What I am enjoying about the “07-Ghost” manga series is its complexity and its riveting storyline of cat and mouse storyline with fantasy, dark elements, drama and more. The storyline is ramping up to be an awesome manga series and I’m looking forward to where this series is headed! “07-Ghost” Vol. 5 is recommended!
Image courtesy of © 07-Ghost. All Rights Reserved.
MANGA TITLE: 07-Ghost Vol. 5
STORY AND ART BY: Yuki Amemiya and Yukino Ichihara
FIRST PUBLISHED IN JAPAN: ICHIJINSHA, INC.
PUBLISHED IN USA BY: VIZ Media, LLC/Shonen Jump Manga
RATED: T for Teen
RELEASE DATE: July 16, 2013
The paths of one evil god, two rival empires, three unlikely bishops and seven brave ghosts converge in the destiny of Teito Klein, a boy who vows to master a powerful artifact known as the Eye of Mikael in order to lay bare the secrets of the world’s—and his own—murky past.
Having lost the Eye of Mikael to Ayanami’s Imperial Army, Teito is now in the midst of the Bishop Examination, a test that if passed will grant him the travel privileges he needs to reclaim the Eye. But during the examination he must face…Ayanami?
The Barsburg Military Academy has infiltrated the church and have managed to use a Wars and take the Eye of Mikael away from Teito Klein.
Meanwhile, both he and Hakuren have advanced to stage 2 of the Bishop Exam and find out that they must go up against themselves!
And with this latest volume 5 of “07-Ghost”, Frau tries to help Teito retrieve his memories, that includes going back to the area where he once lived. But will he be ready for what he will see?
What is “07-Ghost”?
In 2005, Yuki Amemiya and Yukino Ichihara created a fantasy manga titled “07-Ghost”. Serialized in “Monthly Comic Zero” published by Ichijinsha, the manga is currently on it’s 14th volume and won a double-first prize in the third Zero-Sum Comics Grand-Prix which was chosen first place by readers and editors, a rare feat.
In 2009, the manga series received an anime and drama CD adaptation and while the manga was licensed by Go! Comi (an imprint of American manga publishing company, Go! Media Entertainment, LLC.) in 2009 but in 2010, the company’s website expired and the license to the series was picked up by Viz Media.
“07-Ghost” is set in the Barsburg Empire which is divided into seven districts. The series introduces us to the upcoming graduates of the Barsburg Empire Military Academy and the main protagonist Teito Klein.
Teito is a person that no one at the Academy talks to or appreciates. For one, they consider him sort of like a teacher’s pet, because he doesn’t have to do certain things that the other students must go through. Also, he is a former slave of the Raggs Kingdom. But he does have one friend and that’s Mikage.
Teito tends to have frightening dreams, about his father dying and trying to give him a message. Seeing a pool of blood.
One day, Teito was going to turn in his report to Mr. Shigure until he overhears the heads of the academy talking about him. How he has exceptional abilities and is a candidate for the Eye of Mikael. It is revealed that the Barsburg Military dissected the entire royal family of Raggs in order to find the stone which belonged to the King of Raggss.
Immediately, memories start to come back to Teito and memories of the military leader Ayanami killing his father. As Teito surges towards him, he is held back and imprisoned.
Mikage frees Teito and not wanting to get Mikage in trouble, Teito pretends that he had taken Mikage hostage. As Teito escapes, Ayanami tries to stop Teito but Teito barely escapes with a shield.
As Teito escapes from the Academy, he ends up landing on a perverted bishop named Frau who takes him into the church. Because he is in District 7, anyone who escapes to that area is protected by the church and the Barsburg Military are unable to interfere. So, for now, Teito is in good hands as he tries to recuperate from his injuries.
While at the church, he learns about the guardians of the church and is told about the legend about the God of Death, Verloren, committing a heinous crime in Heaven and fleeing to Earth. He invaded people’s hearts and terrorized them. So, the overseer of Heaven sent Seven Rays of Light to punish Verloren. They were known as the Seven Ghosts and have sealed the evil Verloren. And the church has seven statues that protect the land.
Meanwhile, the military of Barsburg are intent in capturing Teito from the church and General Wakaba wants his military to use anything necessary to bring Teito back. Even if it means blackmailing Mikage to get to Teito.
But other dark entities working for the evil Verloren, known as the KOR are interested in Teito as well.
In volume 2, after threatening to kill his family, Mikage is possessed and sent to retrieve Teito. But for his love for his Teito who he thinks of his family, Teito immediately sacrifices himself to save his dear friend. The tragedy makes Teito despite the Barsburg Academy even more, but Frau knowing the hurt in Teito, finds the reincarnation of Mikage in a small dragon, who instantly bonds with Teito.
Wanting revenge against Barsburg Academy, the Church realizes that Teito is the Mikael Stone that they are after, but also know that he is a target and tells him that he must be trained to protect himself or else the KOR’s will get him.
Also, Teito has a new roommate, a cocky individual from a royal family, Haruken Oak who joins the church.
Will Teito accept the training that the church will have him endure? Meanwhile, the Barsburg Military Academy lays out plans to find a way to infiltrate the church and retrieve Teito.
