Phantom Busters, Vol. 1

Gr 7 Up–Eugene’s first day of school is off to a rocky start when he must rescue a fellow student from the sea—and then needs to be rescued himself later that day, when an angry spirit tries to drown him. Meanwhile, Mogari Shishikuno comes from a family of mediums but wants to have a normal high school experience. His family is willing to let him go to school in Kamakura if he continues to exorcise spirits—a difficult task when he cannot see spirits on his own. Eugene refuses to believe in ghosts, but after Mogari rescues him from a dangerous situation, he’s drawn into helping Mogari out with his supernatural club, Phantom Busters. For things to work, they need to recruit Kanzaki, a boy who can see spirits, which allows Mogari to see them as well, and then someone else since they need four members. This first volume of Neoshoco’s manga is quirky, with hyperbolic characters and a snappy pace to keep things interesting as the creator sets up the series. The artwork matches the vibe, seamlessly transitioning from a standard style to panels with extra detail and emphasis to highlight both action and intense reactions, truly controlling the pacing and gags.