By: Rumiko Takahashi
Rating: ★★★☆☆
Series: MAO [マオ] (#1)
Summary: EXORCISE YOUR DESTINY
When Nanoka travels back in time to a supernatural early 20th century, she gets recruited by aloof exorcist Mao. What is the thread of fate that connects them? Together, they seek answers...and kick some demon butt along the way!
Nanoka passes through a portal into the Taisho era, where exorcist Mao reluctantly rescues her from the jaws of a grotesque yokai. When Nanoka gets back to the present, she discovers she has some new, incredible abilities. She returns to the past looking for answers, only to get caught up in Mao’s investigation of a series of gruesome murders. As her questions about herself multiply, Nanoka learns that Mao is cursed by a cat demon named Byoki—and so is his sword. If anyone but Mao attempts to wield it, they are doomed. But when Mao’s life is in jeopardy, Nanoka picks up his blade and swings...!
Review: The moment Nanoka walks through a time portal at a shopping mall, she ends up in the 1920s. She is attacked by a demon and saved by an exorcist named Mao. Upon returning home (after this encounter), she experiences some supernatural changes. In her search for answers, she returns to Mao’s time to discover they were both cursed by an unknown cat demon named Byoki. To break their curses, Nanoka and Mao team up.
As a whole, it’s not a bad manga. It’s kind of just there. I didn’t attach myself to any of the characters or their motivations. The main character is cool and interesting enough that we want to find out where they go, what their hidden power means, what happened to her family, etc. Despite this, I wasn’t fully engaged in the storyline of these characters yet, maybe a little bored.
What is the purpose of this time travel gate? What makes Nanoka’s blood special? Does she have to drink that funky drink? How did Mao fix Nanoka’s arm? In this story, the reader is left trying to keep up with everything that sort of happens at once.
There are some good things in it, but not the best, so I would definitely like to see more of it in the future.