Manga Review: Blue Exorcist Volume 5 by Kazue Kato

Title: Blue Exorcist Volume 5 
Japanese Title: Ao no Exorcist
Series: Blue Exorcist #5 
Manga-ka: Kazue Kato
Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Graphic Novels, Older Teen Ages 16+
Publisher: Viz Media, Shonen Jump Advanced, Shueisha Inc.
Format: Paperback, 183 Pages
ISBN-13: 978-1-4215-4076-4 
Release Date: December 6, 2011
Source: Borrowed from Wentworth Library
Rating: 4/5

Tagline(s): Fight hellfire with hellfire!

Summary: In the late Edo Period, a demon known as the Impure King killed thousands of people. After defeating the demon, the Knights of the True Cross kept its left eye safely sealed away on Academy grounds--but now someone has stolen it! Hearing the thief has taken a child hostage, Yukio and Rin go to help. The investigation and pursuit will lead Rin and his friends to Kyoto and involve them even deeper in a sinister plot! But will his friends' knowledge that Rin is the son of Satan drive a wedge between them? 

Review:

Rin is still feeling the brunt of his classmate's feelings of betrayal and discomfort, but more important things are happening than hurt feelings. The left eye of the Impure King has been stolen and the right eye is next on the list. In an attempt to steal the right eye of the Impure King, the Kyoto Field Office was attacked, leaving many injured. Rin and company are sent with a group of Exorcists to help the injured and defend against another attack.

Rin's situation is the classic classmate alienation because he's misunderstood and they only see what they want in Rin. They see the half-demon son of Satan with his blue flame, so he must be evil, too, right? They don't see someone who watched as Satan killed his foster father, Father Fujimoto, but a demon who is uncontrollable. You would think that Bon, Shima, and Konekomaru would understand how Rin feels about defeating Satan and how determined he is to accomplish it. They've had family killed by Satan during the Blue Night incident, just as Father Fujimoto was killed by Satan when Rin came into his powers. I really think they need to give Rin a break and try to understand and get to know him. Rin has enough on his plate without his friends treating him like some kind of leper.

Going to Kyoto means going home for Bon, Shima, and Konekomaru. We learn about the connection between their families, Bon's father's abandonment of the Myodha and the failure of the temple that caused it to become affiliated with the Knights of the True Cross, Bon's determination to become and Exorcist and defeat Satan, and finally the conflict between the Shima and Hojo families. When the two families tasked with keeping order within the followers of Myodha, Shima and Hojo, are at each other's throats, things are bound to fall apart unless they can work together.

Another attack is being planned by the end of Volume 5 for the right eye of the Impure King. Who is behind these thefts and what are they planning? I can't wait to see what happens in the next volume.

About this Manga-ka:

Kazue Katō (加藤和恵, Katō Kazue), born on July 20th, 1980 in the district of Shinjuku, in Tokyo, is a Japanese mangaka, author of shōnen manga. She is mainly known to be author of Blue Exorcist. She also created Robot to Usakichi ( ロボとうさ吉 ), for which she received the price Osamu Tezuka Award.

PART OF....