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神様はじめました [Kamisama Hajimemashita] #25
Kamisama Kiss, Vol. 25
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!
Nanami and Tomoe are getting ready to leave Mikage shrine and join the human world for good. Nanami has even been accepted to a junior college in the child development department! But while she thought she was ready to retire as kamisama, it turns out that Nanami is going to lose a lot more than just her ability to use spells—she won’t be able to see anyone from the spirit world again! Is the price for being human too high?
Nanami and Tomoe are getting ready to leave Mikage shrine and join the human world for good. Nanami has even been accepted to a junior college in the child development department! But while she thought she was ready to retire as kamisama, it turns out that Nanami is going to lose a lot more than just her ability to use spells—she won’t be able to see anyone from the spirit world again! Is the price for being human too high?
208 pages, Paperback
First published August 19, 2016
49 people are currently reading
890 people want to read
About the author
Julietta Suzuki
85 books714 followers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.
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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 280 reviews
December 31, 2024
Just spent 5 days of my life to this 25 book series and I don't know how to live anymore. :(
December 12, 2025
the final volume of one of the shojo series i started as a tween🥺
it’s so bittersweet to finally have read the entire series but i’m so pleased with the ending 💞
—
i held onto my libby hold just to reread the end and i just love this series so much 😭 i love that nanami and tomoe lived as humans but returned to mikage shrine to be with mizuki and the others 🩵
it’s so bittersweet to finally have read the entire series but i’m so pleased with the ending 💞
—
i held onto my libby hold just to reread the end and i just love this series so much 😭 i love that nanami and tomoe lived as humans but returned to mikage shrine to be with mizuki and the others 🩵
October 4, 2017
A perfect conclusion to a perfect story! I'm going to miss these characters so much. Honestly, this manga could consist of literally 600 volumes and I would read them all.
Read
September 19, 2016I don't rate mangas.
Kamisama Hajimemashita is a series I didn't intend to read...like ever. But now, I regret not reading it sooner. What put me off were the drawings, I didn't like how Nanami looked like so I didn't want to read it and I hate myself right now because it was a very stupid decision. I always do that: putting mainstream series for later because I think they're just overrated but at the end, it always turns out that they're not. I should really trust the general opinion.
This manga series was very good, it was slow but amazingly cute. Tomoe isn't a tsundere, he's very honest and straightforward in a good way unlike most shoujo male characters. Nanami is a very strong main character and the rest of them (Mizuki, Mikage, Jirou, etc, etc...) are just as awesome as the main characters. I even loved the villains and truthfully, I am impressed at how the story was handled. This shoujo isn't a typical one, it has a great story and beautiful character developments. I wouldn't say it's a favorite because I probably won't ever re-read it but it was good enough to keep me entertained for days and I'll probably obsess about it for a few more days.
I had to read the last 15 chapters raw with translations aside which was really annoying and took a lot of time but I am thankful to those who do all the work to allow us to read mangas online. I don't say it often when I review mangas but I'm happy that those people are out there for people like me, who can't afford to buy any copy.
P.S.: THE END OF THIS MANGA SERIES IS FUCKING BEAUTIFUL AND SO FUCKING TRAGIC AND I'M CRYING BECAUSE IT'S BEAUTIFULLY TRAGIC. That's all.
Kamisama Hajimemashita is a series I didn't intend to read...like ever. But now, I regret not reading it sooner. What put me off were the drawings, I didn't like how Nanami looked like so I didn't want to read it and I hate myself right now because it was a very stupid decision. I always do that: putting mainstream series for later because I think they're just overrated but at the end, it always turns out that they're not. I should really trust the general opinion.
This manga series was very good, it was slow but amazingly cute. Tomoe isn't a tsundere, he's very honest and straightforward in a good way unlike most shoujo male characters. Nanami is a very strong main character and the rest of them (Mizuki, Mikage, Jirou, etc, etc...) are just as awesome as the main characters. I even loved the villains and truthfully, I am impressed at how the story was handled. This shoujo isn't a typical one, it has a great story and beautiful character developments. I wouldn't say it's a favorite because I probably won't ever re-read it but it was good enough to keep me entertained for days and I'll probably obsess about it for a few more days.
I had to read the last 15 chapters raw with translations aside which was really annoying and took a lot of time but I am thankful to those who do all the work to allow us to read mangas online. I don't say it often when I review mangas but I'm happy that those people are out there for people like me, who can't afford to buy any copy.
P.S.: THE END OF THIS MANGA SERIES IS FUCKING BEAUTIFUL AND SO FUCKING TRAGIC AND I'M CRYING BECAUSE IT'S BEAUTIFULLY TRAGIC. That's all.
