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Eniale and Dewiela Volume 2, the next installment of the odd couple comedy by Eisner winner Kamome Shirahama, is near perfect. Eniale and Dewiela (stylized as Eniale & Dewiela) is a slapstick buddy comedy following angel Eniale, and demon Dewiela. They maintain a love/hate friendship, bonding over their love of fashion but bickering over their competition to obtain souls. Eniale and Dewiela Volume 2 maintains the absurd comedy, but it also contains a few more serious, touching moments to add emotional depth to the series. The manga is translated into English by Caleb D. Cook and lettered by Abigail Blackman. It is available from Yen Press.
Mangaka Kamome Shirahama (Witch Hat Atelier) expands this series’s lore, opening Eniale and Dewiela Volume 2 with both ladies hunting for souls in Japan. However, instead of treating the entire world as monotheistic, Shirahama has both Eniale and Dewiela clash with Japan’s many deities when they infringe on their territory. Their antics also pull a young shrine maiden into all the madness, as Shirahama’s artwork creates intricate, comical shapeshifting sequences. While the core inspiration for the series may be Christianity, it is nice to see it nod to other belief systems and even call Eniale out for assuming her God is the one to which everyone refers.
The 0 to 100 comedy is still present in every chapter. Pursuing a hot pastor leads to a zombie apocalypse, and looking for a lost earring leads to another parting of the sea. It is chaos contained in chapters, and it is a blast to read through. The manga also has a very touching storyline that will make all pet-lovers cry. The more touching moments in this manga work so well because the series doesn’t take itself seriously. Nothing dramatic feels forced on the audience. The thoughtful moments are truly beautiful, more so when paired with Shirahama’s absolutely stunning artwork. Seriously, the moments that take up full pages will take readers’ breath away. Even when the plot of a chapter is a bit predictable, the manga still sells it so well to the reader that it doesn’t much matter.
Finally, Shirahama’s artwork even goes grotesque in Eniale and Dewiela Volume 2. There is a zombie outbreak which isn’t really explained very well, the arguably lone fault of this volume. But the panels get up close and personal with them. Eniale’s entire body is literally rotting off of her as she tries to walk. It is such a sharp contrast to the beauty on display normally. The versatility of Shirahama’s attention to detail is on full display here.
Eniale and Dewiela Volume 2 is worth the purchase just for the artwork alone. However, readers will love the antics that occur this time around, with a more serious storyline that shows demons can be just as thoughtful as angels (if not more). Because the serious doesn’t take itself too seriously, it can go full throttle and entices viewers with just about anything it can come up with. Because of this, it should be taken seriously by manga fans as a valuable addition to their collections.
Eniale and Dewiela Volume 2 is available now wherever books are sold.
Eniale and Dewiela Volume 2
TL;DR
Eniale and Dewiela Volume 2 is worth the purchase just for the artwork alone. However, readers will love the antics that occur this time around, with a more serious storyline that shows demons can be just as thoughtful as angels (if not more). Because the serious doesn’t take itself too seriously, it can go full throttle and entices viewers with just about anything it can come up with.
Olive is an award-winning playwright with BAs in English and Theatre. At BWT she is a manga and anime critic, with an additional focus on mental health portrayals in media and true crime.
