Manga Review: Mao Volumes 6 & 7 by Rumiko Takahashi
Note: This review contains SPOILERS for previous volumes, if you’re just starting, you may want to look at the earlier reviews.
Quick recap: Due to an incident in her youth, Nanoka has gained the ability to time travel back to Tokyo in the Taisho Era. There she meets Mao, a young-seeming man who has been alive since the Heian Era. They are linked by the curse of Byoki, a monstrous cat. But is it actually a curse, or more complicated than that?
As the volume opens, Shiranui, the water onmyoji (exorcist-mage) has stunned Mao, so takes the opportunity to reveal the start of his long-standing grudge. It appears that Mao had unusual potential even at a young age, and showed Shiranui up during a test. Then when it appeared that Mao had betrayed them to Byoki and slain the master, that only cemented his hatred. Oh, and then there was what Mao did to his legs. Mao remembers nothing of that night, so he can’t dispute it.
Mao asks about the mysterious Yurako and her connection to Sana, the master’s presumed-dead daughter. Shiranui is less forthcoming with what’s going on in that situation.
Nanoka, Otoya, Hatsuka and Kamon finally catch up. Shiranui asks for the Taizanfukun spell, which would allow him or anyone he chooses to attain true immortality. Mao doesn’t have it, but doesn’t bother saying so, as he wouldn’t hand it over if he did. The heroes are able to beat a hasty retreat.
In the Twenty-First Century, Nanoka runs into Byoki, who’s pretending to be a normal one-eyed cat. He isn’t currently hostile, and explains a bit about his life as Haimaru, the pet cat of Sana, and a little of what made Sana so special. He also confirms that Sana can’t possibly be alive in the 1920s, so who or what is Yurako?
Hatsuka and Mao go to investigate murderous metal scarecrows, which turn out to be controlled by another apprentice from the Heian Era, Hakubi. He and Hatsuka gave each other lasting wounds some twenty years before–it turns out their partial immortality doesn’t work on attacks from each other. Now Hakubi has a metal arm he can control to turn into weapons ala Edward Elric, and a facial burn that he wears a metal mask to conceal. (A useful side effect of the mask is that it keeps people from noticing he’s not aging.)
Currently, he’s working with Shiranui, who gave him equipment to fight Hatsuka’s fire magic, which he’s weak to. But Mao has access to something that trumps onmyoji magic altogether, like bringing a gun to a rock-paper-scissors battle. Something left out of the Chinese philosophy their system is based on.
Our heroes manage to drive off Hakubi, but the cost is Mao needing several days to sleep off his monstrous transformation. The others do their best to keep the clinic open while he’s resting. Once he’s up again, there is a rumor of a doctor who treats wounds for free…but a few weeks later, the healed people just disappear.
This volume opens with Mao telling a little bit more about his background. He was raised in an orphanage for children with magical potential and has no idea who his parents were. His best friend was an older boy with dark skin named Daigo. Daigo had a gift for earth magic, and was recruited for training by the Goko Clan, and his recommendation was influential in Mao also being picked up later.
This comes up because the type of magic used for healing the disappeared people is Earth-type, but distorted. The culprit has a tragic story, which ends painfully. But this does allow Mao and Nanoka to meet the fifth apprentice, Natsuno. She doesn’t seem hostile, but is rather callous in her way. This leads to a revelation about Daigo and more of what was going on in the Goko school.
Shiranui’s new hideout is well-hidden, but mysterious hairs point the way. Is it possible that the even more powerful water apprentice Masago is alive after all? Kamon turns out to have a connection to her, and wants to pursue this lead. Mao and Kamon invade the underwater shrine with the help of Natsuno and Nanoka (who is Earth-blessed.)
Shiranui turns out to have his own special connection with Masago, which explains his hairstyle and cosmetic routine. A fierce battle ensues.
We’re at the part of the story where major baddies have to keep getting away once their immediate plan is thwarted to keep them available as threats. This is somewhat balanced by more lore and backstory being disclosed. Mao’s missing memories mean that we learn certain details from biased sources who might be motivated to shade the truth to hurt Mao.
It’s still possible to tell the major characters apart, but there is an increasing reliance on hairstyles and outfits to distinguish the ever growing cast.
I suspect we’ll have a behind the scenes master villain in a couple of volumes.
There’s a bit that seems to leave the possibility of a Mao/Nanoka romance open, but Takahashi is still playing that aspect cool.
The art and general writing are still good. Recommended to time-travel fantasy fans.
