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Divine Incursions is one of the more fascinating Yen Press supernatural and horror series for many reasons. One is because it brings up these sorts of imagined otherworldly and godly experiences tied to the unknown. Another is because said investigations can be unsettling or even scary, but could also be more positive. But a thing that I really appreciate about it is that we don’t get answers. The things Daigo Katagishi, Miyaki, and Mitsuji Rokuhara are often indecipherable and tied to ancient stories. Yet somehow, it still remains satisfying, and that’s incredibly clear in the second volume.
Editor’s Note: There are no spoilers for the stories in the second volume of the Divine Incursions manga below.
The second volume of the Divine Incursions manga even begins with that sort of situation. At the end of the first volume, Daigo and Miyaki are investigating unusual incidents at a village that apparently had a mermaid wash ashore years ago. Residents behaved strangely and had an odd smile on their face, and there also ended up being talk about the mermaid appearing in a neighboring town first. We got some insights into the original incident, but due to the age didn’t get all the answers, and that carries over to the “resolution” that comes at the start of this second volume. While Daigo worked out what happened, that’s the only closure, and it lets our imagination play around with what could have happened in that village with that divine incursion after.
The second story in the second volume is another example of a Divine Incursions tale after which we’re left with a feeling of things being uncertain and unfinished on many fronts. Due to Miyaki finishing up work at her old post, Daigo heads out on an assignment at a dam with his boss and former brother-in-law Mitsuji. An old village known for making caskets with allegedly sacred camphor trees is now underwater as part of the dam for the area. However, when it rains people can’t use the elevator, a strange shadowy entity appears, and people apparently start hearing the voices of the dead.
It ends up being fascinating for many reasons, and offers a few situations where we don’t get answers. Daigo’s wife Misaki disappeared a while back with no explanation, with Mitsuji suggesting she’s dead and Daigo insisting she’s still alive somewhere. We learn more about their past, as a result of the divine incursion’s influence. There’s also the history of the village that’s now gone, the god tied to it and the camphor trees, and the new developments regarding these otherworldly happenings. But even though we don’t firsthand witness results, definitive conclusions, and answers, it still feels fulfilling. Not getting closure feels like we do still get some, if that makes sense.
It’s also a nice change of pace since not every case in Divine Incursions goes that way. Sometimes we get answers! Sometimes we don’t! Life’s like that. It fits with the premise. And, since we don’t always know if things will be resolved or it is even possible for Daigo, Miyaki, and Mitsuji to do anything about it beyond work out what’s going on. It keeps you guessing as you read.
Divine Incursions is an unusual exploration of supernatural cases, and the fact we get varying degrees of closure keeps things interesting. It also makes the situations seem more authentic. After all, Daigo, Miyaki, and Mitsuji are dealing with otherworldly entities with unknowable motivations and abilities. It would be presumptuous to always expect and get answers.
Volumes 1 and 2 of the Divine Incursions manga are available now, and Yen Press will release volume 3 on December 15, 2026. The company also handles the localization of the light novels.
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