Is Phantom Busters Worth Reading? Review & Where to Read
Quick Answer
Yes, if you want a fun, well-paced supernatural school comedy that doesn't take itself too seriously. It isn't reinventing its genre, but the character chemistry and comic timing make it an easy, entertaining read.
Quick Verdict
“It borrows a familiar exorcist-club shonen shape, then fills it with characters funny enough that the familiarity stops mattering after a chapter or two.”
Best for: Readers who want a light, funny supernatural school comedy with strong character chemistry and don't need a groundbreaking premise.
Not for: Readers who want dense, original world-building or art that pushes past standard Jump-style shonen polish.
- Type
- Manga
- Genres
- Supernatural, Comedy
- Status
- Ongoing
- This review
- Minor Spoilers
- Author
- Neo Shoco
- Publisher
- Shueisha
- Platform
- Viz Media
| Quick facts | |
|---|---|
| Format | Manga (shōnen), 7 volumes |
| Run | 2023–present · ongoing |
| Community score | AniList 8.0 · MangaUpdates 6.9 |
| Content | Mild horror imagery, played mostly for comedy |
| Where to read | Viz Media — official |
Overview
Eugene Korekishi is a straight-A student with zero patience for anything supernatural — right up until his classmate Mogari Shishikuno turns out to be a practicing exorcist who deals with ghosts by, unnervingly, eating them. There's a catch: Mogari can't actually see ghosts himself. Once the two of them meet someone who can, there's only one logical next step by shonen-comedy logic — start a school exorcism club and turn their odd-couple dynamic into a full-blown team.
Written and drawn by Neo Shoco, Phantom Busters has been serialized in Shueisha's Jump SQ since 2023 and is still ongoing, with Viz Media publishing the English release starting in October 2025.
What it does well
The central mismatch between Eugene and Mogari is a simple idea that keeps paying off. A skeptic who doesn't believe in ghosts, teamed with an exorcist who can't see the things he's supposed to be fighting, gives every new supernatural encounter a built-in comic angle without the manga having to manufacture new jokes from scratch each chapter.
Neo Shoco's comic instincts are the book's biggest strength. Expressions, reaction shots, and physical comedy land consistently, and that timing does as much work as the actual dialogue to keep chapters feeling light and quick. When the story shifts into action, the linework picks up real energy too — exorcism fights read as fast and physical rather than static posturing, which keeps the tonal whiplash between comedy and combat from feeling jarring.
What holds the whole thing together is the chemistry between the leads. Eugene's uptight skepticism and Mogari's blunt, ghost-eating confidence bounce off each other well enough that when the exorcist club starts pulling in more students, the expanding cast feels like a natural extension of that dynamic rather than the story padding itself out.
Where it falls short
The premise itself isn't doing anything especially new — kids with hidden supernatural talents running a school club is a well-worn shonen setup, and Phantom Busters leans on execution rather than concept to stand out. That execution mostly works, but readers looking for a genuinely fresh hook won't find one here.
The art is reliable rather than a real showcase; it services the comedy and action well without becoming the kind of visual draw that elevates a series on its own. And because the manga is still actively running, a lot of the underlying rules around the ghosts and exorcism mechanics are still being filled in rather than fully locked down, which can make the world feel a little thin this early in its run.
Verdict
Phantom Busters takes a familiar supernatural-school-comedy shape and makes it work through sharp comic timing and a genuinely fun lead pairing. If a light, funny, well-executed ghost-club series sounds appealing, this is an easy, satisfying read; if you need your premise to be new rather than just well done, it won't stand out on concept alone.
Strengths & Weaknesses
Strengths
- The core mismatch — a skeptic who can't see ghosts paired with an exorcist who can't either, but eats them anyway — sets up a running joke structure that stays funny well past the first few chapters.
- Neo Shoco has a strong handle on comic timing and facial expressions, landing sight gags and reaction shots as effectively as the actual jokes in the dialogue.
- The action scenes have real kinetic punch, with linework that keeps exorcism fights feeling fast and physical rather than static.
- Eugene and Mogari's dynamic carries the book — their contrasting personalities bounce off each other well enough that side characters joining the exorcist club feel like a natural expansion rather than padding.
Weaknesses
- The premise itself — students with hidden powers running a supernatural club — is a familiar shonen shape, and the manga doesn't push hard to distinguish itself on concept alone.
- The art is solid and expressive rather than genuinely striking; it does the job without becoming a selling point on its own.
- As a newer, still-ongoing series, some of the wider mythology around the ghosts and exorcism rules is still being filled in rather than fully established.
Similar Titles
A longer-running, higher-stakes take on the supernatural-school-club premise if you want more plot alongside the comedy.
A different tonal mix of comedy and the supernatural, for readers who want more character-driven weirdness in the same space.
Another school-set supernatural comedy with a strong odd-couple dynamic at its center.
Where to Read Officially
| Platform | Format | Pricing | Region notes | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Viz Media | Print & digital volumes | Paid | Region availability varies | Open |
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Phantom Busters finished?
No, it's still ongoing, serialized in Shueisha's Jump SQ since 2023.
How many volumes are out in English?
Viz Media began releasing it in October 2025 and has continued on a regular schedule since, with more volumes on the way as the Japanese release catches up.
Is it more comedy or more action?
It's primarily a comedy with supernatural school-club trappings, though it does deliver genuine action-focused chapters as the exorcism plots escalate.
