Shaman King, Vol. 19: Au Revoir Mt. Osore

シャーマンキング [Shaman King] #19

by Hiroyuki Takei

The unthinkable has happened--Yoh has withdrawn from the Shaman Fight! What happens now? To understand Yoh's future we must revisit his past, back to when he and Anna first met. How did their acquaintance shape Yoh's fate, and what terrible secret still burns between them?

Genres: Manga, Fantasy, Graphic Novels, Fiction, Supernatural, Comics, Shonen

210 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 1, 2002

About the author

Hiroyuki Takei (武井宏之 Takei Hiroyuki) is a Japanese manga artist, best known as the creator of the manga and anime Shaman King. His brother, Hirofumi Takei (武井宏文) is also a manga-ka.

Reviews

[L A i N E Y (will be back) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was one of the most powerful backstories I've ever read. Just a heart-wrenching read complete with a total heartbreak at the end.
Of two of my most favorite characters.

• Matamune : ...... I'm speechless. How Hiroyuki-sensei could make me cared this much about a character in a total of just one volumn is beyond me. I wept for him and my heart will always miss Matamune whenever I think of Shaman King....



• Anna : my girl was fierceness itself. Smart, strong, extremely powerful, passionate and have a deeper softer side. Total girl crush <3

The art was extraordinary! Not something you expect from Shounen manga, it felt like so much love and care was pored in to making this book. And I am so grateful.

[Vikas · Rating 4 out of 5]

What just what, Yoh is it true? We go back to when Yoh was 10 years old and met Anna for the first time. We go back in history to see Yoh's and Anna's first meeting and learn more about Hao and Anna's powers so let's see, initially I was like what? what? and didn't like the way the story was going but by the end, it gave us a nice backstory so let's see and Keep on Reading.

I have always loved comics, and I have I can. I love comics to bits, may the comics never leave my side. I loved reading this and love reading more, you should also read what you love and hope always to love them. Even though I grew up reading local Indian comics like Raj Comics, Diamond Comics, or even Manoj Comics, now's the time to catch up on international and classic comics and Graphic novels. I am on my quest to read as many comics as I just want to Keep on Reading.

[Lashaan Balasingam · Rating 4 out of 5]

This volume offers a throwback origin story to Yoh and Anna's relationship as we finally discover what brought the two together while also getting the opportunity to meet the Nekomata spirit Matamune. Although it is an unexpected and sudden shift in the narrative flow, brutally pulling the reader out of the ongoing Shaman King tournament to go back in the past, it was well-done.

Yours truly,

Lashaan | Blogger and Book Reviewer
Official blog: https://bookidote.com/

[Brandon · Rating 4 out of 5]

X-LAWS are surprised that Yoh gave up his Oracle Bell so Jeanne could resurrect Ren. All of Yoh's friends believe in Yoh's decision. Anna is the only one with regrets. So begins an extended flashback about how Yoh and Anna first met.

A big thing here is that Hao is being recategorized as a "good boy dindu nuffin." A thousand years ago, the onmyouji Hao started getting tormented by his "reishi" soul/mind-reading ability, which manifested his angst physically as oni, who in the "Shaman King" universe are distinct beings from any ghost/spirit we've seen otherwise, being mostly physical in nature, like wandering evil Oversouls or something. So, anyway, Anna has a similar power, which is why she was chosen by Yoh's grandmother. The idea, I guess, is to pair the "good" half of the incarnate Hao with a partner who has the powers of the "bad" half in order to combat said "bad" twin. Hence, the arranged marriage.

There's a cat who acts as Yoh's first partner spirit. Yoh promises to become Shaman King to help Anna. I feel like both of these developments contradict the episodic structure of the manga's earliest chapters, but I guess I'm kinda wrong. Tao Ren introduced the Shaman Fight to the readers. Hao later came into the series, looking exactly like Yoh, which surprised Yoh and the readers. But then later it turns out Yoh knew a lot of stuff the readers -just- learned(?). I feel like Takei may be writing from the seat of his pants, but it's also possible I'm misremembering things.

