Tactics

Kantarou Ichinomiya was gifted with the ability to see youkai (demon, monster, spirit). He was bullied as a kid because of this ability however, but he has always found comfort from his youkai friends. One day they told him that he should find the oni-eating tengu (literally ogre-eating heavenly dog or goblin) to become stronger.

Many years passed and Kantarou by then was an exorcist and folklorist, but he still wanted to find the oni-eating tengu. He soon discovers the shrine where the goblin was confined and was able to successfully release and name it Haruka. By giving it a name, Kantarou becomes Haruka's master.

This is a review of the series that brought back my interest in anime. I have seen this a few years back but until today, it remains one of my favorites.


The manga was made as a collaborated effort between Sakura Kinoshita and Kazuko Higashiyama. It consists of 12 volumes and was set during the Taisho period. The anime consists of 25 episodes.

After Kantarou released Haruka, they encountered different people who had problems with the supernatural. The following is a list of the episodes in the series: Tactics Episodes.

In episode 3 they encounter the Mountain God, Sugino and his partner Muu-chan. Both characters have become good friends with Haruka and Kantarou since then. Muu-chan developed a crush for Kan-chan. The couple sometimes appear during funny episodes. Sugino is always looking for Muu-chan and is portrayed as overprotective. There were also episodes that focused on another important character, Yoko. She's a kitsune and Kantarou also named her. She does the chores for both guys. In one episode, she falls in love with a human but she later realized that all the man's troubles were caused by a youkai. The man said aloud that he hated youkai. Yoko decided that whatever was between them won't work.

The other supporting characters are: Hasumi, Kantarou's rival and who does not believe in supernatural beings; Rosalie, Hasumi's quiet daughter; Reiko, Kantarou's editor; and Suzu, a rich, young girl who has a crush on Haruka.

Later in the series, they meet Raiko Minamoto who, with the help of his underlings, sets a trap for Haruka. Their intentions were unknown at that time but soon they will reveal that Raiko wants Kantarou to release Haruka so that the latter can reveal his full potential. Haruka had lost his memories and Raiko wants him to regain it so he can defeat Haruka man-to-man. In the last few episodes, their friendship was tested but in the end they both decided to stay together.

There are many more surprises in the anime that I did not mention. It's a light and funny series. I recommend this to all audience types. The animation is superb as well as the development of the characters within 25 episodes. I like the opening and closing songs as well. The theme also sets it apart from most anime because it doesn't involve too much violence or too many supporting characters. It's not also the usual save-the-world plot. It focused on the point-of-view of both the youkai and a clairvoyant. Most of the female characters are also interesting. Each one has a unique personality. They can be strong and fragile but without sounding too girly or needy as is common in most female roles.

I'm giving this series a 10 out of 10 rating.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

This first-person shooter game is the sequel to one of the best-selling games of this genre. The single-player campaign follows up on the story from Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. I played the four following characters: Private 1st Class Joseph Allen, Private James Ramirez, Sergeant Gary "Roach" Sanderson, and John "Soap" MacTavish. Although I did not play the previous game, the story is quite easy to understand. 

The opening shows that Imran Zakhaev has taken control of Russia. But this is just one part of the story. One of his underlings, Vladimir Makarov has begun campaigns of terrorism. Joseph Allen was recruited into Task Force 141 by Lieutenant General Shepherd. He was sent to an undercover mission in Russia as one of Makarov's men. This mission in the game is optional because it's quite sensitive. It shows Makarov's massacre of the people at the airport in Russia. All I had to do was shoot innocent people (I discovered that Makarov would kill me if I didn't). But Makarov knew all along that Allen was an American and he set him up so that it would appear that the U.S. is responsible for the massacre. He shot Allen when they were about to leave the airport. The evidence started a war. Russia invades U.S.

Meanwhile Soap and Roach infiltrate a Russian base to retrieve an ACS module. This is one of my favorite missions in the game. 

Private James Ramirez is under Sergeant Foley's squad. When Russia invaded, they were among those who tried to defend the capital. They had to recapture every building so most of the confrontations occurred room by room. They infiltrated the White House later to avoid it being bombed down.

Without any proof of their innocence, Task Force 141 thought of a different way to trace Makarov. They looked for the man who provided the weapons to Makarov in Rio de Janeiro. I had to battle my way through the favela to find the weapons dealer Alejandro Rojas. People just pop out from nowhere and you have to be careful at every corner. This was an annoying stage in the game. It is easier to fight against organized troops than undisciplined civilians. When they captured Rojas, they found out that Makarov feared Prisoner 627 who is locked up in the Gulag. Task Force 141 goes to Russia to free the prisoner - Captain Price. 

