#onmyouji mao
Damn, Sasuga ain’t no slouch
Comedic Maonoka.
Looking at Sasuga always makes me think of Rin, not just in a same-face-syndrome kind of way but also their hair does the same flippy thing, and even his personality is a bit bubbly like hers too.
Sasuga is Rin’s descendant is what I mean to say
like her and Kohaku’s kid/grandkid married into the water practitioner’s family or something when they were still prosperous I dunno.
Timeline wise the headcanon is flawless!
Nanoka: Mao’s been really sweet lately ☺️
Mao: *Throws ash in her face*
Official manga art from this week’s magazine group cover!
The flower Mao is holding are Rapeseed blossoms…
Which is the kanji meaning for Nanoka’s name
Although he likely doesn’t possess real emotion the way humans would (and I believe Takahashi said as much in a Q&A), I do find these moments where Otoya seems to exhibit feelings such as shock or irritation very interesting.
Particularly when Mao’s kodoku jar is stolen, Otoya’s determination to catch the thief struck me as emotional - whether through his choice of words or the dark background framing him, it gave off an angry feeling that caught me be surprise on the first read.
The exact mechanics of Shikigami vary across all kinds of stories and media, but one popular notion I like is that they’re spirits bound their master as servants, and should a shikigami gain an overly strong sense of ‘self’ or start feeling things on their own accord, there’s a risk of breaking their bindings and possibly turning on their former master.
So then I wonder, should Otoya start to exhibit real emotion, would that be a good thing? Or a bad thing? Otoya has been an ever reliable rock for both Mao and Nanoka. Should he turn into a potential threat by becoming more ‘human’ or ‘willful’, I think it would be a very interesting trial for our protagonists to overcome.
Well, basically… if Rumiko ever felt like pausing the main plot by exploring the nature of Shikigami more thoroughly, I certainly wouldn’t complain! But if not, I’d be just as happy to read fics on it one day ^^
Mao: Wet Cat Version
One of my favourite scenes from MAO volume 4. It felt like quite a poignant moment that really highlights the story’s mystery themes.
MAO vol 4 is out in English now
I was literally counting the days for this one!! Some of my favourite developments start here, and it’s great to look back on all the moments that’ll build up into something great down the road.
