Ao no Exorcist: Structural Basis

Some of you may have already seen on Facebook where I constantly speak of how awesome Ao no Exorcist is- because it IS awesome.

Ao no Exorcist speaks of two brothers, one of whom is the protagonist. It so happens that both brothers were adopted by an exorcist, who raised them to become fine children. One day, the protagonist finds out that he’s the son of Satan as Satan kills the exorcist who raised him. Then he goes on to find out that his brother is already a full fledged exorcist, and he goes to exorcist school to be one in order to kill his very own father- Satan.

You must realize that I have not much interest in the plot. This is because there is a similarity amongst the top manga- what I call the structural basis of the manga. For example, you don’t read Bleach because you want to know what happens next to Ichigo, you just want to see Captains use Bankai and Espadas release their hollow form and Aizen owning everyone’s asses. You don’t read Naruto because you’re worried for Sasuke, you just want to see the Akatsuki kill people, the nine tailed fox rampaging around the Ninja world and cooler techniques to be shown. Similarly, you don’t read One Piece because you LIKE Luffy and gang, you just want to see the face off between pirates and the cool variety of Fruit Users.

My point is, what attracts Shounen readers isn’t so much about how the plot develops, but this structural basis running underneath all those storylines which gives the manga their potential to branch out to a thousand and one possibilities. For Bleach, this structure would be how the Soul Society is nicely split into different categories with different levels and ranks and how Shinigami in general can use Shikai and Bankai.

Structural Basis is what Ao no Exorcist is brimming with. Six friggin’ chapters into the manga, and the mangaka is still building a rich Structural Basis. He introduces the different types of exorcists (to the extent of what Maplestory is much like) and shows how the different exorcists complement each other to form a “party” (TOO Maplestory). However, it gives Ao no Exorcist a very, very rich Structural Basis to work on. Imagine the possibilities! Endless!

Still don’t get what I mean by Structural Basis?

Okay, in simple terms, imagine Bleach and take out Ichigo. Imagine Naruto and take out well, Naruto. Imagine One Piece and take out Luffy and gang. Whatever is left is the structural basis.

Cross Hogwarts, Maplestory and… I don’t know. Bleach? and you get Ao no Exorcist! However, there’s still a downside for Ao no Exorcist. It doesn’t make a good “first manga” due to it’s complexity. Most people who want to start off with a nice Shounen Manga, I always recommend Bleach, for it’s easier to grasp the concepts behind it and the first dozen chapters are simply Hollow-killing but still interesting. Ao no Exorcist, on the other hand, should only appeal more to readers who are already exposed to Shounen battle manga such as Bleach and Naruto who have already gotten used to that basic structure.

Oh, and I simply love the artwork. The manga’s characters have their distinct look which ensures you definitely won’t be confused between one character and the other (much unlike 07 Ghost). I like how the artwork seems extremely simple and childlike during simple comedic scenes such as pointless conversations between characters which gives a certain dreamy feel, but suddenly becomes more defined and complex when battle scenes come about. It brings about a very excellent contrast which doubtlessly gives the readers the false sense of heroism and excitement required for battle manga.

I shan’t put up any battle scene pictures to force you to read it. I just realized that many strangers who have added me on Facebook are readers of this blog. If so, please add a note when adding me, wouldn’t want misunderstandings (AKA me roasting you on the internet) to happen.