Price decides to help 141. They infiltrated a port and gained control of a submarine. In this mission, I'm in-charge of the ACS module and I had to use it as we took control over every area in the port. In the veteran mission (very hard), this should be accomplished within a specific time. I had to move faster than usual and use the ACS module whenever I can to shoot down targets that will give us more advantage. I repeated this mission several times. The player has to take note of which targets to shoot so that others will keep moving. 

Price later used the submarine's missile to create EMP that will disable the electronic equipment from both sides.

Task Force 141 then splits up to find Makarov. Roach and Ghost went to Makarov's safe house and obtained important information. I played Roach and had to defend the unit while it was downloading. The other soldiers in the mission died at this stage. Roach and Ghost had to fight their way out of the safe house while being pursued by the enemies. Roach almost went down. When they reached the extraction point, Shepherd betrayed them. He shot Roach and Ghost to retrieve the information and burned them later. You can hear from the background that Price and Soap was trying to contact them about Shepherd's betrayal but it was too late. 

After they learned of their comrades' deaths, they escape from the battle between Shepherd's and Makarov's men. Nikolai helped them escape. Later they found Shepherd's base at Afghanistan. By this time I was playing as Soap. They tried to take down the base to make Shepherd pay for his betrayal. Shepherd tried to escape on a helicopter and they had to pursue him in a long boat. Price managed to shoot down the helicopter but both men fell down the waterfall. 

The last part of the game shows Soap waking up in a scene of wreckage. He looks for Shepherd but he was too weak to fight back. Shepherd was about to kill him when Price showed up. The two fought. Soap had to extract the knife embedded in his chest and throw it at Shepherd. The Lieutenant General fell. Nikolai found them both later but Soap was injured. The last scene showed both Price and Nikolai taking Soap to the helicopter.

The game also features Spec Ops (Special Operations). Players get to choose from different missions and try to unlock every stage. It is divided into five stages and players have to earn stars to unlock each. Some of the missions are designed for two players, while some are missions taken from the single player campaign. It can also be played at different difficulty levels. My favorites are the snowmobile race and and Evasion.

I enjoyed the single-player campaign although there is nothing unique to the story. I can also use any weapon at any stage to kill the enemies, which is not really a challenge, but the different settings make up for that lack. 

The "No Russians" mission added a little spice to the game. I was not shocked because I had to kill innocent people but it was still a bit disturbing. When Makarov killed Allen, I felt sorry for him. But when Roach and Ghost died, I was angry. I don't know why Shepherd had to burn them but I'm giving the game extra points for that. Even if all the player has to do most of the time in this game was to point and shoot, they still left room for character development. I was not surprised to see how fans reacted to the deaths of the characters.

The game is not that complicated so anyone can play it. It also has a tutorial at the beginning so those who are new to this genre have some time to prepare. I'm giving Modern Warfare 2 a 9 out of 10 rating because the single-player campaign is fun and replayable.

Dynasty Warriors 6

Publisher: KOEI

Developer: Omega Force

This sixth installment of the Dynasty Warriors (Shin Sangoku Musou) series has 41 playable characters and the new Renbu system and stage targets. It also features the Skill Tree where players can choose which skills to use when upgrading the characters.

It tells the story of the Three Kingdoms period at the time when the Han Dynasty lost its power. It all started with the uprising of the Yellow Turbans. People who sought power saw this as an opportunity. Three states rose to quell the chaos in ancient China: Wei (or Cao Wei), Shu (or Shu Han) and Wu (or Dong Wu). The previous games also included the factions from Dong Zhuo, Lu Bu, Meng Huo and Yuan Shao. Wei is led by Cao Cao, Shu by Liu Bei and Wu by Sun Jian. This period in China has been adapted in many forms including this video game series. I'm glad they included Sima Yi in Musou Mode because it tells how he was able to manipulate everyone in the end.

Most of the characters' outfits and weapons have been altered. A lot of characters have similar movesets however and it is disappointing that they did not put a lot of effort into them. Only seventeen characters have Musou Modes too but it has allowed a lot of room for character development. I also noticed the subtle change in Xiahou Dun's attitude towards Cao Cao, and I don't like it at all.

