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rereader33's review against another edition
5.0
Such a cool volume! I liked the ghost story in the beginning. It would have been cool to see some action associated with the Man Upstairs, but I liked how this stuck to a traditional ghost story. The ceremony story was really sad, but I loved learning more about yokai, the promises humans make to them, and how those promises can do more harm than good. Also, Natori's paper reversion spell was dope as fuck! His spells are some of the most compelling in the series, I love seeing them in action!
A fast, entertaining read from start to finish. Love the consistent, strong quality this series contains.
A fast, entertaining read from start to finish. Love the consistent, strong quality this series contains.
haruarus's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
rouge_red's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
3.5
Chapters 90- 91:
Looking for a mysterious painting with all the boys- Natsume, Tanuma, Nishimura and Kitamoto. There's a rumor going around, by a boy, Himuro, from a different high school, that the three high schools (Yowake, Misumi, and Futaba) in the area all had paintings titled "The Man Upstairs." Since one school closed down and another will soon follow, Himuro wonders if there's any truth to the fact that each of these paintings were a segment of parts of the "man's" body. The story is a little creepy, and no one seems to have heard of, teachers and students alike, this painting at all. However, at the end, when we do discover the painting put away into storage, it's faded over time, going from art that trapped a malicious being to one that was purified over time by the positive atmosphere in these schools.
I liked that we have a chapter with these four together, a rarity because so often when a yokai is involved it's simply too dangerous (even with Tanuma). I guess that's how we could see this story wasn't going to be as perilous and might not (as is the case here) actually involve any active yokai. There's something a little sad about the ending when we see that their efforts all came to naught, but it shows that hope- that good triumphs over evil, though it may take some time.
Chapters 92-94
Natori and Natsume have a nice day out, picking loquats at Natori's acquaintance's house. But of course, the story gets more complicated as we stumble upon a seemingly empty house, Matoba, a saboteur and a ceremony that needs to go well.
Ooh, it was great seeing Natori and Matoba on page together, as well as their different approaches to treating Natsume. As expected, Natori has taken on a protective role towards Natsume, while Matoba manipulates him. For one moment, I thought we saw some character development from Matoba as he expresses regret that another exorcist family has died out, but...I don't think his feelings are as pure and simple as that. To my mind, as the head of the Matoba clan, he probably wishes he could strongarm more people to come work for him, further strengthening the Matobas.
I loved the exchange between Matoba and Natori while they were locked in that room. Here, we see what Matoba's manipulations were meant to do- he wanted to get trapped in that room with Natori, forcing Natsume to go through with the ceremony himself, saying "How long is he going to continue to pretend to be normal?" The interesting thing is then, Natori follows with asking Matoba if he ever considered quitting the exorcist business. To which he doesn't respond. However, Natsume also asked him this and he said no. Why answer one and not the other? I suppose because they are rivals and peers, while he and Natsume don't have that history. Later on, he even tells Natsume a story about the loquat.
Fulfilling promises...even when the one you meant to fulfil them for is no longer there. Matoba seems to have complicated feelings on that. Natori acknowledges the pressure he must have as head of his clan, that he doesn't need to do it alone. Natsume just speaks to him with kindness, offering him a loquat, and saying things will go well in the future, so long as you are sincere... so cheer up. When he tells Natsume about the loquat he had when he with Natori in the past...I get a sense that Matoba has always been kind of lonely. And especially now that he's head of the clan, might that be even more true.
What the mangaka says about the second story:
Mr. Natori just can't catch a break and Mr. Matoba has many things going for him, but he often gets shut out. They don't really get along, and they're skeptical of each other even when real empathy is extended. Natsume is always at least trying to listen, so conversations are easier with him present.
Looking for a mysterious painting with all the boys- Natsume, Tanuma, Nishimura and Kitamoto. There's a rumor going around, by a boy, Himuro, from a different high school, that the three high schools (Yowake, Misumi, and Futaba) in the area all had paintings titled "The Man Upstairs." Since one school closed down and another will soon follow, Himuro wonders if there's any truth to the fact that each of these paintings were a segment of parts of the "man's" body. The story is a little creepy, and no one seems to have heard of, teachers and students alike, this painting at all. However, at the end, when we do discover the painting put away into storage, it's faded over time, going from art that trapped a malicious being to one that was purified over time by the positive atmosphere in these schools.
I liked that we have a chapter with these four together, a rarity because so often when a yokai is involved it's simply too dangerous (even with Tanuma). I guess that's how we could see this story wasn't going to be as perilous and might not (as is the case here) actually involve any active yokai. There's something a little sad about the ending when we see that their efforts all came to naught, but it shows that hope- that good triumphs over evil, though it may take some time.
Chapters 92-94
Natori and Natsume have a nice day out, picking loquats at Natori's acquaintance's house. But of course, the story gets more complicated as we stumble upon a seemingly empty house, Matoba, a saboteur and a ceremony that needs to go well.
Ooh, it was great seeing Natori and Matoba on page together, as well as their different approaches to treating Natsume. As expected, Natori has taken on a protective role towards Natsume, while Matoba manipulates him. For one moment, I thought we saw some character development from Matoba as he expresses regret that another exorcist family has died out, but...I don't think his feelings are as pure and simple as that. To my mind, as the head of the Matoba clan, he probably wishes he could strongarm more people to come work for him, further strengthening the Matobas.
I loved the exchange between Matoba and Natori while they were locked in that room. Here, we see what Matoba's manipulations were meant to do- he wanted to get trapped in that room with Natori, forcing Natsume to go through with the ceremony himself, saying "How long is he going to continue to pretend to be normal?" The interesting thing is then, Natori follows with asking Matoba if he ever considered quitting the exorcist business. To which he doesn't respond. However, Natsume also asked him this and he said no. Why answer one and not the other? I suppose because they are rivals and peers, while he and Natsume don't have that history. Later on, he even tells Natsume a story about the loquat.
Fulfilling promises...even when the one you meant to fulfil them for is no longer there. Matoba seems to have complicated feelings on that. Natori acknowledges the pressure he must have as head of his clan, that he doesn't need to do it alone. Natsume just speaks to him with kindness, offering him a loquat, and saying things will go well in the future, so long as you are sincere... so cheer up. When he tells Natsume about the loquat he had when he with Natori in the past...I get a sense that Matoba has always been kind of lonely. And especially now that he's head of the clan, might that be even more true.
What the mangaka says about the second story:
Mr. Natori just can't catch a break and Mr. Matoba has many things going for him, but he often gets shut out. They don't really get along, and they're skeptical of each other even when real empathy is extended. Natsume is always at least trying to listen, so conversations are easier with him present.
rozarka's review against another edition
5.0
Beautiful, as always. I love the subtlety of it; the way things left unsaid are more powerful than those spoken about aloud.
paleteas's review against another edition
5.0
This volume seemed more mature for some reason? Like the stakes seemed a little higher and the tone was a little more mature and serious, and I really liked it.
jjamy55's review against another edition
4.0
I've been missing the heartwarming aspect in my life, so why not revisiting the manga that made me feel that way? 4 stars!
I'm really loving this a lot and taking my time diving into these volumes. I would recommend this series to anyone. 4.5 stars!
I'm really loving this a lot and taking my time diving into these volumes. I would recommend this series to anyone. 4.5 stars!