Blue Exorcist Volume 11 cover image is courtesy of barnesandnobles.com.

Rated “T+” for “Older Teen”

Rin Okumura has a fateful argument with Father Fujimoto, the famous exorcist who is like a father to him.  The disagreement reveals that the Demon Lord Satan is Rin’s father, but Rin is determined to reject his demonic blood line.  He enrolls at True Cross Academy Private High School, in order to train to become an exorcist.  Rin’s twin brother, Yukio Okumura, already an exorcist, will be his instructor.

In Blue Exorcist, Vol. 11 (Chapters 42 to 47), Yukio is summoned before the Vatican branch of the Knights of the True Cross.  He must report on his encounter with Saburota Todo, the traitor who served the Impure King.  While Yukio must swear to a deadly vow of silence, the Knights are not silent about their feud with another group.

Meanwhile, Rin and his fellow students continue to work on the Seven School Mysteries, at the behest of True Cross Academy president, Lord Mephisto Pheles.  Mephisto also uses this as an opportunity to ramble on the subject of human desire.  The students’ minds, however, are on the True Cross school festival, and the boys need dates.

THE LOWDOWN:  Previously, I wrote that the Blue Exorcist manga was a comic fantasy about a teen boy with a cursed origin, trying to find redemption or justification for his existence.  The series also involves a magic school conspiracy, but only in a manner that has a passing resemblance to the Harry Potter series.

Blue Exorcist creator Kazue Kato gives the series a darker side reminiscent of such shonen manga as Muhyo & Roji’s Bureau of Supernatural Investigation and D.Gray-man.  Blue Exorcist Volume 11, however, offers a lighter side.  I usually welcome more conflict and battles in my shonen, but I enjoyed seeing the students struggle at getting dates and how badly they wanted to go to the festival dance.  I think I am ready to see more young love in with my dark conspiracy stories.

POSSIBLE AUDIENCE:  Readers who like the heady brew of shonen action-comedy and fantasy will want to try the Shonen Jump Advanced title, Blue Exorcist.