Ushio and Tora TV - Reviews

I can see people really enjoying this one, but it’s not for me. I need more than just fighting. The relationship between the two main characters is heartwarming, but most of the story is designated to fighting. This just isn’t my cup of tea. 

I would say this is a solid white chocolate Kit Kat anime - not as good as it would be if it were milk chocolate Kit Kat level, but tastey and sweet nonetheless.

STORY We know the drill - your normal high school boy gets absorbed in a dangerous adventure against his will and grows to accept it. The plot follows Ushio as he fends off monsters, rival Beast Spear candidates, and avoids being eaten by the yokai he freed from his shed basement... Tora. There's pretty much constant fighting going on even as you get into some of the backstory behind the spear, which I actually quite liked. 

ANIMATION Pretty sick idk

SOUND Nothing too spicy and what they did have they needed more of it

CHARACTERS Aight this is simple: Count on Ushio to be ridiculously selfless and always be there to keep girls from crying. Tora is a tsundere with hella thick thighs, end of story. Besides this we got two side high school chicks who at least get progressively less helpless?

OVERALL I was never bored and honestly think all the fights were varied enough in kind (be it yokai or diabolic scientists) and risk level (from 1 hit to 1000 hit kos) for me to keep engaged all 26 episodes. Indeed it really didn't need to be 26 eps, but the side stories they threw in there did help pace out the major developments a bit as well as show Ushio's development with the spear. At the end of it all, it left me eager to start season 2 which says a lot for a show.

Time for another teenage boy to…

The name of the boy this time is Ushio and his comrade in arms a Tiger demon named Tora. Using a magical weapon called the Beast Spear the two set off on the well-trodden hero’s journey to save the world. Initially the story is episodic with different villains for each of first ten episodes and with no real unifying thread connecting them all. From the quarter mark of the series the details of the main plot and antagonist is gradually dispensed. This works to build up the tension for when it is needed.

Simplistic yet aesthetically distinct actors move the story alone at a brisk pace. The characters have only the depth necessary to carry the plot forward. Most are well designed making them more memorable than those of other similar shows.

The total series comes in at 39 episodes, about 20 hours of viewing pleasure. It is long enough to create an epic vibe but not so long as to lose the viewer’s interest. Many modern Shonen anime run for far too long.

I recommend this to anyone looking for an enjoyable good natured hero story. The first episode is highly indicative of the series as a whole.

This anime adaptation is based on an older manga from 1990. So in a way it is an old school title that came across in our day.

 I suspected an older manga in terms of drawing style and presentation.
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Ushio no Tora is a title that brings with it many common shounen approaches. But what makes this shounen so positive are the characters as well as the story. I started with the basic idea that it was about a common fight shounen. I can only say that I was extremely wrong. The actual story is indicated and constructed at the beginning and receives the first clarifications at the end of the first season. To my surprise, these have been implemented very well. Likewise, the explanation was good and explained many scenarios and battles from the previous episodes. Also parts of the origin of the story. More was revealed in the second season.
Must note that the story and narrative remind me of a mix between Fullmetal Alchemist and Inuyasha.
Another note, this work is brutal and contains a lot of violence and blood, making it not childish.

Aside from the interesting plot, there were also some notable characters that are not particularly daunting. The female protagonists are normal, as is the protagonist. The protagonist, however, is a common naive block. Tora, on the other hand, is a really interesting and personable character, who are well developed.
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But apart from the positive, this title also has its weaknesses. Season 1 in particular. The second season cleaned up well and raised the bar even higher.
The series is too short. Some characters hardly had screen time. In some scenes it practically looked as if you had to know the character for a long time in order to understand his motivations, motives and lust for revenge. Instead, most are known for almost 6-10 minutes. Which made some scenes seem almost exaggerated because any character you only saw for 4 minutes dramatically blessed the timing.
The first season also had problems with building tension from c.a. episode 10. Between episodes 10 and 19 it was pretty bumpy and some things practically repeated themselves. The dialogues also had little creativity. It was a bit difficult for me to concentrate. However, the first 10 episodes to start with are very solid and the final 5 stand out enormously from the rest of the season.

story

The biggest and strongest point in the series, which only comes into play around episode 20 and from then on answers many questions and puzzles and raises new ones. In the course of the second season, there will be a clearer and more surprising resolution.

See also spoiler

Spoiler!
The story of Hakumen, Torah and the spear. How everything finds each other, even after a period of 2700 years.

Animation / pictures

The animations were pretty monotonous and average. Mostly stills and there was hardly any dynamic in the fighting. The presentation was also only slightly average.

Characters

There is no lack of sympathy here. Most characters stay afloat and have their own little idiosyncrasies. Some in turn stand out clearly, like Torah and
Spoiler!
Hakumen
.

However, most other characters lacked screentime, leaving them more or less left behind. However, practically every character had a role in the plot.

music

Intro is pretty appealing with this old fashioned look, very nicely done. The Osts are also pleasant and add some good scenes.

Conclusion

I have to admit, this anime has the potential to be one of the best shounen of its kind. As mentioned, the second season is "significantly" better than the first. The first season had extremely weak episodes in the middle section, some repetitions and hardly any tension. Only at the end could an enormous amount be whirled up. Season 2 ties in very well and offers an excellent sequel.

Regarding that, if the first season in the middle part weren't so daunting, this work could have really been better.