but guys what the actual fuck please. why is there no official manga reading site available within europe?? even purchasing is only available through amazon. i honestly don’t get it.
So I thought it was well past time I wrote a rec post for Mao. I've tried to keep the spoilers to a minimum but there will be a few for the first couple of volumes. I've also included a content warnings section at the end of the post.
At first glance, Mao may seem a little too familiar. We've got a time-travelling schoolgirl, we've got a dogcatboy swordsman with a tragic past, we've got a murdered love interest haunting the narrative... we've got more than a few things in common with Something Beginning with I. So what's new?
Mao begins with Kiba Nanoka, a seemingly-ordinary schoolgirl who lost both her parents in a freak sinkhole accident on September 1 2011. She lives with her kindly grandfather and their odd but dutiful housekeeper, Uozomi. Nanoka is a lively, upbeat girl, despite her poor health, which is fortified by Uozomi's ominous "smoothies".
Eight years later, she becomes curious about the accident that claimed her parents' lives. She revisits the site of the incident, only to be transported to a strange place that resembles 1920s Tokyo. There she meets the titular onmyouji* Mao, who reluctantly saves her from a rampaging grasshopper ayakashi**. Nanoka is quick to dismiss him, along with the whole incident. Yet she discovers some startling new abilities when she returns to the present.
Her search for answers leads her back to the past... and Mao, who's caught up in a series of murder investigations. As her questions about herself grow and grow, she learns that Mao and his sword have been cursed by a cat demon named Byouki. If anyone except Mao touches the sword, they'll be poisoned to death. Yet when Mao's life is in danger, Nanoka picks it up and rushes to his rescue...
* onmyouji - a practitioner of onmyoudo, a Japanese belief system derived from Chinese Wu Xing. Onmyouji were specialists in magic and divination.
**ayakashi - a class of supernatural entities and spirits in Japanese folklore
Despite what first impressions may suggest, this isn't Nekoyasha: Taisho Edition. While Mao certainly shares some elements with Inuyasha, it's less of a battle shounen and more of a murder mystery with a good dash of horror. If I had to compare it to one of Takahashi's earlier works, I'd say it's closest to Mermaid Saga.
Of course, those aren't the only influences at play here. Takahashi studied history at university and draws on her knowledge of the Taisho and Heian eras to bring the world of Mao to life. Real world people and events, such as the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923, have more bearing on the story than they did in Inuyasha.
All three eras are wonderfully portrayed by Takahashi's art, which is reminiscent of traditional woodcut prints. She's a master of conveying complex emotions with the bare minimum of lines.
Takahashi also spent part of her break between Rinne and Mao reading the works of Agatha Christie and you can definitely see Christie's influence at work. One of the story's biggest mysteries is who was behind the brutal murder of Mao's former fiance, Sana. Mao just so happens to be the main suspect. The trouble is, he doesn't remember anything that happened between being possessed by Byouki and waking up to discover her dead body. You can tell Takahashi's having a lot of fun with the mystery genre and it's definitely one that plays to her strengths.
Another contrast between Mao and Takahashi's older works is the protagonists' dynamic. Unlike Inuyasha and Ranma, Mao is calm, stoic and reserved to the point of seeming cold. Nanoka, on the other hand, is much more cheerful, emotional and outspoken, although she's a rather reluctant heroine at first. They're supported by Mao's shikigami*, Otoya. He's calm, polite, helpful and rather handy with a shovel.
*shikigami - summoned spirits known for obeying onmyouji masters. Their power is tied to their master's spiritual power.
Mao and Nanoka do have their arguments from time to time but there's more focus on the characters talking through their feelings than comedic misunderstandings. As the unlikely duo become closer, Mao gradually starts to open up and mellow out. In turn, Nanoka finds a growing sense of courage and self-confidence.
Of course, this is a Takahashi series, so not everything is plain sailing. It doesn't take long for Byouki to reappear, kick-starting a series of events that leads to the remergence of the sinister Gokou clan.
The Gokou were a powerful family of onmyouji who sold their skills to the highest bidder. They specialised in the darker side of onmyoudo, especially curses, which were often used to carry out assassinations. The Gokou clan were both respected and feared and not all of their members agreed with their methods or goals.
This tension only heightened when the orphaned Mao was taken into the Gokou clan after passing a gruelling test. The clan raised him to become one of their onmyouji. Their Master even went so far as to appoint Mao as his heir, despite him being an average student at best. This leads to a very dangerous game of succession, with deadly results.
As more and more secrets and mysteries are revealed, Nanoka is drawn deeper and deeper into the Gokou clan's conspiracies. For all the monsters and curses she encounters, the darkest things in this series are very human.
One thing Mao does share with Takahashi's other long-running works is a large and varied cast. Our protagonists' investigations soon bring them into contact with several of the Gokou clan's former disciples. Some of them have somehow survived into the Taisho-era and they've got more than a few bones to pick with Mao.
