Ah, school festivals. They’re such a cornerstone of manga that you almost get lulled into a false sense of security when it’s introduced in the previous volume. What booth will the class put together? Will Rin convince Izumo to help out? What kind of shenanigans will the gang get into? But this is Blue Exorcist... Of course it’s not that simple!

While True Cross Academy is getting all geared up for the festivities, the Knights of the True Cross have business to attend to. We know that the Illuminati is planning something, and Lewin gets a particularly badass moment during the interrogation of a spy. I love the dynamic between him and Angel that is slowly revealed, and I can’t wait to see more of it in later volumes.

But that isn’t the only Illuminati spy running around, and back at the school festival, Rin and gang get to see some action, too. Izumo is missing, and Lucifer, the King of Light (and another one of Mephisto’s demonic siblings), enters the stage. In the midst of all the Illuminati drama, the barrier protecting the academy from low- to mid-level demons is destroyed. Mephisto puts Yukio and the Exwires in charge of rescuing Izumo while he runs off to the Japan Branch to try to keep things in order after the attack from the Illuminati.



Mephisto’s character has always been delightfully ambiguous to me. We, the readers, are never really sure what side he’s on (After all, he’s a demon lord who helps trains exorcists. That’s pretty strange to say the least.). And I’m getting increasingly suspicious that he’s on his own side altogether. For now, though, it seems that helping Rin fits into his agenda (whatever that may be), and so our hero gets the benefit of Mephisto’s often-befuddling aid.



One of my favorite things about Blue Exorcist is the complex character arcs. Suguro’s storyline with the Impure King is one of my favorite parts. In this volume, however, we get launched into Izumo’s backstory, which is as compelling as it is heartbreaking. She’s one of the more mysterious characters so far, and now we get to see her reason for becoming an exorcist and what makes her tick. Her story is told to Rin and the others by a fox spirit when they go to the shrine she grew up at.



The flashbacks to her younger days with her mother and little sister shed a light on her motivation, and we begin to understand why she’s so cold towards the other Exwires, especially Shiemi. And of course, with this new revelation, I can’t help but be more sympathetic towards her.

The gang is slowly coming together, but it’s clear they have a lot of work ahead of them. I, for one, can’t wait to read more about Izumo’s backstory and see how her character and the group dynamic develop during this adventure.

Blue Exorcist volume 12 is available at your local bookstore and on viz.com.

by Lisa Ellis