In volume 3, as the Barsburg Military Academy has infiltrated the church, the WARS begin attacking both Teito and Haruken. With the Church knowing they have been penetrated, Teito learns the truth about the man known as “father” and raised him. He also learned that Verloren’s body was sealed by the eye of Mikael and had slumbered for 1,000 years. While Verloren’s soul was sealed by the Eye of Rafael and wanders the Earth to unable to enter Heaven and is forever reborn into human bodies.
But it appears that Barsburg Military Academy has more than one plan than to capture Teito, they also have a plan to target Frau.
In volume 4, the Barsburg Military Academy make their strike on Teito and manage to install a wars on the Eye of Mikael. Frau is left to decide which one to save….Teito or the Eye of Mikael?
Meanwhile, it’s the start of the Bishop Exam and Teito and Hakuren are partners. But are the two strong enough to make it out together and pass?
In volume 5, it is the continuation of the Bishop Exam as both Teito and Hakuren have passed. But now, they must find out that the next people they must defeat, are the dark versions of themselves.
Meanwhile, it’s a beginning in a new chapter of Teito’s life as he and Frau visit areas he once lived, in hopes his memories will he return.
As for the Barsburg Military, they managed to capture the Eye of Mikael, but without it’s master (vessel), it is useless. So now, they must do what they can to get Teito Klein.
Find out what happens in volume 5 of “07-Ghost”.
The main characters of 07-Ghost are:
- Teito Klein – The main protagonist and a former slave of Raggs. He has been having nightmares of something terrible, but for Teito he is starting to realize that the nightmares are memories and that his father entrusted him with something special before he was killed by the Barsburg military. He is not friends with many people at the Barsburg Military Academy because he receives special treatment, but in truth, Teito has exceptional fighting/magic skills. His only good friend is Mikage. But when Teito finds out that members of the Barsburg Military were responsible for his father’s death, Teito escapes from the military and is a wanted individual.
- Frau – A perverted Bishop who saved Teito after his escape from the Barsburg Military Academy. He is a member of the 07-Ghosts (Zehel) and is often teasing Teito.
- Castor – A bishop who watches over Teito and a member of 07-Ghosts.
- Labrador – A bishop who loves to garden and brew herbs for medicine. He watches over Teito by giving him things to protect him.
- Mikage – Teito’s good friend and both have promised that they will die together as best of friends. Barsburg Military Academy tried to blackmail him by threatening to kill his family if he did not bring back Teito, but since he considers Teito as family, Mikage has sacrificed himself to save his dear friend. But to later be reincarnated into a small dragon.
- Ayanami – The antagonist and Teito remembers him as the person responsible for his father’s murder.
- Haruken Oak – New at the Church and becomes Teito’s roommate. Part of royalty but has his reasons of becoming part of the church.
- Capella – A young slave that Teito has saved. He now follows both Teito and Frau.
For the last four volumes, we have seen the Barsburg Military Academy, do what they can to get their hands on Teito.
Infiltrating the church with their top soldiers to also revealing that they had spies in the church for the longest time. But now that the Bishop Exams are over, Frau wasn’t going to wait to see what happens. He and Teito were on their way out of the church in order to retrieve Teito’s memories.
While at one village, Teito ends up saving a young slave boy named Capella who joins them, the three now embark in a mission the Hausen House, where Teito’s guardian, Bishop Ver Kreuz, had went to. What will he find?
Meanwhile, at Barsburg Military, Ayanami knows he has control with the capture of the Eye of Mikael, but there is also a discontent among the soldiers who do not accept Ayanami as a leader and are planning to find a way of usurping their power.
With worry that Teito Klein may resurrect the Raggs Empire, Ayanami is determined of capturing Teito.
What memories will Teito discover now that he and Frau visit these areas that Bishop Ver Kreuz had visited and why did he steal the Pandora’s Box?
So far, I’m really enjoying where “07-Ghost” is headed. The writers are now taking Teito out of the area into new districts and obviously things are going to be more dangerous now that they are targets. Teito as the vessel and Frau using Verloren’s scythe, it will also be a test for Teito to see if he can follow the path of light and not give himself to darkness.
The character designs features quite a bit of closeups and some of the artwork for the action sequences do get a bit confusing at times and at times, I felt as I was lost and had to go back and read a certain area and find out who is who as the artwork tends to use a lot of line, less shading on characters (some designs are just all white and gray while blacks are utilized primarily for clothes, hair and line art). But it’s a style of the series that I have gotten used to.
Overall, “07-Ghost” has proved to be an exciting, action-packed manga series. One that definitely has a bishonen vibe with a little boys love but not explicitly. At first, I was thinking more of a brotherly aspect between Teito and Hakuren or Teito and Mikage but I think it’s more family ala brotherly and friendship, than actual pure love.
But what I am enjoying about the “07-Ghost” manga series is its complexity and its riveting storyline of cat and mouse storyline with fantasy, dark elements, drama and more. The storyline is ramping up to be an awesome manga series and I’m looking forward to where this series is headed!
“07-Ghost” Vol. 5 is recommended!