A somewhat interesting story let down by certain characterizations and story elements. I definitely wanted to like it more than I did but I just felt it was rather average overall.

A great manga! I will definitely read the sequels.

It’s about a boy who’s sick and before death comes to take him, a spirit named crimson visits him and offers something valuable.

If Kamo is helping him to catch 12 souls of ghosts he will get a new heart in exchange! Is a deal with a spirit the same as a devils deal?

The mangakas drawing is full of details and I really enjoyed her style. I can highly recommend Kamo!

Book Review
Title: Kamo: Pact with the Spirit World Volume 1
Author: Ban Zarbo
Genre: Manga
Rating: *****
Review: The opening to Kamo was great, we are introduced to Kamo who was born with a failing heart and has been fighting off death for most of his life, he is in hospital desperately ill when a mysterious spirit named Crimson appears before him promising a long and healthy life. In order to be healed completely Kamo has to make a pact with Crimson to be a vessel for twelve spirit souls in order for Crimson to be human again, which he agrees to. But Crimson is devious and plans to eliminate anyone who gets in the way of his will to live.
As we approach the ¼ mark in the manga, Kamo has escaped the hospital but the police are looking for him now, however before he can get away he and Crimson encounter a spirit named Thunderbolt who they are trying to capture but it gets away because Kamo opts to save a man instead. As gratitude the man takes Kamo to his home where he meets Shokola a young girl who can see Crimson while others can’t, and she offers to help him hunt the spirits, but Thunderbolt is holding a grudge.
As we cross the halfway mark in the novel, Kamo and Shokola have developed quite a strong friendship in a short space of time but Kamo’s time is running out to capture Thunderbolt and absorb his soul, if he doesn’t then he will die, but Thunderbolt is proving himself to be a lot stronger than Kamo thought and it kills quite a lot of people with its lightening based attacks.
In the final section of the manga Kamo is almost out of time when Crimson tells him there is a way for him to receive more energy and therefore time, but it involves fusing their souls together which they do to defeat and capture Thunder’s soul, but it changes Kamo, giving him white hair for a start. However, we learn from Shokola that Crimson is feeding Kamo lies in order to make him stronger for spirit hunting but there seems to be something strange about Shokola as she gives off a strange energy and after Kamo absorbs Thunder’s energy she can’t touch him without hurting them both.
Overall, I really liked the art style of Kamo and will be reading the next volume as soon as I can. The art style almost reminds me a bit of Tokyo Ghoul one of my favourite manga series of all time, so highly recommend this manga.

One day a German girl of Dominican origin went to sit down to write a Japanese manga about a spirit world based in Switzerland. And it was awesome!

What I really, really loved about this manga is that the mangaka poured her heart and soul into this indie work, with the little help of her friends. And boy is she a good illustrator!

The Plot
Kamo was a terminally ill teenage until he begged for life on his deathbed. A spirit named Crimson comes to his rescue, but not without strings attached. Kamo's life comes with a price, however. Crimson can only give Kamo life by using someone else's, or by killing other spirits. Their lives are closely intertwined.

This is the Bleach-type manga I've always wanted!

"So you see, we have the same goal. To live."

Crimsom makes sure that no one will get into the way of his living - even if it means death for them. Despite this, Crimson can be very childish and easily irritated by Kamo's youthfulness and newly-discovered vitality. I love their dynamic. I love that Kamo finally gets to live a life of exercise, unhealthy eating etc. now that his heart disease is gone.

Kamo runs into Marie, Benno and Shokola, who are all part of a Latino community in Switzerland who are about to lose their home to a bypass. However, Kamo and Crimson have to defeat a lightning spirit who threatens the city they live in.


The characters
Crimson: I love Crimson. He's a wildcard of a character, but so much fun. He's neither bad nor good, selfish nor selfless - I can't wait to see how he's explored in later volumes.

Kamo: is your typical shounen main character, but unlike most he's had a very difficult past dealing with a heart disease, and so he enjoys having newly-found powers more than your average shounen teen does.

