With the fourth volume of Shonen Onmyoiji the show continues along the path set by the previous volumes.  It's a solid, middle of the road anime series that is progressing nicely though isn't as memorable as I would like.  It's one of those shows that when it arrives I have to read the back to remind myself just what's going on.  Once the disc is in the player however, the program gives a good amount of entertainment.

Series background:

Abe no Seimei is a famous onmyouji, a sort of mystic guardian/priest/demon hunter.  He consults with royalty and important officials, and everyone in Japan knows how powerful he is.  (His character is based on a real person from Japanese history.)  Being the grandson of such a powerful and important person is no easy task, just ask Abe no Masahiro.  He's lived in his grandfather's shadow for all his life, and everyone expects the 14 year old to become a powerful onmyouji like his father and grandfather before him.  Unfortunately he just doesn't seem to have the talent for it.

One day Masahiro encounters a shikigami, a supernatural being that is sort of like a magician's familiar, a creature that only onmyouji can see.  They are supposed to be helpful, but this one is particularly annoying.  No matter how many times he tries to get it to leave, the fox/rabbit-like creature always ends up coming back.  Giving it the name Mukkon, Masahiro lets it tag along and tries to ignore its taunts as best as he can.

When on an errand for his grandfather, Masahiro is attacked by a demon.  During the battle, some of Masahiro's latent abilities awaken, which makes him overjoyed, but he's still not powerful enough to defeat the creature attacking him.  When all seems lost, Mukkon reveals that his true name is Guren.  When Masahiro says his name, the animal transforms into a human-looking being, one who has some seriously impressive powers.

Now that Masahiro can see demons, he starts on the path to becoming a true onmyouji.  There's something going on however.  A beautiful, and very formidable woman named Kazane has appeared who can raise the dead.  She's after something, or someone, and with her abilities it's not clear if anyone can stop her.

This volume:

Things pick up where they left off in the last volume.  One of Masahiro's classmates, the irritating Toshitsugu, has been possessed by a demon and there seems to be no way to exorcizing it without killing the student.  Masahiro isn't willing to give up on Toshitsugu however, even though the upperclassman is a constant thorn in Mashahiro's side.  That's not all of Mashahiro's problems however.  Spirits awoken by Kazane are attacking the capital and the only one who is free to stand against them is the aged Seimei.

After that adventure concludes, things don't get any easier for the young onmyouji, if anything they go from bad to worse.  While resuming his patrols with Mukkon, Mashahiro runs into a problem and ends up being possessed himself.  It's not a powerful demon that inhabits his body, but it does sap a lot of Mashahiro's powers making him very weak.

On top of all this, some of Kazane's past comes to light it's revealed that she tried to kill Mashahiro ten years ago.  When she discovers that he's still alive, she decides to finish the job.

This series continues on strong.  It has a lot of continuity, so the show doesn't come across as a monster-of-the-week show, and the plot has enough twists and turns to keep it interesting.  Masahiro is an engaging lead character, and his relationship with his grandfather adds some comedy that works well.  The best parts of this show however are the interesting secondary characters.  Mukkon/Guren is a great addition to the show.  He can be irritating and annoying to Masahiro (but not the viewers), but also comes in handy in a fight and honestly cares for his companion.  He's also the character that explains what is going on, just in case you weren't paying attention.

Kazane's role is growing bigger, and she's becoming an interesting and formidable opponent.  The pieces to her past that have been revealed make her more fleshed out than your average villain and her inclusion makes the show much more engrossing.

Abe no Seimei himself, who has a minor role in the show, is also a fun character.  He manipulates his grandson in a shameless fashion, but also seems to know more than he's letting on.  This show has a lot of potential and is worth checking out.

This volume contains episodes 15-18 on a single DVD.  It comes in a clear keepcase with a reversible cover.  There is an insert with release months for the rest of the series.

Audio:

Like most anime releases here in region 1, this disc has the original Japanese audio track as well as an English dub, both in stereo.  I alternated between the two tracks while screening this disc, and both tracks were very good.  I ended up preferring the Japanese track a bit, but there wasn't anything wrong with the dub track.  The English actors did a good job of bringing their character to life, and obviously fake accents weren't present.

Video:

The 1.78:1 widescreen anamorphic image was very good.  The colors were bright and the lines were tight.  The dark scenes had a nice amount of detail too.  Cross coloration wasn't a problem and aliasing was extremely minor, main in the background when the camera pans across fine lines.  This is a very nice looking show, definitely better than average.

Extras:

No extras this time around.  Only some Geneon previews.

Final Thoughts:

This show is continuing to unfold nicely.  It has a good story, some interesting characters, a solid mystery and enough action and comedy to make sure that it doesn't grow dull.  An all around fun show, Shonen Onmyouji is recommended.