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Title: Muhyo & Roji’s Bureau of Supernatural Investigation Vol 12

Author: Yoshiyuki Nishi

Publisher: Viz

ISBN: 9781421524269

May Contain Spoilers

The battle with Mick wraps up, leaving everyone exhausted, but happy to have completed their mission.  With Rio back in their custody, they don’t have to worry so much about Ark exploiting the book of forbidden magic.  Only Rio can open it, and with her back at the M.L.S., they think that she’s safe and sound.  What they don’t know is that Teeki is just as hell bent on wrecking havoc, and now he’s recruited Mick’s sister, Ivy, to infiltrate M.L.S. and bring it to its knees.  Can Muhyo and Roji stop her?

My complaint with this volume is that it feels like we have covered a lot of this ground before.  Roji is feeling mighty low, and since he is only a First Clerk, he doesn’t have the powers or skills necessary to help the gang flush out the hidden Writ of Passage needed to defeat Teeki.  After learning about the Writ of Passage from Isabi, the gang has to track down this artifact if they want to get rid of Teeki.  It’s older than the forbidden book of magic, and it used to be in Isabi’s possession.  Then, like with everything, he became bored with it and hid it somewhere.  He conveniently hid it somewhere at M.L.S.  So begins a treasure hunt to track it down, but because Roji is so weak, he’s not allowed to participate.  Poor guy.  Anyone should be able to help search  for a missing magical item, but no, he’s been enrolled in school, where hopefully he’ll learn some powerful new wards.  If he can do that, he’ll be able to rejoin his friends in their fight against Ark.

Though Roji actually has more tempering than any of them, he is consigned to the role of the weakest member of the team.  This just eats away at him, because all he wants to do is help Muhyo and save innocent lives.  Nobody believes in him, so he doesn’t believe in himself.  While I feel bad for the guy, I wish he would find a backbone and stand up for himself.  He makes a feeble attempt in this volume to do just that, but his research into new wards goes awry, injuring his new friend, and shaking his confidence once again.  Muhyo believes in him, but he’s far too fond of mind games to let his friend know that he has a measure of faith in his abilities. 

There’s a new foe for the gang to fight, and Ivy comes from a long line of forbidden law practitioners.  She is evil and remorseless, and makes for the perfect new villain.  You can’t help but find her creepy and hope for her comeuppance.  Hopefully it won’t be too long in coming, because she doesn’t hesitate to stoop to murdering innocent bystanders.  Ok, it was an annoying innocent bystander, but still.  Being a pompous idiot isn’t grounds for murder in polite society, or there wouldn’t be any politicians or lawyers. 

This volume of Muhyo & Roji doesn’t break any new ground.  One thing the series does have going for it is it’s blistering pace.  It’s hard to get bored with all of action taking place, but the retread of Roji facing his personal doubts is getting a little tiring.  I hope he learns to believe in himself, once and for all, soon.  If he was totally worthless, Muhyo would have kicked him to the curb long ago, because that’s just the kind of guy he is.  It must be hard being the most gifted executor to ever practice magic law.

Grade: B-