her the power of a kami. Nanami becomes the new god at the land god’s shrine. A fox demon named Tomoe serves as Nanami’s familiar, and the two are in a contract that Tomoe is unable to break.

At the beginning of Volume Six, we learn the identity of the new character who tested Nanami during Volume Five. His name is Otohikogami; he’s a wind kami and a friend of the previous land god. It turns out that he arrives at the shrine to deliver an invitation to Nanami for a week-long conference of kami in October. He says the higher-ups have been arguing about whether Nanami should be invited, or if another human kami might be a better choice.

At first, Nanami has no interest in going. However, after Nanami meets the other human kami candidate and is insulted by her, Nanami is determined to be chosen. Otohikogami arrives and gives both candidates shikigami eggs; they suck energy from their owners in order to grow. The kami who can raise a beautiful shikigami that is Otohikogami’s type will be the one invited to the conference.

This volume introduces another new character, which is Nanami’s shikigami. I don’t want to say anything more about the shikigami, because I don’t want to provide any spoilers. All I will say is that Tomoe doesn’t seem to like Nanami’s shikigami.

I really enjoyed reading this volume of Kamisama Kiss. The contest between Nanami and the other human kami is a very interesting storyline, and it really shows the reader just how much more Nanami still needs to do before she’s truly ready to become the new land god. This volume ends with the ending of the contest, which was a really good spot to end at. I’m anticipating that the conference of the kami will probably appear in either Volume Seven or Volume Eight. I’m really looking forward to seeing what happens to Nanami at the kami conference.

Kamisama Kiss Volume Six was a great read, and I’m sure you’ll enjoy it if you’ve read the previous five volumes of the series. Personally, I can’t wait to read Volume Seven to see what happens to Nanami and Tomoe next.

I wrote this review after reading a copy of Kamisama Kiss Volume Six that my older daughter checked out through the King County Library System.

Manga Review: “Kamisama Kiss” Volume Five

Article first published as Manga Review: Kamisama Kiss Volume Five by Julietta Suzuki on Blogcritics.

Kamisama Kiss Volume Five is a manga by Julietta Suzuki, and it was published in North America by Viz Media’s Shojo Beat imprint in 2011. The series is rated “T” for teens; from what I’ve read of the series so far, I would agree with this rating.

Nanami Momozono is a high school student who loses her home after her father skips out of town in order to avoid paying his gambling debts. One day, she runs into a man who turns out to be the land god. After kissing her on the forehead and giving her the power of a kami, Nanami becomes the new god at the land god’s shrine. Her familiar is Tomoe, the fox demon, and they have a contract that he is unable to break.

At the end of the Volume Four, the character of Mizuki becomes Nanami’s second familiar. The beginning of Volume Five has a strong focus on Nanami trying to get Mizuki and Tomoe to cooperate and work together; unfortunately, Tomoe is upset that Nanami now has a second familiar, and is being rather stubborn about working with Mizuki.

Nanami’s troubles are compounded when she starts hearing people talking about the shrine. It turns out that people believe the shrine is an abandoned ruin and won’t go to visit it. Nanami decides that she wants the shrine to host a festival to prove that it’s not an abandoned or ghost shrine. Tomoe is adamantly against the idea, but Mizuki is more than willing to help.

Some hilarity ensues when Nanami tries to get help from the various yokai she has met during the series at this point. Kurama, the tengu who is the teen idol, is the most helpful since he’s been in the human world for 16 years.

This volume introduces a new character who looks like a delinquent from a motorcycle gang. He appears to be from the world of the kami, but his name is not given in this volume. He puts Nanami to the test to see if she can really fulfill the duties of the land god. I thought the test he put her through was kind of interesting, although one of the characters definitely wasn’t acting like himself; this change in behavior in this character made this section an interesting read.

Volume Five definitely shows that Nanami has truly accepted and taken on her responsibilities as a kami. The fact that she wanted to prove that the shrine wasn’t abandoned was the proof of this. I really liked how the festival was handled in this volume, and I also appreciated the fact that Volume Five ended with the festival taking place. With how much the festival was being emphasized throughout this volume, it would have been rather disappointing if we didn’t get to actually see what happened before the volume ended.

Suzuki seems to understand how to pace her stories. In the five volumes I’ve read, she seems to have the knack to not make her stories run for too long, or to have them paced so quickly that they feel rushed. Each story arc is the right length for the reader to be able to get into the story and care about what happens to the characters.

If you’ve read the previous four volumes of Kamisama Kiss and enjoyed them, then I believe you’ll also enjoy reading Volume Five.

I wrote this review after reading a copy of Kamisama Kiss Volume Five that my older daughter checked out through the King County Library System.

Manga Review: “Kamisama Kiss” Volume Four

Article first published as Manga Review: Kamisama Kiss Volume Four by Julietta Suzuki on Blogcritics.

