Time Killers

This is a short story collection mostly known for containing the "The Miyama-Uguisu Mansion Incident", wich is the pilot story for "Blue Exorcist". The story more than being short is a very enjoyable one, narrating the story of a nameless mistreated demon who falls in love with a little girl who offers him her warm friendship... Not only that it contains other stories like HoshiOta, Boku To Usagi, USA BOY, Otome No Inori and others. All this stories added to the detailed and careful drawing style of Kazue Kato are something you simply have to like!

I'm surprised that no one has a written a review for this, as it is the one-shot pilot of The Blue Exorcist. Frankly, I found that the one-shot more interesting the main series itself.

The story starts ordinary. Ordinary delicate girl is imprisoned by a cruel possessed uncle. Ordinary hero slips in and shatters whatever insecurities and weakness held by our princess. However, the flashback added another deeper layer into the story. It was simple yet provoking. The ending culminated in such a bittersweet and stirring fashion. I was amazed that a one-shot could have produced such emotions (which is no surprise considering the genres I follow). Still, I thought this piece was delivered spectacularly.

The art suited the story well. The lines and backgrounds were finely drawn, which supported our graceful princess and the overall plot as well. I thought that the fine detail juxtaposed well with simple backgrounds following our main hero. The only problem with the art in my opinion was the hands. I felt that the hands were poorly drawn; they seemed entirely too fake.

This one-shot is an excellent piece that is definitely worth reading. I hoped the story could have been taken further. Something along the lines of a seinen manga with a story similar to Kino’s Journey or Mushishi would be what I wanted. This one-shot has the exact same atmosphere of a much more profound manga.

I'm starting this review with one small request: buy the book. You will not be disappointed, and, like me, I think this is one that won't just sit on your bookshelf. The art is fantastic, and the quality of each small story is pretty good, actually. So, please consider it. It's between 10-15 US dollars.

That being said, Time Killers is an awesome collection of short stories that, through out a few of them, you can see characters that resemble some of Kato's characters from Blue Exorcist (i.e. Astronerd, The Miyama-Uguisu Mansion Incident).

There are at 3 small stories that are colored in gouache (Usaboy!!!, A Warrior Born of Red Earth, and a Guide to Princess Clothes), and they are beautiful. A Warrior Born of Red Earth is probably my favorite of the really short stories, as it tugs at the heart strings (oh boy, does it).

Her earliest one shot, Me and the Rabbit (Boku to Usagi) is a good one as well, and you can definitely see her improvements from that point. However, my favorite over all is a tie between Tomato and The Miyama-Uguisu Mansion Incident. You'll see why.

So, please read. It's definitely a book worth your time.