Manga Review: Mao Vols. 21 & 22 by Rumiko Takahashi
Note: This review will contain spoilers for previous volumes. If you’re new to the series, please consider reading older reviews on this blog.
Quick recap: Nanoka Kiba lost her parents in a suspicious accident when she was young. Years later, she learns that the site of the accident is a portal that allows her to travel in time to the Taisho Era (1920s) of Japan. There she meets Mao, a young-looking doctor who’s actually a functionally immortal onmyoji (priest-wizard) from the Heian Era. They’re linked by the curse of the cat ayakashi (monster/spirit) Byoki.
It turns out several of the other apprentices of the Goko Clan are also still alive, some of whom have become Mao’s allies, while others are implacable enemies. In addition, there are new magic manipulators and many independent monsters to deal with. All of this somehow ties back to the night Mao’s first love Sana died.
Volume 21 opens with the continuation of Ayame’s request to deal with a cursed needle that’s gone awry. Wealthy young lady Miwako requested a curse to protect her friend/servant Sumiko from a young man she thought was toying with her affections. But it’s causing the man to take on a bestial appearance, not something in the original spell. It turns out that Miwako may not have been entirely honest about her intentions, and Mao must save her from a dark path.
The next plot arc begins with an entire schoolroom of children getting up and walking out, disappearing from the village. And something similar has happened in multiple villages, suggesting that it’s not an isolated incident. Ayakashi waitress Tenko worries that there might be a child-eating ayakashi involved as there used to be some of those. (They’re relatively rare as those are the ones demon hunters go after first.)
Shiranui, water-wielding co-leader of the revived Goko Clan, has a better idea of what might be going on, so he sends fire-using musician Renji and plant-using “healer” Mei to investigate.
The disappearances have been following a very predictable pattern, so Mao and Nanoka are able to figure out which village is next. The children become violent when prevented from leaving, hitting and biting. This is a problem as our heroes have poisonous blood and they don’t want to accidentally kill the children.
The issue turns out to be another of the Goko Clan’s cursed items, the Bewitching Flute. Its melody allows the player to control children, but is inaudible after some point in puberty. (So Nanoka, even though she’s still in high school, is already too old to be affected.) It had fallen into the hands of a slave trader but now is in the possession of one of his former victims, more sinned against than sinning, who is nevertheless dangerous.
Renji and Mei are very willing to kill their enemies and those they deem to be evil, but even they won’t kill children and in fact want to protect them. They take back the flute, and dispense “justice” in a way our heroes would not. There’s a reason they’re working for the Goko Clan, and not the good guys.
We next check in with Kuchinawa (aka Kamon, another plant-user.) He’s investigating a rich man who recently purchased a “living doll.” Tsuyako’s beautiful and extremely well-made. the size of a short human. The reason Kamon is looking into this is that the doll maker claims to be part of the Goko Clan, and you don’t find him, he finds you.
Kamon senses a touch of malice from the doll, but it instantly evaporates once he uses an exorcism on it. However, a few days later, the owner is dead, his ribcage crushed, and the doll is missing. When Kamon investigates, he notices traces of metal magic.
So it’s time to call in Mao, Nanoka, and Hyakka the fire-wielder. The heroes split up to investigate other “living dolls” that were recently purchased, but none of them are giving off traces of magic or malice. But a few days later, there is another rich man found dead with his ribcage crushed. The servants don’t recall any dolls, but the master was locking himself in his room every night and refusing to let anyone else enter for unknown reasons.
Sure enough, strong traces of metal magic are found, with the particular “flavor” of Hakubi (evil metal-user)’s spell, the “metal scarecrows” (basically magical war robots.)
So it’s time to track down Tsuyako and her creator. In a twist, the doll maker turns out not to be connected to the Goko Clan at all, or even know who Hakubi is. But decades before, he’d been at a battle between Hyakka and Hakubi, and accidentally come into possession of the power source of one of the metal scarecrows. After years of study, he was able to create living dolls.
But it takes a lot of money to create such beautiful and functional dolls, so he agreed to use one to kill for hire. He used the profit to make more dolls, but that used up the money, so he had to agree to another assassination, and the vicious cycle continued.
Hakubi shows up to take back his property, and attempt to kill his enemies. He shows his superior control of metal magic, turning Tsuyako into a full-on monster.
Volume 22 opens with the end of the living doll battle. Kamon’s wood magic is weak against Hakubi’s metal magic, but he’s figured out a new trick that at least slows the soldier down. The doll maker faces his poetic fate, and Hakubi retreats, declaring this a win.
Nanoka decides that she should probably check in at home in the 21st Century, but on her way spots a child servant in an alley weeping. It turns out that the poor kid has been sent out to buy rats for her mistress, but now the cage is too heavy for her to carry, and she has no money left to get someone to carry it for her.
Despite being freaked out by the proximity of rats, soft-hearted Nanoka carries the cage for the younger girl. The girl’s mistress is gracious enough, but her hands are icy cold. Nanoka decides to peep over the wall to find out what the rats were wanted for. Turns out the woman wanted to eat them, with her jaw unhinging so she can swallow one.
Nanoka is discovered, and she must protect the servant girl Otama from the snaky woman. Worse, the ayakashi possessing the woman has set up a barrier so Nanoka can’t leave or signal Mao. She’ll have to battle this monster alone, and the ayakashi seems almost eager to have Nanoka use the magical sword Akanemaru on her.
This is a tough fight, but Nanoka begins to figure out a new property of Akanemaru. It’s not quite enough, and she needs to be bailed out by a surprise assist. This person drops some hints, so Nanoka needs to get more information from Mao.
Mao informs Nanoka of some of the plot developments she wasn’t present for, having not realized that she’d need to know these things. It’s painfully clear to the reader that Nanoka and Mao have been catching feelings for each other, but neither is ready to express them openly yet.
There’s a quick page of Nanoka trying to get some sleep in the present day, but mostly fretting.
Next up is the Oni’s Arm arc. A shaman is called in to pacify a relic of that name which has been acting oddly since the previous priest of the village passed away. It doesn’t work, and the shaman is possessed by the arm.
Mao and Nanoka go to exorcise the shaman, and she volunteers to use Akanemaru’s new power to accomplish this. Unfortunately she overdoes and only a strong barrier keeps the entire village from being showered in poison blood. Nanoka admits she feels like she’s competing with Yurako (Sana’s dark twin who currently works for the Goko Clan) but won’t quite tell Mao why.
Byoki wants to complete the revival of Daigo (earth-wielder and Mao’s first friend) but can’t do so until his soul is released by Natsuno (another earth-wielder.) Problem is, each time Byoki tries to kill Natsuno, Daigo’s zombified body acts to protect her.
To this end, Byoki curses a young woman to think she’s committing murders in her sleep, causing Hakubi and Yurako to come out of hiding. Then he invites Natsuno to the same location. If Daigo through Natsuno learns the truth of what happened the night Sana died, this may release his geas on Natsuno, allowing his soul to be placed back in his body.
So we start getting new information on the series’ primary mystery; will the truth finally be known?
Content note: Fantasy violence and murder, with copious amounts of blood. Child abuse, slavery. Extramarital sex and infidelity is implied. Okay for most teens.
The series continues to have fascinating stories and good art. Unfortunately, the romantic subplot is taking up more and more of the plot.
