Segawa Hajime | Ga-Rei

Japanese: 喰霊
English: Ga-Rei
Synonyms: The Enchained Spiritual Beast Ga-Rei
Type: Manga
Volumes: 12
Chapters: 52
Status: Completed
Published: Oct 26, 2005 to Jan 26, 2010
Genres: Action, Comedy, Demons, Martial Arts, School, Shounen, Supernatural
Mangaka: Segawa Hajime (Story & Art)
Serialization: Shounen Ace

Synopsis: While many of us will probably scream at even the thought of a ghost being near us, Freshman Nimura Kensuke just thinks of it as a common everyday thing, seeing as how he has the uncanny ability to see so many of them on a daily basis. Things soon heat up for him when he meets a girl who changes his life from then on. Her name is Kagura, and she has the power to summon a mighty "spirit devourer"—otherwise known as a "Ga-Rei"—called Byakuei. So, what's Nimura to do? Chase down the evil spirits and and have Kagura summon the Ga-Rei to devour them, of course! Now, come feast on their adventures like some ravenous Ga-Rei!

Related Manga

Spin-off: Ga-Rei: Tsuina no Shou

Other: Tokyo ESP x Ga-Rei: Shadow Walker

Adaptation: Ga-Rei: Zero

Groups Scanlating

AnimeSigma

Byakuei-Scans

Entropy

Franky House

Kuu

Maigo

DoubleO7

Shadow-Skill

Licensed in English
Kadokawa BookWalker (12 Volumes - Complete) 


Source: MAL Manga info, Baka updates

Side notes: Yup, my anime pick is here again.XDDD I saw this manga's anime version first and liked although it left some questions to be answered so I picked up the manga in hopes to have something cleared that might have been passed on the anime. For my disappointment I've not done much for the reading... and pretty much forgot this one.>.<

Main characters

Kagura Tsuchimiya (土宮 神楽)

Always smiling, Kagura is the heroine of the story. She is feisty and ambitious and can put up a good fight with her Byakuei who is in the form of a dragon. She controls him from the seal on her back and a long binding chain that is connected to her and, so the pain that Byakuei feels also affects her as well. She is stronger and motivated because of the support that Kensuke gives her. She obviously has feelings for Kensuke as she gets jealous when Shizuru and Kensuke are spotted alone together and she's shocked when Kyouko tells her that she should go out with Kensuke if she's worried about him. She calls him Ken-chan. Although she initially treats Shizuru as a rival, they become close. She lost her memories after temporarily becoming the host for the Kyuubi (in which Kensuke freed her from). Eventually she regains her memories and triggers the return of Yomi.

Kensuke Nimura (弐村 剣輔)

The protagonist, an ordinary high school student who has had the ability to see ghosts ever since he was a kid. Because of this, he always felt different, but things changed after meeting Kagura. He started practicing kendo from a young age, being the son of a kendo instructor, and utilizes his skills during missions. When fighting, he sometimes dons a pair of sunglasses. The storyline concerns his growth as a spirit-user, his main weapon being swords. He initially wields "Michael #12," but after breaking it in a battle, is given the sword "Michael Revolution" in its place. He supports Kagura during her emotional lows, and a bond develops between them.

Kensuke has the same sesshōseki that transformed Yomi into an evil spirit, embedded near his heart. According to Yomi, the sesshōseki itself wished to be placed there. The stone gifts him with memories, as well as allowing his sword techniques to become radically more powerful. This stone was later removed when Imawano Setsuna forcefully tore it from his body in the Garden of Tamamo, fatally damaging his body in the process. He survived after Kagura defeated Setsuna and revived the Kyuubi, using its powers to restore his body from the brink of death. After firming his resolve to save Kagura from being controlled by the Kyuubi, he unleashes the true power of the Michael Revolution, the ability to cut through dimensions.

Kagura mentions that Kensuke has a unique presence which puts spirits at ease and even Byakuei feels more secure when Kensuke is near.

Supporting

Yomi Isayama (諫山 黄泉)

Isayama Yomi is the sisterly figure for Tsuchimiya Kagura. She is good spirited and optimistic in the flashback of the anime. She lost her parents at a young age to spectres, and was taken in by Isayama Naraku, then head of the Isayama family. Yomi grew to love and respect her foster-father, and polished her skills to repay him for his kindness. Her efforts led to her inheritance of the priced Isayama heirloom, the sword Shishio, which held the spiritual beast Ranguren in it.

Noriyuki Izuna (飯綱 紀之)

An old friend of Kagura, also ex-fiance of Isayama Yomi. Uses Kudagitsune, spirit foxes to spy on people and fight. He's very perverted, and constantly tries to grope Kagura, with painful results (for him). He is part of the information department.

Underneath his perverted and cheerfully helpless facade, Izuna is very powerful, able to fight on equal terms with Yomi. He is very knowledgeable on the subject of spirits and is skilled at creating barriers. He treats Kagura like a little sister (aside from groping her) and demonstrates concern for Kensuke. As Yomi's ex-fiance, he still had feelings for her.

Kazuhiro Mitogawa (三途河 カズヒロ)

A boy who used to belong to the Agency. He was enthralled by the sesshōseki, hoping to use the Kyuubi's powers to revive his mother, an exorcist who had been previously killed in action. When Lady Tamamo appeared to him in the Vatican's library, he willingly became one of her minions, sparking off the events in Ga-Rei: Zero and the first 7 volumes of the manga. He was the one who gave Yomi her sesshōseki, and later took it away after he was displeased with Yomi giving one to Kensuke. He mentions a "Lord Tamamo" as his overlord, the former mistress of the Kyuubi before its sealing. After Yomi's demise, he is next seen participating in the Jugondō coup as Setsuna's underling. He removes Kagura and Kensuke's souls from their bodies, and takes them to a spirit dimension he calls "Tamamo Garden", where they encounter Lady Tamamo.

He uses insect-related magic, and seems to have powers related to the sesshōseki, such as being able to remove the souls of people who possess them. One of his eyes contains a sesshōseki. He was later killed by his resurrected mother, before Izuna could avenge Yomi. He wanted to expose the world they live in to the public, in a way he succeeded since the kyuubi was seen around the world. 

Michael Kohara (マイケル・小原)

He is an artist. He crafted Michael the 12th.

Source: MAL

Commercials for the anime