The Demon Prince of Momochi House Vol. 6by Sheena McNeilReviews may contain information that could be considered 'spoilers'. Readers should proceed at their own risk. Publisher
Credits Grade: 7 A new teacher at Himari's school is obsessed with the occult and seems to know strange things that he shouldn't. He shows Himari a special mirror that almost traps her inside its alternate world. Nekobaba visits to help Aoi and ends up testing Himari.The teacher worries me. He's very suspicious. I like that we don't see just how tricky and fishy he is until after things happen. The mirror experience was fascinating from the standpoint of Himari's story -- are these her worries? Her fears? Her desires? But when she realizes she's in the mirror world and manages to return, we realize he did that on purpose ... and only then does he give her the real warning about possibly being trapped in there. Too bad Himari isn't more doubtful of his intentions. At least she has one doubt near the end of the volume, but it's followed by us as readers learning that this teacher knows who Aoi is! Are Himari and those in Momochi house in danger? Or is he possibly Aoi's father? And if so, did he purposefully let his son get ensnared by Momochi house? Nekobaba is a giant nekomata (two-tailed cat yokai) who is, according to the manga-ka, a "mean old-lady cat". She's also very Cheshire Cat-like, with a permanent grin and a dangerous side. We learn how much she cares for and looks out for Aoi, having bonded with him when he was a child. I appreciate that she tests Himari, though I had conflicting feelings about the hair pin search. On the one hand, rigging the test is cruel. On the other hand, it pleasantly reveals wonderful aspects about Himari's personality and will. The reward for passing this test is actually Nekobaba charging Himari with a challenging task to save Aoi's memories. Nekobaba's personality works very well in this mix, and I hope we get to see more of her in the future. It's interesting to see Aoi off his game and in need of help. It seems to stem from his rejecting Himari. There's still hope, especially given the task Himari is charged with by Nekababa. There's a fun mystery dinner scene (which I would love to try sometime), during which Aoi relaxes and holds Himari's hand, which is sweet. But the real interesting part comes when he falls on top of her to shield her from hot food splashing. His words are ... odd. And Himari briefly sees him as Nue (his ayakashi form)! Now I'm curious! There's an extra story where Aoi is still a child. He plays with a dead child and has a brief interaction with Kasha. It's very insightful into Aoi's maturity and skill in his new role even at that young age, but it also hints at a strange duality. I hope we get more "older" stories like this to explain that further. And I loved seeing Kasha intrigued by Aoi and interacting with him in his own way. Written: November 30, 2016
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