Tactics
Reviewer: Wiggle [website] [email]Overall Rating: B+
Media Reviewed: Digital fansub
Creator: Kinoshita Sakura and Higashiyama Kazuko
U.S. Licensed: Yes
Released by: Manga Entertainment
Run time: 25 episodes
BL Content: None (slashable)
Genre: Supernatural/Comedy
Other media: English-licensed manga
A little boy named Ichinomiya Kantarou has the ability to see and communicate with youkai, but no one else believes him. His youkai friends tell him of a Tengu (a bird-like goblin) who is "by far stronger than any demon (oni)". Little Kantarou decides that he will someday meet that tengu and befriend him, so he can prove the existence of youkai to the world. Because saying "by far stronger" in Japanese is "haruka," Kantarou decides the Tengu's name will be "Haruka-chan." Kantarou grows up and becomes a not-very-popular folklorist, with a "youkai-busting" business on the side. One day he comes across a place where a spirit is sealed, and whom should Kantarou release from his prison but Haruka, the Oni-Eating Tengu. How lucky it is that youkai have the habit of following the one who named them! Because Haruka goes home with Kantarou to join his odd little household. Since he is a bird-spirit youkai, Haruka just happens to have giant, black, absolutely sexy wings, when he chooses to unfurl them.
Together with a kitsune (fox youkai) named, unoriginally, Youko, Kantarou and Haruka solve spiritual mysteries and help people troubled by various kinds of monsters. The more adventures they have together, the closer Kantarou and Haruka seem to grow. While Haruka follows Kantarou out of habit, and not out of any true magical obligation, Kantarou does tend to use Haruka or put him into awkward positions to draw out monsters, spirits, or wicked persons, which they then work together to defeat. An early episode introduces recurring, effeminate tengu Sugino, who can't believe that a tengu as powerful as Haruka is following a human around, and Sugino's... spouse, a small green youkai named Muu-chan. These characters round out the episodic cast until about episode 14.
Until that point, when something like a recurring plot begins, there isn't much else to Tactics. However, the awkwardly developing relationship between sexy, distant Haruka and adorable, scheming but well-meaning Kantarou is somehow irresistable. It seems that each episode, the two find some new excuse to touch, embrace, or look meaningfully at each other. Can humans and youka really have lasting relationships? This question comes up over and over, especially as Haruka begins to wonder if Kantarou is taking him for granted. Later on in the series, another powerful being appears who wants to obtain Haruka's power, which starts to make Kantarou realize how much he values his tengu friend.
Is this really yaoi? Not really, at least not so far. Kantarou and Haruka seem to be developing a strong friendship, and while they are often physically very close, there is no sign of a romance developing. But there are a lot of hints that the two are somehow destined to be together, so what might develop is anyone's guess.
Tactics seems to be set in a time period all its own. Kantarou wears traditional garb at all times, while Haruka is given a suit that looks like something out of the late 1800's. Many characters are seen in kimono and older Japanese clothes, yet some wear very modern outfits. Kantarou's female editor even wears a miniskirt and seems like a normal, modern working woman. However, in a world where youkai are real and tengu can take a human form, perhaps time periods don't need to be precisely fixed.
Tactics is very prettily animated with a beautiful opening and ending sequence, fairly good episode animation and some nice special effects. The music seems to be a cut above most anime soundtracks, with some flashy cuts for the action sequences when Kantarou is chanting.
The seiyuu cast doesn't contain any huge names, but you may recognize Sakurai Takahiro, Haruka's seiyuu, as Yuuri in Kyou Kara Maou or Santa in Kaikan Phrase. The rather silly character Sugino is voiced by Hoshi Souichirou, who also played Goku in Saiyuki. The entire cast performs well, bringing real life to the characters even when the anime isn't showing much about them.
If you don't mind a villain-of-the-week sort of supernatural anime, then don't miss Tactics, and the hottest black-winged bishounen in anime. Also, check out the Tactics manga, which is more humorous and develops the characters more, and is now being released by Tokyopop.