March 24, 2020
Overall 4 stars!
A good manga, a bit long and dragged but finished nicely, made me emotional. I loved most characters, though there were some I didn't care about. Nanami & Tomoe pairing makes my heart go doki-doki ^_^ Loved the ending. Recommended for shoujo fans!
A good manga, a bit long and dragged but finished nicely, made me emotional. I loved most characters, though there were some I didn't care about. Nanami & Tomoe pairing makes my heart go doki-doki ^_^ Loved the ending. Recommended for shoujo fans!
March 6, 2019
هیچ وقت قسمت های آخر مانگاهادرو دوست ندارم. یه جورهایی لوسن.
چه اجباریه همه چیز رو تا ته بگن؟! :/
چه اجباریه همه چیز رو تا ته بگن؟! :/
December 23, 2017
IM SO SAD AND SO HAPPY AT THE SAME TIME.
October 13, 2023
I CANT BELIEVE I FINISHED THIS MANGA AGAIN😭😭😭😭 I CRIED SM AT THE END SUCH A COMOFR5 READ I WISH I COULD READ THIS AGAIN FOR THE FIRST TIME MY HEART JFIDKDKDKE
January 10, 2024
I could not have loved this volume or this series more. What an ending.
It was so beautiful. I recommend this to anyone and everyone. It deserves all the stars.
It was so beautiful. I recommend this to anyone and everyone. It deserves all the stars.
April 15, 2018
This was AMAZING! Best series I’ve read in years. So happy I found it. A little sad it ended. I wish there were endless volumes to read. I’d never tire of it. So sweet. So fun. Just the right amount if angst. I don’t know if I’ll find a series this good again. Thank you Julietta for sharing this beautiful story with us.
I recommend this series to readers 14+ for some violence and some sexual content.
I recommend this series to readers 14+ for some violence and some sexual content.
May 11, 2018
I put off reading the final volume for the longest time simply because I didn’t want it to be over. That being said, this was a very fitting ending for this lovely series. Many, many thanks to Teisha for 1. introducing me to this world, 2. letting me raid her library, and 3. letting me yell at her about my feelings over all this. Now to find and watch the anime!
March 3, 2020
5 Stars
🌟⭐️🌟⭐️🌟
I can’t even right now. This was better than I ever could’ve imagined...
😭😭😭
🌟⭐️🌟⭐️🌟
I can’t even right now. This was better than I ever could’ve imagined...
😭😭😭
September 29, 2022
I want to bundle up all of the characters here in a big fluffy blanket, hug them tight, keep them warm and give my never ending love till the day I die.
November 17, 2025
I HOPE YOU'RE READY FOR A LONG ASS SPOILER FILLED REVIEW
bc im not
i'll be back when my brain has processed that it's over now
EDIT:
okay its been 4 1/2 hours now and I think I am coherent enough to explain my thoughts.
Overall, this series falls between the 3.5 and 4 stars range. And unfortunately, I don't think the 'lower' rating is entirely Suzuki's fault.
Let me start off by clarifying that for the past three months (?) I have really only consumed romance/shojo manga and anime. This included the Kamisama Kiss anime, and while I am by NO MEANS an expert, and I also DO NOT believe this is some revolutionary thought: shojo/shojo-adjacent manga and anime simply do not get the time or support they deserve.
I feel as though a large majority of this story is rushed. The development of Akura-oh's character and character arc as a whole for one. All of the background characters. The reasons why Tomoe becoming human was the only choice. Kurama. Mizuki. MIZUKI. AMI, MY GIRL AMI.
Listen every aspect of this story could have benefitted from ten more volumes of character growth and world building. The ending in particular just feels so rushed and incomplete? So Akura-oh decides that he wants to be good now, and please don't mistake me, I can understand how he came to 'understand' humans more, but then Tomoe, who swears to kill him for Yukiji, is just like 'yeah okay we're good now, in fact, we're so good that I want you to be reborn'
Also, I see/saw a lot of hate in the reviews and comments on this series about Akura-oh and Nanami as characters. Mainly that Akura-oh is a rapist and that Nanami is a dumbass with no backbone. I will approach both of these topics separately.
