Momochi-san Chi no Ayakashi Ouji (The Demon Prince of Momochi House) Review
- Mangaka : Shouoto, Aya
- Publisher : VIZ
- Genre : Fantasy, Romance, Shoujo, Harem, Supernatural
- Published : October 2015
Momochi-san Chi no Ayakashi Ouji (The Demon Prince of Momochi House) Vol. 3 Introduction
With Torii already a victim of the unknown spirit, Himari has to quickly figure out which of the remaining people are humans and which is the ghost. She’ll have to use her wits and powers as the landlady of Momochi House in order to protect her new friends. An enemy named Kafka appears who claims to love the Nue but Aoi despises him. Despite Himari’s protests, Aoi won’t reveal their past. After things have calmed down, Aoi decides to take Himari along to a celebration he won’t properly explain but it’s not as joyous as it first seems.
Contains Spoilers
Discussion Time
After finding Iizuka’s lifeless body in the bathroom, Himari starts to panic. She devises that by walking her guests past the mirror, she should be able to tell by their reflections who is already dead. Sure enough, Torii has no reflection. Himari calls out to her, but the other two students seem to have no idea who Himari is calling for. Himari realizes that while Torii may be dead, she’s not the real threat in the house. At that moment, it’s revealed that Iizuka was actually a powerful demon named Kasha. He’s obsessed with the Nue and plotted to bring the lonely ghost into Momochi House to turn her into a demon simply to get attention. He would have gotten his way if not for Himari’s intervention. She grabs Torii and comforts her, telling her that she already has a friend. Thanks to Himari’s earnest feelings, Torii passes on instead of becoming a malevolent demon. Kasha disappears but not before promising to come ‘play’ again.
Himari is annoyed by mysterious scribbles over the house that the other ayakashi don’t seem to notice. She’s also annoyed that no matter how many times she asks, Aoi avoids her questions about Kasha. Yukari directs her to Ise as they are both fire ayakashi, but Ise is angered to be grouped with the likes of Kasha. Her questions only increase and the guys are getting more agitated. Himari again complains about the weird scribbles to them all in the hallway but suddenly dark flames appear and trap Aoi. Those scribbles were actually traps laid by Kasha that can’t be seen by Ayakashi. Ise starts to go berserk but Himari helps channel his anger while reaching out to Aoi. The two strengthen their bond and drive Kasha away.
Aoi has a celebration to attend and brings Himari along. He dresses her as an ayakashi and attends himself as the Nue, claiming Himari is his new shikigami. In this new place specifically for them, we see many new and different ayakashi, making for an especially spiritual feel. Himari dances with the unfamiliar spirits and shares in their celebration until it’s revealed this is all in preparation for a dangerous and painful ceremony for the Nue. To reseal a powerful, malevolent demon named Soga, the Nue must allow it to possess his body before again trapping him in 10000 needles. The guardian of the ceremony worries the Nue might be persuaded by Soga and kidnaps Himari in order to reason with him. Himari indeed snaps the Nue back to his senses and keeps him from killing the guardian. The Nue reseals Soga and takes Himari back, acting somewhat aloof though his feelings for Himari are evident. After returning to his human state, Aoi gives Himari a pretty flower ring that she wears to school. Volume 3 ends suddenly as an unknown guy grabs Himari and begs her to tell him where she got the ring.
1. You Like Stories With Lots of Minor Supporting Characters
There are a lot of ayakashi that act like furniture or plants that just aide in the setting. There are also a lot of demons that serve as minor antagonists or wise characters that offer further glimpses into the world of ayakashi and our main characters. This could be showing off different powers or limits of what they can do, the things they enjoy, or even their pasts. In the case of Kasha, we can probably expect him to turn into a somewhat recurring character adding new drama and more backstory to our already beloved characters.
1. You Want Only Hot Men in Your Manga
Himari is the ever-present heroine who finds herself as both help and hindrance to the residents of Momochi House. She seems pretty realistic and at least somewhat likable, but if you’re just looking for hot demon guys, you might find her to be a deterrent. Aoi definitely can’t keep his hands off of her so fans of BL might not appreciate that!
Final Thoughts
It seems that every manga for Momochi House is going to leave us with a cliffhanger. We’re left in the middle of a horrible realization or drastic action that keeps you coming back for more. It’s hard to tell even in volume 3 if Aoi’s powers as the Nue are growing or waning and if Himari’s presence there will end up aiding him or bring about his downfall. Himari has definitely displayed a certain aptitude for dealing with ayakashi but her stubbornness may cause more trouble for those staying at Momochi House!
Author: May
