Kamisama Kiss, Vol. 22

神様はじめました [Kamisama Hajimemashita] #22

by Julietta Suzuki, Tomo Kimura (Translator)

Nanami Momozono is alone and homeless after her dad skips town to evade his gambling debts and the debt collectors kick her out of her apartment. So when a man she's just saved from a dog offers her his home, she jumps at the opportunity. But it turns out that his place is a shrine, and Nanami has unwittingly taken over his job as a local deity!

Kirihito has finally found a way to enter the Land of the Dead in order to retrieve his true form, the body of the dread yokai Akura-oh! Nanami, her shinshi, and all the Izumo war kami are hot on his tail, but the ruler of the realm is furious that no one asked her permission before barging in. She slams the gates and shrouds the land in darkness. How will they be able to find Kirihito now, much less the way out?!  

Genres: Manga, Romance, Fantasy, Shojo, Young Adult, Graphic Novels, Comics Manga

208 pages, Paperback

First published August 21, 2015

About the author

鈴木ジュリエッタ
Suzuki Julietta is a Japanese manga artist born in the Fukuoka Prefecture. Her pen name comes from a character named Julietta Sakamoto from the seinen manga series, Air Master.
She likes cats, koalas, and sharks. According to an interview with Hakusensha, she first started drawing when she was in her second year of elementary school in a sketchbook of Japonica.
During her free time, she meets her friends, goes for a drink, or out for a meal. She states that although she doesn't read much, she enjoys works by Junji Itō. Her favourite character is Ashia and mentions that male characters are easier to draw in general.

Reviews

[DianaRose · Rating 5 out of 5]

only a few more volumes left 💔

i don’t think i ever truly finished this series while it was being published, so i’m happy to have the opportunity to read it now💞

nanami is trying to save tomoe, and tomoe and the others are trying to save nanami…

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Stars
ahhh! I can’t take all the conflict! UGH
regardless, i loved this SO much. Tomoe💛

[Millie Cullen · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

i stayed up till 3am just to catch up with this. no regrets.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'll admit, I wasn't too excited to go back to Yomi as I've started to get a little impatient with the story starting around the time that Ami got nearly an entire volume to herself despite being a friend of Nanami's but not a central character to the story in any way. But, Suzuki has crafted a lovely story, and in this volume, things are starting to come together that made even Ami's detour make more sense. I'm starting to see the threads coming together, and I'm excited to see how this story concludes in another couple of volumes.

In this volume, we see the influence that Nanami has had on everyone around her, from Mizuki to even Akura-Oh. Nanami has a way of seeing people as they truly are - she trusts Mizuki to make the right choices, she understands that the friendship between Tomoe and Akura-Oh still lingers between the two of them even if they don't know it themselves, she sees that Izanami is lonely and just wants some company. If Nanami has one blind spot, it's how she sees Tomoe. In trying to protect him, she ended up hurting him more, but she learned that lesson now.

I love the influences of Shinto and Suzuki's depiction of the gods. I am slowly learning more about each of them, and I'm particularly curious about Izanami. This is the second story I've read where her appearance changes based on the viewer...I can't find whether this is part of the folklore around her or not, but I find it interesting that her appearance changes based on who sees her.

Kamisama Kiss is a charming story. I will be sad to see it end soon, but I am also content to see it conclude while it's still going strong. Recommended.

[Gab :) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5⭐️

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ya pero que dolor ver las reacciones de los personajes al saber que a Nanami le queda poco tiempo T.T
Me da pena Mizuki porque al fin había encontrado la felicidad y había podido seguir adelante y se entera que a Nanami le queda poco.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tomoe is so frustrating. I wish I could understand why he acts that way.

[Aishah Humaira' (Mermaird ♡) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had to stop reading in the middle of the book because I was crying too much 😭💔💔 I cried so hard to the point I can’t breathe

This volume is so painful to go through. Nanami’s strength is getting worse and Tomoe and Mizuki finally find out about it. The pain so evident in both shinshi makes my heart break to million pieces 😭 Tomoe is so desperate to be back in his ayakashi form again in order to save Nanami, and it hurts to see him tell Nanami if he’s so useless that he can’t be there with her when she’s hurting 🥺💔💔💔 Mizuki’s pain is unbearable too; Nanami weakening reminds him too much of his previous master’s death 😭😭

And the fact that I cried at the part where Kirihito hugs Tomoe in his fox form, not knowing that it’s Tomoe??? I may hate Akura-Oh to my guts, but I still find his friendship with Tomoe to be precious in a way. It breaks me to see how much they long for each other and loath each other at the same time.

Reading this volume was extremely difficult, I could barely bear the pain 😭😭💔 I’m not even sure I’ll be able to stay sane for the next remaining volumes. My heart is broken already. I just want Nanami to be safe 🥺💗 Her gentleness and love towards everyone around her, no matter how evil they had been really makes her one of the best female characters ever written in shoujo manga, and I don’t want to lose her 😭😭😭

[Micheala · Rating 4 out of 5]

OMG Tomoe learning the truth about Nanami’s life! Ugh the angst! I am ready for more!

