Out of his power intrigues of volume six, Keiji rests. A demon appears to find his daughter, who is none other than the little protégé of our hero. How will Keiji get out of this impossible situation? The answer in the chronicle of volume seven,
An unbridled imagination…
After enlisting the shogun's help, Keiji moved even closer to power by meeting the emperor's inner circle. Indeed, since his previous success, he has become a recognized fighter and the emperor has him watched by a spy, not very discreet: he is a giant with a demonic face. This champion of the Nagiri clan also fulfills a more personal mission. He comes to fetch the protégé Ofû on behalf of the chief of his village. It is believed that a fight will happen between this demon and Keiji. However, touched by the demon's story, Keiji decides to accompany him to his mountain village.
With this volume, historical realism moves even further away to give way to Tetsuo Hara's unbridled imagination. This exuberance is also the salt of Soten No Ken, his other series at Mangetsu. The demon comes from the village of Nagiri. Its inhabitants are known for their overdeveloped left shoulder muscles. Tetsuo Hara has a blast in the deformation of bodies. These fighters are the descendants of a demon which is plausible as their face is unsightly. Despite its giant size, they can climb trees like a squirrel. A village is permanently in the fog that rises only once every twenty years. Rocks break during a duel. Further on, characters use their minds to jostle their opponents and even paralyze them.
These magical aspects coexist with the codes of samurai films. The code of honor governs the entire life of men , whether noble or impoverished ninjas. Boxes highlight fighters like this row of shinobi placed on the edge of a roof
… at the service of the characters
In the eyes of other Men, Keiji is totally unpredictable. He seems to live only for his pleasure and follows his very changeable moods. The advantage for the reader is that the trips are numerous. The various landscapes (the forest, a village in the hollow of a valley) are superbly executed. In addition, the twists are as unexpected as the main character is surprising. A prankster, he prefers to humiliate his opponents than to pierce them. His freedom makes others jealous, but they also admire him for it. He even managed to defuse tensions and gain acceptance everywhere for his kindness and humor. Although he shares the eccentricity of kabuki-mono, he remains respectful of simple people. An enemy tries to use the pretension and lure of legendary kabuki-mono gain to trap him. Keiji lives in excess (of outfits, women, alcohol) while always being on guard. When in doubt, he never separates himself from a sword.
Ofû the little girl accompanying Keiji is the first to see the demon and we suddenly understand the link between this sweet and frail little girl and the gigantic demon. This is an opportunity to discover its past. This series is also a hymn to friendship and solidarity (especially male). Indeed, women are often in the background except Ofû. Keiji is so attached to friendship that he forgets everything else. In the previous volume, the reader meets his future best friend. Another giant Kanetsugu Naoe, right-hand man of a powerful lord. Here, Mitsunari is a shadow advisor to the regent and an admirer of Keiji. The characters are more and more numerous but the drawing makes it possible to quickly recognize them and a note presents their biography before and the destiny then during their first appearance.
Keiji is a more lively man than the others. He goes further in pleasures as much as in honor. This makes him a very endearing character but it also offers the reader a constant surprise. With each new volume, the reader is on the lookout wondering what is going on.
You can find on these links chronicles on the beginnings of the series and on Chiruran, another manga taking place at the same time.
