In Blue Exorcist, life’s always been tough for the mischevious Rin Okumura, who can’t help the fact that he’s a little rough around the edges. To make matters worse, it seems as though he’ll always be stuck in the shadow of his perfect little brother, Yukio! Lost and without any real direction in life, Rin feels as though he got the shorter end of the stick in nearly every way. But there just so happens to be one unique feature that he got all to himself—a tremendous power that turns out to be both a curse as well as a gift! How does this revelation impact the relationship between these two brothers?

When Rin finds out that he alone inherited the blue flame from his father, Satan, his world gets turned even further upside-down than before. Determined to end the evil ways of his father, he enrolls at True Cross Academy to become an Exorcist worthy of standing up to the ruler of the underworld. Little does he know that he’s in for one surprise after another—especially since his teacher is none other than his own little brother, Yukio!

Just when Rin starts to realize how little he really knows about Yukio, he receives a startling confession. Rin’s possession of the blue flame has been no secret all along. In fact, Yukio’s been keeping a wary eye on him for years without telling him a word about it! It doesn’t take long for things to heat up into a full-blown argument after that. Yukio blames the death of Father Fujimoto on Rin, and even mocks his brother’s motivation for becoming an Exorcist. He tells him that if he’s doing it for revenge, there’s no way he’ll ever make it. In fact, he suggests just giving up altogether!

Despite Yukio’s harsh words and actions, Rin stands tall and says the two have no business turning against each other as brothers. He then explains that his true reason for becoming an Exorcist is to find strength so that no one would have to sacrifice themselves for his sake again. It turns out this goal is exactly what’s been driving Yukio all along, and the two are able to find common ground in their motivations. In fact, the whole ordeal has brought back cherished memories from Yukio’s childhood with Father Fujimoto. He recalls his mentor’s wish to protect his little brother, and now decides to accept full responsibility in his stead.

While the two still continue to have their occasional scuffles, just as any siblings would, their respect for one another grows stronger with each experience they undertake. Rin still has a lot to learn from Yukio about the world of Exorcism, and Yukio must get ready to face the greatest challenge of protecting his brother from the forces of evil. Even though the paths to their goals are completely different, one thing is for certain: they don’t stand a chance of making it without one another!

You can catch Blue Exorcist on VIZanime.com, or buy the manga at VIZmanga.com or your local bookstore. Don’t miss out on this sentimental action-packed adventure! 

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Blue Exorcist
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by Julie Lutz