Players would also notice that the characters can now climb and swim. Such skills will be useful in later stages especially in siege attacks. What I liked about the game are the stage targets. This will force players to put a little effort in thinking of a strategy rather than hack and slash their way into winning a stage. I don't have complaints with the weapons and the characteristics usually found in them for certain characters. The type of skills given to some officers however needs a lot of improvement. I cannot understand why officers that are supposed to have better defense skills have less points compared to some female characters. Eliminating units and smaller troops is a lot easier too. If it were not for stage targets and more complicated maps, this would be a very easy game.

I hope in the next installment of this series, there will be more variety in the movesets and they should level up the difficulty in defeating individual enemy units. I also hope they do not have to bring back characters who have no bearing in the story at all. I have noticed some fans who want to include more female characters in the game and clearly they have no idea what the story of the Three Kingdoms is all about. 

I'm giving this game a 6 out of 10 rating.

Burnout Paradise

Developer: Criterion Games

Publisher: EA

Burnout Paradise is not just a racing game. The game is set in Paradise City which becomes your playground where you can compete in five different events to level up your driver's license to unlock cars and more events. The five events are: racing, road rage, marked man, stunt run and burning route. There are also bonus missions such as: power parking, super jumps, road rules, showtime, smashes and billboards.

It's a very addictive game. I found I could not put the controller down once I got used to navigating the menus. It was a bit confusing at first and I did not know what the other events are for. 

I love this game because it is not just about speed. I found a good use for my destructive abilities. Road rage is my favorite event. I could finally use the big, noisy cars in a race. The same cars are pretty useful in marked man as well. Stunt run is a bit tricky, and in order to win the burning route and unlock special cars, you have to be familiar with the streets because looking at the map alone might not do the trick.

The other missions helped me to explore the city. And in order to get most of the trophies, one needs to explore every street. It will come in handy when you're looking for a shortcut for burning route and marked man. You will also need to find the best spots to do the stunt runs. You would have to be familiar with the cars as well. Not all cars work well for different events. Each car has a different set of abilities.

The game is pretty easy but the menu is a bit confusing to navigate. It is very addictive too and the number of winning events needed to upgrade the license is too few for me. What I liked about the game too is that you can't find any humans in the game. I liked the idea of adding all the other events besides racing. I recommend this to people who, like me suck at other racing games. This is a lot more fun and less serious. You don't need to learn how to steer perfectly as long as you survive and you know which way you're going. This game gets a 10 out of 10 rating.

Note: This does not include the DLC Big Surf Island.

Assassin's Creed

Desmond Miles suddenly found himself becoming the specimen for a search of the Pieces of Eden. Abstergo Corporation is using Desmond's genetic memories to reveal what had happened to his ancestor Altair ibn La-Ahad. Altair is a member of the Secret Order of Hashshashin. Looking at his genetic memories was made possible by the use of the machine called Animus. Desmond was taken back to the time of the Third Crusade and takes control of the actions and memories of Altair. Assassin's Creed is a game that will teach you how to master the art of killing.

The first scenes show that Altair was trying to stop Robert de Sable from taking an artifact known as a Piece of Eden. But in doing so, he broke the rules and even put his comrade Malik in danger. Altair was stripped of rank by the leader Al Mualim. He now has to complete nine assassinations in order to get back everything he has lost.  In time he learns that there is a tension between the Assassins and the Knight Templars and that his missions involved eliminating nine of them.

He learns with each assassination that his targets were all looking for the same artifact that Robert has tried to steal. He doesn't know what the nature of the items are however, and Al Mualim only tells him that the men have to be stopped. Altair has to travel through the Kingdom to reach one of the three cities, Acre, Damascus and Jerusalem, to reach his targets. He also has to report to the headquarters in Masyaf from time to time.

When he finally came face to face with Robert once again, it was revealed to him that Al Mualim is just like the nine people he has assassinated -- a Templar. He hurries back to Masyaf only to find that the residents are already under Al Mualim's control using a Piece of Eden. He found Malik and a few other assassins who are not yet under the influence of the artifact. They held off other attacks while Altair went looking for his master.

After beating Al Mualim and seeing the artifact for the first time, Altair finds that he could not destroy the Piece of Eden. As he stared at it, he sees a projection of the Earth with dots indicating the locations of the remaining Pieces of Eden. Then Desmond was brought back to the present. 

Abstergo will use this knowledge to find the remaining pieces. Desmond now knows that Abstergo is composed of Templars. And that they will use the items to control people and to stop the end of the world.

