This is my favourite manga, I have re-read it many times and I just love that historical,magical style of manga ( )

The art gets 4.5 stars from me. But the story is suited for much younger crowd. ( )

This review was originally written for the website ListerX.com, which is now defunct. It can also be found on my blog, The Graphic Librarian.

Cover
Well, I tried finding an original version to compare to with no luck, so I suppose I'll base my opinion just on Tokyopop's rendition, which I think has been done fabulously! Eyes are immediately drawn to the beautiful orange hues, but what I really love are the teal and pale blue highlights that have been used sporadically throughout the entire image. The added flare of contrasting color keeps the warm-hued palette from overpowering the image. The back is a continuation of the front, as seen in many typical American novels. While this inhibits a full view of the image, the overall appearance is much more effective than it would be if the whole image had been placed on the cover. Tokyopop also made some very nice choices concerning the fonts and the side bar decoration. The lettering has a flowing, cloud-like quality which suits the background very well and the side bar has an ancient looking blend of black and brown designs which nicely compliment the overall image. Now, if they'd just get rid of that ugly red and white logo.

Artwork
I can't help but love the artwork for this series. I especially enjoy the sketchiness which is used a lot in the action sequences. It adds a fun, fast-paced, artsy quality to the images. Another thing I enjoyed about this volume was the wonderful facial expressions on the characters; they just seemed to come alive on the page. I think my favorites came from Chikei, a roguish character who's always making wisecracks about something. Qwan also has some really cute expressions, as well - most of them versions of bewilderment and/or curiosity, since he came from the Heavens and knows nothing of China. Also, for those of you that like good fight scenes, this volume has a few of those, too. After all, what kind of demon eater would Qwan be if he didn't have at least one or two demon fights per volume? The sketchy quality that I mentioned earlier lends itself excellently to these action-packed sequences and the artist does an amazing job of showing the smooth flow of movement, and most importantly there's no difficulty following the action from panel to panel.

Plot
**Possible Spoilers Warning**
The volume opens with the meeting of what I can only assume will be the main character and his 'sidekick', a food-stealing, money-hungry rogue, Chikei. Using Chikei as unwilling bait, it quickly becomes clear that Qwan is an eater of demons. What's unclear is where he came from and why. The second chapter quickly introduces a third central character, a young pig-tailed girl named Daki who has a strange affinity with bugs and is using her powers to cause unrest among the aristocracy. Mistaking her for a demon, Qwan attempts to eat her with somewhat amusing results. Meanwhile, the aristocrats Daki 'aided' earlier are sensing changes in the air, ones which could bring about the fall of the dynasty.

Chikei, who's begun traveling with Qwan, quickly begins to make a profit off of his new friend's strange demon-eating abilities. Unfortunately, it seems his ambitions may have attracted the wrong kind of attention. During a brief rest at a house of ill-repute, a mysterious man named Lord Yuushi attacks the unsuspecting rogue. However, the unusual man is inadvertently thwarted by Qwan when the demon-hunter once again discovers and goes after Daki, who also happens to be Yuushi's daughter. Qwan recognizes the mysterious lord as being something more than human, but is prevented from action by Shaga, a prostitute who seems to know more about Qwan's journey and the Essential Arts of Peace than she's telling. Meanwhile, the scholar, Jou Kai, refuses to allow the Essential Arts of Peace to rot in a store house while the dynasty crumbles, so he sets out on a mission to find the one who is destined to carry the sacred sutra into the new era.

Qwan and Chikei continue on their own vague mission and after a brief conversation Qwan decides that the Emperor's chief eunuch must be a demon in disguise. With that thought firmly in his head, he sets out to find the man named Cao Jie. Daki, in an attempt to protect her father, tries to make trouble for Qwan, but instead she accidentally gives him a chance to meet the very man he's been looking for.

Content Warnings
Language = Yes, very mild.

Violence = Does demon-eating count?

Nudity = Very briefly suggested, but nothing more than extensive cleavage is actually seen.

Sexual Situations = Well, there are a few prostitutes, though it's not made too obvious what they do in their profession.

Ratings
Cover - 9.5/10 - Just a little bit off the top for that garish red Tokyopop logo on the spine.

Artwork - 10/10 - Fabulous! Not a single complaint!

Plot - 10/10 - Mysterious characters, political intrigue, and lots of promise for the future volumes.

Overall - 10/10 - Wow! I'm beyond impressed! Hopefully, the future volumes won't disappoint me. ( )