Nurarihyon no Mago: Sennen Makyou

Nura Rikuo now knows that in order to preserve harmony between humans and yokai he has to take the helm and lead by example to the members of the Nura Clan. Just as things are going smoothly for Rikuo, doubts about his ability to lead the clan resurface as rumors of an old enemy reach them. Hagoromo Gitsune, the youkai who was defeated and sealed by Rikuo's grandfather and the onmyouji Hidemoto of Keikain clan, is resurrected and unleashes her fury at Kyoto to fulfill her wish of giving birth to a son long since lost to her. Although Rikuo was able to defeat the Shikoku youkai in the past (prequel Nurarihyon no Mago), he has not mastered his powers yet. This time however, he finds allies in the onmyouji of the Keikain clan in which one his friends, Yura, is the heir. Rikuo also finds new friends at Tono village where he is sent to train before the fight at Kyoto. Rikuo and Yura realize that co-existence between humans and youkai is possible and they can also work together to preserve that.

Yura of the Keikain clan; also a friend of Rikuo

The Tono youkai with Rikuo

The resurrected  Hagoromo Gitsune

The gifted onmyouji of Keikain clan. From left Mamoru, Ryuuji, Hidemoto, and Akifusa

The 24-episode sequel to Nurarihyon no Mago has stronger opponents and more characters. I commend the series for having managed to sustain a huge cast each easily recognizable for their unique characteristics.  There is also a background story of the creation of Nenekirimaru blade and the exploits of Rikuo's father and his grandfather, a bonus not given in the prequel and which gives weight to Rikuo's responsibility as the new leader. Compared to the prequel, the fight scenes are better and more explosive, consistent with the hype about the Nura clan having to face tough opponents from Kyoto that was set up in the first few episodes after the flashbacks. This time the promise of great fights did not disappoint. Overall, Nurarihyon no Mago: Sennen Makyou is much better than its prequel. Although the Rikuo in the prequel was not annoying, his indecisiveness can sometimes be a letdown. This time however he is more fun to watch.

Rating: 7 out of 10

From left Nurarihyon, Rikuo (red), and Rihan

Nura Rikuo with some members of his clan