The Great Yokai War: Guardians, Volume 1
Writer: Yusuke Watanabe
Artist: Sanami Suzuki
Translator: Motoko Tamamuro and Jonathan Clements
Lettering: Jessica Burton and Cale Ward
Publisher: Titan Comics
Genre: Horror, Action/Adventure, Fantasy
Japan is underneath assault by a large snail kaiju, attempting to return to the ocean, and in its path lies the town of Tokyo. Naturally, the one hope for Tokyo’s residents is a teenage boy who can see and command yokai (Japanese spirits) and his child brother. But can the 2 brothers get the varied spirits to cooperate with them? That’s the premise of The Great Yokai War: GuardiansThe Great Yokai War: Guardians, Vol. 1, the primary quantity of a manga adapting the family-friendly fantasy journey movie directed by Takeshi Miike (sure, this is identical director who did ugly films like Audition and Ichi the Killer). For the manga, the movie’s screenwriter Yusuke Watanabe and artist Sanami Suzuki tailored the movie, but to be launched within the US, right into a humorous journey comedian full of strong characters and world-building however a bit mild on the motion.
Kei Watanabe spends his days as an anti-social teen. He skulks round college and dismisses his classmates’ curiosity in yokai and ghosts. Usually, he walks round listening to his headphones and shuts out the remainder of the world. On prime of this, he mourns for his not too long ago deceased father and will get simply irritated by his youthful brother, Dan.
One night time, Kei goals of assembly numerous yokai of Japan. Apparently, The World Yokai Conference convened and determined Japan’s yokai had made them too tolerable for people. During this assembly, we study {that a} kaiju has woke up and needs to go residence to the ocean. What lies in its path? Tokyo, in fact. However, as an alternative of developing with a plan to cease the kaiju, the convention attendees determined to use it to care for their Japanese yokai downside, and if it destroys the nice metropolis, even higher.
The Japanese cost Kei with saving each the monsters of Japan and Tokyo. Before Kai can resolve, Dai will get kidnapped and begins his journey.
Watanabe tailored his personal script for this manga, and the story is well-suited for journey manga: an unlikely boy has to interact in an enormous quest with numerous monsters, and there are fights. Watanabe does a very good job of constructing Kei a likable, if flawed, protagonist. The central battle on this quantity isn’t Kei combating yokai, however his anger at his father’s passing and the brother he partially blames.
That mentioned, Watanabe retains the plot shifting, introducing readers to the world of yokai. His script could be very humorous relating to the yokai; e.g., a laugh-out line a couple of monster wanting to get in on merchandising rights. If something is missing on this quantity, it’s that this quantity spends a lot of the web page depend establishing for motion. There’s loads of yokai, however it’s mild on the battles for an journey comedian.
However, Suzuki is a greater than succesful collaborator to compensate for the dearth of motion. Suzuki attracts in a hard-lined angular model, probably influenced by Hiroyuki Takei (Shaman King), fondly filling his pages with black shapes and white strains. Clearly, he has enjoyable drawing the varied yokai all through this quantity, populating the World Yokai Conference with a wide range of legendary monsters from all through the world.
Suzuki additionally does quite a bit with the double-page spreads all through the quantity. In one instance, the artist combines each with the unfold that depicts Kei witnessing the Night Parade of 100 Demons. On prime of this, he indulges in utilizing quite a lot of distinctive textures together with his use of grayscale. With the long run volumes, will probably be enjoyable to see how Suzuki steps up for the motion scenes and the yokai that can present up in these volumes.
Suppose you’re anticipating an journey comedian heavy on battle motion or have ugly expectations with a reputation like Miike hooked up. In that case, a reader is likely to be disenchanted by the primary quantity of The Great Yokai War: Guardians. Instead, this quantity focuses on character moments and world-building. However, Watanabe used these moments as a information into the unusual area of yokai. As distinctive as that world is, Watanabe and Suzuki do a very good job of not making it too alienating. This quantity might all be arrange, however it’s quite a lot of promising arrange.
The The Great Yokai War: Guardians, Vol 1. is out there now from Titan Comics.
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