Kamisama Kiss Volume 10

Kamisama Kiss volume 10 by Julietta Suzuki

Kamisama Kiss continues to be one of the most consistently charming shojo manga being published today. I need to fill in the gaps in my collection, because I tend to read random volumes here and there, but it is very fun to read. I was delighted to discover that shrine goddess in training Nananmi and cynical fox spirit Tomoe’s relationship has progressed somewhat. Of course in shoujo manga land, relationship progression means making overtures of affection or declarations of love when the object of one’s affection is unconscious, but I’ll take whatever I can get.

Nanami finds herself entangled in a rengu succession battle, as she has to sneak into Mount Kuruma and determine what is happening to the hapless Tengu under the rule of the overly strict heir Jiro. She also needs to track down the reasons behind the mysterious disappearance of the ruler of Mount Kuruma, Sojobo. Nanami gleefully comes up with a reckless infiltration plan involving a variety of disguises and the aid of the youngest and most vulnerable tengu. The interaction between the characters in Kamisama Kiss is always fun to see, and it was interesting to see Nanami’s newfound confidence as she dons the disguise of a male tengu and then proceeds to boldly run through the entire hall inorder to set up her own magical shield. Tomoe detects Jiro’s fascination with Nanami and assumes her form in order to provide a necessary distraction, and Tomoe’s version of Nanami is hilarious to watch in action because his body language of languid flirtation stands in such contrast to Nanami’s usual open enthusiasm. Not many artists could pull off a scene like that very well, and I always put down each issue of Kamisama Kiss with renewed appreciation for Suzuki’s illustration skills.

Review copy provided by the publisher.