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Three Exorcism Siblings #1
Tengu Hunter Brothers - Tome 1
Cursed to stand alone against monstrous creatures called Tengu, Mamoru Yamaemori is ready to sacrifice everything if it means keeping his younger brothers safe.
In the mountains above Japan, Mamoru Yamaemori spends his days tending to his family shrine, fighting Tengu— monsters who feast on human flesh—and, making sure his two younger brothers will never have to pick up his mantle. Unable to escape the life forced upon him by his parents and a dark ritual involving Tengu blood, all he knows is that his existence is a curse: he is destined to die young in the service of others.
But to fight monsters, Mamoru must dance that line between loving older brother and mindless beast—or else he risks becoming that which he is sworn to destroy.
In the mountains above Japan, Mamoru Yamaemori spends his days tending to his family shrine, fighting Tengu— monsters who feast on human flesh—and, making sure his two younger brothers will never have to pick up his mantle. Unable to escape the life forced upon him by his parents and a dark ritual involving Tengu blood, all he knows is that his existence is a curse: he is destined to die young in the service of others.
But to fight monsters, Mamoru must dance that line between loving older brother and mindless beast—or else he risks becoming that which he is sworn to destroy.
192 pages, Paperback
Published June 8, 2023
1 person is currently reading
70 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
April 21, 2024
This was a bit darker than I thought from the description. Three brothers live in a mountain shrine. The two younger ones have a fairly normal life with school and hobbies thanks to the eldest, who fights human-eating tengu to keep them and the nearby villages safe. But as he battles the monsters, he slowly becomes one himself. Now the younger ones have to learn to fight too, to be able to kill their oldest brother should he become a tengu.
This was a good story that only began the brothers’ story to rid the world of tengus. Illustrations were good, but not really to my liking with dark lines that made some frames almost impossible to decipher, especially the battle scenes. The first volume ends with a cliffhanger that’ll promise hard time for the boys.
I received a free copy from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
This was a good story that only began the brothers’ story to rid the world of tengus. Illustrations were good, but not really to my liking with dark lines that made some frames almost impossible to decipher, especially the battle scenes. The first volume ends with a cliffhanger that’ll promise hard time for the boys.
I received a free copy from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
January 12, 2025
Why, hello. This is another common story where the eldest solely takes on the familial duties to slay monsters – or Tengu – only to become one himself. But as the younger ones are made aware, they drop their lives to support their eldest in hopes to remain as a family.
And yes, I’m the idiot who still enjoys this type of story because why not. Sometimes I just want to read a predictable premise with a new set of characters so I can re-live my favorite troupe. I see nothing wrong with this because as long as I’m enjoying it, I’m happy.
Our story follows Mamoru who was forced by his father into a dark ritual involving Tengu blood. His daily life consists of fighting the Tengu who feast on humans, and ensuring his brothers can live a normal life. However everything changes when he one day becomes a Tengu while saving his younger brother. To save their older brother, both Kai and Yuu step forward to learn how to fight with the help of others.
Although I enjoyed this story, I felt bad for Mamoru. His childhood was far from normal. It was traumatic, painful and primarily lonely. Even as an adult, he seems lonely as his brothers went to live as normal humans attending school and social life. It was sad to see how even after Mamoru could transform into a Tengu, others still looked at him in disdain. And his brothers started learning only so they could kill him if he couldn’t control his Tengu instincts. I personally would have loved it if the manga showed more of an emotional familial response because it felt a bit lacking.
The plot itself isn’t anything new but a common troupe. The first volume itself has a lot of action and pockets of information thrown throughout. I liked this approach because the story moves quickly. It also uses a limited cast of characters to deliver an impactful first volume that enunciates its position and where the plot is headed.
The artwork is good but also somewhat underwhelming. The action scenes use a lot of thick and bold lines which makes enjoying the intensity of the action difficult. Primarily because it’s hard to tell what’s going on. The fighting also feels disconnected between panels making it difficult to gauge the intensity. I do however enjoy the non-action scenes because they were clean and crisp. The character designs were nice and backgrounds were added where necessary to help enhance certain scenes. That said, there scenes can be very descriptive with blood and gore, so if that’s not your fancy this manga is one to skip.
