Tag: The Morose Mononokean

S.W.A.T. Reviews: Summer 2016

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The premise of these reviews is simple: watch the first episode of a series and then immediately sit down to record a review mini-podcast. The reviews are five- to ten-minutes long and entirely off the cuff. As always we only review new shows (so no sequels or continuations) and try to avoid anything that just looks outright awful.

Sentence: Free to Go

First impressions of Thunderbolt Fantasy from Pili International Multimedia. It is streaming on Crunchyroll. DOWNLOAD

First impressions of Mob Psycho 100 from BONES. It is streaming on Crunchyroll. DOWNLOAD

First impressions of Battery from Zero G. It is streaming on Amazon. DOWNLOAD

First impressions of The Highschool Life of a Fudanshi from EMT Squared. It is streaming on Crunchyroll. DOWNLOAD

First impressions of 91 Days from Shuka. It is streaming on Crunchyroll. DOWNLOAD

First impressions of Orange from TMS Entertainment. It is streaming on Crunchyroll. DOWNLOAD

First impressions of Cheer Boys! from Brain’s Base. It is streaming on Funimation. DOWNLOAD

First impressions of Sweetness and Lightning from TMS Entertainment. It is streaming on Crunchyroll. DOWNLOAD

First impressions of DAYS from MAPPA. It is streaming on Crunchyroll. DOWNLOAD

First impressions of The Morose Mononokean from Pierrot Plus. It is streaming on Crunchyroll. DOWNLOAD

Sentence: On Parole

First impressions of Maho Shojo? Naria Girls from Studio Bouncy. It is streaming on Crunchyroll. DOWNLOAD

First impressions of Alderamin on the Sky from MADHOUSE. It is streaming on Crunchyroll. DOWNLOAD

First impressions of Time Travel Girl from Wao World. It is streaming on Funimation. DOWNLOAD

First impressions of Taboo-Tattoo from J. C. Staff. It is streaming on Crunchyroll. DOWNLOAD

First impressions of ReLIFE from TMS Entertainment. It is streaming on Crunchyroll. DOWNLOAD

Sentence: Lock ‘Em Up and Throw Away the Key

First impressions of Berserk (2016) from Millepensee. It is streaming on Crunchyroll. DOWNLOAD

First impressions of Qualidea Code from A-1 Pictures. It is streaming on Crunchyroll. DOWNLOAD

First impressions of Regalia: The Three Sacred Stars from Actas. It is streaming on Funimation. DOWNLOAD

First impressions of This Art Club Has a Problem! from Feel. It is streaming on Crunchyroll. DOWNLOAD

First impressions of hitorinoshita The Outcast from Emon Animation Company. It is streaming on Crunchyroll. DOWNLOAD

First impressions of New Game! from Doga Kobo. It is streaming on Crunchyroll. DOWNLOAD

First impressions of Handa-kun from diomedea. It is streaming on Funimation. DOWNLOAD

First impressions of The Disastrous Life of Saiki K from J. C. Staff. It is streaming on Funimation. DOWNLOAD

First impressions of Bananya from Gathering. It is streaming on Crunchyroll. DOWNLOAD

Manga of the Month: The Morose Mononokean

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The Morose Mononokean (不機嫌なモノノケ庵)
by Kiri Wazawa

narutaki_icon_4040 When a yokai attaches itself to you, who ya gonna call?

Ashiya find himself with an unintended supernatural companion after he helps a yokai one night. While in the high school infirmary, he spies a strange help wanted flier for an exorcist and decides to call. While on the call, Ashiya is asked for his location and then told to simply open the nurse’s office door. Instead of walking in to the hall, he ends up in a tea room with the aloof Mononokean Master Abeno.

After coming to understand his mistake with the first yokai he encountered, Ashiya becomes more sensitive to their requests. By the end of the first volume, Ashiya has become an apprentice to Abeno as he deals with yokai in the area and takes on requests from clients.

The stories of the yokai are tender portraits which tend toward melancholy as we come to understand them and their past connections. Ashiya’s naive helpfulness and Abeno’s matter-of-fact attitude lighten things up from time to time. And it is clear that mysterious Abeno has many secrets to share as the series goes on.

Wazawa’s yokai designs are well-crafted and have a tendency towards dramatic immensity. I’m looking forward to what the next will look like.

Following in the tradition of many great series about yokai, The Morose Mononokean adds a touch of humor and two more excellent personalities to the genre.

~ kate