▪	RELEASED BY:		TOKYOPOP
		▪	AUTHOR / ART:		SATOSHI SHIKI
		▪	FORMAT:		JAPANESE / BW
		▪	PAGES:		200
		▪	RATING:		OT
		▪	RELEASE DATE:		06/12/2007
		▪	REVIEW DATE:		06/27/2007
		▪	REVIEWED BY:		HOLLY ELLINGWOOD

The Kegai no Tami clans are in crisis. Already three of the five clans’ blood has been spilled and most of the sacred gates (the torii) have been opened. Now the 88 beasts only need the blood of the Kegai no Tami for the Gate of Water and the Gate of Sky to be opened and the monsters will be unleashed again upon the world.

Kami Kaze has been a complex and immersing horror series from the start. This latest volume looks deeper into the background of some of the characters while the plot is shoved forward violently by the latest shocking events and even more astounding revelations.

Readers are given some insight into Aiguma’s reasons for following Kaede and the rest. We see her abusive past where she was left ostracized and battered, she suffered greatly, and we learn the crux of her determination for staying with the ‘bad guys’. However, the latest horrors unleashed by Otoroshi reveal secrets that will shake the beliefs of everyone involved in the raising of the 88 beasts.

The startling realizations of this volume come fast and fierce as Otoroshi’s true nature is uncovered. A new clan is revealed, one that has as ancient a history as the 88 beasts. Destruction is lying in wait not only for Japan, but the world, if Ishigami and Misao cannot find a way to stop him. Even though they learn of a way to defeat him, a gate is opened; the one for the Clan of the Utsuho and its residence is not on this Earth…

This volume is a pivotal turning point in the riveting manga series. Heroes may be turned into villains, some villains have truly become victims, and many beliefs held by those fighting have been turned squarely on their heads. With the reporter Keiko abducted by Otoroshi for sinister purposes, Japan under near constant attack by the beasts, and only two gates left to open for the beasts to be free to ravage the Earth and devour humanity, things are building up for a suspenseful last few volumes. The in depth character development adds to the intensity of the series.

IN SUMMARY:
Kami Kaze is an intense and gripping horror manga like few others. Dark, textured and edgy, it’s an enthralling series.