A short, episodic series about a temple-keeper's son, Ushio,
who accidently sets loose an ancient demon named Tora, and has to partner up with
him to hunt down other demons. Though rather short and left open ended, the adventures
of the duo are consistantly entertaining, especially the death-threat-laced banter
exchanged between the two. The show should be grouped with other combat and duel
stories, since the fights are the main attraction here. The characters are all
blunt and aggressive, with violence and posturing never in short supply. A good
dose of humor, however, lightens up the mood, using super-deformed interstitals
and shorts. Ushio's tough-girl friend Asako also helps to keep the machismo levels
down. The plots are flimsy things that depend on the effectiveness of the monster-of-the
day, but there's not as much variance in quality as might be expected.
From
the designs alone, this series is obviously aimed at the same young-male audience
that watches the Dragonball shows. All the characters are built to beat
each other up, and grimace much easier than they smile. The gigantic semi-feline
Tora is the exception, looking comparatively cuddly next to some of the demons.
His bewilderment at the modern day and its endless annoyances are some of the
best parts of the show. The animation is simple and a bit dated, but it fits.
Probably best enjoyed by the action crowd, but it's still a decent watch for everyone
else.
(3.5)
