Three Exorcism Siblings Vol.1

by | Jan 8, 2025

High in the mountains of Japan, the Tengu still roam free. These monstrous demons prey upon those who travel too far from civilization, feasting upon them. The more humans a Tengu consumes, the larger and smarter they become. Some legends say a Tengu who eats enough humans might become one. Others say that those who are bitten by a Tengu and survive might become one themselves!

21-year-old Mamoru Yamaemori has devoted his life to fighting the Tengu near the Yamae Shrine, like his father before him. He was given no choice in this, being kept out of school and savagely trained in the duties of a Guardian. Mamoru never questioned this, not even after his parents died when he was 12, leaving him to raise his two brothers by himself. The people of the nearby village leave them alone, for the most part, believing the Yamaemori line to be cursed, due to them all dying young, violent deaths. The local authorities know the truth and are thankful for Mamoru’s help, but most are ignorant of the threat Tengu pose in modern times.

Mamoru’s only comfort is that his actions have given his brothers the chance to live normal lives. 17-year-old Kei is a genius and a master chef, holding top marks in all subjects at his school. 15-year-old Yu is a popular athlete, whose football team is heading to the national finals. They have offered to help Mamoru with his duties, but he refuses to allow them to join his vigil. At least, until the night when Yu is attacked by a Tengu and Mamoru nearly killed as the beast devoured him.

Since that night, Mamoru has begun transforming into a Tengu. Under the guidance of an elder Guardian, Kei and Yu begin their training as Guardians themselves. It is their hope that they may cleanse the mountains of Tengu before their brother changes completely or maybe find some way to reverse his transformation. Unfortunately, the urges to attack those he loves most are growing stronger, and another nearby Guardian is ready to kill Mamoru himself at the first sign that he has crossed over completely.

Three Exorcism Siblings is an interesting take on the old warning that one should not battle monsters, lest they become one themselves. Unfortunately, this idea has been done before and done better in other supernatural shonen. While Mamoru’s plight is gripping and the drama around it well-played, the rest of the cast are strictly stock characters.

The artwork of Three Exorcism Siblings is a bigger issue. Shinta Harekawa’s style becomes muddy to the point of being incomprehensible during the fights with the Tengu. Given that this is an action manga centered around fighting Tengu, that is something of a problem.

Titan Manga rates this volume for readers 15 and up. I believe that to be a fair assessment. There is no sexual content or nudity. Indeed, there are barely any female characters apart from a few nameless classmates of the younger brothers, one delivery girl, and a young woman Mamoru saves in the opening action sequence. There is considerable bloodshed, however, but none of it is all that interesting. All in all, while this might appeal to fans of Tokyo Ghoul and Attack on Titan, there is nothing to make it essential reading for a library manga collection.

Three Exorcism Siblings, Vol. 1
By Shinta Harekawa
Titan, 2024
ISBN: 9781787741379

Company Age Rating: 15+ 

NFNT Age Recommendation: Adult (18+), Older Teen (16-18)
Creator Representation:  Japanese,
Character Representation: Japanese,