***

I like this game because of several references to history. It is something I've never played before too. I like the intelligence gathering missions because I can actually learn more about the story, the city and the person I'm about to assassinate. In this game, you have to eavesdrop, pickpocket, interrogate, save citizens, kill Templars and collect flags before you can eliminate the target.

Walking through streets surrounded by different people and avoiding suspicion was something I enjoyed as well. It also becomes a bit more tricky when attempting later assassinations. The drunks and mentally-challenged people and even the beggars are annoying but that makes things more interesting.  It is like a combination of Prince of Persia and Grand Theft Auto. I can do whatever I want (if it is available) and whenever I want to. I can climb walls and run around the city unseen through roofs. I spent a lot of time looking around in the Kingdom while looking for vantage points and Templars. 

I think hiding in the haystacks and rooftop gardens is clever and funny way when trying to lower the alert level of guards. What are those little rooftop gardens for anyway?

Another thing I have noticed is that the horse-riding experience is almost realistic. You can feel the horse's responses when you're steering or jumping. The timing of its movements look quite real.

Altair doesn't have an accent like the other characters though and it's weird. But overall it's a great game. It's easy to play and the story isn't a typical save-the-world plot although I admit it is too ambitious. I'll give it a 9 out of 10 rating.

Uncharted: Drake's Fortune

PlayStation 3 Exclusive

Developer: Naughty Dog

Uncharted: Drake's Fortune features the adventure of Nathan Drake as he uncovers the tracks in the clues left by Sir Francis Drake 400 years ago. He searches for the treasures of El Dorado but what he does not know is that he will find more than he was looking for. With the help of his friend Sully and the reporter Elena, they escape a group of pirates, treasure hunters and mutated humans.

After acquiring the diary from Sir Francis' empty coffin and ditching Elena somewhere, they search through the remains in the Amazon river. Here they discovered a German U-boat and the group of treasure hunters led by Roman and his assistant Navarro who heard about Nathan's plans. Roman shoots Sully and Nathan was forced to escape. Later he met up again with Elena but their plane was shot down.

Nate was captured by Eddie Raja but Elena was able to rescue him. They also found Sully alive and who had chosen to cooperate with Roman and Navarro in the meantime. After escaping together, they explored underground tunnels and soon found Sir Francis' body. It was at this point also that they discovered that the island was populated by mutated humans who have been cursed because of the treasure -- a statue. Nathan finds out as well why there was a German U-boat earlier. He realized that Sir Francis tried to keep the statue in the island because of the curse. Instead of hunting for treasures, his task now was to make sure that the statue does not get off the island, just like what his predecessor did.

Nate had been separated earlier from Elena and Roman. They soon reunite when they were taken as hostages by Roman and Navarro. They finally got to see the statue for the first time, but they saw how it had changed Roman, who had been tricked by Navarro all this time.

When Navarro was about to transport the statue and Elena out of the island, the helicopter crashes onto a boat owned by Roman. Nathan has to kill Navarro and his men in order to stop their plans. Both Navarro and the statue fell into the water after the confrontation. The trio leaves the island.

***

I had a good time with this game when I played it several months back. There is a little bit of everything from wall-climbing, swimming, jet skis and cars. I liked how I was able to shoot enemies while driving. One memorable episode was Elena and Nate's escape from Eddie Raja. 

I enjoyed how I was able to fight both humans and zombie-like creatures. Meeting the mutated humans was like providing another level of difficulty one step further than the human enemies, which is good rather than meeting the same enemies who can be killed just like the previous ones. I was also able to use guns as well as experience hand-to-hand combats. There are puzzles as well as treasures to collect. They're not too easy or too difficult to accomplish.

The animation is one of the best I've seen. The jungles looked almost real and you can actually find several varieties of plants in the surroundings. 

I enjoyed the last boss fight as well. I liked the challenge in the last stage where Nathan has to time his final assault on Navarro without using a gun.

I never had much love for action-adventure movies or games but I enjoyed playing this. There's nothing really new to the story and I wish there could have been more fight scenes with vehicles. There are stages as well when there are too many enemies popping out of nowhere. It's not that it's difficult, but it's a drag. I'm giving in a 9 out of 10 rating because it's a lot of fun and it's one of those games that I can replay if I want to.

