What I love about “07-Ghost” is its complexity, its intelligence and well-planning but also how it is able to balance humor, dark and deep storylines but yet maintaining and enjoyable storyline as each volume progresses. This time around, the Barsburg Military makes their move on Teito. Meanwhile, Teito and Hakuren must take on the Bishop Exam. Exciting, dark but also featuring an enjoyable, deep and fascinating storyline, “07-Ghost” Vol. 4 is recommended!
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MANGA TITLE: 07-Ghost Vol. 4
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: May 14, 2013
When Ayanami storms the Barsburg Church in a ruthless effort to drive the Eye of Mikael from Teito’s body, Frau is forced to make a terrible choice: let the Eye fall into Ayanami’s hands, or abandon Teito to die. But Teito may be powerless to accomplish his search for truth without it…
The Barsburg Military Academy has infiltrated the church in hopes of retrieving Teito Klein, the vessel of the Eye of Mikael and a battle ensues.
What will Teito lose?
Meanwhile, it’s time for the Bishop Exam and Mikael and Hakuren must do all they can to pass. But will they?
Find out in volume 4 of “07-Ghost”!
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?
Find out what happens in volume 4 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.
For three volumes, we have seen how the Barsburg Military Academy has been plotting to capture Teito. And many times, they have come close.
But this time around, things are different as they implant a wars on the Eye of Mikael and leading it to separate from Teito. With this separation, will the Barsburg Military get a hold of the Eye of Mikael which they have wanted all this time?
Meanwhile, the Bishop exam is coming and both Teito and Hakuren must be prepared for it. Only a few pass the exam, some who have taken for years, in hopes of passing. But for these two friends, will they have what it takes to pass both stages?
With volume 4, this latest volume sets up quite a few new situations for the Barsburg Military Academy as possession of the Eye of Mikael with a Wars may give them some leverage.
Also, they know with Teito Klein alive, he may be the resurrection of the Raggs Kingdom which they had destroyed earlier. So much is at stake that they must do whatever to capture Teito.
Meanwhile, the second half of the story features on Teito and Hakuren now working together as partners to pass their test. Are these two roommates willing to trust their own lives to each other?
For the most part, the testing phase is quite intriguing, to see what kind of tests these two must pass.
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 that I have gotten used to.
Overall, “07-Ghost” is becoming more exciting and deeper as the story progresses. Now we get to see Teito now having the opportunity to become a bishop and we also see his friendship with Haruken maturing and both having admiration for each other.   But it’s definitely a new beginning for Teito because of what happens in this volume, from here on in.
Another smart and enjoyable storyline, “07-Ghost” Vol. 4 is recommended!