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.