Anyway, good volume. Matamune is cool. Anna a cute.

[Adrian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yoh Asakura not only sees dead people, he talks and fights with them, too. That’s because Yoh is a shaman, a traditional holy man able to interact with the spirit world. Yoh is now a competitor in the Shaman Fight, a tournament held every 500 years to decide who will become the Shaman King and shape humanity’s future. But Yoh's long quest to be the Shaman King is imperilled when Ren ls mortally wounded in a fight with Hao’s minions. As Ren's life slips away, Yoh turns to the one person who can save his friend - the iron Maiden. But Lady Jeanne’s miracles come at a price. Having learned that Yoh is Hao's twin brother, she now views him as a potential enemy, and will only save Ren on one condition –

that Yoh withdraws from the Shaman Fight!

Ever since Amazon linked up with comiXology, so that readers could get comics, graphic novels and manga on their kindles, I have been meaning to check out what they had. Under Amazon Prime Reading you get a number of titles for free and this comiXology original is one such series.

This volume is entirely dedicated to a flash back to a young Yoh meeting Anna for the first time. Nervous and seemingly out of his death, Yoh is attacked by a mysterious demon whilst Anna demands he go home and leave her alone. What can Yoh do to win her over?

Easy to read and engaging, I enjoyed this and it felt just like reading a paperback manga, even on Kindle, as you have to click through the book backwards. A nice little touch. A solid 4 stars again as the story ramps up the action!

[♡ Em ♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my favourite volume from the series so far. It is so touching that it almost made me cry. 🖤
It shows my favourite part of the story, the heartwarming start of Yoh and Anna's relationship. I wasn't shoked that they weren't close from the start, because they were only 10 years old when they found out about their arranged marriage, but I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw how heartbroken Anna was back then. She is really powerfull and always looks confident in the present, so I haven't expected to see her like that. She was so insecure that she didn't even want to marry him, while now she always tells everybody that she is his fiancee. I've seen parts of them that were never shown before and found out a lot of information about them, such as the fact that she has a power similar to Hao's.
I really hope that the story will go deeper in the charaters' past and that the storytelling will be at least as good as it is in this book. 🖤

[Marie Kos · Rating 5 out of 5]

I come back to Mt Osore Le Voile and Epilogue (volumes 19 & 20 of Shaman King) quite a bit. Or at least, I did growing up.

This is the first time I read this story in ten years, and the first time I have ever read Viz's translation of these volumes. The flashback story is very simple, but I found it more poignant than ever as an adult. Hao and Anna's empathic experiences and the nightmares that they create are, perhaps, better understood with the hardening that happens with age. Experience does not always strengthen humans. Without action, it makes us vulnerable.

All internet-deepness aside, totally cute story. I love Matamune, I love Yoh, and I love Anna! There's nothing not to love. A nice standalone.

[Stephen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Yoh.....is out of the Shaman Fight! WOW!!!! Such a sacrifice truly hits hard....but then we go into a flashback of Yoh and Anna very first meeting and how they came to be engaged. I found this very revealing, but I also felt like Hiroyuki Takei does not seem to have a clear vision but a lot of ideas and is releasing them without a very strict plan...or maybe it's just how I am reading it. I like the Shaman Fight break and the revelations, but it feels less.... planned well in advance. But they aren't big things that really detract from the adventure, and I will say Shaman King is high on being a fun manga and it succeeds at almost every turn!

[James Rodrigues · Rating 5 out of 5]

Normally, a story like this would feel like filler, but this actually becomes one of the most vital volumes in the series. This goes into the history of Anna and Yoh, as they first met and shows why they work so well together. It also offers key characterisation for Hao through an important character, although I'm worrying how things will turn out for them. I was worried when I realised this tale was the whole volume, but was won over by the end, and would happily call it the best volume of Shaman King yet.

[Scott Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Normally something that digresses as thoroughly from the primary plot of the series as this volume does feels like filler to me. But Anna is so important a character, and the younger versions of Yoh and Anna are handled so well, along with Matamune, Yoh's very first spirit ally, that I thoroughly enjoyed the volume. I'm even happy the arc will spill over into the next volume. I want to get the whole thing before going back to the "present" of the storyline.

