Kamo: Pact with the Spirit World, Vol. 1 Review

Release Date: 05/15/2018 Creator: Ban Zarbo / TOKYOPOP Kamo: Pact With the Spirit World feels like equal part Yu Yu Hakusho and Bleach, and regardless of how you feel about those series, I mean that as a genuine compliment to the opening volume of TOKYOPOP’s latest publication. You have the recently revived protagonist who is given a second chance of life if he hunts down some spirits coupled with the magical instrument from the aforementioned spirit figure with non-Japanese supporting character choosing to tag along. Although maybe I’m getting ahead of myself.

Zarbo wastes zero time into getting the plot rolling. The opening chapter is as follows: • Kamo, the titular character, has a chronic heart condition and is going to die very shortly. • Before he die dies, a mysterious spirit named Crimson offers him a deal. • Said deal is “Help capture these 12 spirits, and you get to live.” • Kamo, being your typical protagonist, struggles with disbelief before agreeing. The rest of the volume is equally quick paced, throwing Kamo into his first big boss fight against one of the twelve demons before finding some friends and eventually an ally in Shokola, a badass Dominican woman with some mysterious ties to the Spirit World. The brisk pace of the story at times does lead to some less than satisfying exposition of certain plots points, and each of the chapters feels dense at times. Certain character interactions seem to manifest out of nowhere and perhaps that is more the function of…