Kamisama Kiss Volume Four is a manga by Julietta Suzuki, and it was published in North America by Viz Media’s Shojo Beat imprint in 2011. The series is rated “T” for teens; from what I’ve read of the series so far, I would agree with this rating.

High school student Nanami Momozono loses her home after her father skips town to avoid paying his gambling debts. One day, she has a chance meeting with a man who turns out to be the land god; after bestowing a kiss on her forehead and giving her the power of a kami, Nanami becomes the new god at the land god’s temple. Tomoe is a fox demon who serves as her familiar, and they have a contract that he cannot break.

In Volume Four, Nanami finally admits to herself that she has fallen in love with Tomoe. However, when she confesses her feelings to Tomoe, she doesn’t get the response that she hoped for. After reading this section of the manga, I thought that Suzuki handled this plot point very realistically with the character she has established for Tomoe. This development adds a new layer to the already complicated relationship that Nanami and Tomoe share; by the time I finished Volume Four, I could tell that this new development is something that Suzuki will run with as the series continues.

Volume Four also sees Nanami and some friends from school hitting the beach. Mizuki, the incarnation of a white snake who was the shinshi of a water kami, makes another appearance in the series during this story arc. At first, Tomoe won’t accompany Nanami on the trip, because he can’t go into the ocean. However, after Mizuki says he’ll be going along, Tomoe joins the group.

This story arc not only explains why Tomoe can’t go into the ocean, it also allows Nanami to learn a little more about Tomoe and his past. During this story arc, a very important change happens to Mizuki that adds a major new development for Nanami and Tomoe’s relationship. I have to admit that I didn’t see this development coming, and I’m very curious to see how Suzuki will move the story forward with this development for Mizuki.

At this point, Kamisama Kiss does provide the shojo trope of male characters falling for the main female, there’s enough other elements being presented in the story that it doesn’t come across as “just another shojo manga.” Kamisama Kiss provides just the right amount of romance, drama, and humor to keep readers interested in the story and wanting to come back for more.

I wrote this review after reading a copy of Kamisama Kiss Volume Four that my older daughter checked out through the King County Library System.

Manga Review: “Kamisama Kiss” Volume Three

Article first published as Manga Review: Kamisama Kiss Volume Three by Julietta Suzuki on Blogcritics.

Kamisama Kiss Volume Three is a manga by Julietta Suzuki, and it was published in North America by Viz Media’s Shojo Beat imprint in 2011. The series is rated “T” for teens; from what I’ve read of the series so far, I would agree with this rating.

After losing her home, high school girl Nanami Momozono has a chance meeting with a man who turns out to be the land god. After bestowing a kiss on her and giving her the power of a kami, Nanami becomes the new god at the land god’s temple. Tomoe, a fox demon, serves as her familiar, and they have a contract that he cannot break.

In Volume Three, it appears that Nanami has started to fall in love with Tomoe, but refuses to admit this to herself. This aspect is a major focus of the first story in this volume, when Nanami is invited to a party being hosted by Himeniko, a catfish yokai that Nanami had helped back in Volume One.

This volume sees Tomoe transferring to Nanami’s school and joining Nanami’s class in an attempt to protect her. During this storyline, a new character named Mizuki, a shinshi at another temple who tries to make Nanami his bride. Kurama, another potential love interest for Nanami, also makes an appearance in this volume.

Overall, I enjoyed reading Volume Three of Kamisama Kiss. There’s a storyline near the end of the volume, where Tomoe ends up disguising himself as Nanami when she’s sick, so she doesn’t appear to be absent from school again. There are hijinks that take place during this part of the story, especially with Kurama, since he thinks it’s actually Nanami. This particular section of Volume Three really made me smile, and I chuckled to myself a couple of times.

It was nice to see Kurama make another appearance, and ultimately prove he’s going to be a long-term character for the series. Right now, I’m curious as to what Suzuki will do in regards to Mizuki. He was a major character in one story arc in this volume, and he also makes an appearance in the story arc where Tomoe is posing as Nanami while she’s sick. I’m just hoping that Suzuki doesn’t end up going overboard in regards to potential love interests for Nanami, especially since we now seem to be up to three by the end of Volume Three.

Even with that said, though, I’m still seeing that Kamisama Kiss has the potential to continue to be an interesting manga series. I hope that reading future volumes will prove to me that I’m right. I’m definitely looking forward to having the chance to read Volume Four in order to find out where the story will go next.

I wrote this review after reading a copy of Kamisama Kiss Volume Three that my older daughter checked out through the King County Library System.

Manga Review: “Kamisama Kiss” Volume Two

Article first published as Manga Review: Kamisama Kiss Volume Two by Julietta Suzuki on Blogcritics.

Kamisama Kiss Volume Two is a manga by Julietta Suzuki, and it was published in North America by Viz Media’s Shojo Beat imprint in 2011. The series is rated “T” for teens; from what I’ve read of the series so far, I would agree with this rating.

