Welcome to 365 Days of Manga, the online continuation of Manga: The Complete Guide! I’m Jason Thompson, your host for this adventure into the depths of manga. Each day, I’ll be reviewing a new manga series AND giving away manga from my collection to a random site visitor.
How do you get free manga? It’s simple.
(1) Sign up on the form on the left-hand column, underneath the dark blue bar
(2) Choose what type of manga you want: shonen manga (”boys’ manga”, a la Shonen Jump); shojo & josei manga (manga for girls and women); seinen manga (”men’s manga,” a la Gantz, Lone Wolf and Cub, and Gacha Gacha); or yaoi manga (man-on-man romance manga for women). You must be 18 or older to receive seinen manga or yaoi manga.
(3) Each day, one person will be selected from that day’s random submissions to receive 5 free manga! The entry form resets each day, so if you sign up every day, you have a higher chance of winning.
(4) There’s a way to get even more manga, but I’ll explain that in the next blog.
And now, for the first manga review. I love horror manga, I love battle manga, and I love manga with weird and stylized artwork, so MUHYO & ROJI seemed like a natural favorite for me. But does it sustain the excitement all the way to the end, or like many manga, does it suffer from a late-season slump?
MUHYO & ROJI’S BUREAU OF SUPERNATURAL INVESTIGATION (BSI) (Muhyo to Roji no Mahôritsu Sôdan Jimusho, “Muhyo and Roji’s Magical Law Consultation Agency”) (ムヒョとロージーの魔法律相談事務所) • Yoshiyuki Nishi • VIZ (2007-ongoing) • Sheisha (Weekly Shônen Jump, 2004-2008) • 18 volumes • Shônen Occult Horror Battle • 16+ (mild language, graphic violence, infrequent sexual situations)
Pint-sized Muhyo and his earnest assistant Jiro (aka “Roji”) are specialists in “supernatural law,” exorcists who punish evil spirits with the power contained in their paralegal spellbooks. (Unlike in Zatch Bell, a more parent-friendly version of the magic-books theme, this manga’s magic system is clearly based on necromancy and demonology, with both heroes and villains making pacts with infernal entities and condemning ghosts to colorful punishments like “Beelzebub’s Jewelbox,” “The Demon Eye Prison” and “Hades’ Banquet,” although the VIZ script tries awkwardly to avoid using the word “hell.”) In the early volumes the pair operates out of a shabby office, and the manga has a “haunt of the week” flavor, which it pulls off very well due to Nishi’s creepy, suspenseful storytelling and spooky children’s-book artwork. (As for Muhyo, his oval head and arrogant attitude suggest Stewie from Family Guy, although beneath his cold exterior, his deep dedication to Roji is the bromantic core of the series.) As the camera pulls back to show more of Muhyo & Roji’s world, the series morphs from horror into fantasy, focusing on the students at the Hogwarts-esque Magic Law Association, and their battle against rogue practitioners of Magic Law, led by the Muhyo’s evil ex-classmate. Gradually the series turns into a conventional summoner-vs-summoner battle manga, and the increasing scale and number of ghoulish creatures (all with bug eyes and zipper-like mouthes) strains Nishi’s ability to keep from repeating himself. The art also loses a bit of its original clarity in the demands of the action scenes. However, the mixture of horror, comedy and wizardry remains quirky and sometimes creepy despite the conventionally melodramatic turns of the story.
*** (three stars)
Come back tomorrow for more reviews, the answer to the question “how to get more than 5 manga,” and the announcement of the first winner!
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You Cast Star Wars: Heir to the Empire
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Manga & Graphic Novels
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Cage Match–2011!
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Tim Zahn’s “Judge’s Call”
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50 Page Fridays
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Star Wars: Lost Tribe of the Sith collection
86 Responses to “365 Days of Manga, Day 1: Muhyo & Roji’s Bureau of Supernatural Investigation”
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I was really drawn into the first volumes of this series, loving the monsters and unusual premise. It’s sad to hear it just turns into a typical battle manga. I wanted to see more of the horror side developed.
It always keeps a horror-ish edge, but it turns into very much a good wizards vs. evil wizards thing. Sort of like Harry Potter meets satanism meets battle manga. It’s a good manga all in all; three stars means I liked it.
This looks like it is right up my alley, thanks for the review and recommendation!
This looks like a book I’d love to read, hope I win!
I could use this for a holiday gift
I am really hoping to win this!
Hey ydsddd. You’re welcome to keep signing up, but I don’t actually have a copy of Muhyo and Roji anymore. -_- I hope you wouldn’t mind some other manga!
Pick Me!
I hope I win this I love to read.
I think I would enjoy reading this
Thanks for the contest. I just want to WIN something.
would love to win!
Looking forward to finding out how to maximize the manga winning tomorrow!!
I love manga. Thanks for the chance to win
I would love to win this! Thanks!
Would be great to win, thanks for the contest.
Every since my first Comic Con San Diego, I’ve been a Manga fan!
Really would love to have this….
My kids love these books.
How cool are these books. Would love to win, thanks for the opportunity
I’m a fan I’d love to win this.
It reminds me of a cross between Yami No Matsui (Desendants of Darkness) and a little of Souleatter with little shop of horror
Thanks for the contest
This is definitely a great set of books
I’m a big fan. Would love to win.
I’m a big fan; hope I win
Would love to win !
I would like to enter but there was an error when i tried to sign up. what do i do?
Hi Avery! If the website isn’t working, my best recommendation would be to try another browser or computer. If you consistently can’t get it to work, let me know what operating system and browser you’re using and I’ll ask the tech folks.
I received my books; they are in great shape and it made my grandsons day when I gave them to him! thanks so much Jason!
This would make Grandma a hero!
Thank You, and good luck.
i’m a fan
What is the deal? What happened to the entry form? Can I still enter?
HELP!
I hope to read these in front of my fireplace this winter.
They look like great Summer reading!!
I give up on this. I have not been able to enter in a month. No one is telling me what hapened to the entry form.
Hi Robert! I’ll try to get an answer for you about the entry form ASAP.
Thanks Jason, received your message and am able to enter again. HOORAY!!!
Cheers!
I would love to throw myself into this.
Looks great. I would love to win.
need to win this.
my grand son would love this!!!!
FANTASTIC SITE
Thanks!
Please count me in
thank you & god bless
Great site & great contest
were do you sign up for the sweepstakes anyway? I’m not able to find the entry form. Please help
Looks lile a fun prize. Cant wait…..