Yamino Matsuei

(Descendent of the Dark)

genre: Fantasy

Juuou-cho, a sub-section of Enma-chou, is part of the bureaucracy of the afterlife. Primarily responsible for managing and keeping track of natural deaths in Japan, those people who should be dead but for whatever reason have yet to die, are "helped" to the afterlife by the shini-gami or Gods of Death. Tsuzuki Asato is a shini-gami for area 2 (Kyushu) and is famous in Juuou-chou for being especially laid back if not down-right lazy. However, at the same time, he is one of the most powerful shini-gami and is master of 12 guardian protectors. This power makes him a most coveted target for certain individuals on Earth who have become aware of the shini-gami and Juuou-chou.

Parental Guidance Advised - Based on the concept of the afterworld being a bureaucracy, Yamino Matsuei presents an unusual view of the afterlife based loosely around Japanese myth. A very bishounen series, there are strong shounen-ai (boy's love) undertones especially between Tsuzuki and Muraki. Likewise, there is a great deal of violence and blood as much of the series deals with the theme of death and the gods of death.