Tactics

Tactics is, summed up in two words, nothing special. A pretty average anime with a generic "monster of the week" plot with a loose overacing story that is connected by only a few episodes, lacking memorable characters, what characters there are being pretty bland, and ending as a fair piece of work that, while certainly viewers wouldn't actively want to forget, is pretty easily forgettable nonetheless. Story: 6 (Fair) The story revolves around Kantarou, a demon exorcist living in what is presumed to be Meiji-era Japan. He has an unusual ability to see and speak to demons and often communicates with them in order to discover thetruth behind hauntings and possessions. All his life he has always wanted a goblin, a very powerful type of demon that often serves as companions and servants to humans. After following a trail of rumors he finally finds the sealed away Haruko, a demon so powerful they call him the demon eater. After breaking the seal, Haruko joins Kantarou and his friend Yoko (not to be confused by that other Yoko, sadly enough), a shape-shifting ktisune demon; a young girl named Suzu also tags along as she deeply admires Haruko. Other darker forces from Haruko's past may also be stalking him as well. Although that may sound like an interesting premise, the plot mostly hold together only when necessary, and the series is for the most part just a series of loosely connected episodes about the adventures of Kintarou and Haruko as they investigate one demonic haunting to the next. If you think this sounds eerily like Inuyasha, that's because it is, and a few people have claimed that Tactics is just a blatant rip-off, with Kintarou filling in the role o Miroku, Haruko that of Inuyasha, Yoko combining Kagome and Sango with Shippou's kitsune traits, Suzu filling in for Shippou sans the magic, and the dark forces that stalk Haruko can easily be mistaken for Naraku and Kagura. Take it as you will, but at least the shorter length of Tactics allows for a more successful, filler-free formula than Inuyasha. Art: 6 (fair) The art style is rather bland and indistinctive from other anime of the same vintage. Locales are as vivid only as they need to be, and leaves little in terms of memorable impression. Character: 6 (Fair) Once again, the characters fail to make any memorable impressions, largely being stock and carrying on as viewers would expect. Perhaps, ironically enough, most memorable in how they behave like Inuyasha's cast in this regard. Enjoyment: 6 (Fair) Perhaps a bland series, but not a bad one either. If no better anime is on, it's certainly worth watching, and is fairly entertaining. There are some twists and turns (including one right out of M. Night Shaymalan's playbook, and an earlier one straight out of Silent Hill) that are just enough to keep the viewer engaged. Which brings the total score to: 6: Fair

The story of Tactics is rather episodic, but each mystery Kantaro needs to solve makes the episodes entertaining even if some could be watched in any order and you wouldn't be lost. The series has a supernatural theme with some Japanese mythology mixed in. There are certain details about things that took place before the series started that are established but left unexplained. However, it's not too hard to conclude what the possible explanation would be. I won't go further into this so as to not spoil what little information is given in the series. The characters are well balanced; there are cheerful ones, a quiet one,the resident oddball and even the strangely cute "mascot" of an unknown species. Most people are likely to find at least one character they like. Despite its episodic nature, the show does carry one mystery that extends itself thought the series, though it is only elaborated on in a few episodes and finally revealed at the end. The series has a few surprises now and then, however after a few episodes the mysteries presented on each episode become very easy to predict once you get used to the style, but they can still be amusing. This is fixed with several surprising plot twists at the end that manage to give the series a nice somewhat bittersweet ending. If you like supernatural mysteries with a side of humor and friendship you'll like this series. Just don't expect a lot of romance because it's not a main theme. My only real critique is its episodic style and lack of closure; the current things are resolved, yet there's an important thing left in a cliffhanger, but it's still worth watching.

Oh wow… That was what I first felt when I started watching this show. This is not the show I had originally planned on seeing but when I did end up seeing it, from the very first episode, it just gave me chills. And then… the comedy hit. Now this wasn’t a bad thing really, it was just unexpected. I went into this story without any history behind it or any way of knowing what it was about and the first part of the show was so serious. Now I love the characters, even if they are pretty much stereotypes. Now I keep saying stereotypesbut its more like stereotypes but its more about what is normally in anime. A weakling boy goes out and finds a strong partner in order to fight against evil and is almost always being saved by this person. Kentaro may seem smarter then most of them but he is still pretty much the same. I can probably set the main characters into three groups, Yoko is the bitchy house keeper who isn’t really a main character but a secondary character no mater if she has her own episodes or not; Kentaro, the pushy, whinny kid who tries to get what he wants but with a pure heart; and Haruka, the jerk who sulks about his past. They should familiar, right? They are in every single anime almost. Now saying that, why do I love this show so much? I’m not all that sure the whole reason why I am but I know it is how the characters make you just fall in love with them and how they act. You can understand each of the character and the position they were placed into by luck or chance. Sadly, this also has a feeling of a yoai even though it isn’t (and the fan girl in me goes but why not?!). I mean, this may be a tiny bit of a spoiler but Haruka only awakens when Kentaro says his name almost in a love sick voice with a tear. The animation is pretty standard with one or two hiccups along the way, mostly in consistency between to places which is not really all that bad. The characters have this strange piece of hair that sticks out and wraps around there head like a halo of some sort and tuck into the other side of their head and it seems a little off. Also, some characters feel like they were slapped together and not really thought out much. Some of the animals also lack any real look to them, in fact, Yoko is supposed to be a older women but yet she transforms into this strange little chibi fox that does not have much of anything in terms of realism. Oh god do I love the music. It’s lovely to say the least and has the feeling of the time period as well as the supernatural aspect for the show. The background scores can get a little annoying but not enough for me to have to turn it off. This show is really a treat for its time even if its not seen as the best in everything.

Tactics is a wonderful anime that can be enjoyed by many. The main characters are very likeable and well written. The artwork of the series, especially the background scenery, is very well done and adds to the story. This anime could be watched in stand alone episodes, with its "case of the week" type format, but there are also story lines that cross the entire series, so watching it in order would be helpful to understand everything that is going on. There are a lot of comedic moments and many times I found myself laughing out loud. There are also some very poignant moments scatteredthroughout the series. When finished with the series, don't be surprised if you find yourself wanting to know what happens next in the lives of the characters! My only complaint is the short run of the series. I think it had the potential to keep going. If you are looking for an anime that is character driven with pleasing aesthetics, Tactics is for you!

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