Weekly Review: Ushio to Tora

Plot / Story

Ushio to Tora is a revived anime series. The original series was adapted, like this new series, from the manga, but that was in the early 1990s. This series was scheduled to launch in the summer of 2015, which actually began airing in July 2015. The main character and protagonist is a boy named Ushio, until now he has only been a normal boy who goes to school every day. . His family has been entrusted with custody of a sacred temple, which his father guards at this point. His father always told him stories about his ancestors and mystical monsters known as Youkai. Ushio always took it as a joke, thinking it was just that, stories.

One day, Ushio found a hatch in the temple floor, after he finally opens it, he decides to travel into darkness. What he finds surprises him; there is an orange tiger-like monster that has been impaled by some kind of spear. The monster, indeed Youkai, who was once known as Nagatobimaru, is this very monster. His name used to spread fear among the world as his savagery was not equaled by any man or monster. Nagatobimaru asks Ushio to remove the spear that has held him prisoner there, but also claims that it will devour Ushio the moment he is free, so he won’t get very far. After coming and going, and discovering that there is an imminent threat from Youkai due to the aura that Nagatobimaru postpones, Ushio decides to release him.

Nagatobimaru would probably have eaten him right then and there, but he didn’t plan for Ushio to be a very special person. He is an ancestor of the one who fought Nagatobimaru decades before, so he can wield the powerful spear known as the Spear Beast. Ushio transforms into a strong and fast warrior every time he wishes to fight with the spear. In fact, the only thing you see differently is that he has crazy long hair. After, for a bit, resolving their differences, they are able to band together to repel the Youkai attack. It is at this moment that Nagatobimaru declares that he will pursue Ushio until the day he can devour him. This is also when Ushio names the monster Tora, which is good because we later find out that he actually hates the name Nagatobimaru.

This is where our adventure begins. Ushio and Tora have to face incessant waves of Youkai, some more powerful than others. Ushio also begins a journey to discover the truth about his mother and, ultimately, where to find and kill a powerful Youkai named Hakumen no Mono. Hakumen no Mono is a Youkai who devastated the entire world in his day, it took a combination of Youkai and man to seal him. However, it appears that now it will be a greater threat than ever.

Usually

In fact, I quite enjoyed this anime, the old style of animation and art really brought me back to when I used to watch these kinds of shows as a kid. I really love the way the show can go from super serious to comedic in a split second, it makes for a nice comedic relief. Ushio and Tora are fascinating main characters, albeit more Tora. The character of Tora is interesting as he is a powerful and scary Youkai, but he becomes fascinated with little things like flying in an airplane or eating a hamburger. You should definitely take a look at this one if you are a fan of the old style.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *