Monster Soul

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Black Airs, baby!

Welcome to Elfenland, a fantasy world where monsters co-exist with humans. However, as you can imagine, tensions on both side flair more often then not, leading into an ongoing battle between the two (Humans are afraid of the monsters preying on them, while the monsters are afraid the humans will hunt them down). Despite this, a group of monsters, The Black Airs, a ragtag bunch said to be the strongest monster force (which include Aki (a werewolf), Touren (a sand golem, half human hybrid), James (a Frankenstein's monster-ish guy), Mamii (mummy) and Joba (a onion looking monster) have made sure both sides are under control and work to find a peaceful solution to the war.

Such is the story of Monster Soul, a manga from Hiro Mashima (Rave Master, Fairy Tail). Not particularly a long manga (only two volumes) but a good yarn nonetheless, especially those to fans of monsters. Can be found at Manga Fox.

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Tropes used in Monster Soul include:

• Action Bomb: Frank, a skeleton who, somehow, can shoot dynamite from his head
• Back From the Dead: Aki's parents who were thought dead but in the final chapter was revealed to had merely has their souls sucked out. Doesn't explain where their bodies have been though.
• Bandage Babe: Mamii, obviously.
• Blessed with Suck: Sand Golems can manipulate and create sand at will but desolve in rainstorm, the exception being Touran who is half-human.
• Cool Shades: Frank again
• Cute Monster Girl: Touren and Mamii definitely fit this.
• Expy: Mamii is quite similar to Erza from another of Mashima's works Fairy Tail.
  • Mami also has Gray's habit of stripping.
• Eyepatch of Power: Mamii... least until she gets her eye back.
• Five-Man Band
• Frankenstein's Monster: James
• Gentle Giant James, not surprisingly
• Golem: Touren
• Groin Attack: Real cheap shot here
• Half-Human Hybrid: Touren again, whose father is a golem and mother is a human It was due to this that she survived a rain storm that washed away her clan.
• Humans Are the Real Monsters: Touched upon but the Black Airs don't see it that way. Only fighting against humans who wish to do harm to the monsters. Otherwise they're friendly to both sides.
• Mama Bear: Mamii to the group.
• Missing Mom: Touren though its implied she died not long after Touren was born.
• Monster Mash: Hooo yeah
• One-Winged Angel: Aki's Soul Form
• Our Werewolves Are Different: Aki
• Our Vampires Are Different: Kiriko
• Parental Abandonment: Mamii and James fit this. The first whose parents we never know about, the only flashback of her on her own is running away from humans before meeting James. James however plays this straight as he was created a weapon by the humans meant to hunt down monsters. But was viewed as a failure and abandoned before Mamii found and befriended him. Subverted with Aki and Touren, the former whose parents were killed by a human hunter and the latter whose father and clan were dissolved in a rain storm.
• Punny Name: Mamii, get it?
• Ragtag Bunch of Misfits
• Ridiculously Cute Critter: Joba, the onion monster.
• Running Gag James literally losing his face. Mamii stripping unknowingly.
• Shout-Out Theme Naming: 'Aki' means autumn. This follows in a tradition set by other Mashima characters Haru (Spring) and Natsu (Summer).
• Soul Jar
• Tear Jerker: Touren's back story.
• To Hell and Back: A story arc that makes up the last few chapters.
• Weaksauce Weakness: Well more like an inconvenience really, Aki falls asleep whenever he finishes a battle due to his soul form using so much energy.
• Whip It Good: A form of attack for Mamii and her bandages.