[Siegfried · Rating 5 out of 5]

To me, this one is super weird.
First, it breaks the flow totally. In the middle of all the Shaman Fight, suddenly, we got a huge drop in Yoh and Anna's story.
And you know what? It's one of my favourite parts of the story.
Their love is sweet and kind. Their whole story is like that.
Kinda sad that it isn't only one volume, coz it would be amazingly beautiful.

Oh, almost forgot! There's Matamune, probably my favourite character design in the whole manga and in my top 3 favs in this manga.

[Hannah Belyea · Rating 3 out of 5]

The time has come for the past between Yoh and Anna to be explored as he withdrawals from the Shaman Fight for the sake of his friend. Takei takes readers to the beginning of these lovers in this enjoyable and informative entry to the "Shaman King" series. What could the choices of years before mean to Yoh and Anna today?

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my favorite vol so far

I realize takei ended shaman king early then finished it later, idk when he jumped back to it. But reading this story definitely was a must. I mean you still see why Anna acts they way she does, more or less. But this story of how the met is just so beautiful

[Barbi Wein · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yoh Asakura se retira del Shaman Fight. ¿Como reaccionará Anna, su prometida?
El joven Asakura no puede dejar de pensar en eso, recuerda como se conocieron y la promesa que le hizo, no solo a ella también a Matamune, su primer espíritu acompañante.

[AsianMerr · Rating 2 out of 5]

Kind of shocking to have a flashback arc at this moment, it came at the worst moment, then there was a flashback chapter in the flashback. Very bad, this made me not like Anna and basically Yoh is carrying her 😬

[Ty Ridgway · Rating 5 out of 5]

good book

[Cristhian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nekomata no Matamune es mi nuevo personaje favorito.

:(

[Chiara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Too much. Wow.

[TinTin Kalaw · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this flashback arc :3

[Keeloween · Rating 5 out of 5]

heavy

Okay, so this volume was heavy on the feels and my heart couldn’t take it 🥺. Learning about Yoh and Anna’s past makes the ending of the last volume so much sadder 🥲

[Vanessa Rincon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anna x Yoh for the soul <3

[Nina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reread this 10 years later and yep, still love it

[Adrienne Nichol · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love it all

I loved the part where Yoh was 10. It was like I was Yoh. And the fact Anna could read minds was awesome

[Ludovica ✨️ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yoh unico uomo con dei diritti.

[Gabriela Zambrano A · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/5⭐️
El volúmen 19 será mi favorito 💛 tiene una historia con mucha nostalgia.🐱❤️‍🩹

[Rodri · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/5: it has a sad vibe I'm not loving but I don't remember a lot of this storyline so..

[Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finalmente matamune😭

[Boro · Rating 5 out of 5]

this is a good volume to start the year with. it has the story of how Anna and Yoh first met, there's a cat that reads books, and a new year's tv show with two singers

[Juan Rivera · Rating 4 out of 5]

This series is written and illustrated by Hiroyuki Takei. This manga is about Yoh Asakura. Yoh is a middle school boy who can see the spirits of the dead. He is competing in the Shaman Fight, a tremendous tournament where the winner will shape the destiny of the world. He also struggles with making friends and talking to people in school.

In this volume, he travels to Northern Japan to meet Anna, the girl who has been chosen to be his fiance. However, she has a problem. She can’t tame her feelings and makes demons appear when ever she feels rage and resentment. Imagine how it would be for you every time you had an uncontrollable feeling? How lucky we all were not to be able to turn our inner demons into physical realities especially during our teenage years. In this volume 19, Yoh and Anna meet. The meeting is not easy. Will the secret they have to share tear them apart?

Great book for middle school age or anyone who has ever had emotions that they couldn't control.

[Mona · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this volume. It shows us how Yoh and Anna met, who Anna really is. And we can all see that their love for each other is not one-sided at all. Not just that, but because of the backstories presented, we are now able to understand their true motives in the present.

Yup, definitely one of my favorite volumes.