The issue I take with Akura-oh's characterization is a majority of the comments I saw villainizing him were also worshipping Tomoe. Like? TOMOE AND AKURA-OH WERE PARTNERS IN CRIME FOR YEARS. When Nanami is in the past, Tomoe attempts to rape her? And then you have to look at Mizuki too, as the only reason he didn't get to SA Nanami was because Tomoe stopped him. Let me be very clear, it is not okay to romanticize any character being SA'd, and I do not condone the sheer volume of times Nanami's autonomy is completely obliterated, I'm just pointing out frustrating the narrative of the 'love-interest-can-do-no-wrong-is'
Now, when it comes to Nanami being unable to defend herself or making 'dumb decisions', I think people were way too harsh on that front. First of all, Nanami is (horrifyingly) only 16, and she is nearly constantly surrounded by demons/gods etc. that are 100s of years old. By the end of the series she has only been at the shrine for a year? Like in a year, while still technically still a child, she was supposed to learn and develop her new powers AND know how to deal with gods and monsters who've lived for centuries longer? BRUH. Also as far as I am concerned, Nanami often acts before thinking, and while that can be frustrating, I like that she actually does something with herself and that she tries to improve the situations around her. Another thing that I like about her is that despite her internal monologue often being heavy in self doubt, we don't see her frequently verbalize this, so it's not like she's standing around complaining all the time and yet she is constantly being painted as annoying? ONCE AGAIN: she's 16!!! let a girl breathe, just because she's a female mc she's painted as dumb, annoying, rash, weak etc. and that's f*cking ridiculous when you consider the actions taken by EVERY OTHER CHARACTER????? Akura-oh wouldn't have been such a villain if he and Tomoe had ONE REAL FUCKING CONVERSATION?????
Anyways, Kamisama Kiss didn't make it into my top three shojo manga, which is kinda sad. I had higher hopes for this story but overall, I'm not upset by it and think it was a good story. I can safely say that I understand why it's always involved in discussions about all-time shojo beats.
bc im not
i'll be back when my brain has processed that it's over now
EDIT:
okay its been 4 1/2 hours now and I think I am coherent enough to explain my thoughts.
Overall, this series falls between the 3.5 and 4 stars range. And unfortunately, I don't think the 'lower' rating is entirely Suzuki's fault.
Let me start off by clarifying that for the past three months (?) I have really only consumed romance/shojo manga and anime. This included the Kamisama Kiss anime, and while I am by NO MEANS an expert, and I also DO NOT believe this is some revolutionary thought: shojo/shojo-adjacent manga and anime simply do not get the time or support they deserve.
I feel as though a large majority of this story is rushed. The development of Akura-oh's character and character arc as a whole for one. All of the background characters. The reasons why Tomoe becoming human was the only choice. Kurama. Mizuki. MIZUKI. AMI, MY GIRL AMI.
Listen every aspect of this story could have benefitted from ten more volumes of character growth and world building. The ending in particular just feels so rushed and incomplete? So Akura-oh decides that he wants to be good now, and please don't mistake me, I can understand how he came to 'understand' humans more, but then Tomoe, who swears to kill him for Yukiji, is just like 'yeah okay we're good now, in fact, we're so good that I want you to be reborn'
Also, I see/saw a lot of hate in the reviews and comments on this series about Akura-oh and Nanami as characters. Mainly that Akura-oh is a rapist and that Nanami is a dumbass with no backbone. I will approach both of these topics separately.
The issue I take with Akura-oh's characterization is a majority of the comments I saw villainizing him were also worshipping Tomoe. Like? TOMOE AND AKURA-OH WERE PARTNERS IN CRIME FOR YEARS. When Nanami is in the past, Tomoe attempts to rape her? And then you have to look at Mizuki too, as the only reason he didn't get to SA Nanami was because Tomoe stopped him. Let me be very clear, it is not okay to romanticize any character being SA'd, and I do not condone the sheer volume of times Nanami's autonomy is completely obliterated, I'm just pointing out frustrating the narrative of the 'love-interest-can-do-no-wrong-is'
Now, when it comes to Nanami being unable to defend herself or making 'dumb decisions', I think people were way too harsh on that front. First of all, Nanami is (horrifyingly) only 16, and she is nearly constantly surrounded by demons/gods etc. that are 100s of years old. By the end of the series she has only been at the shrine for a year? Like in a year, while still technically still a child, she was supposed to learn and develop her new powers AND know how to deal with gods and monsters who've lived for centuries longer? BRUH. Also as far as I am concerned, Nanami often acts before thinking, and while that can be frustrating, I like that she actually does something with herself and that she tries to improve the situations around her. Another thing that I like about her is that despite her internal monologue often being heavy in self doubt, we don't see her frequently verbalize this, so it's not like she's standing around complaining all the time and yet she is constantly being painted as annoying? ONCE AGAIN: she's 16!!! let a girl breathe, just because she's a female mc she's painted as dumb, annoying, rash, weak etc. and that's f*cking ridiculous when you consider the actions taken by EVERY OTHER CHARACTER????? Akura-oh wouldn't have been such a villain if he and Tomoe had ONE REAL FUCKING CONVERSATION?????
