One To Watch: Daemons of the Shadow Realm

Get to the chopper!

I feel kind of silly writing this, because this series is already on volume 5, but I just didn’t know it existed. I found out at a manga panel where it was presented with a very simple hook: It’s by Hiromu Arakawa, the same mangaka who blessed the world with Full Metal Alchemist.

So, my first question—how had I not heard about this? It’s insane. Full Metal Alchemist was a formative story in my fledgling manga/anime days. While it was Demon Slayer the manga that welcomed me into reading manga, it was Full Metal Alchemist that got me into watching anime.

Anyway, I could probably just stop there, and you’ll be as hooked as I was. But if you need a little extra convincing, you’ve come to the right place, because having read through the first volume, I can safely say that my feelings of “can this just be another Full Metal Alchemist” were blasted away because, while the answer is “no,” it’s not a bad no.

As Arakawa-sensei did with Full Metal Alchemist, the mixture of technology and the supernatural is superb, but rather than creating a brand new world, Daemons of the Shadow Realm takes that combination to the real world. It’s the story of twin siblings uncovering the mystery of this remote mountain village that raised them, and where this village fits into the real world.

This is also an introductory volume that covers a lot of ground. One moment you’re reveling in Arakawa’s art style, appreciating this new fantasy realm you expect to spend some time in, and then a helicopter shows up and you’re whisked away in an SUV with two daemons cruising on the roof.

It’s a wild ride.

I honestly feel like, as far as first volumes go, more happens in this first volume than I recall in any previous first volume in recent memory. Not just in ground covered, but in character growth, unanswered questions, narrative tension, twisty family dynamics, and fantastic world building.

There’s also a really strong and developing magic system that I can’t wait to learn more about. Definite yin/yang vibes where certain people can wield two daemon entities as guardians. It’s not fully within my grasp after one volume, but that’s not a bad thing. It gives that sense of learning alongside the characters.

All that said, if there is only one thing I’m allowed to take from this single volume, it is being grounded again in Arakawa’s sense of humor. The same sense of humor that gave us Alex Louis Armstrong flexing gracefully at regular intervals. This is a creator who knows comedic timing, how to balance it to still create a meaningful story, and how to use it to build characters into complete humans.

This is not the last I’ve written about this series. Normally, after I finish volume 1, I buy volume 2. That’s a pretty standard progression. This time, I finished volume 1 and bought every available volume. There is simply no chance I won’t keep reading.