[Anshika · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5🌟

[Meg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Totally cried. 🥹

[Isa Newbury | reading_isa · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 ⭐️

[Kittyking · Rating 5 out of 5]

STOP MAKING ME CRYYYYY

[Jules Vandemberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5
feels

[Joselin Orrillo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Al llegar al Yomi-no-Kuni, Nanami y Tomoe se separan dejando al zorro atrás quien se cruza con un Kirihito debil y casi intolerante al frio que decide abrazar al zorrito para tener un poco de calor por su pelaje, hasta que llega Yatori y ataca a Tomoe dejandolo completamente fuera de juego.

Por otro lado el grupo de Nanami llega a ver a Izanami y logran convencerla de buscar el alma de Ookuninushi, quien se encuentra con una extraña mujer (? Luego de esto logran convencer a la diosa Izanami para que los ayude y se ven envueltos en un juego de escondidas donde Nanami llega al lago dorado junto a Izanami y logra calmar un poco su alma ante su (al parecer) inminente muerte.

Y llegamos a lo más importante, Nanami ya no puede ocultar más su condición y luego de tener una conversación bastante seria con Mizuki, ella vuelve a sufrir una descompensación e Izanami es quien les da la mala noticia, esto es realmente difícil para Mizuki considerando que ya una vez perdió a su señora y se quedo solo por mucho tiempo, aun así la luz de Nanami es más fuerte que eso.

Para cerrar el tomo, una pequeña niña aparece en la escena a ayudar (sin saber) a Tomoe a entender a los humanos, estos regresan al templo de Izanami y aquí quiero destacar el trabajo de Julieta en la preciosa ilustración de Tomoe y su rostro de tristeza al saber que Nanami lo esta dejando atrás otra vez.

[Maria Drago · Rating 4 out of 5]

All the things:

- Oh mY GoSH Tomoe and Akura-oh finally met up but in their wrong forms!! They are both weak XD Oh, the irony. Anyways, Kirihito looked so darn adorable sitting under the rock, shivering. And don't even get me started when he tried to cuddle with the seemingly rabid fox that tried to kill him. (Tomokura-oh for days, man.)

- Anybody else every get Tomoe x Akura-oh feels? Because I certainly do. I mean, Tomoe was gonna kill him, but he hesitated. Then Kirihito was gonna kill him but said, AND I QUOTE, "No. I don't...hate foxes," WITH THE SWEETEST AND SADDEST LOOK ON HIS FACE
MY POOR MURDEROUS DEMON CHILD LET ME CRADLE YOU

- AHhhHhH Poor Mizuki! He's so sad over losing Nanami since he's so scarred after having lost Yonomori. Save this poor snake child.

- Tomoe HAS to find out that Kirihito was the one that sucked out Nanami's life force. He'll go ballistic!
I'm so excited.

- Can I just say that I am RIDICULOUSLY frustrated that Tomoe FINALLY turned back into an ayakashi only to TRANSFORM BACK INTO A FOX A MINUTE LATER?!
Sigh. At least he knows about Nanami's sickness now.
Poor little demon fox shinshi.

[Allison · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story didn’t develop too much in this volume. Nanami is still dying because part of her life force has been sucked out of her. Tomoe is still a fox at the end, having to wait until he learns to love humans before returning to his normal form. The big thing that happens is that Tomoe finds out Nanami is dying, and when they’re reunited it’s sad, but as expected, Tomoe and Mizuki will not quit until they find a way to save her.

[Bee (BacchusVines) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tomoe, so cute.

[kthedestroyer · Rating 2 out of 5]

Caution! SPOILERS in the review!

Guys… how is the entire manga so good and now these last few volumes are just not it. They are not doing it for me whatsoever and I hate that. I just want to enjoy the series, but what the hell is this plot.

Okay, the main reason why this volume basically sucks is the entire Izanami part. It’s so bad. Like sorry, but why are we having a tea party while Tomoe is a fox and Nanami is dying? Also why are we hiding in a fucking maze… it’s a completely unnecessary plotline and I wish the author made up some better way for them to find Okuninushi because this was not it.

Also… since when is Tomoe fucking stupid? The Tomoe I know doesn’t just eat a random thing before it’s explained to him what it does. I’m sorry, but we had to listen to an entire monologue to get the flower thing and Tomoe just ate it too soon because why not.

I’m just so pissed about this volume. The only good thing about it is the reunion between Tomoe and Akura because I could see that they still care for each other (Yatori ruined it but of course he did because he is horrible). And I guess Tomoe helping the little girl is cute too but that’s about it.

Overall, this is not a good volume and I can’t believe that we have fallen this low this close to the ending but here we are. 2 stars. I hope the ending makes up for it or I will riot.