Anyways, Kamisama Kiss didn't make it into my top three shojo manga, which is kinda sad. I had higher hopes for this story but overall, I'm not upset by it and think it was a good story. I can safely say that I understand why it's always involved in discussions about all-time shojo beats.
July 16, 2018
This was my read for this whole weekend... I don’t want to add the 25 volumes of this manga because I don’t think that I read 25 books... Also, I feel like it inflates my book count and i don't want that, so instead I’ll just add the last volume.
This is my favorite anime/manga series of all times... matching even Dragon Ball and Sailor Moon which are my favorites because are part of my childhood.
I’ve seen the anime more than 2 times and this weekend I finally decided to read the whole manga and it was totally worth it, so much more story, more love, more things that I didn’t understand explained.
Why I loved this story so much... of course... Tomoe.
Tomoe is by far my favorite male character! He’s strong, powerful, feared, dominant but vulnerable, sweet and loving; only to Nanami, of course.
I love his growth, his confidence and everything related to this character.
The whole series of course were awesome! Sometimes when I feel kind of down I love to see this series because it’s so funny and upbeat but it never fails to make me cry at the end... because it’s over... no more Tomoe and Nanami.
If you like Shoujo manga or stories this is the one for you, I promise you won’t be disappointed! In paper is a bit long, but it’s totally worth it! It has love, despair, hope, lots of very funny moments, awesome characters, Japanese culture, and many more things.
I’m planning on buying this whole series books, in Japanese and read them again (If I can HAHA).
This is my favorite anime/manga series of all times... matching even Dragon Ball and Sailor Moon which are my favorites because are part of my childhood.
I’ve seen the anime more than 2 times and this weekend I finally decided to read the whole manga and it was totally worth it, so much more story, more love, more things that I didn’t understand explained.
Why I loved this story so much... of course... Tomoe.
Tomoe is by far my favorite male character! He’s strong, powerful, feared, dominant but vulnerable, sweet and loving; only to Nanami, of course.
I love his growth, his confidence and everything related to this character.
The whole series of course were awesome! Sometimes when I feel kind of down I love to see this series because it’s so funny and upbeat but it never fails to make me cry at the end... because it’s over... no more Tomoe and Nanami.
If you like Shoujo manga or stories this is the one for you, I promise you won’t be disappointed! In paper is a bit long, but it’s totally worth it! It has love, despair, hope, lots of very funny moments, awesome characters, Japanese culture, and many more things.
I’m planning on buying this whole series books, in Japanese and read them again (If I can HAHA).
July 20, 2024
6 lat czekałam na ten moment 😭💖
January 9, 2018
While it wrapped up everything very nicely, I felt a little let down by the normalcy of the end. Going from being a kamisama and shinshi to an average husband and wife... That's kinda cool, but...
Overall though, loved the series.
Overall though, loved the series.
March 7, 2023
This is one of those series finales where the characters will continue to live off the page, even as the reader and author carries them in their hearts 🥰
I love a good flashback montage and this was beautifully executed 🥰🥰
I love a good flashback montage and this was beautifully executed 🥰🥰
May 20, 2021
I loved this story so much. Tomoe is one of my favorite manga characters ever. I wish we would have gotten more of their life after the wedding.. but still a lovely story.
October 12, 2025
I MISSED THEM SO MUCH MY BABIES
my heart is filled w sm warmth rn. i love them sm
my heart is filled w sm warmth rn. i love them sm
August 18, 2019
At long last! I finally completed this wonderful series! The only reasons why I didn't keep up with it as religiously as other fans is
1) reading manga online is a bitch,
2) it's easy to forget certain details while catching up with a series as long as this one, and
3) general life/other fandom stuff.
But thankfully, I was able to check out nearly the entire series at my local library (excluding the first few volumes I already own), and spent this last week and a half devouring Kamisama Kiss from start to finish.
Was it worth the wait? Hell YES.
This is one of those remarkable shoujo manga that's simply stuffed to the brim with ALL of the cliches, all the stylized "wide-eyed, rosy background" sappiness (that I absolutely adore, by the way), and all the same romantic angst and fluff galore.... but somehow manages to come across as fresh, original, and entertaining.
