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01/30/2005 Archived Entry: "Manga Review: Shaman King 5"

Shaman King 5
by Hiroyuki Takei
Published by VIZ

Yoh Asakura, a young Japanese shaman, has entered the "Shaman Fight," a tournament to decide who will be the next Shaman King. The tournament showcases shamans from many different cultures. First Yoh matches up against the Ainu shaman Horohoro, who uses snow and ice magic and even rides a snowboard while fighting. Then Yoh must battle Faust VIII, a necromancer descended from the original Dr. Faust.

Silva, one of the tournament supervisors, thinks Yoh should forfeit this match rather than risk his life against Faust, who has already killed another shaman during a match. But Anna, Yoh's tough young fiancee, will not hear of it. In a very entertaining sequence, she refers to Faust as a "corpse jockey" and insists that Yoh must fight him.

When Faust VIII first arrives, his odd clothing and formal speech patterns make him seem almost comical. But when he raises an army of the undead to fight Yoh, things really get creepy. In fact, this manga contains some disturbing moments, such as when Faust inflicts a gruesome surgery on Yoh's friend Manta. But by using plenty of humor to balance things out, Shaman King 5 turns out to be a brilliant combination of creepy and cute.

(See also: Shaman King: Master of Spirits for Gameboy Advance)

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