[•Cherry Blossom• · Rating 5 out of 5]

🌸Kirihito has finally found a way to enter the Land of the Dead in order to retrieve his true form, the body of the dread yokai Akura-oh! Nanami, her shinshi, and all the Izumo war kami are hot on his tail, but the ruler of the realm is furious that no one asked her permission before barging in. She slams the gates and shrouds the land in darkness. How will they be able to find Kirihito now, much less the way out?!🌸

🌸Kirihito finalmente ha encontrado una manera de ingresar a la Tierra de los Muertos para recuperar su verdadera forma, el cuerpo del temible yokai Akura-oh! Nanami, su shinshi y todos los kami de guerra de Izumo están detrás de él, pero el gobernante del reino está furioso porque nadie le pidió permiso antes de irrumpir. Ella cierra las puertas y envuelve la tierra en oscuridad. ¡¿Cómo podrán encontrar a Kirihito ahora, y mucho menos la salida ?!🌸


🌸Otro volumen que me hizo llorar...🌸







🌸ALERTA SPOILER🌸

🌸Llore y grite de alegría al saber que Nanami va renacer varias veces y si Tomoe se transformará en un Humano igual lo haría.
Se imaginan?
Después de una vida juntos ellos volver a encontrarse dentro en otra vida? No puedo, esto es lo más bello del mundo.🌸

🌸( perdonen, amo lo cursi.)🌸




🌸Lectura iniciada: 1 julio 2021🌸
🌸Lectura terminada: 1 julio 2021🌸


🌸5/5🌸

[Rebo · Rating 4 out of 5]

So the more I think about Akura-ou’s ending the more it bothers me... I wonder if they already knew the manga was ending in x chapters, so it was a little rushed... I mean I do appreciate that he had character growth but it all felt a little contrived... I think if he’d realized his body was basically unusable, then maybe it would have made a little more sense for him to have decided to die...? Idk I had a lot of thoughts about this that I’ve forgotten, but it just seemed a little convenient that he decides to die and give Nanami her life back so that is fixed yay 🙄 eh I was disappointed honestly bc he could have been a really interesting character, but I guess I shouldn’t expect much from shoujo.

[Abi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was another rather heart wrenching volume. On a side note, Izanami is quite entertaining! I loved all of her antics and the outfits she had everyone wearing in Yomi. I felt bad for Mizuki - he's never been a character I liked all that much, but I do feel bad that Nanami's illness (and her handling of it) are triggering his abandonment issues.

On the Tomoe front, I liked that he helped the little girl. Also, the scene where he and Kirihito/Akuraou were hugging/attempting to kill each other was quite something. Suzuki sensei's visual storytelling skills blow me away sometimes, with her paneling, shading, and juxtaposition (of these two characters in particular). Anyway, this was a solid, if rather sad, volume. 4 stars.

[mak · Rating 4 out of 5]

THE CONFLICT AH
tomoe on the cover looks so babygirl though
very sweet mizuki and nanami moment at the end it’s sweet how much they care for each other
the underworld setting is neat too with all the snow and such
it’s so sad nanami is literally slowly dying like guys we need to get her life force back
but question could she just get it back from kirhito since he took it and he is a human body instead of taking another human’s life force
but nanami takes it all in stride with a smile on her face so admirable
the bonus story was very cute too

[K · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVEDD THIS VOLUME😭😭🩷🩷🩷 mizuki and nanamis relationship is one of my favorites they have so much love for each other and their bond is so so special. i think this might be my fav volume so far. and when akura was hugging tomoe not knowing it was tomoe 😭 i don’t like akura but their bond is sweet. i almost cried when nanami ran after mizuki after he found out she didn’t have much time left to live. OH MU GOD and when tomoe and nanami finally saw eachother again😭😭😭 SO SWEET HE LOVES HER SO MUCH. and the special episode is so cute oh my gid

[LaShana Claude]

St. John Branch

Kirihito has finally found a way to enter the Land of the Dead in order to retrieve his true form, the body of the dread yokai Akura-oh! Nanami, her shinshi and the Izumo war kami are hot on his tail. But the ruler of the realm is furious that no one asked her permission before barging in, so she slams the gates and shrouds the land in darkness. How will they find Kirihito now, much less the way out?!

[Samaira · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm going to leave the same review for all the volumes. I LOVED this manga so much and am trying to collect all the physical copies. I was originally reading it online when it was still coming out

There are a lot of characters. Only some are the main characters, but we see and get to know the side characters also. World building was nicely done in typical youkai fashion, and the romance was very cute

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this to be another slow paced volume. Although, I do think it is well written and beautifully drawn. I find myself wondering, wouldn't the solution to most of their problems be to make Nanami a full blown god, with powers and immortality? I guess maybe not, since she's a teenager. And maybe that's one of the things a Kami can't do.

[Jessi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I came back to finish this series after 7 years because I had just re-watched the anime and I was pretty sure the manga was completed by now. And I'm writing this review about half a year after I actually read the volumes so this is kind of a vague group review for 22 and on.

I love these. They're so dramatic yet sweet and cute.

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

this volume reminded me of how much I love Tomoe <3 I don't want this series to end but i'm so glad that they are so in love with each other...let's hope nothing happens (of course it will happen because there are still 3 volumes to go and AHHHH the ANGST IS COMING)