What I'm Watching ♦ Blue Excorcist

What I'm Watching ♦ Blue Exorcist

9/7/2017

Synopsis

The story revolves around Rin Okumura, who, along with his younger twin Yukio Okumura, was raised by Father Shiro Fujimoto, an Exorcist. Rin learns he and Yukio are the sons of Satan. Witnessing Shiro dying to protect him, Rin draws the demon-slaying sword Kurikara (倶利伽羅), which restrains his demonic powers. From that moment on, Rin not only gains demonic features like fangs and a tail, but also the power to ignite into blue flames that destroy almost anything they touch.
Rin wishes to become an Exorcist like his guardian to become stronger and to defeat Satan. He enrolls at the prestigious True Cross Academy (正十字学園 Sei Jūji Gakuen), an exorcist cram school, which is actually the Japanese branch of the True Cross Order (正十字騎士團), an international organization dedicated to protect Assiah (human realm) from the Gehenna (demonic realm). Much to his surprise, Rin finds that Yukio is already a veteran Exorcist and is one of his teachers. Thus begins Rin's journey to become an Exorcist, accompanied by his brother and his fellow students who quickly become his close friends.

Main Characters

Rin & Yukio Okumura

Cast

Review

If you are interested in anime or not at all--this is one amazing story. It is hands down one of my favorites of all time. But I'm a character driven person and I could give a damn about plot so be warned.

This is a story about two twin brothers, the spawn of the devil, Rin and Yukio. We first see Rin as an upstart, unable to hold a job, unable to get along with people and unwilling to watch injustice go unpunished in the world. Rin is happy-go-lucky most of the time but his buttons get pushed by people lying, or hurting others. However he himself is one giant, loud, but affable mess.

Yukio is your typical quiet, studious, secret keeper. Very opposite of his brother. Where Rin fails, Yukio exceeds all expectations.

I loved both these characters as they complimented each other.

We start off thinking Rin is a normal boy with every day problems, but we soon learn Rin is much different from other people.

The twins ward, and keeper, is Shiro--an exorcist who took them under his roof about 15 years ago. He knew their mother but doesn't reveal anything much about her and nothing about their father.

Shiro is the head priest at a small church in the middle of the city and, with his band of fellow priests, cares for the twins like his own sons.

We get to find out through the series Shiro is a bad-ass level exorcist and it takes Satan himself to bring Shiro down. But not after Rin starts to get that he's not like other people--or even like his twin brother.

Rin learns he's the son of the devil, and Satan's plan to have Rin help him combine the underworld with the human world. Rin in turn wants to kill the devil who stole the only father he'd known away from him. But first he has to learn how to become an exorcist--just like Shiro and just like Yukio.

A lot of secrets were hidden from Rin and while he's completely pissed and confused he gets over it.

Those secrets include -- Shiro's knowledge of his parents, Yukio being a TEACHER at the school Rin is now attending to be an exorcist and Yukio's knowledge of who/what Rin is.

Along the way Rin makes friends with other exorcists and while he trains he finds he has commonalities with the other students.

While Yukio deals with the fact that he's a demon killer and his brother is a demon, we see him struggle with trusting Rin. But at the very end he understands Rin is never going betray him. Together they form a bond that is unique that allows them to combine their powers and defeat whatever monsters come their way.

While the POV is in Rin's--you have to realize that Yukio is his TWIN. Rin tries to teach his younger brother that he's not alone in fighting or with dealing with demons. Rin says Yukio can trust him--it's funny to me Rin says this because Yukio is the more mature, more steadfast and more together than Rin.

They both feel a duty to protect each other but while Rin has demon power he too suffers from shutting his friends out while they try to help him. So Rin's a hypocrite, so sue him.

Of course the brothers have friends they can rely on, but try not to. They include the demon chancellor of the school, Mephisto (father of time and space), Ryuji (I call him skunk boy) referred to as "Bon" a fellow student who claims he'll be the one to defeat Satan, Shiemi the botanist, Izumo the shrine maiden, Konekomaru a timid but brilliant strategist, and Renzo the carefree but fearful comic playboy. They all have their moments of awesome!

Mephisto (father of time and space)

Mephisto summed up -- NOT the best guardian on the planet.

He promises to take care of the boys if anything should happen to Shiro, which that day comes, yet Mephisto puts both of them in an old dorm with no one else in it, lets Rin run around with no intel, pits Rin against the demon of Earth (Mephisto's closest brother) to find out the extent of Rin's abilities, puts Rin and Yukio in so many dangerous situations while sitting high above the sky drinking tea!

