Ranked #1523

Muhyo to Rouji no Mahoritsu Soudan Jimusou (Manga)

“Are you a victim of unwanted spirit possession?”

That happens to be the tagline that lines the back of each volume of this multi-genre series. Take one part darkness, add a pinch of magic, and a dash of…law? Yes, magic law to be exact and you’ve got yourself Muhyo & Roji’s Bureau of Supernatural Investigation.

We are thrown into the office life of Toru Muyho, a practitioner of high caliber magic law with the prestigious title of “Executor” and his more than often, useless “Second Clerk” assistant Jiro Kusano. ( or Roji as he likes to be called )Together, the two deal with an array of paranormal cases in which they must ultimately battle, and sentence a ghost according to the crimes he/she committed. This is where one of the most unique and thrilling aspects of the story occur. Toru Muhyo’s title is not for show, in the Magic Law Association, only those with the title of Executor are able to sentence the paranormal with the help of a magic law book. The sentence is read out according to the crime, and one of hundreds, possibly thousands of hellish creatures from the underworld rise from the depths to carry out the sentencing.

From an art stand point, it’s a definite refreshing taste. The author does everything in his power to make the ghosts frightening and disturbing without making them look cliché. The hordes of underworld creatures Muhyo summons are, no pun intended, out of this world. They have such a uniqueness and horrifying aura to them. This is where the author excels, in his ability to create such interesting looking ghosts and demons. The overall style is somewhat difficult to explain when it came to his other characters. They all have a youthful quality to them, so as an overall style it’s youthful with a quirkiness.

Character-wise, Muhyo is what I call lazy and irritable at best. He spends much of his free time sleeping, and when he’s awake, he’s either yelling at Roji for his incompetence or reading his favorite manga magazine. Muhyo is easily bothered, always throwing insults and making a rather bad impression with customers who think he’s being insensitive. Meanwhile, we have Roji who comes off as weak and quite the cry baby at times, but when push comes to shove, he tries hard and for the sake of helping out his partner even if it doesn’t always work out. Roji’s quest for Muhyo’s acceptance is one of the key points to the story. He is always doubting his abilities and having Muhyo drop hints along the way that leave Roji wondering how he can improve. It’s this kind of persona that may leave a sour taste in the reader’s mouth as Roji’s continuous self doubt can get irritating.

The cast of characters that we eventually are introduced to all have their unique talents and faults, along with dark pasts that have ultimately shaped some to where they are now. They range from former instructors and classmates of Muhyo’s, to the dark organization that is hell bent on bringing down the Magic Law Association. The interactions between the cast is very natural and cohesive, and done in a way that doesn’t seem forced.


At first, Muhyo takes on an episodic route, which is typical of a Jump series, but before long the gears behind the story start turning and we quickly learn of the main antagonist, a childhood friend of Muhyo’s from the Magic Law School. From here on it’s an all out attempt to bring down his former classmate, and to the surprise of many in the magical world, an attempt to save him. Needless to say, difficulties await Muhyo and the rest of the cast.

The fact that I read all 18 volumes of this series in two days weighs in on the overall enjoyment. Which personally, it was. A refreshing blend of art, adequate pacing of story, and the interactions of such a wide array of characters made it a great ride. If I had anything to be critical about, it’s the fact that at one point it’s obvious that the author was winding down and it would have been nice to end where it did. The main plot comes to a gratifying conclusion in volume 15. However, with this being a Jump series, the author did continue with a new arc which ultimately ended on a less than worthy note. But do not think that it makes the series any less, it was a great series and I am happy I have this gem in my collection.

So, if you find yourself looking over your shoulder, or feel the light touches of something you can’t see, maybe you should give Muhyo and Roji a call.
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Muhyo and Roji's BSI is probably one of my very favourite mangas ever, although I don't read very many. It has a lot of special traits to it that I love greatly, and so goes a run through.

The story is pretty good-- spirit possession with our snarky protagonist Muhyo and his wimpy helper Roji that quickly turns into a long story arc that begins in volume 4 and ends at around 15. It keeps you wrapped in pretty nicely, and the battles are nicely made with actual substance and logic to them rather than just "because I felt like lasers" sort of feeling.

Art- The art is unique, as you can see, but the art gradually gets better as the manga goes along-- it's one of my favourite things about reading a manga, seeing the art get better. Later on, if you probably did not like Muhyo due to his bratty and childish looking appearance, you'll probably start liking him as the art style matures and as he matures himself.

Characters- Muhyo is the greatest snarky hero of all time. This is a biased opinion. He's not a jerk because he has to be spicy and contrast with Roji, but he's a jerk because he IS a jerk, which, what I mean that his jerk-ness has substance to it. It is revealed later on in around volume 6 and is a reoccurring theme of how Roji must be able to face his fear and create courage to stand up with the smartest kid of all time-- I'd go as far as to say a deconstruction of the Insufferable Genius trope, which makes me like him a lot. His actions with the other characters, especially Roji are notable, and every character has their own quirks, like Enchu and Rio, making them nigh unforgettable to me.

Enjoyment- I loved every bit of it. The battles were nicely portrayed, the story moved along at a wonderful pace, the art was unique yet fun. It's easily one of the nicest things I've read, and it's a shame that it has no anime, as it would be rendered nicely all action or not.

Overall- Muhyo is my favourite character with the manga's twist to the Insufferable Genius, with themes of friendship and jealousy, and is a really nice look between rivals and flat out green eyed monster character types. If you're looking for an actiony read about the wiles of human nature with justified shounen tropes, this is a great manga for you. read more