Plot / Story

Ushio to Tora is a revived anime series. The original series was adapted, just like this new series, from the manga, but that was in the early 1990s. This series was scheduled to release in the summer of 2015, which actually started airing in July 2015. The main character and protagonist is a boy named Ushio, until now he has just been a normal boy who goes to school every day. . His family has been entrusted with the 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 that they were just that, stories.

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

Nagatobimaru would probably have devoured 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 Beast Spear. Ushio transforms into a strong and fast warrior whenever he wishes to fight with the spear. In fact, the only thing you see different is that he has crazy long hair. After somehow resolving their differences, they can team up to repel the Youkai attack. It is at this moment that Nagatobimaru states 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 the waves of Youkai that are coming, 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 called Hakumen no Mono. Hakumen no Mono is a Youkai that devastated the entire world in his day, it took a combination of Youkai and man to seal it. However, it seems that now it will be a greater threat than ever.

in general

I actually quite enjoyed this anime, the old style animation and art really took 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’s good comic relief. Ushio and Tora are fascinating main characters, albeit more Tora. Tora’s character is interesting as he is a scary and powerful youkai, but he gets fascinated by little things like flying on a plane or eating a hamburger. You should definitely check this one out if you are a fan of the old style.