'Blue Exorcist' Animation- Season 1 Review

Blue Exorcist, also known as Ao no Exorcist, is a supernatural action animation series that follows twin brothers Rin and Yukio Okumara who are raised by Father Fujimoto, a priest of a local monastery. As if being raised by the church isn’t bad enough, life gets more complicated when it’s revealed that one of the Okumara brothers (Rin) is the son of Satan. The pace of the animation series is set early on from Rin inheriting his demonic abilities to him also wanting vengeance against the one person who destroyed everything precious to him, his biological father, Satan.

Granted, having to cope with new and abnormal things like carrying a demonic hanzo sword or having your friends be afraid of you, the main concept behind Blue Exorcist is the idea of being unique and 'alone' which myself and others can possibly relate to. Being a teenager, most of the obstacles are basically trying to come to terms with our identity and trying to fit in with everyone else which can be a long term challenge itself.

However, instead of dwelling on how dramatically his life changed, Rin channels his built up frustration and anger towards the destruction Satan caused to become an exorcist. I would see this as somewhat situational irony due to idea of a demon wanting to go against his kind and join forces with what is considered the "good guys" of the animation.

The one thing I did love about Blue Exorcist, was how was full of suspense. Rin never had a dull moment in any episode and himself as well as other exorcists in training were constantly involved in many demonic attacks and exorcist missions that kept them on their toes. It was also interesting to see that the rookies did well to defend themselves during these attacks. I will say that the lack of aid from the school's authority made things a little problematic. Though some characters of authority like Mephisto, were very humorous in both behavior and characteristics.

The characters were well thought out. Each played a certain role in Rin's life and his mission to defeat Satan. One or multiple characters displayed either mystery or humor which left me wondering what side they were going for. Not only did the characters interest me, but the idea of religion did bring up some discussions and debates as not everyone has the same belief or faith. But for an anime series, Blue Exorcist deals with the subject well by not reeling in too much religion and keeping the plot of the story on the right track, while also using these concept in parts where you would least expect them.

I heavily enjoyed (and rewind) the comedic moments in Blue Exorcist and all the funny facial expression the characters would make, and not to mention the cuteness from the exorcists' familiars. One, in particular, a baby green man, is my favorite!

Like majority of the anime series that I have watched like Persona 5 to Black Butler, I have always loved the soundtrack. The story told within an anime series would not be complete unless it's backed with a appropriate soundtrack. Blue Exorcist did not leave me disappointed; the music and soundtrack was on point and I could listen and dance to the songs over and over again.

(Music Video- 2PM - Take Off Blue Exorcist Ending Theme 1)

Overall, I really do like the first season of Blue Exorcist. The twist and turns these characters have to go through while trying to maintain the balance of good and evil, I will definitely enjoy binge watching this season while under quarantine.