There's a clear split between those who were horrified by the clan's evil deeds and those who remain loyal to their dark ways. This is somewhat complicated by Byouki's resurgence, as he seems quite happy to play both sides and it's not clear where his loyalties (if any) really lie.
As word begins to spread, many people come seeking the Gokou clan's services in search of wealth, power or simply a helping hand when there's no one else to turn to. Things only get more complicated when the remaining Gokou loyalists start recruiting new disciples. As their toxic influence grows, so does our protagonists' determination to put an end to Byouki's curse and the clan's deadly battle for succession.
Mao may take a couple of volumes to find its feet but once it does it really comes into its own. It's an intriguing combination of old and new, strange and familiar, the uncanny and the all-too-human. If you're a fan of Inuyasha and/or Mermaid Saga, I'd definitely recommend giving this a try. And even if you're not, you may find Mao's new spin on old tropes to be more to your liking.
Where to read the manga:
The cheapest legal way to read the manga is via Viz's app or website. The first three chapters and the most recent three chapters are free. You can purchase a monthly subscription, which will give you access to a variety of manga both old and new, including several of Takahashi's previous works.
The print volumes are available from Viz's website and a variety of online and physical bookshops. You may also be able to borrow them from your local library.
Content warnings:
Graphic violence, body horror, death, torture, animal abuse, emotional abuse, physical abuse, sexual assault, child abuse, CSA*
*not graphic but it's a significant part of one character's backstory
okay so absolutely flying thru mao and alksjdkwlla i love that it’s so fresh. just when i’d think there’s gonna be a trope thrown in it’s presenting a very cool new way to handle things. and their bulding relationship is also everything okay? i adore that there is no real misunderstand ever and that they always share everything! like yes, oh my god, communication! exactly why i love Rumiko sooooo much, tbh.
and the mysteries are so interesting too. what i’d give to pick this woman’s brain.
ok started the manga too for MAO cuz some stuff make more sense there lol probably it’s the translation and all. but also i’m thoroughly obsessed! it goes a bit fast for me in the anime and there are weird cuts but those are present in the manga too. it’s def harder when the time travel part is that wonky so i get why Nanoka sometimes just comes and goes, but yeaaah. anyway, i still love it.
okay so i could have binged it immediately which is a first in forever, so that’s a win. i was pretty afraid i wouldn’t like it, and of course there are lots of stuff that are very modern anime things i don’t jive with, but overall it is very enjoyable and i can watch it in peace, knowing that Rumiko can’t miss. yes, i’ll read the manga too but i have books starte i gotta get thru first ugh.
I digged up some more Sessho x Kagura stuff.. I felt like I was the ONLY one who shipped this for the longest time - I shipped it even before the first anime finished. Almost no fanarts of this ship, no long posts of someone writing down their thoughts on it, it was just me.. so lonely… I was so sad that it was only after that Kagura died when people saw the potential in this. RIP my favourite character :’(
New fic idea but it’s Zeno having a crisis over what counts as adultery except not really because it’s reincarnated Kaya but WAIT turns out she’s actually reincarnated several times and because the dragon’s blood is gone (this is relevant bc the reason Kaya is able to reincarnate is bc she managed to come into contact with ouryuus blood when she was with Zeno so every time she dies she essentially flags heaven’s TSA and they send her back to earth) this means that while she gets to be normal she has now reincarnated for the first time without her memories (she has had her memories throughout all her past lives). She spawns somewhere outside the earth tribe village, Cheol-ran takes her in. She’s lowkey looked after by Yuno and Geuntae who give her a job helping Kija out with tea business. Somehow this leads to Kija visiting the palace with her or Yoon and Zeno visiting the earth tribe for some reason or other and they meet. And Zeno starts falling for her. And cue crisis.
I’m planning to find excuses to bring HHB together regularly, and at some point they all realize Zeno is in love and sibling bonding and shenanigans ensue. Also we get bestie Yoon and Kaya bc he’s trying to fix her amnesia. And Yona Kaya bestieship bc yes. And Hak+ dragons meeting her and thinking she’s cool and being protective of her bc the DYNAMIC WOULD BE SO PEAK ANYWAYS the best ideas come to me when I’m in an airport and my flight is delayed sorry for the ramble I needed to blegh rq
also Kayazeno is much more tragic in this one. Zeno is under the impression Kaya was burned alive after the village people found out she was still around. She was not. She managed to escape and died trying to find him. Repeat cycle for the 3 or 4 times she reincarnates.
eee this sesshomaru ficlet is everything omg fukari mori my life my soul! finally an outlet i can channel my love for it! itt’s basically just that one scene from the EP as seshomaru stands before Toga’s skeleton and i just couldn’t stop thinking about what he was going through there. the mental angst. esp laced with some wind!Kagura. y’all.
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