Jul 7, 2023
This is a preliminary review of the first two novels in the Onmyouji to Tengugan series. At the time of writing, there happens to be a third volume that hasn’t been translated to English yet, which I imagine will be just as good (If not even better) than what is already available.
On that note, Onmyouji to Tengugan is a story about two exorcists in the fictional town of Tomoe, which is based on Miyoshi, Hiroshima. Over the course of the two novels, the reader is given plenty of descriptions about the town and surrounding area, which depicts Tomoe as a rustic town rich with
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culture. Adding to this feeling is that the novel is written in third person, so while reading you can’t help but feel that you’ve just moved into town as well.
Speaking of, the story of Onmyouji to Tengugan begins with Misato Miyazawa as he moves into town to start a new job at the Abnormal Disaster Unit in Tomoe’s Town Hall. That said, Misato has difficulties finding a place to move into which leads to his encounter with Ryouji Karnio, a freelance monk, who offers him a place to stay. From there, the novels’ story becomes both about Misato’s time at the Abnormal Disaster Unit taking on cases, along with his relationship with Ryouji. The novel also shifts to following Ryouji around at various points, which then the novel is usually about his time working on freelance jobs.
The first novel is a collection of smaller incidents that happen in Tomoe, which usually has Misato and Ryouji working separate from each other. It effectively sets the tone, setting, and characters, which makes the second novel all the more engaging with all this setup out of the way, but may make the first novel feel rather lacking by itself. Still, the second novel absolutely makes up for any shortcomings you’d potentially feel with the first novel. It starts by having our protagonists work on separate cases but as the story evolves, both the characters and the reader start to realize that their assignments are more interconnected than it first seemed. It’s incredibly engrossing and I found it hard to put down at times!
In conclusion, if you’re in the mood to pick up a new novel series that deals with paranormal happenings, or maybe looking for something that naturally depicts a growing friendship between an unlikely pair, you should check out Onmyouji to Tengugan! With around 500 pages split between the first two books, the novels are very approachable and are worth it to read.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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