How so? Well, the fantastical elements help: rather than being a run-of-the-mill shoujo high school romantic comedy, it centers around Japanese gods, youkai, ayakashi, and various other fantastic beasts from Japanese culture. So, fantasy can definitely help jazz things up. But of course, it's not just the supernatural and fantastical that makes a story worthwhile, as proven by series like Twilight, that no matter how much "look, they're vampires, look, they're vampires ahhhhh how hot and dangerous!" you throw at a story, if there's no substance, there's no actual interesting elements. Kamisama Kiss, like many other good fantasy/supernatural tales, keeps the readers/viewers invested by having good characters, consistent and gradual (but not too slow) characterization, going deep into lore without boring us with exposition, and a perfect blend of darkness and light.
To start with the last point, this series is a comedy, at its roots, but still has touches of truly horrifying aspects. Even outside of the bloody murders committed by the antagonists (both in past and present), just going by the concept of all the "kamisama," youkai, and other otherwordly creatures believing humans to be "beneath them," no different than worms in soil, is frankly terrifying alone. But of course, it's mostly played up for laughs, mainly because our heroine, Nanami (who is among my top ten favorite anime/manga female protagonists for good reason), doesn't put up with anyone's shit. Throughout the story, we see elements of bullying, abuse, neglect, assault, cold-blooded murder, revenge murder, and so on, while also balanced out with batshit hilarity, heartwarming friendships, adorable romantic scenes that would make a coldhearted person giggle with delight, and of course, gorgeous shoujo-styled art that knows when comic relief is necessary, and when darkness needs to take hold. (And honestly, the comedic scenes are REALLY hilarious. One of the few genuine "laughing out loud" series out there!)
Now, normally, I have problems with anime and manga when the creators decides to redeem a villain at the all but literal last minute because "friendship is magic," or some poorly written BS. But every so often, there are exceptions:
Outside of aesthetics and general concepts of good vs evil, there's of course the main course: characters. Nanami, as stated above, is hands down one of the best shoujo heroines ever. In many ways, she's the same as countless others: feisty, but with a heart of gold; clumsy and bad grades, but super nice; falls in love easily, and though tempted by others, is loyal to her One True Love. But Nanami also starts off different immediately: she has no happy home life, her father is drunken gambler who constantly shirks even the most basic of responsibilities, leaving Nanami to learn very quickly at a young age to take matters into her own hands, until finally, her father straight up ABANDONS her, leaving her evicted from their home.
(Taking the whole "absentee/dead parent" to a WHOLE different level there, huh?)
And thus, the story begins: Nanami is homeless, rescues a strange man who is scared of dogs, he kisses her forehead giving her the mark of a tochigami, or land god, and sends her to live in his shrine. Therein, she meets the Love Interest (that's hardly a spoiler), Tomoe, a hotheaded, smooth-operator fox youkai who needs to become Nanami's familiar, or shinshi, if she has any chance of living in the shrine with any peace. And here comes the title of the story: Kamisama Kiss. The contract between a god and a familiar must be sealed with a kiss on the mouth.
The rest of the series follows with shenanigans with other youkai and kamisama, but somehow ties them all together. I'm so used to longer (or even shorter) manga dropping plot threads left, right, and center, so it's always a nice change to come across a well-planned series that gives every plot thread the attention it deserves, without dragging it out too long. But back to our heroine: Nanami may not be physically strong for combat, but her kamisama powers of purification grow as the series progresses, and her undeniable spunk and refusal to back down in the face of danger is admirable, to say the least. She deliberately endangers herself several times, but never for selfish reasons: they always have to do with helping and saving others, even the villains! But she's still a teenager: she's moody, overly attached to her crush on Tomoe until she eventually accepts their unique relationship, and struggles with being a land god and a high school student. She's adorable, fiery as hell, relatable, and admirable in a thousand and one ways, and I adore her.
As for our love interest: Tomoe starts off as a jerk (per usual anime romantic trope), but he's more of the endearing kind. He's so charming with his sarcasm and temper that it's hard to hate him, even at his most assholey moments. (Plus, Michael J. Tatum is THE perfect English cast. Pitch perfect.) But as time goes on, his utter disgust of humans slowly transforms as he grows fonder of Nanami, and certain details of his past come to fruition. His sarcastic nature is hilarious, but his actions, especially later on, speak far louder than any amount of anger and domineering control. He's actually quite sweet in his own way, and his eventual change from a dangerous youkai to a man in love with a human is engrossing.
