Fukigen na Mononokean
The Morose Mononokean

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Surprisingly good.

Heck, this is my first time making a review, hope you like it.

In this world, there's entities known as 'demons' and are invisible to most humans. The main character is your average student, normal, charismatic and nice we're used to see (he reminds me a lot of the mc of Barakamon).
Once, he found a thing in the street that he first thought it was a toy, turns out it was an demon and for some reason, wouldn't let go of him.
He had no idea of what it is and what to do with that thing attached to him, making him go ... sick. Then he finds a poster calling for and exorcist. With no other option, he calls the number on the poster and meets this tsundere-ish Abeno, who has the power to open doors to the other world. He says he needs an employee but the mc is the least suited for the job of dealing with these monsters but there's no one else to do it, so Abeno ends up having to drag the guy with him and showing him the new world of demons.

Why does the mc (forgot his name) can see demons and how he will learn to deal with them?

Long story short, it's like xXxholic. Though it takes a more "light"shounen way than that nearly terror and more Josei kind of the first. This is a feel-good comedy shounen with some mistery that revolves around this weird duo with some personal problems.

It's not yaoi or shounen-ai, more like friendship and supernatural stuff. Though, the fans of those genres may find some teasing, not at the level of Naruto or Seraph of the End. Does it means it's gay? No, unless you really want to think it is. So if you're not in this sort of thing, relax.

Basically, they're problem solvers. They help the demons that are still in this world to trespass to their world.
Don't expect much thrill or edgy things in this, at least till where I stopped. But if you're a fan of slice of life and fantasy you may like it.

If want mangas with deep plotlines and complex stories, move on because this is not that kind. Not that makes you cry a river or sweat of tension or die of laughter. But, as a fan of non-ecchi shounen, it's enjoyable.

Other reasons I enjoy this manga is the interaction between the characters. One of them is very wary of humans and the other have to cope with the responsability of dealing with these beings that have an human mind but are rather pure.

The characters are very likeable, despite you may find them not so unique if you're too used to this kind of manga. They're similar to Watanuki and Doumeki, with some differences. But you can immerse on their thoughts and lifes, they're not shallow. Also, the mc is not a coward or retarded. Yay!

This series’ main adorable animal companion (tm) is a white furry ball with small legs – and the whole manga is like that: fluffy, sweet, inoffensive and, frankly, somewhat of a simple shape.

It’s a feel good series about cute boys helping mascot-worthily cute yokai. The main characters are boys, because this manga is aimed at women, and women tend to like to look at pretty boys, it’s not that these characters have any gender features or interests. I don’t think that even the BL-shipping bait here is all that strong. There’s a couple of female characters, but they’re your typical sideline strong-headed women of female-oriented ... works with predominantly male cast.

The story touches briefly on the ethical and practical problems of humans and yokai coexisting, but then bypasses them by ignoring them to an impressive degree. The little drama that is there mostly comes from accidental misunderstandings between goodnatured parties or even simply from the inability of humans to see their neighbors. It's indicated that the current mononokean guy has a dramatic past, because, of course, we need our explanation of why he is “morose”, or, to be more precise, tsundere, or, to be even more precise, not as fluffy as everyone else, and I expect the upcoming flashback to be somewhat tear-worthy, but despite the few hints on potential danger everything in the world of this manga ends up feeling safe. Even the conversations about eating (parts of) the main characters feel like mild sexual teasing (and no wonder, since everyone is so damn handsome), all the yokai we’ve meet so far are nice guys, people who have fallen under yokais’ spells are fine, other schoolkids are understanding of the main characters’ excuses for not socializing (I especially call bullshit on the latter).

But despite being irked by the safe play, I can’t say that a series that is focused on one activity doesn’t have its place. It’s entertaining enough to see new yokai with new sets of problems, watch the main characters grow closer to each other and learn more about the underworld. The world of yokai does show promise with its different races, figures of power and distrust of humans.

The art is nice – clean and pretty, if not too sophisticated. It reminds me of webcomics in its lightness (and the manga is published digitally). The colored covers and the designs of the yokai are the obvious highlights.

The problem is that there’s too little of the scary, the strange and the primeval, that the yokai stories are associated with, and I don't believe that the series will ever get there or to some other interesting place. There's nothing to carry it there – it has neither conflict, nor character traits strong enough – and too much time has already been spent on the comfy island of cheap fluff.

I think that there’re times when you need something sweet and unproblematic. When you’re heartbroken, it’s good to be given a big pink cotton candy to bury your distress in. But after a few bites, when you stop sobbing, even when very sad, you understand that it’s not really filling or helping your situation.

So far The Morose Mononokean has reached the stage of a 5/10 series. It’s a fun easy read, even addictive, while you’re at it, but you don’t lose much not reading it as well. Go for it if you are a fan of the yokai genre or in for some quick sugar fix - there's nothing off-putting, but there's not much of substance too and there’re more nutritious alternatives.

Though it may seem like another simple youkai story at first glance, what really makes Fukigen na Mononokean shine is the interplay between its two central characters. The “youkai of the week” format is really a vehicle for character development as Abeno and his trusty assistant, Ashiya, help each other through different trials.

Ashiya’s effervescent personality and Abeno’s cold and practical demeanor make them an unlikely yet somehow complementary pair. Ashiya’s warmth and empathy is exactly what Abeno lacks but needs. Having spent the majority of his life in the company of youkai, Abeno is not good at getting along with humans. Ashiya is there to ... fuss and worry over Abeno and teach him to accept Ashiya's help. A lot of responsibility rests upon Abeno’s shoulders yet Ashiya is there to ease that burden. For what is probably the first time in his life, Abeno makes his first human friend. Watching their bond gradually deepen is a heartwarming sight to behold. I simply adore their friendship.

The art style is cute and clean. It does a great job of showing the characters’ emotions through their body language and facial expressions even in the absence of text.

While the manga is an endearing and calming slice-of-life for the most part, it belies the mystery that surrounds Abeno and Ashiya. Underneath the cutesy framework lay troubling questions related to death, missing family members, and trauma. The latest chapters delve into the mystery more, making the story even more enthralling. I’m enjoying the manga a lot and eagerly anticipating future chapters.