Overall, I enjoyed this volume and I will be completing the series. This is probably a comfort read for me primarily because of the plot but I’m also Interested to see what happens with Mamoru.
Read more reviews @ Mystic's Review Shelf
And yes, I’m the idiot who still enjoys this type of story because why not. Sometimes I just want to read a predictable premise with a new set of characters so I can re-live my favorite troupe. I see nothing wrong with this because as long as I’m enjoying it, I’m happy.
Our story follows Mamoru who was forced by his father into a dark ritual involving Tengu blood. His daily life consists of fighting the Tengu who feast on humans, and ensuring his brothers can live a normal life. However everything changes when he one day becomes a Tengu while saving his younger brother. To save their older brother, both Kai and Yuu step forward to learn how to fight with the help of others.
Although I enjoyed this story, I felt bad for Mamoru. His childhood was far from normal. It was traumatic, painful and primarily lonely. Even as an adult, he seems lonely as his brothers went to live as normal humans attending school and social life. It was sad to see how even after Mamoru could transform into a Tengu, others still looked at him in disdain. And his brothers started learning only so they could kill him if he couldn’t control his Tengu instincts. I personally would have loved it if the manga showed more of an emotional familial response because it felt a bit lacking.
The plot itself isn’t anything new but a common troupe. The first volume itself has a lot of action and pockets of information thrown throughout. I liked this approach because the story moves quickly. It also uses a limited cast of characters to deliver an impactful first volume that enunciates its position and where the plot is headed.
The artwork is good but also somewhat underwhelming. The action scenes use a lot of thick and bold lines which makes enjoying the intensity of the action difficult. Primarily because it’s hard to tell what’s going on. The fighting also feels disconnected between panels making it difficult to gauge the intensity. I do however enjoy the non-action scenes because they were clean and crisp. The character designs were nice and backgrounds were added where necessary to help enhance certain scenes. That said, there scenes can be very descriptive with blood and gore, so if that’s not your fancy this manga is one to skip.
Overall, I enjoyed this volume and I will be completing the series. This is probably a comfort read for me primarily because of the plot but I’m also Interested to see what happens with Mamoru.
Read more reviews @ Mystic's Review Shelf
September 8, 2025
curious where this story will go-
November 5, 2024
Beautiful art, fairly interesting story. My main issue with this manga is that it uses the same tropes that almost EVERY Shounen manga applies these days. It's getting frustrating, to be honest.
When you might think that a story is unique and will break from the stereotypes, you'll hear the very common "I have to kill them all to protect this and that". Please, you can have the drive to protect your family as your main purpose in life, but do you really have to follow the exact same recipe as other manga, the same characterization, almost the exact same narrative?
Also, the "turning into the thing you are fighting against and earning the desdain of people, but learning how to control your abilities through resolve, and the teachings of your master (which is Levi but taller and with white hair)" It's. Getting. Old. Like, you can use the tropes but modify to fit YOUR narrative!
I think that after the success of Attack on Titan almost every other Shounen that's come after have tried to apply the same formula. Honestly, it seems that manga that comes from the same genre (Specially Shounen and Shoujo) are forced to be the same, and I don't understand why. Is it to fit the standard? To sell more? To try to get into print? Like, if the cost of being popular is draining the uniqueness of the work, I don't know where we'll end up, really.
This story has potential, but I am seeing where it is headed just from the first volume, and honestly, there's enough of that already.
When you might think that a story is unique and will break from the stereotypes, you'll hear the very common "I have to kill them all to protect this and that". Please, you can have the drive to protect your family as your main purpose in life, but do you really have to follow the exact same recipe as other manga, the same characterization, almost the exact same narrative?
Also, the "turning into the thing you are fighting against and earning the desdain of people, but learning how to control your abilities through resolve, and the teachings of your master (which is Levi but taller and with white hair)" It's. Getting. Old. Like, you can use the tropes but modify to fit YOUR narrative!
