Manga Review – Blue Exorcist Vol 2 by Kazue Kato (4/5 stars)
Reading Level: Young Adult
Genre: Manga/Shonen/Fantasy
Length: 210 pages
Publisher: VIZ Media LLC
Release Date: June 7, 2011
ISBN-13: 978-1421540337
Stand Alone or Series: 2nd volume in the Blue Exorcist series
Source: Borrowed from Library
Rating: 4/5 stars
“Raised by Father Fujimoto, a famous exorcist, Rin Okumura never knew his real father. One day a fateful argument with Father Fujimoto forces Rin to face a terrible truth—the blood of the demon lord Satan runs in Rin’s veins! Rin swears to defeat Satan, but doing that means entering the mysterious True Cross Academy and becoming an exorcist himself.
Shocked by the death of his foster father and the revelation that his real father is the demon lord Satan, Rin Okumura enters the True Cross Academy to learn to be an exorcist. But every great exorcist has to start somewhere, and for the students of the academy the first step is the Exwire examination. To prepare for the exam, the new pages in Yukio’s class must undergo intensive training. Rin and his classmates have their hands full when a demon appears, but is this a test or something more sinister?”
Series Info/Source: This is the 2nd volume in the Blue Exorcist shounen manga series. There are 24 volumes published in this series right now in the US with the 25th due out Feb 2021. There are 26 volumes in this series right now with the 27th to be published in 2021 in Japan.
Story (4/5): This was another well done installment in this manga series. Rin is not doing all that great in exorcist cram school and we meet some additional students that are awesome performers. The whole group is informed they have to pass an exam to become Exwires and they don’t realize how practical that exam will actually be. Meanwhile, we also find out that some of the teachers may have Satanic origins of their own. It’s a well done story and I enjoyed it.
Characters (4/5): Some of the new characters introduced are a lot of fun and only a few new characters were introduced so it’s not too overwhelming. I like the characters.
Setting (4/5): Most of the story is set either at True Cross Academy or in an old building where the Exwire trials takes place. The setting was well done, drawn nicely and interesting.
Writing/Drawing Style (4/5): This is well drawn and the story is easy to follow. Really no complaints.
My Summary (4/5): Overall I enjoyed this, it’s a fun read that moves at a good clip. I plan to continue with the series and would recommend it to those who enjoy traditional shonen style manga. It’s not as fantastic as FullMetal Alchemist but it is well done.