But hey, what would expect from a demon? Even if he IS their older brother?

I can't condone all of Mephistos' actions however I understand him. He's old and bored, and can never die and knows everyone around him will die eventually. Not the best reason to use the twins as entertainment, however he does protect them in his own odd way.

Meshitos is best experienced with GIFS

Mephisto is my favorite after the twins. I love him because of his unapologetic attitude. He's simply fabulous!

Ryuji Suguro "Bon"

"Bon" is a stubborn and I'm not sure if "hot-tempered" actually covers it. Ryuji is a very angry individual. His redeeming factors is he's very hardworking and the best student in class. Despite his delinquent appearance and attitude he's extremely loyal and does not back down from a fight, although that's not always a good thing.

Ryuji is the heir to the Cursed Temple in Kyoto. Because of the destruction of the temple in the Blue Night and his anger towards his father Tatsuma Suguro, he swears he will defeat Satan and rebuild his Temple.

When Rin's identity as the son of Satan is revealed, Ryuji, along most of his classmates start avoiding him, but after a confrontation with his father and Rin, Ryuji and his classmates help Rin escape impending execution and reconciles with him, claiming that he only blames Rin for not trusting his friends with his secret.

Bon was great at making Rin feel stupid for trying to do everything by himself. Rin also looks up to Bon as he's very determined and never gives up! Bon is a good friend to have.

Shiemi Moriyama

Shiemi is the daughter of the woman who runs an Exorcist-only shop and is Rin's love interest. She is kind and has an abiding love of gardening, but often lacks confidence in herself. Before the series, Shiemi never went out of her home and tended to the garden with her grandmother. After her grandmother died, Rin and Yukio exorcise the demon that was leeching her life force and she decides to become an Exorcist.

While at the academy, Shiemi only talks with Rin and Yukio initially, she also comes on amicable terms with Ryuji, Konekomaru, and Renzo. Eventually she also earns Izumo's friendship despite being initially used and mistreated by her.

Shiemi gets devastated upon learning Rin's secret, taking it to mean that she is not trustworthy enough to them. However on the Kyoto mission, she reconciles with Rin when seeing how much he is suffering as a result of his nature.

Shiemi has the talent to become a Tamer and can summon a reliable Greenman spirit, named Nii, that can produce healing herbs and plant-related barriers. Shiemi is shown to have great inner strength as she can keep her Greenman around for extended periods without tiring.

Izumo Kamiki

Hailing from a family of shrine maidens dedicated to the deity Inari, Izumo Kamiki is easily one of the best students and she is aware of it.

She is a bit of a brat (she has a tsundere attitude) and is offensive towards everyone except her childhood friend Paku, who was the only one in her elementary school who would talk to her. Very prideful and often difficult to talk to, Izumo does care about her fellow Exwire and is the first of Rin's classmates to accept Rin after his identity as Satan's son was revealed.

Izumo attempts to achieve a Meister in Tamer, and can summon two Kitsune (foxes) to fight for her.

Konekomaru Miwa

Konekomaru Miwa the timid but brilliant individual, able to come up with complex strategies in a short window of time. He is very loyal to Ryuji and Renzo, since they grew up together at the same Temple in Kyoto. He is an orphan and the surviving head of the Miwa family. He plans to achieve the Meister in Aria.

He is kind to everyone, but it takes long for him to reconcile with Rin after discovering his secret, despite seeing his true character.

Rin does everything he can to help Konekomaru get over the fear of him being the son of Satan. Still a crow demon takes advantage of Konekomaru's fear of Rin and possessed him. Rin saves Konekomaru but it takes Rin talking him out of leaving the school for Konekomaru to really reconcile with Rin.

Renzo Shima

Renzo Shima is a very carefree yet fearful character. He is very loyal to Bon and Konekomaru, since both grew up with him at the Cursed Temple in Kyoto.

Renzo is the second of the cast who accepts Rin after discovering his identity. He is infatuated with Izumo and obsessed with women in general. I find him to be very sweet and considerate. Really typical horny male.

In elementary school, he was referred to as the "Erotic Demon". Now that he is in high-school, he is trying to be more refined. His hair is naturally black, but he dyed it pink (to the chagrin of his father). Renzo carries a K'rik (Khakkhara) staff to fight like his two brothers and plans to achieve the Meister in Aria.

This is on my list of absolutely must watch! It's a fantastic unique take on the son of Satan story lines. I also love the credit song and have included it :) Enjoy!