I think that after the success of Attack on Titan almost every other Shounen that's come after have tried to apply the same formula. Honestly, it seems that manga that comes from the same genre (Specially Shounen and Shoujo) are forced to be the same, and I don't understand why. Is it to fit the standard? To sell more? To try to get into print? Like, if the cost of being popular is draining the uniqueness of the work, I don't know where we'll end up, really.
This story has potential, but I am seeing where it is headed just from the first volume, and honestly, there's enough of that already.
August 8, 2024
J’ai les trois premiers tomes de ce manga qui traînent dans ma PAL depuis un bon moment maintenant. J’ai enfin pris le temps de découvrir le premier tome et je regrette de les avoir laissé si longtemps au fond de ma bibliothèque! Ce premier tome est plus que prometteur! C’était génial à lire, tellement intéressant. J’ai vraiment adoré ma lecture de ce premier tome et vu comme il se termine, je suis bine contente d’avoir les autres tomes sous la main, ça m’évitera de devoir attendre trop longtemps!
Dans ce premier tome, le jeune exorciste Mamoru Yamaemori vit avec ses deux frères dans une montagne infestée de tengus maléfiques, protégeant les humains qui habitent à côté. Jusqu’au jour où s’éveillent en lui les pouvoirs de ses ennemis. Tiraillé entre son humanité et cette nouvelle partie démoniaque, Mamoru doit tout faire pour ne pas céder à ses instincts monstrueux. Ou ses frères devront l’arrêter… définitivement.
Les histoires à base de démons et d’exorcisme, c’est vraiment quelque chose qui me plaît. Si c’est bien construit et bien manié, on peut avoir une histoire tout simplement incroyable. Celle ci en fait parti. Ce premier tome nous en montre assez pour qu’on devienne accro. On sait bien qu’il reste encore un tas d’autres choses inconnues et le fait de savoir que l’on ne va pas cesser d’apprendre des choses j’adore. J’aime beaucoup les personnages. Ces trois frères vivent dans une montagne infestée de tengus, l’aîné, Mamoru, est un gardien et protège ses frères mais aussi les humains qui vivent à côté. L’histoire de sa famille m’a fait de la peine, mais c’est surtout voir tout ce qu’il porte sur ses épaules et toute les choses qu’il a vécu étant plus jeune qui m’ont vraiment brisé le coeur. Tout ce que ses parents ont fait pour qu’il devienne un gardien c’est moche. J’aime la façon dont il prend soin de ses frères, il fera toujours tout ce qu’il peut pour eux. J’ai adoré la tournure que prend l’histoire. Le gardien qui devient tengu sans pour autant l’être totalement c’est juste génial. J’ai vraiment hâte de découvrir ce que la suite nous réserve, surtout avec une fin comme celle ci! Comme je l’ai dis, heureusement que j’ai les autres tomes sous la main, ça m’évitera une longue attente.
L’action est au rendez-vous, ce n’est clairement pas avec ce manga que vous allez vous ennuyer. On a une touche d’humour avec la fratrie qui amène un petit vent de légèreté et c’est très plaisant. Je suis vraiment curieuse de voir où tout ça va nous mener, je me pose beaucoup de questions et je suis impatiente d’avoir des réponses. Je m’en vais vite dévorer le second tome!
Dans ce premier tome, le jeune exorciste Mamoru Yamaemori vit avec ses deux frères dans une montagne infestée de tengus maléfiques, protégeant les humains qui habitent à côté. Jusqu’au jour où s’éveillent en lui les pouvoirs de ses ennemis. Tiraillé entre son humanité et cette nouvelle partie démoniaque, Mamoru doit tout faire pour ne pas céder à ses instincts monstrueux. Ou ses frères devront l’arrêter… définitivement.
