Tanabe Yellow | Kekkaishi

Japanese: 結界師
English: Kekkaishi
Synonyms: Kekkaishi Ayakashi Hojinden
Type: Manga
Volumes: 35
Chapters: 345
Status: Completed
Published: Feb 18, 2004 to Apr 6, 2011
Genres: Action, Adventure, Demons, Shounen, Supernatural
Mangaka: Tanabe Yellow (Story & Art)
Serialization: Shounen Sunday

Synopsis: By night, junior high student Yoshimori Sumimura is a "kekkaishi"--a demon-hunter who specializes in creating magical barriers around his prey. By day, Yoshimori's got some other demons to battle: an addiction to sweets and a seriously crotchety grandfather! Yoshimori's pretty 16-year-old neighbor and childhood friend, Tokine Yukimura, is also a kekkaishi, but their families are feuding over who is the true practitioner of the art.

Background: Won the 52nd Shogakukan Manga Award in the Shounen category.

Related Manga

Alternative version: Fake!

Adaptation: Kekkaishi

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Licensed in English

Viz Media  (35 Volumes - Completed; 3 Omnibuses - Ongoing) 

Source: MAL Manga info, Baka updates, Bato.to

Side notes: This manga is something that I once started reading from the middle of its publication as I managed to get my hands one collection of new mangas which I didn't know anything about. I got few volumes at home but mostly my reading was done at library and due of that I'm still reading mode with it.^-^ But I've seen the anime and liked it... and it's also one reason to pick this manga today here as it fits to the theme.^-^b Art is on good level and pretty typical shounen manga art style. Story is pretty fun and reminds me a lot of Ao no Exorcist for some reason. And as it's a long series there is lots to read, so it's not done by one night reading session.^-^b

P.S. I've left the spoilers out from the character descriptions.

Main characters

Yoshimori Sumimura (墨村良守)

Yoshimori is the 22nd Kekkaishi of the Sumimura family. Throughout the series, Yoshimori is portrayed as a lazy, stubborn, headstrong individual who strives to protect his family and friends, especially Tokine, who he's had feelings for since childhood. When Yoshimori was much younger he often cried a lot and strongly dislikes being a Kekkaishi. Yoshimori's attitude greatly changed, however, after Tokine's arm was injured by an ayakashi that Yoshimori failed to eliminate. At the beginning of the series, he is often seen baking, an activity he often finds more important to him than his duty as a kekkaishi. He dreams of becoming a patissier, but is often chastised by his grandfather for this hobby.

Yoshimori's skills as a Kekkaishi differ from those of his counterpart, Tokine. Due to his rash and headstrong personality, Yoshimori has always fallen behind Tokine in terms of speed and accuracy. However, in terms of sheer power and stamina, Yoshimori excels. He is capable of creating extremely powerful and large kekkai, kekkai which Tokine is either incapable of forming or those which would quickly exhaust her. Throughout the series, observations had been made by Sumimura Shigemori and Sumimura Masamori that Yoshimori has an enormous wellspring of latent abilities in his kekkai. It has also been noted that Yoshimori is able to activate zekkai without any particular training beforehand. However, his zekkai could only be powered to its full potential in moments when his emotions overflow their boundaries.

Tokine Yukimura (雪村時音)

Tokine is 16 years old and the 22nd Kekkaishi of the Yukimura family. She bears a scar on her right hand, which she received while protecting Yoshimori in their childhood. Tokine is gifted with great accuracy and precision, however, her kekkai are very weak and can only be maintained for short periods of time; her kekkai lack the "brute power" of Yoshimori's kekkai. 

At first she attempts to make up for this by copying Masamori's technique of stacking several kekkai's around a target, but this takes too much stamina for her, making the technique ill-suited for her. Later, she learns to refine her kekkai into narrow "spears" that can impale and imprison an enemy, making up for her lack of power. She also has the ability to manipulate kekkai and space, this is seen when she cannot dispel Yoshimori's kekkai and so manipulates it so she is able to pass through it and then again during the time a user kidnaps members of the Yagyou she uses his portal to enter the dimension he created. 

