Kamisama Kiss #2

Kamisama Kiss, or Kamisama Hajimemashita, was created by manga artist Julietta Suzuki and serialized in the shoujo magazine Hana to Yume beginning in 2008. The second volume continues the journey of Nanami Momozono, a high school girl who unexpectedly finds herself serving as a local deity at a dilapidated shrine, tasked with managing the affairs of supernatural spirits. Suzuki’s work is noted for its blending of traditional Japanese folklore with contemporary romantic comedy tropes, capturing the tension between human limitations and divine responsibilities.

The character design and visual tone of the series were crafted by Suzuki to evoke a whimsical yet ethereal atmosphere, drawing heavily on Shinto iconography to ground the supernatural narrative. Upon its release, the volume was well-received by readers for its balance of lighthearted character interactions and the burgeoning romantic bond between Nanami and her fox spirit familiar, Tomoe. This volume solidified the series' trajectory as a staple of the fantasy-shoujo genre, leading to a long-running print run and a subsequent anime adaptation.