Kekkaishi

Kekkaishi is one of the most underrated shounen manga out there, and if you've watched the anime, you might understand why. The manga, however, takes the story to a whole new level that truly makes it worth reading.

Story: What's fascinating about the story is its originality, at least to some extent. There are ayakashi (demons), which isn't exactly novel, but I hesitate to call it cliché because it's more of a subgenre. Instead of flashy swords or guns, characters use boxes called "kekkai" that trap subjects and then destroy them in an explosive manner. What makes it more interesting is how characters use these kekkai not only as destructive weapons but also tactically, constantly coming up with new ways to utilize them, making you think, "Huh, I wouldn't have thought of that." As you progress through the story, you discover more powers and unique ideas, including some intriguing traits of the ayakashi.

Kekkaishi starts like most shounen manga: initial missions followed by an overarching plot. What's great about Kekkaishi is that it stays true to the original storyline, even when it seems to deviate, always connecting back to its roots. Many events occur that you won't initially consider significant, but they turn out to be crucial later on.

Art: Art is subjective, but I believe most people will appreciate it after a few chapters, regardless of their initial thoughts. If you're reading shounen for the bishounens, this might not be for you. However, the characters aren't unattractive; the style is just different from your average shounen. Some sceneries are beautifully drawn, and the action scenes are very clear, which I find rare and definitely a plus.

Character: Everyone looks for character development, and Kekkaishi has plenty. The main example is Yoshimori, the protagonist. He starts off headstrong and overpowered but doesn't know how to use his power effectively, making him fairly useless initially. This isn't a new concept, but what I like about his development is that despite drastic changes throughout the manga, he remains the same character at heart. He's entertaining, and once you get past some of his annoying traits, he becomes quite likable. After all, every character has flaws!

The side characters undergo significant development too, another rare trait in shounen manga. Not just major side characters like Tokine and Masamori but others as well. Tokine is the main female lead, and she's well-developed. She's the brains of the team, gaining powers suited for purposes other than strength, making her useful (unlike many useless female shounen characters). Masamori, Yoshimori's older brother, plays a much bigger role than initially apparent. He's a character you might love to hate at times!

The antagonists' characters are also impressive, undergoing development and having good backgrounds.

Enjoyment: This is where the "9" ranking comes into play for me. Despite the clichés and other issues, I thoroughly enjoyed it. However, this could vary for different people. If you prefer "all action all the time," you might get bored at points, but there's a fair amount of it. A lot focuses on characters and story, so some might struggle with non-battle parts involving more talking. Personally, I'm okay with breaks from the action. What's great is that it isn't confusing like many other shounen manga with numerous unnamed characters. Every named character is significant, allowing you to attach names to faces and backgrounds easily. Even when the plot gets messy towards the end, it's still comprehensible who is doing what and where.

Overall, I gave it a 9 because I couldn't put it down (and I read the entire thing twice). But it's not without its clichés, which is really its only downfall.

Highly recommended for anyone looking for a good shounen that's not Naruto/Bleach/One Piece/Etc.

I just wrapped up this series. The ending felt a bit rushed to me, but that doesn't mean it wasn't good. In fact, the series was fantastic and highly enjoyable. I just wish there had been more focus on Sen and Soji in the final volumes since they're my favorite characters. I also adored the art style; it was very polished and clean, and I think it matched the story perfectly.

*SPOILER ALERT*

**The scene where Chushinmaru gets sealed away at the end, and Yoshimori creating a version of himself and Gen in his created world—those moments really tugged at my heartstrings and made me feel sad.**

Regardless, I still highly recommend this series to all shounen fans out there. It's unfortunate that the anime only covered up to the Kokuboro arc. I really wish they had adapted the entire series to the end.

Nice :3

Really good characters with cool designs and powers. The art fits the story perfectly too. Everything was just super good and enjoyable to read. Although some characters were a little rushed, especially the MC's brother. Maybe if the story was longer, he and some other characters would not have been so rushed, but it's not a big deal because instead, the author chose to develop the story and push it forward. I think it made the story so much more lively. You could understand that the story had a lot of moving pieces that had their own goals and ideas, which moved the story forward.

The art was really good and consistent, sometimes with a bit of Ghibli-esque style (especially the MC—he really looked like a Ghibli character sometimes, but in a good way). However, the focus on some pages was a bit confusing. For example, the author often drew one character holding a necklace (but with the balls, you know what I mean) in a whole frame when she was talking to another character, as if trying to show it had some greater purpose or meaning, but in the end, it had no meaning. It was just drawn for no purpose.

In conclusion, it's a nice short read. You could probably finish it in a week, or even a day like me!

First things first. My "reviews" system is explained on a blog entry, which can be found through my profile.

