GHOST SADIST MIKAMI #12

 So now that Yokoshima is a ghost sweeper, will he finally enjoy "A Night with Mikami?" Not a hard question.

Perhaps coincidentally, though most previous punishments by Reiko are not prolonged like this one, in "Bell" Reiko's friendly enemy Emi fantasizes about subjecting her beloved vampire-beloved Pete to domme-play as a means of controlling him.

GHOST SADIST MIKAMI #11

 Some months after the end of the GHOST SWEEPER tv show, mangaka Tadashi Shiina seemed to get a little more ambitious. He launched a 20-part story, "For Whom the Bell Tolls," which followed up on some suggestions he'd made to the effect that perpetual punching-bag Tadao Yokoshima might have some supernatural power capable of being trained for ghost-busting purposes. 

"Bell" starts out routinely enough. Previous acquaintance Shoryuki, an incarnate female dragon-god, wants GS for a mission. Yokoshima makes a pass at Shoryuki, so both she and Reiko beat him up.

  Shoryuki thinks dirty dealings may be going at the school where ghost sweepers are trained in their profession, and she wants GS to go undercover. Since Reiko is already a graduate, they determine to make Yokoshima a candidate as a medium for investigation. Shoryuki gives the youth a magical protection-kiss, and for the first time, Reiko is seen to be visibly annoyed by Yokoshima's interaction with another female, even though she knows the goddess is not expressing affection.

Once Yokoshima is enrolled at the school, he's not thrilled to learn he has to fight other candidates. He's immediately smitten by one sexy entrant, considering her hotter than Reiko. Surprise! It is Reiko, in disguise. 

Against all odds, Yokoshima wins one match, but Reiko clouts him for getting cocky.

However, though in the next match he faces a martially superior female opponent, he channels his power of lust into a "spirit wave" and triumphs.

Against all expectations, Yokoshima is able to continue using his lust-power to triumph, though Reiko still isn't willing for him to use her in his fantasies.

  

  

GHOST SADIST MIKAMI #10

 "If Life Gives You Lemons, Make Lemonade" sounds more like the title of a self-help book than of a story about a lady exorcist fighting a demon who can change adults into children and summon armies of rats.

 And then it's back to basic gropery in "The Lucky Leaf Has Sprouted."

GHOST SADIST MIKAMI #9

 Though "Path of the Dragon" is mostly about Mikami training herself in a spirit-world, Tadao oscillates between being his usual lecherous self-- and showing some noble moments, before reverting to his normal lecherous self.

GHOST SADIST MIKAMI #8

 A demon reduces the lady exorcist to a doll-sized "Mini Mikami." Even at pint-size, Mikami vanquishes the demon. Tadao anticipates that the cancelled spell will result in a naked Mikami-- but she puts his lights out before he sees anything, and for good measure makes him give her his clothes while they walk home, putting a chill on his body as much as on his lustful ambitions.

   

A less routine tale, "Wedding War," involves Mikami forcing Tadao to pretend to be her boyfriend to discourage a rich suitor. She still knocks him around when he gets too grabby, and yet the tale ends with Mikami taking her employee to dinner-- the closest thing they ever have to a "first date."

  

Some months later, in an arc called "Dad's Here," Mikami gets teased by Okinu about having a thing for Tadao. Though the exorcist denies it, she also tells the ghost-girl that if Tadao became more of a man she might reconsider her opinion of him-- which is the first time she even slightly admits the possibility of such a change.

  

GHOST SADIST MIKAMI #7

 "Be Ambitious" demonstrates some ambition on the artist's part, for Mikami finally gets a little competition for Tadao's services from an old enemy, fellow ghost-sweeper Emi Osagawara. Emi tries to hire Tadao away from Mikami, and she's so offended by this that instead of offering the youth a higher wage, she keeps lowering it, as if challenging Tadao to break free of his thralldom to her. When he inevitably does depart to work for Emi, Mikami doesn't seem to miss him at all, though Okinu does. However, after Tadao learns the downside of his employment with Emi, and wants to come back, she gives him just a slight raise in tacit encouragement.

 

In "Go West," Mikami is forced to work alongside rival Emi. First, Tadao makes his usual ordinary assault:

 Then Tadao gets changed into a vampire, making him much more formidable-- though Mikami still kicks his ass-- and she continues to levy punishment when Tadao returns to normal, even though he wasn't really responsible for attacking her. 

 

GHOST SADIST MIKAMI #6

 In the four-part "Love Needs Its Time," Doctor Chaos comes up with a potion to make Mikami regress in time until she disappears, but of course Tadao takes it. His only hope is to get Mikami, or some earlier version of Mikami, to kiss him-- which proves difficult, to say the least.