*this is a long-form commentary, so read it…at your own pace. *

I’m not gonna lie—I had to rewatch this anime despite taking notes and planning out this post.

I’m working on straight commentary and how watching this made me feel, think—reconsider a little, maybe—and notice how I take in the things I find interesting. Especially if it’s a good anime (or horror movie lol).

So, I took a different approach the second time around and really paid attention to moments, stories, and the flow of the current anime I’m watching—and enjoying.

Blue Exorcist.

This one’s been on my watchlist for a little while—mind you I’m still green, I guess, when it comes to the anime universe—because I was watching a few others as a foundation to my anime resume.

I also was grabbed by some other shows along the way, but I started watching Blue Exorcist last month-ish (December).

WHY BLUE EXORCIST?

Well, I was piqued in after watching Tougen Anki.

That anime is still pretty fresh and only has one season. But I think, figuratively, underneath that was this attraction to storylines that involve the supernatural, gore, and somewhat unique characters.

Now, there are some running themes I’ve noticed with the anime I’ve watched before getting to Blue Exorcist.

There’s school or an academy of gifted or, for lack of a better word, underserved kids. However, the group is always tested and excels in some way or another.

And that theme is no stranger to what I’m watching now.

There’s the supernatural with this whole fight between the human world (Assiah) and hell, basically (Gehenna). There are demons and magic and abilities.

Watching this was sorta warm and kid-like, ya know!?

additionally, It definitely leans toward the religious side of the spectrum, which makes sense since that’s where exorcisms would fall categorically.

So, I was drawn in.

SO HOW’S IT GOING?

I’d say it’s going decently, whenever I’m not watching Soul Eater or (Gordon Ramsay’s) Kitchen Nightmares lol.

I finished season one, so I think that’s a win lol. It’s longer than the other seasons, with twenty-five episodes. Still though, I had to rewatch and got about halfway through.

And I took notice of how the first few episodes impacted me.

EPISODES ONE AND TWO.

What I’ve picked up on, as I’ve been further exploring this show and anime in general, is that when the season starts, you’re given the backstory and, somewhat, premise of what you’re about to watch.

in episode one of blue exorcist, we meet the twins, Rin and Yukio Okumura, plus their dad who is a priest—one of the best too.

their dad, Shiro Fujimoto, is like a chill dude that doesn’t seem too engulfed in the religious ways of the church.

Kinda like an uncle who loves the Lord but will drink and smoke and curse type shit lol.

as the episode progresses, i started understanding Rin a little more.

he’s fighting a battle in his head as far as where his place is among the world. his dad is on his ass about his behavior and lack of willingness, it seems, but Shiro—I like to call him Fuji—still wants the best for him.

Rin is only 15. and a boy at that lol.

So this internal battle is somewhat related to that. hormones???

and it shows up when Rin sees the bullies and basically can’t hold back anymore as far as how they treated him/others.

i also noticed how Rin is blamed for the aftermath rather than being the one who saves.

he’s seen as reckless and troublesome, but he’s either trying to help or did help, and it wasn’t recognized.

I honestly think that sucks.

Like if it were me, I would be a little discouraged if people thought I was reckless when I was only trying to help.

but little does Rin know, his “help” can be dangerous because of who and what he is (and could become).

and…it’s all a secret that Fuji has been keeping from the twins.

in episode one, Fuji does save the day in the end after finding out that the bullies Rin was dealing with—one of them—were possessed by a demon.

it also hints at Rin’s ability to see and hear demons plus his physical strength, which is sorta revealed via his first blue flame flare-up.

“A true sign of Satan.”

episode two is pretty intense lol. it’s where we basically get why Rin is the way he is as the season moves along.

we get to see his trauma and how that turns into baggage.

whenever Rin’s power is initially revealed, it’s made clear that more demons and ghouls will be chasing him, so his dad (Fuji) provides him with the “Koma sword,” or the “Kurikara.”

(now, the Koma sword contains Rin’s demon power. it’s never been drawn since it’s been sealed.)

Just thinking about it—this kid has grown up with his brother as regular twins.

They believe they’re normal, ya know? But they’re not, to put it plainly. Why lie to them? I assume it’s because of protective and safety reasons, but still…

sidebar: it reminds me of the Black household i grew up in and how certain things, like whose parent someone is, can be swept under the rug and seemingly sworn to secrecy. to be fair, Fuji’s circumstances were dire, but it just parallels the “dark” side of keeping secrets within the family unit.

as i continued to watch, Rin is faced with such life-altering decisions. it’s a lot of pressure that he has to learn to manage because he’s hot- and hard-headed.

and of course, there are the clashes with his dad about his behavior. Rin even told Fuji that he wasn’t his dad and didn’t want him to act like he was.

Sheesh.

I feel that thought, right?

My own relationship with my dad is not the best, and I make efforts. Those efforts have lessened as I’ve entered my mid-twenties.

Parents are interesting. So there’s a balance you have to have when dealing with them.

However, I wouldn’t tell my dad that I don’t want him to act like my dad. Well…he’s been more like a father than a dad as of late.

episode two comes to a climax when Fuji ends up possessed by satan as Rin is in hiding due to his first flare-up. this turns bleak because Rin learns he’s satan’s spawn while the father he’s always known is overtaken.

Shit sucks.

however, the action is dope. i felt a little invigorated while Rin drew the Koma sword for the first time, unleashing his permanent demon form.