Les histoires à base de démons et d’exorcisme, c’est vraiment quelque chose qui me plaît. Si c’est bien construit et bien manié, on peut avoir une histoire tout simplement incroyable. Celle ci en fait parti. Ce premier tome nous en montre assez pour qu’on devienne accro. On sait bien qu’il reste encore un tas d’autres choses inconnues et le fait de savoir que l’on ne va pas cesser d’apprendre des choses j’adore. J’aime beaucoup les personnages. Ces trois frères vivent dans une montagne infestée de tengus, l’aîné, Mamoru, est un gardien et protège ses frères mais aussi les humains qui vivent à côté. L’histoire de sa famille m’a fait de la peine, mais c’est surtout voir tout ce qu’il porte sur ses épaules et toute les choses qu’il a vécu étant plus jeune qui m’ont vraiment brisé le coeur. Tout ce que ses parents ont fait pour qu’il devienne un gardien c’est moche. J’aime la façon dont il prend soin de ses frères, il fera toujours tout ce qu’il peut pour eux. J’ai adoré la tournure que prend l’histoire. Le gardien qui devient tengu sans pour autant l’être totalement c’est juste génial. J’ai vraiment hâte de découvrir ce que la suite nous réserve, surtout avec une fin comme celle ci! Comme je l’ai dis, heureusement que j’ai les autres tomes sous la main, ça m’évitera une longue attente.
L’action est au rendez-vous, ce n’est clairement pas avec ce manga que vous allez vous ennuyer. On a une touche d’humour avec la fratrie qui amène un petit vent de légèreté et c’est très plaisant. Je suis vraiment curieuse de voir où tout ça va nous mener, je me pose beaucoup de questions et je suis impatiente d’avoir des réponses. Je m’en vais vite dévorer le second tome!
April 21, 2024
“Stay away from the Yamaemori family.”
Shinta Harekawa’s new manga is based on the story of three brothers. The eldest Mamoru is the guardian of his family shrine, fighting off Tengu monsters who feast on human flesh. He is protecting his younger brothers from following his footsteps. Forced through dark rituals involving Tengu blood, Mamoru is destined to fight this curse till his death. Destined to die young he has to fight in finding the balance of being an elder brother to his siblings and not becoming what he is desperately trying to eradicate.
For a first volume this manga was great in introducing the deep routed curse that fell upon Mamoru. His responsibilities to his legacy and maintaining a relationship with his brothers is the core of this story.
The chapters show the strengths and weaknesses Mamoru fights on a daily basis. His instincts are in constant battle with what the right course of action is and the expectations of his family legacy. There comes a point where he must choose and that decision does n to come easy to him.
Told through some intense battle scenes and dark depictions of exorcisms, this was an engaging and interesting read.
Definitely a series i’ll continue to read.
Many thanks to @titancomics for a copy of this first volume which is available now.
Shinta Harekawa’s new manga is based on the story of three brothers. The eldest Mamoru is the guardian of his family shrine, fighting off Tengu monsters who feast on human flesh. He is protecting his younger brothers from following his footsteps. Forced through dark rituals involving Tengu blood, Mamoru is destined to fight this curse till his death. Destined to die young he has to fight in finding the balance of being an elder brother to his siblings and not becoming what he is desperately trying to eradicate.
For a first volume this manga was great in introducing the deep routed curse that fell upon Mamoru. His responsibilities to his legacy and maintaining a relationship with his brothers is the core of this story.
The chapters show the strengths and weaknesses Mamoru fights on a daily basis. His instincts are in constant battle with what the right course of action is and the expectations of his family legacy. There comes a point where he must choose and that decision does n to come easy to him.
Told through some intense battle scenes and dark depictions of exorcisms, this was an engaging and interesting read.
Definitely a series i’ll continue to read.
Many thanks to @titancomics for a copy of this first volume which is available now.
May 30, 2024
So, this was a really fun read—especially if you enjoy series that touch on the Japanese supernatural world.
In this series, we’ve got three brothers training to be exorcists. It’s a fairly brutal family trade—many exorcists seem to die young in the pursuit of slaying tengu monsters. Through working together, these three brothers hope to evade a horrible fate.
I really like the storytelling in this series so far—it’s coherent and fairly easy to follow. Nothing too convoluted nor too cliché. Also, the art style is very aesthetic and appealing. The monsters are really creepy and unsettling while the characters are all distinctively designed. This is a series where are the panels are crisp and well-articulated.
