Hoshin Engi, Vol. 1 [Paperback]

Ryu Fujisaki (Author, Illustrator)

Book Description

Series: Hoshin Engi | Publication Date: June 5, 2007

When his clan is wiped out by a beautiful demon, young Taikobo finds himself in charge of the mysterious Hoshin Project. Its mission: find all immortals living in the human world and seal them away forever. But who do you trust--and whose side are you really on--when you've been trained to hunt demons by a demon.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In order to halt the efforts of the beautiful and evil Queen Dakki, a demon who wields a stranglehold over King Chu of the Yin kingdom, young demon hunter Taikobo must seek out 364 immortals living on the human plane and seal them away forever between the human and immortal realms. Defeating more than 300 demons is a tall order, so Taikobo teams with Hiko Cho, a superhuman fighter, to even the odds. If that sounds rather dense, it is. This is only the first volume in a sprawling fantasy epic based on a series of novels that were themselves based on Fengshen Yanji, one of China's literary classics, so there's no shortage of magical and martial arts action, lush landscapes and spectacular images. But it's slow going as the reader is bombarded with new characters and endless exposition, much of which is only nebulously explained. It's Fujisaki's art that made the original Japanese version a hit: a mix of old school dynamic storytelling with modern character designs for a compelling whole. (June)
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Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: VIZ Media LLC; 1 edition (June 5, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1421513625
• ISBN-13: 978-1421513621
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 7.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,854,220 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Unique shonen adventure, June 8, 2007

By 

Suzanne Crowley (Texas) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Hoshin Engi, Vol. 1 (Paperback)

I should probably open this review by saying that Hoshin Engi isn't for everyone. It's unusual, and somewhat difficult to get accustomed to. The vast array of Chinese ranks, weaponry, and mythological terminology can be off-putting at first. Add to that a completely atypical protagonist, ridiculous character designs, and a storyline that veers from disturbingly morbid to plain silly. That said, I have to say this is one of my favorite shonen series in a long time.

I won't give a summary of the series, since you can read that elsewhere. Instead, I'll rate the first volume by itself. As an introduction, Hoshin Engi vol. 1 stands fairly well. We get an rundown on the situation in Yin Dynasty China, and the friction between the heavenly Sennin and the humans who live on earth. Then, enter Taikoubou, a Sennin-in-training who would rather laze around than study.

The first volume does a good job of giving background information, while still keeping things moving. Soon, Taikoubou is whisked off to begin the Hoshin Project and seal the souls of unruly Sennin. While later parts are pretty grim, the beginning of the adventure is sprinkled with some great self-referential comedy. If you don't enjoy characters breaking the fourth wall you might not find this amusing, however. As the volume progresses, we find out more about Taikoubou's past, and get a glimpse into his cunning mind. While most shonen heroes are short on brains and long on courage, Taikoubou is the opposite. He's a rather lazy fellow that would prefer to do things in the easiest manner possible. And yet, his concern for the common people and ability to always think one step ahead of his opponents turns him into a really likeable character you can't help but root for.

Art-wise, Hoshin Engi is impressive. The designs are very distinctive, and there's some excellent use of background detail and screen-toning, giving the art a polished look. Unfortunately, the creator's tendency to cram too much into each page makes for some cluttered layouts. However, the art becomes much more stream-lined in later volumes, and there's some really beautiful spreads in the first volume as well.

All in all, I would say that Hoshin Engi deserves a try if you like action and adventure series with a little more variety to them. Based on a classic Chinese novel, Hoshin Engi begins as an imaginative take on Yin dunasty China and evolves into something even more strange and wonderful. If you enjoy volume 1, stick around for the rest of the series: it gets better and better, and past volume 9 flat-out amazing.