Yomi no Tsugai
Daemons of the Shadow Realm

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A young man discovering what really rests beyond the veil of his humble village begins to learn that the world and the details of his life were nothing more than a façade. An opening chapter that has caught my attention like none other Yomi no Tsugai is a fresh taste that people will be talking about for the years to come!

The work of Arakawa, Hiromu has long been recognized since the cultural uprising across the world that came along Full Metal Alchemist in the yearly 2000's, and her work is just as stunning in the coming forth of Yomi no Tsugai.

Worth the read!

Fish-out-of-water protagonist learns about a world of user-specific spiritual hijinks, with the typical spread of blood-tie motivations and power-grabs. The pitch isn't that revolutionary.

That said, the introductions are digestible, not overly-explanatory, and very early in there's a good mix of subversions, humor and stakes/danger. It's fun learning details about the world history to tie together cultures, locations and histories. Assuming the mangaka stays on the ball like she has with previous work (which I trust her to), I could see this growing into a much more discussed and anticipated work globally.

Characters are charming, mesh well together and while it's hard not to box ... them into very distinguishable boxes (big funny guy, sassy girl sidekick, misleadingly innocent villain) I expect that won't be a long-term issue as the story finds more time to flesh them out individually, rather than cram them through the introduction door all at once.

What made me get invested was the premise being expanded very quickly, having me wonder how certain terminologies came to be, how certain cultures have remained independent of each-other in-lore, and where the boundaries are defining 'Tsugai' both in powers and in characteristics.

I really like this manga. It's a nice blend of action and intrigue that also veers into supernatural horror at points. It can get quite brutal, often very suddenly.

Some people have complained about the slow pacing -- and it's definitely slow-ish compared to many other properties out there currently -- but I find this deliberate progression refreshing. It gives you a lot of time to sit with the world and the characters. Which makes sense, as this looks like it's going to be a very character-driven story that relies a lot on the personal growth and motivations of the main cast to move things ... forward.

I can tell that Arakawa is still laying the groundwork for something far more expansive than what we've seen. We're currently being drip-fed information about the overarching plot in such a way that it feels like the story could take a sharp left turn at any point. This also creates a persistent sense of tension even during the quieter moments.

Given the superb (and consistent) quality so far, I expect big things from this manga.