The Genbu of Heaven and the Oni-eating Tengu

I don't usually wake up before nine o'clock in the morning during weekends or vacation. If it wasn't for Abe no Yasuaki, the Genbu of Heaven and his green hair, I'd have spent my spare time playing Battle Realms and Generals.

The last time I watched anime was more than five years ago. The last characters I was interested with were Sanosuke of Samurai X and Ryu of Streetfighter.

Nothing about the story caught my attention. It was the animation that was superb. The fact that they have captured the spirit of the Heian Era was quite unusal for something that is usually associated with elementary kids. The clothes looked real. They were very detailed and beautifully rendered. They match the color of the hair and eyes of each character.

The music gives a different quality to the series. You can sense the power and the tension of the opposing forces.

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I found Tactics very interesting for its story and animation. Haruka's mysterious side and his relationship to his master, Kantarou Ichinomiya, becomes obscured as the story unfolds (and is subject to different interpretations). It is not just their friendship that binds them together but the respect for the master-slave pact. Loyalty and friendship are constantly challenged.

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Akane's quest to save Kyo from the Oni Clan and Haruka's search for his past are not just kids' stuff. The first full-length animation (Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs) was not even made for the younger audience. There is more to anime than just their big, round eyes and cute hairstyles.

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It is a misconception that artists should recreate the world as they see it. Beyond the ordinary there is a different world of colors and shapes. What is ordinary is boring. Art should not just be a replica of what we see in front of us. What is ordinary should be made extraordinary.

Expect me to be waking up early when a good series comes along.