Tokine is clearly impressed by the power and potential Yoshimori has, but is constantly frustrated by his poor control and lazy attitude. She cares for Yoshimori and often protected him many times when he was younger. She also likes to tease him and isn't aware of his feelings for her, although as the story progresses she begins to shows signs of deeper affection for Yoshimori, she once slapped him so hard he passed out for going off to fight Kaguro and trapped him with neshi and beat him when he left to Okuni without her. In the series, it is stated that whilst she may be the weakest Kekkaishi, she is clearly the most "ruthless", unless she must face her biggest fear: the cockroach. Examples of her ruthless pragmaticism are her disregard for the health of Hachiouji Kemiya when he was possessed by an ayakashi and forbidden metsu of a shinyuuchi god that had invaded karasumori and attacked its defenders.

Masamori Sumimura (墨村正守)

The eldest son of the Sumimuras. Although he is the oldest of the three brothers, he is not the heir. He is 21, though he looks much older. Masamori is a leader of a section in the Urakai organization. He returns home few times and stays for many days. He is a very skilled Kekkaishi; using techniques difficult to master. Masamori and Yoshimori have a strange relationship, Yoshimori being clearly jealous of the way Masamori has control over difficult techniques and the way Tokine acts around him. However, Masamori is often seen looking at the palm of his right hand, where the sign of the "legitimate successor" is placed; this suggests that he is jealous of Yoshimori, although he doesn't know so. Yoshimori often wonders why his older brother wasn't chosen to be the legitimate successor.

Supporting

Gen Shishio (志々尾限)

Race: Human

Age: 14

Powers: Enhanced strength & agility, rapid healing, heightened senses, ayakashi transformation 

First Appearance: Manga Chapter 48, Anime Episode 20

Gen first appears with Kyoichi Hiba, as the two are inspecting Karasumori Academy at night. He then shows up at school the next day as a transfer student in Yoshimori's Middle School.

Gen Shishio is the youngest son of the Shishio Family and a member of the Night Troop. He is an Ayakashi Majiri and possesses a wolf-man transformation. Gen is sent to Karasumori by Masamori Sumimura to help Yoshimori and Tokine fight against Kokuboro.

Gen has a very serious appearance for a young teenager, possessing sharp eyes (due to being half Ayakashi) like an animal's, with sharp spiky black hair, and a dark skin tone. His clothing mainly consists of two outfits, the one he wears during battle consists of a ninja like costume with purple pants and a short sleeved robe with arm guards on both his arms and legs. His outfit also carries The Shadow Organization Star symbol. During his stay at Karasumori Academy, his regular clothes mainly consisted of the Middle School's uniform. He also carries a special flame tattoo around his body, given to him as a young boy in order to keep him from fully transforming.

Gen had a very solitary nature, and was slow to trust or even interact with anyone. He had trouble understanding the way other people behave, and spent a great deal of time observing them and reflecting. He was particularly puzzled by the partnership between Yoshimori Sumimura and Tokine Yukimura (since their families are supposedly still feuding), and could not understand what Yoshimori sees in such a "scary girl." Even when around people he considered friends, Gen only opened up so much. Like Yoshimori, Gen thought nothing of stepping in to save someone despite any danger to himself, though his reasons stem from Masamori entrusting him with his duties. 

Madarao (斑尾)

The Sumimura family's demon dog; he detects ayakashi with his sense of smell. He is about 500 years old. Madarao was previously known by the name of Ginro and was at one time friends with Koya. He currently wears a collar that seals away his true demon form. When unsealed, Madarao is a competent poison user and avid illusionist.

Human form

Kaguro (火黒)

Once a human, he is now an ayakashi in human skin. Can produce swords from his body. His agility, pace and acceleration is the highest among kokuboro member. Also the fastest character in Kekkaishi.

Hiura Souji (氷浦蒼士)

Hiura appears to be emotionless and at one points tells Yoshimori that he thinks of nothing when using his powers. Hiura is hostile toward Yoshimori during their first encounter; however, he later reappears stating he has been ordered to help the Kekkaishi, but turns out to be little more than a puppet who obeys his current master for the time being.

Anime Opening