Mushroom Manga~

Kaitai Shinsho 0/Kaitai Shinsho Zero/Kaitaishinsho 0/Kaitaishinsho Zero/Kaitai Shinsho Ø

Author/Artist: Kenmotsu Chiyo

Genre: Fantasy, Action, Shounen, Super-Natural, Adventure 

A Byouma is a medical weapon created by ancient sorcerers to kill the infected or those around the infected and make it look like an illness. Even centuries after the sorcerers have died, these weapons still wander the world, infecting and killing people. Narutaki Soutaro and Izumo Momo are Shadow Doctors, trained to combat these Byouma through unorthodox means. Using magically created anti-Byouma medical equipment, they perform “operations” on the medical weapons to separate them from their hosts and destroy them. Will their special weapons and brilliant teamwork be enough to get rid of all the Byouma in the world?

———————–

I’ve just picked up Kaitai Shinsho Zero and I’m rather liking the story so far. The story is set in a historical Japanese period; it adds a new flavour on an adventure involving a young doctor & nurse(No perverted thoughts please, they’re more like exorcists really) who destroy these nasty bio-weapons that infest humans. I love the young protagonists, always makes me feel like I can achieve amazing things, it’s probably why they’re so popular.

The art of the background and everything else besides the characters are wonderfully detailed, as you are able to decipher with the colour illustration I attached above. The art is very clean, even when scenes can potentially get messy like battle scenes. The protagonists’ character designs are laid-back, un-antagonising and fun, plus, I love the costume design – twists on period costumes are always the best.

The story follows a rather conventional direction for an adventure story, but after continously reading, I later discover that the theme of curing people & the protagonist’s doctor’s abilities are explored further and much more complex. Some serious competition is also introduced and that seriously, spiced up the story. This manga is definitely on my radar.

———————-

Tenchi Shinmei!

Author: Amano Hirume

Artist: Hinachi Nao

Genre: Romance, Horror, Shoujo, Smut, School Life, Super-Natural, Tragedy

Shio, a female high school student who can see spirits, was saved from a dangerous situation by a black cat. Afterwards, this cat kissed her, sucking out her spirit power. Then it changed to an unrivalled handsome boy! What’s more, he vowed to protect her in exchange for her spirit power!

—————-

I love it when a shoujo manga has a super-natural twist on the daily school life genre & Tenchi Shinmei does just that. It’s super-natural theme leans upon, yet again, historical Japanese culture and beliefs. This makes it similar to other manga like Natsume’s Book of Friends , as the heroine is vulnerable to spirits but it’s not as hard-core as say, xxxholic. When I began reading it, I didn’t expect very much from the super-natural side of things story-wise, however, Tenchi Shinmei surprised me with a rather good plot-line with many references to some Japanese myths and the super-natural(some that I don’t even know yet), I’m frankly quite impressed. (There’s even some action!)

I didn’t know it was smut until I read it, but there’s really nothing that serious so far in the first volume. I’d label it mild smut; it sort of adds a bit of flavour if you don’t read smut manga very much. However – I’m not sure what the future holds in the chapters that have yet to be told – so be warned. I’m pretty happy to find a smut manga which isn’t written for the sake of being smutty and I think that’s rare to find.

Super-natural+romance is a heart-racing combination for me in shoujo manga. Most shounen, that has potential love interests, focus on the action most of the time and the lovers usually just get married at the end of the whole story(wheres da lurve). This is quite an appreciated find. It’ll stay on my radar.

To the next mushroom spore!