Still, the circumstances were so undesirable. He’s gotta fight Satan on day one of learning he’s his son—crazy work.

for me, the true climax was seeing Fuji gain just a moment of self-awareness. it was enough to bring him back and commit suicide.

my boy had to kill himself to keep satan from truly taking over his body during the possession. this leads Rin to crash out and slice through the gates of hell, a.k.a. gehenna.

this episode changes the trajectory of Rin’s life.

and seeing Rin’s confusion about himself resonated with me during this episode. He’s fifteen going through all of these changes and adjustments while I’m experiencing them at twenty-five.

I’ve had issues with who I am and accepting parts of myself that may not be “normal,” like being on the spectrum.

that’s what Rin faces as the series continues on.

how does he manage the balance of being like a demi-human with “abnormalities” (i.e. having powers) and life as he always knew it?

Curiouser and curiouser…

EPISODES THREE AND FOUR.

more questions arose when i got to episode three and was introduced to Mephisto Pheles, or Mep as i call him.

*Cue academy-arc storyline.*

Mep is the director and overseer of the true cross academy. true cross is basically where students with some level of potential go to become exorcists.

Mep’s character is a demon, yet quite whimsical.

his introduction is welcoming Rin to the academy, but there’s something off about him. he seems very likable—has a pink limo (which my Black ass thought was a reference to Pinky’s limo from Next Friday) and shapeshifts into a dog lol.

once Rin is enrolled, the twins are back together. Yukio is waaaay ahead of Rin—this man is a teacher at the academy, holding an exorcist title already.

I don’t know how I’d manage having a twin or rowdy younger sibling. I bump heads with my older siblings, so we barely talk now lol.

sibling rivalry is there between Rin and Yukio.

both of them see each other differently now that Fuji is dead and the “secret” is out. Yukio has trained for his role since the age of seven, so being miles ahead is expected, as i learned in episode three.

This episode made me question what the underlying issues were and how they would be revealed, or resovled.

that being said…i thought Yukio was going to kill Rin at some point lol.

he peeped their dad was possessed by satan.

and then assumed that Rin was a weakness of Fuji’s, making it “easier” for him to be possessed.

That’s kinda fucked up, no?

I understood Yukio’s grief.

However, basically blaming your brother when you don’t know what happened or what he may be experiencing—due to him now being aware he’s Satan’s spawn—was quite, quite dark.

Anywhos.

it’s somewhat decided that Rin will train as an exorcist at true cross. only a few know about his demon/satan spawn situation, so it has to be kept under wraps.

i had a nudging feeling that Rin would no longer know peace since he went full demon.

still, I think the biggest “blow” in episode three was Rin finding out his twin will be his teacher throughout the duration of his time at true cross’ cram school.

It showed how little these brothers know each other and how the rivalry has grown.

I didn’t really have that “fun” back and forth with my siblings.

first of all, they’re older than me by ten to fifteen years, so how could we compete, ya know?

but i do see some parallels. like Yukio, i am the youngest sibling, and of course you’d expect your older brother, or sister, to protect and help guide you in life.

my siblings, at least my brother, pick and choose when they want to “protect” or show up for me. but i’ve excelled past them via my career, education, and aspirations as Yukio has with Rin.

Rin now has to step up to the plate—something my siblings are on the fence about—and control his power.

getting into episode four, Shiemi makes her debut.

Shiemi is a true earthy girl.

she legit spends her time in her late grandma’s garden, tending to it.

Rin meets her while tagging along with Yukio on one of his missions, stumbling across the garden and unintentionally breaking its gate.

Shiemi and Yukio already know each other due to Yukio’s early training as an exorcist and her mom running the go-to sacred supply shop.

this episode gave me a another glimpse at Rin’s power in a somewhat controlled situation alongside his twin, drawing the Koma sword again.

for what this time? A fucking flower demon.

the demon took over Shiemi via what Yukio referred to as a “root” within her lower leg. Not gonna lie, the demon was like “fuck the bullshit, Shiemi’s not leaving this garden!”

it even used her body as a shield amid the fight with Rin and Yukio.

this episode was like a baseline for Rin and Yukio to somehow move forward in light of their dad’s death.

it definitely sets the tone for the dynamic of the twins now that they’re willing to fight together.

Shiemi’s character does feel like she’ll be more important as i continue to (re)watch lol. she has strong ties to the earth and anything holistic, so i’m sure dealing with demons may need more than one approach.

She kinda stands out right now because her character is quite selfless, willing to be there for someone and take care of them before herself.

She has a determined spirit too. Her confidence needs a little work; however, I understand how it is as someone who is more reserved than the norm lol.

Looking forward to seeing how her character is developed and where her relationship with the twins goes.

CONCLUSION (If you made it this far, leave a comment or DM me.)

To sum it all up, I like supernatural action anime that follows an “academy arc” with a little gore (and Blue Exorcist could use a little more of it) to top it off lol.

i’m also discovering that I enjoy seeing the internal battles of these characters and how they reflect shit in real life—like having stuff in common with Rin.

he’s actively working to accept parts of himself that are “different,” as am i.

i am looking forward to what else is in store for Rin, and the same goes for Mep.

His character isn’t quite sinister; however, there is some devious energy radiating off him. I’m sure his plans are filled with mischief as the season, and his intentions, unfold.

sidebar: Mep’s character is derived from German folklore and most notably associated with the Faust legend. research shows that Mephistopheles is a servant and messenger of the devil, or satan. in the legend, he’s known as a charming trickster, liar, and negotiator.

I’m curious to keep this form of commentary as I keep (re)watching.

i honestly feel like i’m back in college. i’m fucking using study and research methods to bring more to my specials interests.

and this show just highlights that through awareness of how watching makes me feel and relate to the characters/stories.

so, i guess i’ll keep at it, processing parts of myself that I’m still figuring out in the meantime.

-signed g the e.