Review by C.J. Bunce
First published in 2021 in Japan by Kadokawa, The Great Yokai War: Guardians is a manga adaptation of the movie, which was the sequel to The Great Yokai War. The audience for the movies in the West would be kids who liked shows like Spy Kids–the movies are full of goofy action and in the sequel the focus is a little kid saving Japan from a kaiju invader. The manga adaptation is very different, more appropriate to a teen+ crowd.
It’s full of dark demons and spirits, but of the variety in Hayao Miyazaki’s Spirited Away, and the protagonist, Kei Watanabe, is much older than portrayed in the movie. Artist Sanami Suzuki takes a story by Yusuke Watanabe and fills it with great, fantastical characters at every turn. Volume 1 is now available in an English edition here at Amazon with the second volume available for pre-order here, and the third volume here. A powerless kid must fight dark monsters in Titan Manga’s latest coming-of-age title.
Kei and Dai are brothers who only recently lost their father. Kei believes his little brother was to blame for his father’s death, and hates that he must play the big brother role. Kei is a solitary teen, wearing headphones at school and trying to just get by, but he has friends. The brothers’ lives are turned upside down when a kaiju threatens Japan.
This is a Japan where spirit watchers called Yokai monitor activities from afar. They have witnessed what is behind the kaiju–it is a “Yokaiju” that has absorbed the animal souls of all who died when the plates of the Earth converged at the very formation of the islands of Japan.
What the Yokai know is that only a descendant of a great samurai warrior can save Japan. The line of descent points directly to Kei and Dai.
The Yokai represent the spirits of mythical figures spanning human cultures–like the Yeti, Mermaid, and Cyclops. The manga would make excellent source material for a card game, and Suzuki’s demon/ghosts will have young readers returning to the corners of each page to identify and locate all the beasties he has included. Each has a distinctive look and attire.
The twist is that Kei and Dai’s family isn’t one of martial artists–theirs is a family of singers. The Yokai are ready to pair Kei with the God of War, when Dai is snatched away. How can Kei save his brother, let alone all of Japan, without any relevant abilities?
Take a look inside Volume 1, and take a peek at the covers to coming volumes:
The Great Yokai War: Guardians is the latest premiere English edition of recent popular Japanese titles from Titan Books’ Titan Manga imprint. Check out our borg reviews of Alpi–The Soul Sender here, Witch of Thistle Castle here, The Poetry of Ran here, and a discussion of Kamen Rider: Kuuga and Atom: The Beginning here.
It’s a good fantasy world, and a good read regardless of whether you’ve seen the movie, which hasn’t made it to streaming yet in the U.S. For fans of creepy, dark fantasy characters like those in Spirited Away, The Great Yokai War: Guardians Volume 1 is now available in an English edition here at Amazon with the second volume available for pre-order here, and the third volume here.
