Exorcist no Kiyoshi-kun
Ultimate Exorcist Kiyoshi

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So, I'm going to cut this one a little bit of slack since I really did like most of it. I'm actually surprised it's not more popular and I believe when it gets an anime adaptation, it will probably blow up. It already reads like it's perfect for adaptation. It's very streamlined without much filler and moves at a good pace, not too fast, but not too slow either. It really works well for it's tone, which is more comedic than serious.

The first chapter was not great, and this may be a big reason why it's not too popular. It of course suffers from being ... too formulaic and to the point, trying to establish so much in one chapter, instead of just easing you into an interesting story. This is pretty much all of shonen jump at this point. Everything is info dump on the first chapter so, nothing new there. But it bounced right back in chapter two.

Interestingly, it has a lot comedy, almost as if it's a gag manga and not a battle manga, and that's probably what I appreciate about it the most: it's genuinely funny. But, it does have some more wholesome moments that are really not too bad. I think the main character is a nice change of pace; he actually feels original, which isn't something I encounter very often in a battle shonen manga.

The art might be the best thing about this manga. Not only is the style super sharp and everything looks really clean, but I find that the paneling, and the expressions are really well done too. Everything is fluid and easy to follow and gives you a feeling, little to nothing is bland or wasted.

Of course, this manga is not perfect, hence why I said I am cutting it a bit of slack, as there are some points that come off a bit cliche to me but, they really were few and far in between. I actually haven't read a manga as quickly as I read this one in some time. Not that there's a lot of chapters but, it was pretty enjoyable. The latest chapters are getting a bit too formulaic for me, getting into generic plot lines seen in these kinds of series so, I'm not too thrilled about that as I don't see a ton of potential for this series to go too far with that but, we'll see.

So yeah, so far, I would absolutely recommend this to anyone getting into manga, or who likes battle shonens. I think even older people like myself might find this a bit refreshing in terms of a new manga that's in the battle shonen genre.

While I don't think Kiyoshi is a bad series, I do have some reservations about reading it. I feel like it's good at what it does, or in its place I can certainly pretend to like it, but that just wouldn’t sit right with me. That said, god, I am so bored with all the Exorcist manga flooding Jump magazine lately! Every new manga that mixes the action and fantasy genres has an exorcist in it except Kagurabachi, and the question readers are asking is: "How many exorcist manga should we handle at once?"😂

All the new mangaka who want to marry the action genre ... with the fantasy genre end up giving birth to exorcists. There is so much potential to develop the genre further, but to recycle the same mediocre storylines? ? Not for me. This series could survive a cancellation, but it will never delve deep enough to make it past 200 chapters. They lack that pulse, that addictive spark that lodges itself in readers’ veins like Kagurabachi. Let's be real this one’s still at 31 chapters, the axe could swing any moment.

I mostly read this series to kill time, not because it has any intellectual value greater than my own conscience. The first chapter basically felt like a repackaged candy with an old sugar formula, with a new wrapper that tastes the same but looks different. Overpowered MC is at this point feels like extremely sweet candy that can no longer bring pleasure and is too sweet for taste. To be honest, I find it hard to get interested in this series but perhaps the future will tell a different story. The narrative is too straightforward and predictable, especially with an OP protagonist. If you’re gonna make your MC god-tier at least layer the plot with depth or nuance. Right now, it’s all surface.

If anyone is interested, I have a suggestion for blending the action and fantasy genres without inevitably birthing an exorcist tale. I know exactly how to separate these genres from the overused exorcist trope. I am honestly fed up with the same demon lord, the same overpowered MC, and the endless cycle of demon exorcisms, I’m literally tired of it all. I would be laughing at myself if I advised you to read this series, knowing full well that you could be wasting your time. I would advise you to tackle it at your own peril if you just want to kill time. Anyway, the quality of newly published manga has deteriorated recently. It seems like authors these days aren't interested in thinking ahead at all. They just want to serve you a raw meal without bothering to cook it. 😂 😂 😂 😂 😂

While the art is unique and it has occasional moments of originality, the grand majority of the content feels like a total patchwork of established tropes repeated verbatim. Frankly, even more than the unoriginality, it's the sheer gall to spend so much time on these tropes that's so offensive. I'll occasionally be almost in disbelief seeing pages of windup for some of the most predicatble scenes in manga. A lot of authors have at least some sense of shorthand for these moments that is totally missing here.

The main character isn't much of an exception, but the biggest problem is how often the manga goes out ... of its way to remind you how amazing he is. Not once has there been a scene even approaching tense, unfortunately, and it's to a point where I really don't have faith that there's any hope of that without throwing everything out the window.

Just imagine what this series is like in your head, and you'll get most of the experience.