Tokyo Ravens Hindi

Type: TV

Episodes: 24

Status: Finished Airing

Aired: Oct 9, 2013, to Mar 26, 2014

Premiered: Fall 2013

Broadcast: Wednesdays at 00:30 (JST)

Producers: Geneon Universal Entertainment, Movic, Bushiroad, Showgate, Tokyo MX, i0+, Fujimi Shobo

Licensors: Funimation

Studios: 8bit

Source: Light novel

Genres: Action, Comedy, Supernatural, Magic, Romance, School

Duration: 23 min. per ep.

Rating: PG-13 - Teens 13 or older

Plot : 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.

User Review: Sometimes shows come around that are completely generic and average on paper, but are unusually fun to watch. Looking at my 6 scores 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