Tokyo Ravens

Onmyoudou magic was once a powerful technique used by the Japanese during the second World War in order for them to gain the upper hand and establish their nation as a formidable force. But Japan was quickly defeated after the revered onmyouji Yakou Tsuchimikado caused the "Great Spiritual Disaster," an event which plagues Tokyo to this very day. As a result of this mishap, the Onmyou Agency was established in order to exorcise further spiritual disasters and combat the demons that would make their way into the world.

Now, Onmyoudou has become far more modern, simplified, and refined for use in a wide variety of applications such as medicine and technology. However, not everyone is able to utilize the magic, as is the case with Harutora, a member of the Tsuchimikado's branch family. Despite an old promise to protect Natsume, the heir of the Tsuchimikado's main family and Yakou's supposed reincarnation, as her familiar, Harutora has no talent and chooses to live a normal life instead. But when a prominent member of the Onmyou Agency attempts to recreate the same experiment which led to Japan's downfall, he decides to make good on his word and fight by Natsume's side.

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

Tsuchimikado, Natsume Main

Hanazawa, Kana Japanese

Tsuchimikado, Harutora Main

Ishikawa, Kaito Japanese

Ato, Touji Main

Kimura, Ryouhei Japanese

Kon Supporting

Toyosaki, Aki Japanese

Dairenji, Suzuka Supporting

Sakura, Ayane Japanese

Ootomo, Jin Supporting

Yusa, Kouji Japanese

Hishamaru Supporting

Kaida, Yuuko Japanese

Hokuto Supporting

Kanemoto, Hisako Japanese

Ashiya, Douman Supporting

Tobita, Nobuo Japanese

Saotome, Suzu Supporting

Kitta, Izumi Japanese

Cook, Justin Producer

Ogura, Mitsutoshi Producer

Ueda, Shinya Producer

Kanemitsu, Kazuhiro Producer

Reviews

Mar 31, 2015

Kaaviken

Recommended

I´ll admit that I fell pretty stupid for putting this anime on hold for such a long time. As it started of with a meh and ended with a YEAH, this anime was surprisingly fun to watch.

As I started watching this anime, I had a feeling that the main character Harutora was going to be one of those boring mains to watch in the long run, but as I kept following the story, it became more and more interesting to follow this boring main and his friends. Taking on enemy after enemy, trying to become powerful shamans (exorcists) was only a fraction of what the ... story was really focusing on.

Still there are parts in the story that is halfheartedly explained, leaving you with a big question mark as to what is really going on and why. They also seemed to overcomplicate the story, making it harder to get in "The Zone" when it comes to characters and scenery. Still the story has plenty of upsides to it. As it is an well though story with good plot twists and a great rhythm and backstory to it, this story leaves me in nothing but awe.

The art itself were also pretty good, fitting well in with the story and providing well expressed characters when it was needed. Some part were also a bit sloppy when it came to the art, but when it came to the fighting, the art were perfectly done in a way that fits perfectly with what I am looking for in a action anime. I was easily taken by the fighting scenery and style.

As far as the sound goes, I have hardly much to say. The openings and the endings of the anime provides as beginnings and endings of the anime itself, making it easy for one to get right into the anime and the fighting without as great of a shock as what Ive seen other animes do. Following the story was no problem with such an intro to it. Yet I missed that little extra in the sounds, that little extra that leaves you with the impression "Oh, shits about to go down now" kinda sounds/music. Still it was fairly enjoyable.

As for characters I feel it could have been done a little better. The amount of history put into them, doesnt add up to the amount we are shown. I feel as if I know the teacher Ootomo better than Harutora and the rest. Even though there is given alot of history to them, I still have no clue as to what really happened when Harutora was younger or when anyone was, theres simply a lack of debts to them. I mean, isnt it weird that the story is mainly focused around this Tsuchimikado Yakou guy, and we hardly know shit about him or what happened to him when he was alive. Maybe they should have freed some room for a little backstory instead of providing us with small, unnecessary fillers.

Even though I said all that, this show still provided me with a lot of enjoyment and fun, and as to the ending being an ending I prefer over any other, there was no major disappointments to this show (that i noticed). So dont do as me and put it on hold after 6 episodes, make sure to watch it trough to the end straight away so it doesnt get confusing. I highly recommend this anime to all you out there who hasnt watched it, and lets all pray for a Season 2 :)

Reviewer’s Rating: 8

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Mar 26, 2014

wumbmasta

Mixed Feelings

Tokyo Ravens Review:

Sometimes shows come around that are completely generic and average on paper, but are unusually fun to watch. Looking at my 6 score for this show, many of you may think I didn't think the show was good. But this couldn't be further from the truth. Tokyo Ravens wasn't groundbreaking, memorable, or brilliant. In fact, it was pretty a pretty generic fantasy action anime with romance elements which is why I withhold too high of a score. However, Tokyo Ravens is without a doubt a very enjoyable show.