Resistance 2

This PlayStation exclusive is the sequel to Resistance: Fall of Man. It follows up on the Chimera invasion in the United States and the desperate battle of the infected soldiers called the Sentinels against this threat. Lt. Nathan Hale is a member of this special task force. The infection they carry is kept at bay through special inhibitors that last for a certain time.

The game begins with the extraction of Hale by the Special Research Projects Administration. They were shot down later and had unknowingly released the Chimera Daedalus who is to become the protagonist of the game. It was at this time that Hale was introduced to the Sentinels.

Later their base came under the attack of the Chimera. Then they pursued a Chimera battleship and were able to save the Liberty Defense Perimeter from being breached. Hale at that time was long overdue for another shot of an inhibitor but he chose instead to rescue the scientist Fyodor Malikov, who later revealed to him Daedalus' identity. Daedalus and Hale were part of Project Abraham and the only ones to survive the pure DNA Chimeran injection. Daedalus has mutated however but still retained control of his abilities.

They then went to deactivate one of the Chimeran towers. They succeeded, but to their dismay, Daedalus was able to reactivate it even from afar. They have to travel to Iceland to confront Daedalus himself. The squad was trapped and annihilated. Hale later woke up from a coma to hear that the Chimera has taken over the country except for one last post in Louisiana. He decides to confront Daedalus within the remaining three hours before the virus consumes him. After following up on the stolen nuclear warhead, he meets Daedalus and fights him in a series of battles. On the last battle, Hale is chased by Daedalus while he is shooting the lights to weaken the enemy. Hale finally defeats Daedalus but when he touched the body, he acquires abilities similar to Daedalus'. He was able to fend off attacks from enemies using his hands while trying to escape the explosion that was to destroy the Chimeran fleet.

The final scene shows Hale with a fellow survivor, Capelli looking at the scene of destruction around them. Capelli realizes however that the virus has almost taken over Hale's body and decides to kill him then. Capelli's final words to Hale were: "Forgive me sir. It was an honor."

***

This was the first-person shooter I've played since I stopped playing CounterStrike. I decided to play it one day after letting it sit in a corner because I had an itch to try something I've never done in years. The wait was worth it. I never got to play the first game in the series so I did not know what to expect.

The game opened with a bang and the story was easy to understand from the start. I liked the fact that I had to experiment with different weapons because different types work on different enemies. I enjoyed the huge bosses as well and there was always some action around the corner. The battle with the 300-foot tall Leviathan was unforgettable. It's the biggest boss I've seen thus far.

The final boss was a bit of a disappointment though. I expected something more difficult but I still enjoyed the single-player campaign overall. I was sad that Hale had to die (but who knows?) though.

I've never tried multi-playing though so I won't include that here. I would recommend this to those who already have experience in first-person shooters. Beginners can handle this as well on an easier level but the huge bosses might be difficult for the first-timers, especially the Titans. 

I've enjoyed this game immensely so I'm giving it a 9 out of 10 rating.

Prince of Persia

When I first saw the cover of this game, I thought that it is related to the original series of the same name. And that the Prince in the cover is the usual Prince but with a different costume. I was in for a surprise.

The main guy with the red and blue scarf is a Prince in name only. He was wandering in the desert looking for his donkey when the princess Elika stumbled upon him literally. Little did he know that what he was about to find was a battle to save the City of Light from Corruption.

For thousands of years, Ahriman the God of Darkness has been striving to conquer everything that he does not possess. The God of Light Ormazd retreated and refused to fight against Ahriman. But this only made the latter bolder in his ambitions. As the Corruption spread however, Ormazd and his Ahura, the Warriors of the Light, were forced to confront the growing darkness. They sealed Ahriman in the Tree of Life. The Ahura were in-charge of guarding the prison but as the years passed, their powers waned. Ahriman found his chance to escape. Elika was one of these people tasked to guard the prison.

It was at this time that Prince found Elika while she was trying to run away from the soldiers. Prince had no choice but to follow her into the temple where they were later confronted by her father, the King of the Ahura, who set Ahriman free. Elika then tells Prince that they have to save the world by healing the corrupted Fertile Grounds.

They encountered the Concubine, the Hunter, the Alchemist and the Warrior while they were healing each of the Fertile Grounds.As the game progresses, they discovered that Elika had died once in the past. Because of this, her father had sold his soul to Ahriman to bring her back, thus making him one of the corrupted.

When they met Elika's father for the last time, the corruption had fully taken him. They had no choice but to fight him. The King however throws his body to Ahriman in order to resurrect the God of Darkness.

