Sometimes Euro-centric anime can get pretty annoying to me, since I generally am not a fan of European art, architecture, or designs. Plus, Asian Europhilia unfortunately smells too much like rotting colonial imperialism leftovers. So when I see an anime based on European themes, my initial reaction is usually averse. The anime Blue Exorcist, however, is not only tolerable, it’s quite good, and what makes it good is the characters.
The premise is that a young teenage boy, who’s sort of that misunderstood truant, discovers a dark history about himself that his father has kept from him, that he’s not only part demon but a descendant of the king of all demons, Satan himself. Despite his dark lineage, he fights to be not only human but a good person. He discovers the world of exorcists, those who battle demons in this world, and vows to become one.
The story has a lot of surprising turns, but I think they were running out of money as they seemed to rush near the end of the series to tell the epic tale covered in the manga. Nevertheless, the characters are very likable and mysterious, and everything is not as hackneyed as it first appears, giving the whole experience a little extra edge and kick.