Enno: a father figure to Kamo, and a really funny and endearing guy. Wish there was more of him in this comic.

Shokola: Other than Crimson, Shokola is the coolest character in the manga. She's a sassy, curvy girl of Dominican origin who has some connection to the spirit world. She knows exactly how to handle Kamo and his self-deprecation.

I love that the author/illustrator ends the manga by showcasing character design and personalities of the illustrator/writers. It's very quaint and very heartwarming. It's absolutely awesome
illustrator! Doesn't feel different from a normal manga.

I love the character design! Can Japan please make an anime of this? It's time for Japan and Germany to unite once again Under better circumstances than last time

Conclusion
This is an absolutely awesome manga that reminded me of some of the best shounen out there! It just had my blood pumping and rooting for the good guys.

Kamo, a sixteen-year-old boy, is dying from a defective heart. Crimson from the underworld offers him a deal. Trap twelve spirit souls that will allow Crimson to live again and Crimson will repair Kamo's heart permanently.

Despite a non-Japanese author, the artwork has an authentic manga feel. The ambience is very international. The setting is Bern, Switzerland. The female lead is a Spanish immigrant who occasionally uses Spanish phrases. The plot, based on Goethe's Faust, is just different enough to be enjoyable without throwing off the manga vibe. 4 stars!

Thanks to ToykoPop and NetGalley for an advanced copy.

The book had an interesting premise, but I couldn't get into the story. There are no redeeming characters, and at times the artwork looks a bit off.

This was an interesting first volume although nothing really outstanding. Kamo doesn't really feel fleshed out to me yet but Shokola seems fun and I'm definitely excited to see more of her. It's a fairly straightforward 'deal with the spirit world' kind of plotline, but it's still fun and the art is good. I think the character designs are probably my favorite part of this and I definitely liked the new one in the last chapter. I am kind of confused on why a manga from Switzerland is still written in the right-to-left style, but I guess they were trying to be more 'authentic'?

This first volume of the new manga "Kamo: Pact with the Spirit World" has a very strong start and was an entertaining read. Kamo is born with a failing heart and is now slowly dying in a hospital. At least until he meets Crimson, who makes a pact with him to help him live longer, as long as Kamo does a favor for him of course. The art style is very beautiful and is definitely met my expectations on what I like to see for a manga. As this is the first volume of a new series, there is much to be desired, especially story wise. I would have enjoyed it more if I was able to feel a bit more invested in the characters. I felt indifferent at times as I read this, but I hope this will be addressed in future volumes. Overall, I enjoyed this first volume.

I recieved this ARC from NetGalley for free in exchange for my completely honest review.

'Kamo Vol. 1: Pact with the Spirit World' by Ban Zarbo is a manga dealing with the supernatural and a clever young man.

Young Kamo is born with a failing heart. When we meet him, he is in the hospital about to die as his parents watch over him. He is visited by a spirit being named Crimson who offers to extend his life in exchange for a favor. Kamo has to leave his parents behind and help Crimson find 12 sould for him to consume to extend Crimson's life. Along the way, they run into another being named Thunder who likes feeding off electricity. Kamo must protect his new friends and may have to team up with Crimson to defeat Thunder.

It's a cool story, but I sympathized more with Crimson than with Kano. It was hard to feel much about him. Maybe that happens more in later volumes. The art is good, and the book ends with a nice thank you from the artist and the assistant to the artist.

I received a review copy of this manga from Tokyopop, Diamond Book Distributors, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this manga.

I like the premise for this manga a lot, but unfortunately, it just didn't deliver for me. It tells the story of Kamo, a young teenager with a congenital heart defect. When he is conscripted by the spirit, Crimson to battle other spirits, all manner of things ensue. Firstly, I think the artwork is great here - very authentic in the manga style. The plotting however, leaves a lot to be desired. Character motivation is questionable and the dialogue is very clunky. All in all, the basic ideas are there, but the execution just lets it down.
I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.