A high school girl named Nanami Momozono becomes homeless after her father racks up big gambling debts and runs off. She encounters a strange man in the park, who offers to let her stay at his home; he gives her a kiss on the forehead before he leaves. It turns out the man was the land god, and that he has been gone from his shrine for 20 years; the kiss he gave Nanami put the god’s mark on her foreheard, making her the new god of the shrine.

Tomoe, the fox demon who serves as the land god’s familiar, refuses to acknowledge Nanami at first. However, through events that took place in the first volume, Nanami binds Tomoe into a contract with her.

Volume Two introduces a character named Kurama, a mysterious young man who has become a teen idol. He transfers into Nanami’s school and is in her class. It turns out there’s more to Kurama than meets the eye, and Kurama becomes a major focus on this volume.

This volume also introduces Raijin Narukami-hime, a kami with a shrine in the sky. She wants Tomoe to serve her, and will do whatever it takes to get Tomoe away from Nanami. As part of her plan, Raijin Narukami-hime shrinks Tomoe down to the size of a child; she says she won’t return Tomoe back to normal until he agrees to serve her. Raijin Narukami-hime also takes the mark from Nanami and takes over the shrine.

The one thing about this volume that I had a hard time believing is the fact that Kurama is such a teen idol. With the way this character is designed, he looks more like someone who would be branded as a “freak” instead of having teen girls going crazy over him. The story plays up how very little is known about him, but this aura of mystery surrounding him wouldn’t overshadow his looks.

If you’re willing to use your “willing suspension of disbelief” to overlook that, then the character of Kurama does add some interesting elements and complications to the story of Kamisama Kiss. I also have to say that the kid-size version of Tomoe looks very adorable.

By the end of Volume Two, I saw as much potential for the story as I did when I finished reading Volume One. I’m looking forward to having the opportunity to read the next volume of the series to see where the story goes next.

I wrote this review after reading a copy of Kamisama Kiss Volume Two that my older daughter checked out through the King County Library System.

Manga Review: “Kamisama Kiss” Volume One

Article first published as Manga Review: Kamisama Kiss Volume One by Julietta Suzuki on Blogcritics.

Kamisama Kiss Volume One is a manga by Julietta Suzuki, and it was published in North America by Viz Media’s Shojo Beat imprint in 2010. The series is rated “T” for teens; after reading the first volume of this series, I would agree with this rating.

The protagonist of the series is a high school girl named Nanami Momozono. Her father racks up big gambling debts and is unable to pay off the loan sharks. One day he runs off, leaving Nanami on her own. As Nanami discovers her father’s disappearance, she is told that she is being evicted from the apartment because her father was unable to pay his debts. She finds herself homeless and spending the night on a park bench.

While in the park, she “rescues” a man named Mikage from a dog. After Nanami shares her story with him, Mikage draws up a map to his home and tells her she can stay there. He gives her a kiss on the forehead before he leaves.

It turns out Mikage’s home is a run-down shrine. She learns Mikage was the land god, and that he has been away from the shrine for 20 years. Onikiri and Kotetsu, the two shrine attendants, realize she has Mikage’s mark on her forehead (which she got from the kiss he gave her there); the mark shows that she is now the new land god. The two attendants say that Nanami can stay at the shrine. Tomoe, a cynical and mocking fox demon who serves as the land god’s familiar, refuses to acknowledge Nanami and leaves the shrine.

When Onikiri and Kotetsu take Nanami to the demon realm to try to convince Tomoe to come back, Nanami is attacked by a hag. Tomoe comes to watch Nanami suffer. However, she learns how to seal a contract with him in order to force him to be her familiar; this is accomplished through a kiss. She manages to catch Tomoe off guard and kisses him; he is now bound into a contract with Nanami.

The rest of the volume focuses on Nanami’s first attempt at trying to serve as the land god, when a catfish yokai asks for her help.

I’d seen Kamisama Kiss appear in the New York Times manga best seller list, but what finally convinced me to check out this title was seeing a simulcast of the first episode of the anime series that premiered in Japan during the Fall 2012 season. For a shojo manga, I thought that Kamisama Kiss was a good title. While there are definitely hints of a potential romantic element between Nanami and Tomoe, this series doesn’t seem to rely heavily on some of the typical shojo tropes. I liked what I read in this volume, and I think that the premise has a lot of potential for future volumes of the series. My 15-year-old daughter also read this volume, and she really seemed to like it as well.

I would recommend Kamisama Kiss to manga readers who enjoy reading shojo series, and I think readers who are already familiar with and enjoy the Fruits Basket shojo manga series will probably enjoy this series as well. I also think that Kamisama Kiss has the potential to appeal to readers beyond the teenage girls who are usually associated with reading shojo manga.

I wrote this review after reading a copy of Kamisama Kiss Volume One that I checked out through the King County Library System.