Touhou Ibara Kasen: Wild and Horned Hermit.

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First up, I gotta say, this is one of the most pleasant art styles I've seen in any manga - not just Touhou manga. Props to Azuma Aya - there was never any moment in which your art was caught lacking across these wondrous 51 chapters.

(Speaking of 51 chapters, it's more like 56-57 due to many extra stories, and depending on what site you use the last chapter is sometimes split into 2 separate chapters)

Anyways, Wild and Horned Hermit is one of the best Touhou manga out there. It follows the same structure most Touhou manga follow, that is to say, two or three chapters ... in which an incident occurs that Reimu, Kasen and the gang have to solve. But within each of these stories, so so so so much depth was there, cultural allusions, Japanese history tenfold of any other Touhou manga. With close to 20 differing stories within this manga, it's absolutely incredible how literally NONE of them are boring at all - all of Gensokyo is incorporated naturally, sort of 'guest' appearances of smaller characters such as Aunn Komano, Ichirin Kumoi, Kogasa Tatara and etc appear frequently, truly showcasing the depth and care put into Wild and Horned Hermit.

There is a cool air of mystery to it too - as one who didn't know much about Kasen upon entering this adventure the constant mysterious references and actions Kasen pulls off all build mystery and tension to one of the most surprising and THE greatest ending in all of manga*.

I don't really want to say much else in case of spoilers, but please, PLEASE give Wild and Horned Hermit a try - 100% guarantee you'll love it as much as I did. If you don't, I'll make sure to get your money paid back**.

Enjoy!


*As always, subject to debate.
**Terms and conditions apply.

This is an absolutely brilliant piece of work that should be experienced by everyone, which is regrettable considering how low key the series is and most manga readers generally flock to generic terrible crap most of the time but this review isn't about that isn't it? It's about Wild and Horned Hermit! One of my most beloved manga series that's still ongoing.

Of course the first thing one ever sees upon opening a page is the absolutely gorgeous artwork by Azuma Aya. Her style brilliantly compliments the character designs in the series, often providing a very cutesy and cheerful outlook to the characters. Everything from the ... character's facial expressions to the clothes they're wearing all vividly reflect the detail and effort put into crafting such a magnificent piece of art. The attention to detail is exceptional, with pages providing minute details in each page that make repeat viewings enjoyable even for the art alone.

But of course, good art alone is not enough for one to read a long series of literature for hundreds of hours. Wild and Horned Hermit has a very engaging and interesting story that may seem lighthearted on its surface, but has several moments with deep meaning and philosophical text sprouted alongside each panel. ZUN's trademark love for puns and obscure Japanese cultural references appear throughout the series, at times being he main focus of an issue's plot of the month. And while the series is at heart a lighthearted slice-of-life romp though Gensokyo, there is a concrete and surprisingly deep arc that develops through the course of the entire series, though one minor gripe I have is that it's not pushed to the forefront enough or given more attention, even up till the 27th issue. Which is somewhat of a shame because the inner demons and conflict residing within the main character, Ibaraki Kasen, is the most interesting aspect of the manga. It is a shame that this important driving force to the story is so far kept behind the scenes, leaving it up to future games/issues to fill in the void.

Overall, WaHH should be read by you. Kogasa appears as a blacksmith and Nitori opens a marine park. What more do you want????

10/10