Other great characters: Mizuki, the naive but loyal snake youkai familiar; Kurama, the human-posing pop idol, arrogant as all hell, but also there when push comes to shove; Himemiko, the princess ayakashi of the swamp who falls in love with a human boy and is the first matchmaking case Nanami gets involved in (and it continues throughout the series, and I absolutely LOVE Himemiko and Hotaro, they are precious); and all various wacky, eccentric, over-the-top kamisama characters. Plus, the entire Mount Kurama arc was amazing, and is my second favorite arc: Jiro has a surprisingly well-written, albeit, cliche, mini-redemption arc.
Overall, this is a truly wonderful gift of a manga series, and I could not recommend it enough, to both old and new fans of the manga and anime media. I'm so glad I finally took the time to read it straight through to the end, and fall in love with the characters, story, and romance all over again.
1) reading manga online is a bitch,
2) it's easy to forget certain details while catching up with a series as long as this one, and
3) general life/other fandom stuff.
But thankfully, I was able to check out nearly the entire series at my local library (excluding the first few volumes I already own), and spent this last week and a half devouring Kamisama Kiss from start to finish.
Was it worth the wait? Hell YES.
This is one of those remarkable shoujo manga that's simply stuffed to the brim with ALL of the cliches, all the stylized "wide-eyed, rosy background" sappiness (that I absolutely adore, by the way), and all the same romantic angst and fluff galore.... but somehow manages to come across as fresh, original, and entertaining.
How so? Well, the fantastical elements help: rather than being a run-of-the-mill shoujo high school romantic comedy, it centers around Japanese gods, youkai, ayakashi, and various other fantastic beasts from Japanese culture. So, fantasy can definitely help jazz things up. But of course, it's not just the supernatural and fantastical that makes a story worthwhile, as proven by series like Twilight, that no matter how much "look, they're vampires, look, they're vampires ahhhhh how hot and dangerous!" you throw at a story, if there's no substance, there's no actual interesting elements. Kamisama Kiss, like many other good fantasy/supernatural tales, keeps the readers/viewers invested by having good characters, consistent and gradual (but not too slow) characterization, going deep into lore without boring us with exposition, and a perfect blend of darkness and light.
To start with the last point, this series is a comedy, at its roots, but still has touches of truly horrifying aspects. Even outside of the bloody murders committed by the antagonists (both in past and present), just going by the concept of all the "kamisama," youkai, and other otherwordly creatures believing humans to be "beneath them," no different than worms in soil, is frankly terrifying alone. But of course, it's mostly played up for laughs, mainly because our heroine, Nanami (who is among my top ten favorite anime/manga female protagonists for good reason), doesn't put up with anyone's shit. Throughout the story, we see elements of bullying, abuse, neglect, assault, cold-blooded murder, revenge murder, and so on, while also balanced out with batshit hilarity, heartwarming friendships, adorable romantic scenes that would make a coldhearted person giggle with delight, and of course, gorgeous shoujo-styled art that knows when comic relief is necessary, and when darkness needs to take hold. (And honestly, the comedic scenes are REALLY hilarious. One of the few genuine "laughing out loud" series out there!)
Now, normally, I have problems with anime and manga when the creators decides to redeem a villain at the all but literal last minute because "friendship is magic," or some poorly written BS. But every so often, there are exceptions:
Outside of aesthetics and general concepts of good vs evil, there's of course the main course: characters. Nanami, as stated above, is hands down one of the best shoujo heroines ever. In many ways, she's the same as countless others: feisty, but with a heart of gold; clumsy and bad grades, but super nice; falls in love easily, and though tempted by others, is loyal to her One True Love. But Nanami also starts off different immediately: she has no happy home life, her father is drunken gambler who constantly shirks even the most basic of responsibilities, leaving Nanami to learn very quickly at a young age to take matters into her own hands, until finally, her father straight up ABANDONS her, leaving her evicted from their home.
(Taking the whole "absentee/dead parent" to a WHOLE different level there, huh?)
And thus, the story begins: Nanami is homeless, rescues a strange man who is scared of dogs, he kisses her forehead giving her the mark of a tochigami, or land god, and sends her to live in his shrine. Therein, she meets the Love Interest (that's hardly a spoiler), Tomoe, a hotheaded, smooth-operator fox youkai who needs to become Nanami's familiar, or shinshi, if she has any chance of living in the shrine with any peace. And here comes the title of the story: Kamisama Kiss. The contract between a god and a familiar must be sealed with a kiss on the mouth.
The rest of the series follows with shenanigans with other youkai and kamisama, but somehow ties them all together. I'm so used to longer (or even shorter) manga dropping plot threads left, right, and center, so it's always a nice change to come across a well-planned series that gives every plot thread the attention it deserves, without dragging it out too long. But back to our heroine: Nanami may not be physically strong for combat, but her kamisama powers of purification grow as the series progresses, and her undeniable spunk and refusal to back down in the face of danger is admirable, to say the least. She deliberately endangers herself several times, but never for selfish reasons: they always have to do with helping and saving others, even the villains! But she's still a teenager: she's moody, overly attached to her crush on Tomoe until she eventually accepts their unique relationship, and struggles with being a land god and a high school student. She's adorable, fiery as hell, relatable, and admirable in a thousand and one ways, and I adore her.
As for our love interest: Tomoe starts off as a jerk (per usual anime romantic trope), but he's more of the endearing kind. He's so charming with his sarcasm and temper that it's hard to hate him, even at his most assholey moments. (Plus, Michael J. Tatum is THE perfect English cast. Pitch perfect.) But as time goes on, his utter disgust of humans slowly transforms as he grows fonder of Nanami, and certain details of his past come to fruition. His sarcastic nature is hilarious, but his actions, especially later on, speak far louder than any amount of anger and domineering control. He's actually quite sweet in his own way, and his eventual change from a dangerous youkai to a man in love with a human is engrossing.
Other great characters: Mizuki, the naive but loyal snake youkai familiar; Kurama, the human-posing pop idol, arrogant as all hell, but also there when push comes to shove; Himemiko, the princess ayakashi of the swamp who falls in love with a human boy and is the first matchmaking case Nanami gets involved in (and it continues throughout the series, and I absolutely LOVE Himemiko and Hotaro, they are precious); and all various wacky, eccentric, over-the-top kamisama characters. Plus, the entire Mount Kurama arc was amazing, and is my second favorite arc: Jiro has a surprisingly well-written, albeit, cliche, mini-redemption arc.
Overall, this is a truly wonderful gift of a manga series, and I could not recommend it enough, to both old and new fans of the manga and anime media. I'm so glad I finally took the time to read it straight through to the end, and fall in love with the characters, story, and romance all over again.
June 18, 2022
Amo este manga 🥺
Debo confesar que llore con el último tomo, la emoción de verlos juntos, ver qué se casaron, verlos como humanos felices con una familia, la tristeza de Nanami y Mizuki por separarse, la tristeza de Mizuki por perder a su ama nuevamente 🥺
En verdad fue demasiado emotivo y lo ame.
Y llore cuando casi Nanami estaba por morir 😭 debido a su esencia de vida, pero se salvó, menos mal, me faltaba el final feliz que si llego 😍.
La trama al inicio es algo sosa pero a medida que va avanzando toma profundidad, los personajes se van desarrollando y creciendo a medida que avanzan.
Odio a bola de pelos/ Yatori 😒😡 es un maldito en verdad, siempre haciendo daño... Y más encima solo quería ser más poderoso 😐
Me encantó la relación de Tomoe y Akura, su amistad es muy bella, pese a sus diferencias supieron llevarse bien y aprendieron a ser humanos y vivir como uno 🥺 desarrollaron sentimientos que no podían como demonios y continuaron siempre como amigos ❤️
Las relaciones que va construyendo Nanami a medida que va avanzando y creciendo, son tan fuertes que todos confían y creen en ella, pese a ser una humana, además de que todos logran llegar a quererla 🥺 en su labor como Diosa ayudo y apoyo a muchas personas que se cruzaron con ella y ella siempre dió lo mejor de si misma 💜
PD: la reseña más desastrosa y desordenada mentalmente 🤣
Pd2: tomoe se ve hermoso como demonio, como familiar, como zorro, como chibi, como humano, como todo, es demasiado sexy 😍
Debo confesar que llore con el último tomo, la emoción de verlos juntos, ver qué se casaron, verlos como humanos felices con una familia, la tristeza de Nanami y Mizuki por separarse, la tristeza de Mizuki por perder a su ama nuevamente 🥺
En verdad fue demasiado emotivo y lo ame.
Y llore cuando casi Nanami estaba por morir 😭 debido a su esencia de vida, pero se salvó, menos mal, me faltaba el final feliz que si llego 😍.
La trama al inicio es algo sosa pero a medida que va avanzando toma profundidad, los personajes se van desarrollando y creciendo a medida que avanzan.
Odio a bola de pelos/ Yatori 😒😡 es un maldito en verdad, siempre haciendo daño... Y más encima solo quería ser más poderoso 😐
Me encantó la relación de Tomoe y Akura, su amistad es muy bella, pese a sus diferencias supieron llevarse bien y aprendieron a ser humanos y vivir como uno 🥺 desarrollaron sentimientos que no podían como demonios y continuaron siempre como amigos ❤️
Las relaciones que va construyendo Nanami a medida que va avanzando y creciendo, son tan fuertes que todos confían y creen en ella, pese a ser una humana, además de que todos logran llegar a quererla 🥺 en su labor como Diosa ayudo y apoyo a muchas personas que se cruzaron con ella y ella siempre dió lo mejor de si misma 💜
PD: la reseña más desastrosa y desordenada mentalmente 🤣
Pd2: tomoe se ve hermoso como demonio, como familiar, como zorro, como chibi, como humano, como todo, es demasiado sexy 😍
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 12, 2018
A pretty good ending to this series, I think. Not sure I would've done the same, but it fits. I liked that most of the characters made appearances at the end there, and it tied up most of the remaining loose ends.
This particular edition included with it a hardcover collection with a short story and color images and interviews. The short story was cute but kind of bland, but I'm glad I read it if only for a surprise cameo that I think I enjoyed the most of the entire bonus story.
The series has its ups and downs, and like most long-running series, it's so twisty and turny that you have to wonder how much the mangaka planned out in advance and how much was thought up as they went. I really liked Kamisama Kiss, though, and having finished it, I would still recommend it to people who like shoujo manga with magical mischief and sexy shinshi. It's cute and has heart, and though a little on the long side, it's worth reading to the end.
This particular edition included with it a hardcover collection with a short story and color images and interviews. The short story was cute but kind of bland, but I'm glad I read it if only for a surprise cameo that I think I enjoyed the most of the entire bonus story.
The series has its ups and downs, and like most long-running series, it's so twisty and turny that you have to wonder how much the mangaka planned out in advance and how much was thought up as they went. I really liked Kamisama Kiss, though, and having finished it, I would still recommend it to people who like shoujo manga with magical mischief and sexy shinshi. It's cute and has heart, and though a little on the long side, it's worth reading to the end.
January 15, 2020
I was freaking bawling my eyes out with Akura-Ou. I fell in love with the mofo and he should have had a spin off 😭😭😭😭
I took forever to get back to this and finish because I just didn’t want to close a chapter of my childhood and this great story but alas, I felt nostalgic and thought it was time to finish reading this.
The wait didn’t help from making me cry once again at the story line but also because it was the ending I was a non-stop water fountain 😭😭😭😭🤧🤧🤧
Unfortunately, I didn’t prepare tissues and was too lazy to get some and now my shirt and bed covers are a mess 😂😂
I don’t usually rate mangas but I wanted to put this in record so I can see back when I got the courage to finish this.
I’ll forever love this and cherish it ❤️❤️❤️❤️
I took forever to get back to this and finish because I just didn’t want to close a chapter of my childhood and this great story but alas, I felt nostalgic and thought it was time to finish reading this.
The wait didn’t help from making me cry once again at the story line but also because it was the ending I was a non-stop water fountain 😭😭😭😭🤧🤧🤧
Unfortunately, I didn’t prepare tissues and was too lazy to get some and now my shirt and bed covers are a mess 😂😂
I don’t usually rate mangas but I wanted to put this in record so I can see back when I got the courage to finish this.
I’ll forever love this and cherish it ❤️❤️❤️❤️
May 12, 2024
What am I to do with my life now I have finished this series 😭 this was an amazing read. I’m so so happy how this series ended, it really has a special place in my heart. I feel like I grew up with Nanami as I watched her grown to a wonderful kami and woman. Tomoe is fr best guy I can’t get enough of their romance. 🥹😭🫶 I definitely will be rereading this series if I ever need a pick me up, binge reading it made a huge difference too with the flow of the story not one second did I want to put my volumes down!
January 18, 2023
Awww, I'm so happy right now, that ending was probably the best fairy tale ending I've ever read.
Everything tied in so nicely, people from the Frist few books weren't forgotten and there were no loose ends, it was the perfect ending.
And yes I was jumping around like the fan girl I am through out the whole book.
I'm going to really miss this series, it had turned into a bit of a confort read for me.
Love it so much thank you Julieta Suzuki for making this beautiful story. 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Everything tied in so nicely, people from the Frist few books weren't forgotten and there were no loose ends, it was the perfect ending.
And yes I was jumping around like the fan girl I am through out the whole book.
I'm going to really miss this series, it had turned into a bit of a confort read for me.
Love it so much thank you Julieta Suzuki for making this beautiful story. 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
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