The final battle with Ahriman took place and in order to defeat him, Elika must use all her powers. They were able to send him back into the Tree of Life but at the cost of Elika's life.

But the Prince decided to resurrect Elika. He destroys the Tree of Life although he knows this will set Ahriman free again. The game ends with the scene where the Prince is carrying Elika's body while Ahriman stalks behind them.

***

This review does not include the DLC, but according to sources both characters found themselves battling Elika's father once more. In the end, they were able to kill the King but Elika leaves the Prince behind.

I enjoyed the usual acrobatic stunts and most of the battles. Traveling through power plates was a great experience as well. But the game is too easy because Elika is always there to save the Prince, although having her as a companion is useful. It's too user-friendly and she seems to be almost invincible because of her powers. 

I liked the layout of the kingdom. I enjoyed the stunning views and the detailed graphics of each of the Fertile Grounds. I spent a lot of time collecting light seeds as well, although the total number that can be acquired is more than what is needed to heal the Fertile Grounds. The puzzles were good and players will actually take their time to think.

I have no problems with this game when it comes to graphics, sounds, and the gameplay is isn't so bad even if the whole game is easy. The story has a lot of potential as well but what I don't get is the title. There was no indication that the male protagonist is the same lead character of the popular series. They could have added a subtitle to make it distinct. 

I'll give this a 6 out of 10 rating.

Saiunkoku Monogatari (Season One)

First Season of Saiunkoku Monogatari

Episodes: 39

Manga written by Sai Yukino and illustrated by Kairi Yura

The Story of Saiunkoku (or Tale of the Land of Coloured Clouds) tells the tale of a smart, ambitious and hardworking girl named Shuurei. Because her father does not earn enough money to make ends meet, she has to do odd jobs. Her dream however was to pass the National Exams and become a government official. Her chance to get a shot at her dream came unexpectedly through an offer of becoming a concubine to Emperor Ryuuki. She was tasked however to teach and motivate the emperor to participate in court discussions and become a better leader. Lured by the prize money, the young lady from the Kou clan accepted the advisor's offer. The young man Seiran who has a mysterious past went with her to the palace with a temporary assignment as her bodyguard.

While spending time with each other, Ryuuki became fond of Shuurei. Her perseverance finally paid off and Ryuuki became interested in court affairs. But soon they learned that he was only acting that way because he believes he is taking care of the throne only while his elder brother is away. Ryuuki later finds out that his long-lost brother is Seiran. But Seiran has no desire of becoming Emperor.

Later the Emperor proposed that women be allowed to take the National Exams. Shuurei then started working at the palace but has to disguise as a boy. When the proposal was finally passed, Shuurei took the exam and finished third. But because the concept of women working as government officials was new, she had to endure all the insults she got from everyone. Eventually Shuurei was accepted and was given the post as co-governor of Sa province.

Getting to Sa province was not easy however. She and her co-governor had to devise plenty of tactics just to get there alive. This was how she met Sa Sakujun who grew fond of her as well. She gets entangled in the problems within the Sa clan in the process. With a lot of help from friends, they finally made it in time to the swearing-in ceremony and even put a stop to the Sa clan's manipulations. Sakujun tried to get Shuurei to make kanro tea for him but he failed. But not doing so made the poison he secretly used, lethal to himself. Shuurei blamed herself for the man's death.

In the final episode of the first season, Shuurei goes home to attend the new year's celebration and meets Ryuuki once again.

***

Although Shuurei was a nearly-perfect character, I think she's better and more likeable than most girls from any anime. There are times however when the other characters praise her too much that other people might find it too patronizing.

Character development was decent. However some events that involved some of the minor characters seem to be unnecessary and a little bit confusing. The occasional appearance of ghosts is expendable. There are several references to the kingdom's history as well as the history of clans and families that others might find confusing.

The animation is really good but there are inconsistencies in the outfits as well as the layout of the kingdom if one were to compare it to medieval China.

One thing I've noticed as well is that there's too much tea. In most episodes, one can find at least two scenes where the characters are having tea, although there was not one where the actual brewing of the tea was shown.

The fight scenes were mediocre and the main characters never seem to get injured. It's a good thing though that characters actually die (unlike most series).

I wish that there were more developments between Ryuuki and Shuurei but this is just the first season so it's still something to look forward to. Would have been better as well if there were rivals other than Sakujun. Overall it's a light and funny series. The story is decent and most of the characters are worth remembering. I'll give it a 6 out of 10 rating.