It's amazing how this manga started from the premise of comedy; of a girl, Miko who can see ghosts monsters, while being terrified and pretending she can't...
to then the plot progressing to her making a wish at a spirit shrine which she accessed through the powerful spiritual aura of Hana that broke into its barrier, and how her (pray) wish to protect Hana and her caused Shrine Maidens to protect her, with the cost of (most likely) her soul.
... Even more crazy after it's revealed that the God-like creature, a yokai Cho Sankai... who was a girl sacrified by priests in the past,
with her corpse left inside the shrine as a corpse which is what caused her spirit to become an evil yokai... until Miko free's her by dropping her skull to the ground.
Another shocking fact is that one of the shrine maidens, was Mitsue's master, Towako Oka.
She saved them again in the end. After she died protecting Mitsue and Rom against the Cho Sankai when Rom was a child. I think Towako possessed one of the guard shrine maidens, and the other was a part of the Cho Sankai/Sacrificed Girl.
It's not over yet, as there's more horror incoming with a new demonic creature that came out of a cracked boulder, somehow present in human form at her school as a transfer student...
Although, up until now, Miko's journey has been an awesome experience to read.
From doing her best to pretend she can't see these horrifying creatures.
The hysterical Yuria who deluded herself into thinking Miko is a great skilled spiritualist, with her own insecurities of a lonely past of being bullied for being different from her similar power to Miko.
Mitsue's past as a motherly orphan to the other orphans of hardship, caring for Rom Shindou (given name by Mitsue) as a child after he was adopted from his parents for seeing spirits.
Beautifully rounded characters with complex background. Even Miko has mystery to her father and evolving with her sight to see spirits.
As spiritualists, it's intriguing how...
Rom is a prodigy with aura (not as strong as he was a child or Hana, since he couldn't open the barrier today), and great modern skill, and strong sight.
While, Hana has extremely powerful spiritual aura, Yuria has spirit knowledge from childhood and research, with little sight of the spirits.
Mitsue, even though old-fashioned in tactics remains great, but is experienced with lessened vision compared to her prime.
... And, Miko has great sight to see all kinds of spirits, yet no exorcism skill or spiritual aura. Fascinating.
The whole mystery of these creatures and the underworld, from; the several methods of passing away by being eaten by a monstrous spirits, all of the creatures wanting to be seen, some attacking or spiritually weakening people.
To Mitsue's own life as a flawed teacher who didn't comprehend Romm until he saved the entrapped spirit girl who was sacrified because he only trusted himself as the only one who heard the sacrified girl's cry for help.
Meanwhile, Miko has yet to depend more on Yuria's spirit knowledge and Hana's spiritual aura, since she doesn't want to put them in any danger that they can't see, and because Hana would be terrified of the fact.
So far, this manga has become an 8/10 from how it carefully introduced complicated concepts of what is happening while still questioning why Miko has these powers as her life is constantly in more danger than the last, while she tries to ignore these creates and keep her friends safe.
Miko's journey overall is beautiful to watch in how she keeps most of her feelings hidden while keeping her power a secret, until she could finally could confide in someone she trusts and sob away to Mitsue, the Godmother of Downtown. Bittersweet.
... I'm curious if we'll ever have more clarity to that girl from the past who was sacrified, and when we'll ever see her father's spirit again.
I'm eager to see how everyone's character and journey progresses.
[This manga is a joy to reread.] |