✦Story

To sum up the story, the biggest downfall for me was that after the initial main arcs (up until the first major boss was defeated), it was superb and coincided with the Anime, which I've watched twice. However, the Anime's ending felt unsatisfying, leading me to eventually read the Manga. After those initial arcs, the story started expanding with too many characters, becoming erratic, grand, and chaotic, resulting in confusion and inconsistency. It's a great battle shounen with more focus on world and character building while still offering impressive fights, characters, and power stakes. I have a soft spot for spirit-type powers in Anime, which is one reason why I loved this title. Nonetheless, as mentioned, it strayed from storytelling and progression, eventually feeling like watching a political drama Anime. Another quirk about battle shounens is their romance elements or lack thereof; they usually don't go anywhere or are irrelevant. But since this Manga focuses more on characters and story, we do get some nice romantic moments. The issue here is that the finale of this aspect felt underwhelming and loose-ended. In the end, despite suffering a bit after the primary first arc, the story was still very enjoyable.

✦Art

The art style is somewhat old-fashioned but still pretty cool. The world, powers, and creatures were aesthetically pleasing. Character designs were decent and fairly old-school, though nothing too amazing.

✦Character

In short, there are plenty of characters. The main duo consists of a thick-headed powerhouse with hidden talents and a stubborn school president type skill master. There are numerous side characters and other high-value individuals. While mostly enjoyable and interesting, I grew tired of most characters and found their depth reasons rather dull.

✦Enjoyment & Overall

I got romance, cool powers, spirit fighters, a cool world, and action. By the end of the day, it means I enjoyed this Manga a lot. The biggest flaws were tedious characters, needlessly expanded story and layering, and a slightly disappointing wrap-up storytelling-wise.

Yoshimori is a very likable guy who often disregards his teacher's instructions, yet he's far from naive. He never allows anyone to take advantage of him, and as far as I know, it has never been confirmed whether he's academically challenged or not.
Tokine is a nice girl-next-door, although to my dismay, Yoshimori has surpassed her in skill.
Putting those things aside, what I appreciate about this story is the lack of overdramatization. You know those moments when a character cries like a baby, or sobs their heart out with piano music playing in the background? This story avoids that.
Additionally, except for a few battles, our heroes need to employ strategy to defeat their enemies. When faced with a tough opponent, they retreat momentarily, regroup, analyze data to determine the enemy's strengths and weaknesses, form a strategy, and then attack.
It's refreshing because nowadays, in many manga, heroes leap before they think. They are usually no match for their enemies, but at critical moments, they suddenly gain immense power, supposedly due to support from their friends.

Kekkaishi stands out as one of my personal favorites within the manga realm. Although its beginning had some rough edges, it turned out to be an overall excellent read. The characters are intricately woven into the narrative, giving you a genuine sense of getting to know them, like with Yoshimori and Masamori. The ending felt somewhat underwhelming, but the numerous hints at romance between Yoshimori and Tokine were enjoyable to follow, witnessing their relationship grow closer. Over time, these characters undergo significant changes, and we're introduced to other characters who keep the story engaging, which I absolutely loved seeing.

There are countless shounen manga out there today, many of which recycle the same ideas, plot devices, and storylines. Most end up being quite forgettable. Series like Bleach, Naruto, and D.Gray-man often feel rather mediocre.

Kekkaishi, in my view, doesn't bring anything particularly groundbreaking to the table. It uses typical elements found in action manga without breaking any new ground. However, it achieves far more than its peers.

The protagonist's ability is nothing short of brilliant. It offers a great balance of flexibility, strategy, power, and defense. Despite frequent use, it never becomes boring. There are no over-the-top attack names or flashy special moves; characters simply evolve by using their abilities efficiently to create interesting battle scenarios, not through power-ups and enormous laser-spewing weapons.

The rest of Kekkaishi shines with decent character development, villains who are likable and well-rounded if not overly impressive, political intrigue, layers of mystery, appealing artwork, and most importantly, a plot that keeps moving forward without losing sight of what made it good from the start.

Kekkaishi seems to be an overlooked shounen series, overshadowed by others despite its solid foundation. If you're a fan of shounen or looking to restore your faith in the genre, this one is definitely worth reading.

It’s been more than ten years since I last read or watched this series. While indulging in other popular anime, I suddenly recalled Kekkaishi and how underappreciated it truly is. Many elements that new anime fans might find novel in their favorites have already been explored in various gems out there—characters, concepts, and more. Kekkaishi is undoubtedly one of those hidden treasures.

The anime isn't complete, but I recommend starting with the anime before diving into the manga from the beginning. Although the anime adaptation closely follows the manga, you should definitely continue reading after the anime ends because, despite appearances, there's so much more to the story that you'd be missing out on.

If you enjoy series like Noragami or Jujutsu Kaisen, you'll absolutely love this. Even the villains are unique in their own right. I’ve actually read the manga twice, but it’s been around three years since my last read, so I can’t provide a detailed review. I wish I had written one when I re-read it back then :(

Regardless, I hope this review motivates you to start this series and give it the appreciation it deserves!!!