Story - 7.1:
Where Tokyo Ravens' story shines isn't through it's rather generic premise or predictable ... plot twists, but the solid pacing and backstories of the characters and the setting. The pacing of Tokyo Ravens is nearly flawless in my opinion, giving proper amount of air time to the intro, the time at school, and the more climactic parts at the end. The background of the setting is also very well realized and had me captivated with its mechanics. The lore of the world of Tokyo Ravens is also rich and actually significant when it comes to later events in the story. Yes, the overall story of a boy who gains powers teams up with his classmates to stop the bad guys has been told many times before, but the execution and care put into it all kept me caring from start to finish. Rarely were there moments that left me shaking my head in disappointment.

Art - 6.8:
For the most part, the art in this show is great.... Until they decide to use CG. The character designs are good, and the non CG action scenes are well done. Everything is fluid and the varied locations display a wide array of colors and artstyles. However, when they decide to use CG for familiars in fight scenes, things break down. Sometimes CG is done well in Anime, but for the most part it feels out of place and really cuts into your immersion as a viewer. Without the use of CG, this score would have been higher because the visuals were good.

Sound - 6.3:
There's not a whole lot to say about Tokyo Ravens in terms of the sound department. The voice acting was solid all around with a large cast of diverse voices. The OST was good and fit the show well. There weren't really many stand out songs however so I wouldn't say it was too far above average. I did enjoy the openings and endings especially the first ED. Really the sound aspect of this show was definitely good but didn't really stand out particularly.

Characters - 6.7:
Now, the characters in Tokyo Ravens are interesting for me. Because for the most part, the characters were just cookie cutter stereotypes. However, I found myself much more invested in the than I usually do for such one dimensional and predictable characters. This may just have been a personal thing, but who knows. A big plus of the cast of characters was just its pure size and variety. There was a large ensemble of good guys, bad guys, and characters that were in the Grey area of their intentions. None of the characters were necessarily weak, and a few were quite intriguing. The two main leads have a very interesting history and the interactions between characters rarely failed to be entertaining.

Enjoyment - 7.5:
Tokyo Ravens was without a doubt, very enjoyable to watch. It had this nostalgic kind of feeling to it and exceded all my expectations going into it. The plot twists were well placed and at times shocking, and the array of humor, drama, and action was well mixed to create an all around very enjoyable show. I personally find it hard to keep watching a show on a weekly basis for months on end unless I really care about the characters and and entertained by the events in the show, and Tokyo Ravens resoundingly delivered in those departments.

Overall - 6.88:
While it never really shined, Tokyo Ravens was still 100% worth the time to watch it. Keep in mind that a 6 in my books means "good", and if a 6.88 is any indication, this show was unquestionably good in my opinion. It isn't a caliber of a show that I would recommend to all, but if you are looking for an enjoyable generic action fantasy anime with romantic elements, look no further.

The Verdict:
A well executed anime that plays it safe, but was a pleasure to watch.

Pros:
+ Solid job of executing its wide array of genres (action, fantasy, romance, comedy)
+ Large cast of characters (all of whom are bearable)
+ Lore/Backstory

Cons:
- CGI poorly used
- Predictable story
- Failure to stand out

If you liked Tokyo Ravens, watch...
Fate Stay Night
Strike the Blood

6.88/10 - Good

Reviewer’s Rating: 6

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Jul 13, 2019

ShiroTheWiseWolf

Not Recommended

My perspective is one that is most moved and motivated on the romantic genre of anime, I'm a sap for a good relationship story. If you don't care about romance, my opinions won't matter to you.

Tokyo Ravens, is not that. It starts of with a bit of netorare (Which I despise) when the love interest is forced to see a stolen first kiss.

The main male protagonist, Harutora, is your generic love-blind simple minded fool, who couldn't read the atmosphere even if a hose was attached to the exhaust of a car they're sitting blissfully and ignorantly inside.

Natsume was a sweet love interest, who I genuinely ... rooted for, but the fact that her feelings weren't truly reciprocated until the most pathetic excuse for a climactic scene nearing the end of the anime, wore my patience greatly.

The anime leaves you feeling empty and bitter at the end, a vague belief that everything turned out alright, but not really, not really one bit, especially since there is no sequel, besides reading into the light novel.

P.S. The adorable fox familiar Kon was truly a saving grace, she was a loyal companion that was an actually useful plot device for the main character, if not for her, I'd probably have given this a lower score.

Reviewer’s Rating: 4

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