If you enjoy series like “Laughing Under the Clouds” or “Natsume’s Book of Friends”, I think you’d enjoy this series as well. It’s got a lot of action in it, though. So, I’m sure if you like most shonen titles out there, you’d probably enjoy this one too~
In this series, we’ve got three brothers training to be exorcists. It’s a fairly brutal family trade—many exorcists seem to die young in the pursuit of slaying tengu monsters. Through working together, these three brothers hope to evade a horrible fate.
I really like the storytelling in this series so far—it’s coherent and fairly easy to follow. Nothing too convoluted nor too cliché. Also, the art style is very aesthetic and appealing. The monsters are really creepy and unsettling while the characters are all distinctively designed. This is a series where are the panels are crisp and well-articulated.
If you enjoy series like “Laughing Under the Clouds” or “Natsume’s Book of Friends”, I think you’d enjoy this series as well. It’s got a lot of action in it, though. So, I’m sure if you like most shonen titles out there, you’d probably enjoy this one too~
March 7, 2025
This title was alright. I feel like if I was a teenager in high school maybe I would have liked it better? Or if I had never read Donten ni Warau and read this first perhaps I would have liked it more? The story is alright but it doesn't cover any new ground in terms of storytelling now does it ever step even slightly outside the rails of standard shonen story tropes. It isn't bad, but it is just very mid.
October 2, 2023
Pas totalement convaincu par ce premier tome. On voit clairement les inspirations prise à Démon Slayer et Jujustu Kaisen. Tout se passe un peu rapidement sans vraiment poser les bases de l’histoire j’ai l’impression. Comme ci l’auteur s’était dit que le lecteur connaissait déjà les rouages de ce genre et qu’il voulait sauter une étape. A voir ce que donne le tome 2…
April 24, 2024
alright. I'm realizing that one of my favorite manga genres is scary demons + hero with a sword. this one has a pretty great art style, and was darker than I was expecting. I think 'sword of the demon hunter' is still by far the stronger series, but if you're craving more demon fighting, this one is a good amuse-bouche.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 8, 2025
I really like this concept, and the characters and their relationships are very fun to read. I'm a big fan of familial importance in stories like these. The story is very exposition heavy and oddly paced right now, but I'm chalking it up to the fact this is the first book in the series. Can't wait to read more! Much love.
October 1, 2025
10/25 Library find. With its focus on close family this was a surprisingly really good, if gruesome, read. I'm not quite sure there's a lot of potential for the story to continue strong, but I'm intrigued enough to at least try another volume.
Content: strong language, gruesome violence, human-eating monsters
Content: strong language, gruesome violence, human-eating monsters
June 28, 2024
3.5 rounded up
The story is a pretty typical supernatural shonen but I like the characters. Super self-sacrificing characters are one of my favorite types and the relationship between the brothers is sweet. The art is nice as well. I’ll definitely be picking up the next volume.
The story is a pretty typical supernatural shonen but I like the characters. Super self-sacrificing characters are one of my favorite types and the relationship between the brothers is sweet. The art is nice as well. I’ll definitely be picking up the next volume.
August 6, 2024
I ended up stop reading half way thru I just could not get over the fact how many times they must use the Lord's name in vain over and over. It's a major downgrade for me when there are so many other words to use .
September 21, 2024
Bon début !
Read
December 24, 2024VERY shounen but otherwise cute and the art is nice
January 3, 2025
Ça commence exactement comme laughing under the cloud et j'avais adorer !!
May 4, 2025
The story is interesting, but it’s a bit too dark for me.
May 18, 2025
Auch dieses Jahr führe ich meinen Vorsatz mal andere Genres außerhalb meiner Komfortzone zu probieren weiter. Dieses mal es mich zu den Mangas geführt aufgrund einer Empfehlung. Das leichte Horror Theme fand ich sehr ansprechend, weshalb ich mich schließlich für den ersten Band der Tengu Reihe entscheiden habe.
