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Title:  Kekkaishi #9

Author: Yellow Tanabe

Publisher: Viz

ISBN: 9781421508290

May Contain Spoilers

As Gen reluctantly warms up to his team mates, he’s thrown for a loop when his teacher arrives for a visit.  Atora Hanashima, a monster tamer from the Night Corps, literally kicks down his door, eager to see how he’s doing.  Concerned that they need to polish up their teamwork, she challenges them to a little training mission:  If they can capture her within sixty minutes, she’ll go back to the Shadow Organization.  Can they put aside their differences long enough to complete the mission?

Though the training chapters with Atora were a little too predictable, they did show that Gen’s finally coming around where Tokine and Yoshimori are concerned.  Never really having had a friend, Gen doesn’t know how to behave, and as result, he comes off as gruff and unapproachable.  When Yoshimori takes him lunch, and offers him part of the cake he’s baked, Gen pretends to enjoy it.  Yoshimori learns that he doesn’t like sweets, and he only ate it so as not to hurt his feelings.  Gen’s made a huge step!  I can’t believe that he’s actually concerned about somebody else’s feelings!

Gen’s teacher, Atore, is so cheerful she’s obnoxious.  She seems genuinely concerned about her pupil, and can’t resist teasing him a little.  Merrily sharing that she used to tuck him in at night, I’m sure that tough-guy Gen just wanted to dissolve into the floor rather than to have Tokine and Yoshimori learn some of his more embarrassing secrets.  Gen confides that Atore used to be very stern with him, and he has a hard time standing up to her.  If he can’t shake off his intimidation of her, how are they going to complete their training mission?

At the ayakashi stronghold, the demons begin plotting the take over of Karasumori in earnest.  They must gain control of the site quickly, or their princess will die!  Since they can’t survive without her, they, too will perish.  Byaku believes that the best line of attack lies with becoming the Master of the Karasumori site.  As they plan ridding the site of it’s guardian god, Kaguro is given a new task.  If they had a human ally, it would help them gain control of the site.  Devious Kaguro singles out Gen and tries to coax him into joining them.  Isn’t he, after all, part ayakashi?

I felt a decided chill at this latest development.  Gen has very few fond memories of being treated well by humans, and lots of bad ones about being called a monster.  With his troubled soul, he makes an easy target for Kaguro’s convincing words.  Will Gen succumb to the darkness lurking within him?  Or will his new friendship with Yoshimori help guide him from Kaguro’s persuasive hold?

Grade: B

Rated for Teen

Review copy provided by Viz.