In YuYu Hakusho volume 14, Underworld detective Yusuke Urameshi has only three weeks in which to stop the person(s) who are opening a hole between Earth and the Demon Plane. The force field barrier which keeps out classes B, A, and S demons is still working -- for now.

We learn that it's been six months since Hiei fought Yusuke and lost. In that time Hiei has progressed from an upper class D demon to a mid rank class B demon. Unfortunately, the incentive Botan the spirit guide used to get Hiei to help rescue Yusuke in volume 13 was a pardon. Hiei is no longer on probation. He doesn't care about the human world, but he does care about gaining access to the Demon Plane. He won't try to stop Yusuke and the others, but he's walking out on the assignment.

This leaves Yusuke with Kuwabara, Kurama, his teacher Genkai (still a very tough old woman), and the three Swam City humans who gained supernatural powers a month ago. We met them in volume 13. They are Shuichi Minamino (Kurama's human identity)'s class mate Yu Kaito, and his best friends,
Mitsunari Yanagisaw and Asato Kido. Kaito is 17 and has the power to create taboo fields in which one loses one's soul if violating the taboo. Kido is 15. His power is to render others immobile if he steps on their shadow. Yanagisaw is 16 and has the power to copy others' appearance.

Swarm City, by the way, got its name because it's infested with bugs. According to the first page, it has a population of 250,000. They can't see just how bad things are.

While Kurama, Kuwabara, Botan, and Kaito are checking out the hole; Yusuke, Genkai, Kido, and Yanagisaw check out a Swarm City Mahjong Club named The Stacked Deck (cute). There they meet Murota, another human who has developed a special power. I liked the way Kido tried to find out if he really could read minds. Kido didn't like the results. Can Yusuke deal with the jerk?

Murota is no Professor Xavier. His telepathy extends only 30 miles (48.28 kilometers). We have a couple of panels where we find out the thoughts invading Murota's mind. (The two bits of Kleenex in his nostrils after his bout with Yusuke are a nice touch.)

Murota is able to give Yusuke's team the code names of the storyline's villains: Dark Angel, Doctor, Game Master, Gatekeeper, Gourmet, Seaman, and Sniper. He has to be taken to the hospital after they meet Sensui, the Dark Angel. (The hospital's name is Malheur, which a helpful margin note tells us is French for 'misfortune'. Swarm City, Malheur Hospital, the Hangman Island of the Dark Tournament, and Bone Ulcer village from volume 6 -- I don't think I've seen this many unpleasant place names since I watched that 1983 humorous fantasy TV show 'Wizards and Warriors'.)

What's particularly disturbing is that Sensui didn't crack Murota's skull and what object did. Genkai tells us how it was done. We're told she has 120/20 vision. Hmmm.

We meet the Doctor, who definitely doesn't believe in following the Hippocratic Oath. One of his powers involves touch. The scarier one has an effective range of 100 miles/160.9 km) It's really good fight scene. His motivation suggests he needs a long stay in a padded cell, preferably drugged enough to prevent him from using his powers. I disagree with his stated opinion of his mental state during an interrogation.

Two days pass. Botan and Koenma have more bad news. Kuwabara's reason for not accompanying Yusuke to visit Irima Cave, place of many suicides, made me laugh. Perhaps it's just as well that Yusuke decides to go play Pachinko instead.

I was wondering what power the Seaman possesses. We find out. The information about his abilities on p. 125 doesn't state how much blood is involved, but according to p.128, one drop is the minimum needed. YEEK!

We learn more about the motives of the Seven, including a deep secret about Sensui and his partner, Itsuki. (I wonder if visits to opposite places would have helped.) Remember the Black Book Club from volume 6? We get to see another of their 'amusements'. Sakyo the sociopath was only 26 when that happened. (Yusuke was in kindergarten.)

If you're a fan of Koenma's handsome human teen form when he's in the human world (as opposed to his plain little kid form in the Underworld), you'll get to see it again late in this volume.

I love Yusuke's mother's reaction to meeting a couple of the Seven. We get to learn about a new fighting technique: aura lightning kickboxing. Do check out the double-page spread of little cartoony figures of the combatants and what they're currently doing on pages 186-187. (The caption for Genkai is my favorite.) The last two members of the not-so-magnificent Seven appear in the last panel.

Things are looking more dangerous than ever. Hope I can check out volume 15!

This is one of the translated manga where the art hasn't been flipped, but you should get used to reading in the opposite direction from American comics. According to a note on the copyright page, 'Artwork in the magazine may have been slightly altered from that presented here'. I haven't seen the SHONEN JUMP magazine issues, so I've no idea which artwork may have been slightly altered. ( )