Die gesamte Story war sehr Action geladen und auch die Bindung der Brüder ist mir sehr positiv aufgefallen. Mit den Charakteren konnte man sehr gut während der Story mitfühlen. Der Zeichenstil konnte mich sehr catchen vor allem in Verbindung mit der düsteren Atmosphäre, welche sich durch den gesamten Manga zieht.
Die gesamte Story war sehr Action geladen und auch die Bindung der Brüder ist mir sehr positiv aufgefallen. Mit den Charakteren konnte man sehr gut während der Story mitfühlen. Der Zeichenstil konnte mich sehr catchen vor allem in Verbindung mit der düsteren Atmosphäre, welche sich durch den gesamten Manga zieht.
June 14, 2023
Même si ce n'est pas très original et qu'on retrouve à peu près le même scénario que dans toutes les grandes séries, c'est vraiment pas mal! Le dessin est joli et creepy, les personnages sont attachants ! Les deux premiers tomes sont cools !
July 29, 2024
4.25 / 5: “The time to repay you has finally come. Let’s start over at being brothers.
Three brothers, ‘living in harmony until we die’, right?”
if the first volume already made me emotional with the sibling relationship depicted here, i can’t imagine what’ll happen next 🥲
amazing artwork that’s at it strongest when mamoru, the eldest brother, is fighting against his demons. i loved the action scenes so much, especially because there really is no moment to breathe as we jump straight into it. its all so fast-paced, with genuinely high stakes for our main characters. mamoru’s goal in trying to clear the path of all the tengu so that he could get to live peacefully with his brothers got to me a lot. call me a sucker, but the way it set the tone for the story made me look forward to seeing the rest of the yamaemori family’s journey :’)
i also already love the two other characters that have been introduced!! renjiro uzura charmed me very quickly <3
starting this series when the second volume is only about three weeks away from being released makes me really happy. chronic procrastination at its finest 😊 i highly look forward to it!!
content warnings:
major: descriptions of violence
moderate: child abuse (in the name of training mamoru to become a guardian at his youth), and death
minor: injury/injury detail
Three brothers, ‘living in harmony until we die’, right?”
if the first volume already made me emotional with the sibling relationship depicted here, i can’t imagine what’ll happen next 🥲
amazing artwork that’s at it strongest when mamoru, the eldest brother, is fighting against his demons. i loved the action scenes so much, especially because there really is no moment to breathe as we jump straight into it. its all so fast-paced, with genuinely high stakes for our main characters. mamoru’s goal in trying to clear the path of all the tengu so that he could get to live peacefully with his brothers got to me a lot. call me a sucker, but the way it set the tone for the story made me look forward to seeing the rest of the yamaemori family’s journey :’)
i also already love the two other characters that have been introduced!! renjiro uzura charmed me very quickly <3
starting this series when the second volume is only about three weeks away from being released makes me really happy. chronic procrastination at its finest 😊 i highly look forward to it!!
content warnings:
major: descriptions of violence
moderate: child abuse (in the name of training mamoru to become a guardian at his youth), and death
minor: injury/injury detail
May 3, 2024
A surprisingly fantastic read.
I preordered volume 1 out of curiosity as I liked the sound of the concept.
I can't speak entirely on the series as this is only the first volume but I am definitely intrigued by the direction this series is going in. Though it definitely contains a lot of tropes common with shounen manga the way the concept is directed as well as the Yamaemori brothers relationship is definitely a draw.
The pacing so far is fast and Harekawa's artstyle is appealing.
I'm going to try following this manga as it comes out in the UK. I'm looking forward to see how it goes.
I preordered volume 1 out of curiosity as I liked the sound of the concept.
I can't speak entirely on the series as this is only the first volume but I am definitely intrigued by the direction this series is going in. Though it definitely contains a lot of tropes common with shounen manga the way the concept is directed as well as the Yamaemori brothers relationship is definitely a draw.
The pacing so far is fast and Harekawa's artstyle is appealing.
I'm going to try following this manga as it comes out in the UK. I'm looking forward to see how it goes.
February 24, 2024
Part Tokyo Ghoul, part Demon Slayer, all unoriginal.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews