Manga Monday: Shaman King Osorezan Revoir

Hi all! It's been a while since I've written about a manga. I've been doing a lot of video reviews lately, but I still enjoy writing, it's just I don't seem to have enough time for both...most of the time. But today, I really wanted to talk about the Shaman King Osorezan Revoir Arc, because it is one of my favorite arcs in manga of all time. Therefore, I wanted to get my thoughts out in as many ways as I could! So, without further ordo, let's talk about this beautiful arc.

 

Osorezan Revoir Arc

 The Osorezan Revoir Arc tells the story of when Anna and Yoh first met, and it gives us so much more context to some motivation behind Yoh and more story on why Anna is so OP. 

Our story starts right after Yoh gives up being the Shaman King in order to save Ren, who has died. The Iron Maiden says she can resurrect Ren only if Yoh gives up being in the Shaman Tournament. He agrees and he starts saying sorry to everyone who he ever made a promise too, and as his oracle hits the ground, he says sorry to Anna. I'll get back to this concept shortly. Then Anna rushes over to where Yoh dropped his oracle, but it's too late. He's gone and she's there stacking rocks, thinking about how Yoh has done this to her before. In the manga, it flashbacks to 1995 after this and in the anime, I really liked how they transitioned into the arc. They play this dramatic music and the wind blows from Anna's hair all the way to Yoh and he turns his back as the wind blows and we zoom into his eye and the first panel of the manga is shown and it's given to us in like a movie form. It was a great transition, one that I was personally happy see come to life.

The Music 

 So like I said, loved the music that can be heard from transitioning from present day to flash back. It's

just so dramatic and it really makes you feel like something dramatic is about to happen, which that something is. 

The other music part that I thought was absolutely perfect was when Yoh first meets Anna. An angelic choir starts to sing and Yoh is just in awe struck by Anna and we really get that love at first sight feeling that I'm still not over.

Also, we can't just not talk about the ending song. Perfection is that song. Megumi Hayashibara's rendition of the Ozorezan poem is sung gracefully and fans hoped we would hear the angelic melody at the end of the arc. Well, someone from the Shaman King production had to have went on reddit/twitter/tumblr, because our wishes came true. We were given a closure to this arc with the voice of Megumi singing one of our favorite poems ever written in anime.

Matamune

Matamune is a great character. He brings wisdom and experience, as opposed to our young characters who are barely starting out in the world. It's also intriguing that he does everything with intent. Throughout the manga and anime, we understand that his actions are all on purpose because he understands a lot more than he appears too. Matamune is also a likeable character, with his little cat mannerisms and his honesty.

He also helps us understand Hao and Anna on a grander scale. We learn that he used to help the original Hoa, but in the end, he couldn't save him. While Anna is not Hao, she does have his same power, and thus, is determined to help her hone her powers in the way he couldn't with the original Hao. 

Yoh and Anna

I love these characters. I thought the anime gave the introduction to

these characters first meeting was amazing. Anna and Yoh make an interesting couple from other Shonen couples. In the beginning, when you're reading/watching things play out in the beginning, it's as if they are a typical arranged marriage couple. They argue, Anna more than Yoh, and it seems one sided, with that side leaning more towards Anna than Yoh. But, when you get to the Osorezan Arc, you realize it was Yoh who first loved Anna. She trailed right after, but he actually really cares about her and that's what makes them different. They've loved each other from the start and were meant for each other from the beginning. 

We also learn through this arc that Anna was Yoh's first promise. It was the first time he didn't want to be Shaman King for selfish reasons, but he also wanted to help Anna. That's why Yoh says sorry to Anna when he's giving up Shaman King, because it started with her, his original promise. And if you think about it, before he wanted to help Horohoro, Ren, Lyserg, and everyone else, he wanted to be Shaman King to help Anna for a way longer time than any of them, and that is just the cutest and heartfelt twist of Shonen. Okay, I may be exaggerating, but it's up there. 

Anime Vs. Manga Vs. CD Drama

First off, the Manga is the original medium and it's great. It was great when it first came out and it holds strong today. There's nothing I would change about it. 

The CD Drama is beautiful. We get great voice actors, along with sounds and music that accentuate the story. I would love to get my hands on a copy, because I really love the arc and any medium I can have of it, I absolutely want. There's also a great YouTuber, who really brings the arc alive through the CD drama. I definitely recommend watching if you love this arc. 

 

The anime I felt was great, and I think it did the arc justice, escpecially it being 4 episodes long. BUT, I   feel like there are a few instances it could have been better. One of them was Yoh's concern for Anna when she gets taken by the Oni. I don't think it was shown as much as it could have been, so that was a bit disappointing. I also wish they would've put the whole poem together at the end, but they did use Megumi, so I guess I can't complain too much. 

 

Overall

Overall, Shaman King Ozorezan Revoir is one of my favorite arcs. I will keep re-reading, re-listening, and re-watching this arc until the end of time. And if I get in to Heaven, hopefully they have it up there too. It's a great story and a breath of fresh air from the tournament. It explains a lot and gives us insight into many characters. I hope you enjoy reading it too. Until next year, Happy Reading!

BTW, you can watch my Manga Monday talk on my YouTube channel!