Spiritual Police, Vol. 02: Volume 2

I manga di Youka Nitta sono una garanzia : splendidi disegni, personaggi interessanti e storie avvincenti. L'investigatore Nagatsuma torna dopo diversi anni ad indagare su casi che hanno a che fare con cose trascendenti e continua a pensare al chiropratico ipovedente Aoi che non incontra ormai da molto tempo. Il racconto procede ma questo secondo volume non è quello conclusivo, la suspence continua. Da non perdere se amate intrigo e misteri.

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It’s been a while since I read the first book in this series and I had to take another look to remember the plot. As it turns out, it’s been about seven years between the action of  Spiritual Police, Vol. 1  and its sequel. So this manga does its best to fill out what’s been happening in the interim.Seven years ago, Nagatsuma thinks he was betrayed by his lover, the seer Aoi Hiyoshi or Aoi Kagamiishi. So he set a trap for the blind seer. Now Nagatsuma meets a young man who looks so much like Aoi, it’s deeply disconcerting. It turns out this young man, Saiki Hiyoshi, has his own secret agenda and that makes him a sinister foil for the unsuspecting Nagatsuma.The manga neatly balances this inner tension with the investigation of an ongoing police case. Nagatsuma has been put in charge of a police division, Section Zero, that is meant to balance the abilities of espers with mundane police procedure. Their very first collaboration puts Nagatsuma and Saiki at loggerheads.I’ll admit that the scene where Saiki tries coercing Nagatsuma into submission by dangling a possible reunion with Aoi made me furious and unsettled. Nagatsuma was naïve and had been betrayed once. Would it happen again?Ms. Nitta however is cannier than that. Nagatsuma has grown since his initial encounter with Aoi and he manages to spring a surprise on the surly, hostile Saiki. Saiki has now realized that his subordinate is not going to be an easy pushover. Whether Nagatsuma maintains that edge remains to be seen in future volumes.I enjoyed seeing the verbal interplay amongst these men. This is a promising follow-up and I’m looking forward to the third manga in this series. Spiritual Police, Vol. 1

Many thanks to SuBLime for putting out this extremely well-done translation! I've been eagerly anticipating this sequel, and it doesn't disappoint. From master storyteller Youka Nitta, a tale that mixes esp elements with hard-boiled police work, along with a mature love story. Not the typical high-school kids, the main characters are complex and worth getting to know. For fans of Nitta's other work, Otodama: Voice From the Dead, this gives older brother Nagatsuma's background, so we learn of the emotional sacrifices he has made for his career. This adds poignancy to his later clash with his brother over whether to work within or outside of the police department, in Otodama. Anyway, great artwork, and a focus on older working adults which I very much appreciate. Love the translation, with characters speaking in fluid, believable English as they deal with complex issues. I can hardly wait for Volume 3, as this one leaves us STILL in slow burn mode, waiting for our faithful lovers to be reunited. Sigh. I'll just keep waiting along with them.... ETA, there are NO scanlations, not even raws out of this story on the web. So every page was a pleasant surprise and totally new to me. Such a great story!

Strange yet enthralling tale. An original love story. Yaoi and not the least bit shy with the artwork. Can't wait for the next volume.