Hokenshitsu no Shinigami

If you didn't know, Hokenshitsu no Shinigami is a one shot that ran in weekly Shonen Jump, and it's about a bizarre doctor who is more than he seems. And for a one-shot it was pretty enjoyable. Hokenshitsu no Shinigami has a lot going for it, being a story about about demons and such, while having a quirky and if not somewhat creepy character in the doctor who exorcises said demons.

The Premise is that the students of Tokofushi Junior Highl are being possessed by demons and that the new school doctor is here to stop them. The only problem is, Doctor Hadesu is a bit of a creep: He's got white hair, he's pale and he's lanky. And most conspicuous are the cracks in his face. everyone's scared to death of him and more importantly now everyone's afraid to go to the school infirmary. The Story isn't something completely new and original, but it's interesting. Considering the constraints of a One-Shot, the story does and Exceptional job keeping the reader interested.

The Art is nice. A pretty good attention to detail is kept and while a few of the characters (e.g. Fuji) Seem pretty run of the mill in terms of design, Dr. Hadesu is still a wild card, in an enjoyable comic with nice art. The Art passes.

Characters... We have a mixed bag here. Dr. Hadesu is unique and creepy. He's got this air of mysteriousness about him. And while he might fall into a "creepy guy" Archetype, he's also got a lot of heart and dimension to himself as a character. Now, the other characters... are pretty Generic, we get the normal guy, the pretty guy, and the bully whose a big guy. Hadesu is unique, but the rest of the cast pales in comparison to him.

The combination of Great art, an interesting story and an interesting character make this comic overall: very enjoyable. It's not long, so I'd advise you go give it a shot and read it.

Meet the new school nurse! He's a kind-hearted guy, and is very dedicated to making sure the students are happy and healthy. Unfortunately, he looks like a zombie, has deep cracks on his face, and bears the name "Hades." Thus all the students dub him the "Shinigami," and are afraid to approach him for a while.

Eventually people get used to him, and then they discover sensei's other job: fighting demons! And these are the kind of demons that prey on students' insecurities and desires.

It's a fun read. It's a shounen comedy with an episodic pacing. The stories for the most part follow a pattern. First off, we meet a student that has low self-esteem or has a desire they can't seem to fulfil. Then a "disease demon" approaches them, offering to fix their problem. The problem is fixed, but there are always unintended consequences as a result. Then Hades-sensei steps in and eradicates the demon, and hopefully the student learned a lesson about taking the easy way out.

As I said, it's fun to read. Hades is such a dork for the most part, and takes his job a little too seriously. It's funny, and there are a lot of interesting characters. And in a way, each story arc is like a little morality tale about some issue school kids face a lot.

So if you don't mind shounen, and want a light read, try it!