In the world of Twin Star Exorcists, demons known as the kegare exist. These kegare come from a world known as Magano. The exorcists are the only ones who can stop them. The main character is Rokuro. Rokuro lives with a group of exorcists but he is no longer an exorcist himself. Unfortunately, being an exorcist is the only thing that he can do. He is completely lost after a horrible accident takes the lives of fellow exorcists and he loses his will to fight.
Twin Star Exorcists is the kind of series that is built on familiar themes. While this may be the case, it still has a solid storyline. This volume contains the first three chapters; it has the task of setting up the main storyline and the main characters. Everything starts getting interesting in the second chapter. That’s when we learn more about the exorcists. We also learn more about the relationship between Rokuro and Benio.
Rokuro’s entire life changes when he meets Benio. She provides some real competition for him and may even inspire him to continue fighting as an exorcist. Benio and Rokuro are destined to be the Twin Star Exorcists. They are the two best exorcists around and are destined to give birth to the greatest exorcist anyone has ever seen. This is our main conflict. Rokuro has given up on being an exorcist; he has already been forced to fight twice since meeting Benio. Benio thinks he is a loser because he has given up on his birthright. They have been through similar tragedies and have had opposite reactions. Needless to say, they don’t get along.
Rokuro used to be like Benio. He believed he could defeat every kegare and save everyone around him. When that didn’t happen, he began to feel as if there was no point to becoming an exorcist. He no longer had the desire. He lost his family and nearly died in the process. He’s broken now and he doesn’t want to fight unless he has to.
The manga features the standard shonen style. The facial expressions are clear and there are no odd body proportions. In addition, the layouts are easy to follow. Unfortunately, some of the scenes can be too much to take in during the action sequences. I did like the fact that the kegare are drawn individually. Each demon has unique traits that make it a demon worth taking down.
Twin Star Exorcists may seem like your average run of the mill exorcist manga at first glance, but it certainly has more to offer for fans of shonen manga. Newcomers to the genre will enjoy this volume as well. Although it may be a tired genre to old manga fans, there is no doubt that Twin Star Exorcists brings something new to the table. For example, Rokuro isn’t your average damaged hero. He has not decided to rise up against his past and defeat all of the demons that have destroyed his life. Instead, he has decided to fight his destiny and find his own way. Benio isn’t just your average heroine. She has some mystery that will definitely play a large part in the story later on.
