Shaman King

    (Viz, 2004-Present)
™ and © Viz Communications, Inc.
Graphic novel; Reads right to left; b&w.

Another spin-off from the periodic anthology Shonen Jump, this series aims squarely at the youth audience interested in stories that cross over anime, videogames, and trading cards. Following in the footsteps of Pokémon and Yu-Gi-Oh! comes the high-school student Yoh, who knows that his true calling is to commune with the spirits who inhabit the afterlife.

Manta, his new buddy at cram class, is on one hand wigged out about Yoh’s creepy hobby, but on the other fascinated by the fantastic events he observes. Taking on gang members disrespectful of the dead and tackling an unsettled ghost are impressive feats, to be sure. But can Yoh and his soulful samurai companion Amidamaru emerge victorious over other young shamans eager to do battle?

Part slapstick and part primer (e.g., What is the textbook definition of a shaman? Well, I’m glad you asked …), Shaman King introduces the requisite elements for merchandising domination: kids who invoke supernatural personas in combat to increase their status. Finding his own adolescent twist on the fighting formula, Takei has found success reaching fans in Japan, and it’s a good bet that he’ll do the same here.

— Oliver Chin
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