Tokyo Ravens

Tokyo Ravens Review: Sometimes shows come around that are completely generic and average on paper, but are unusually fun to watch. Looking at my 6 score for this show, many of you may think I didn't think the show was good. But this couldn't be further from the truth. Tokyo Ravens wasn't groundbreaking, memorable, or brilliant. In fact, it was pretty a pretty generic fantasy action anime with romance elements which is why I withhold too high of a score. However, Tokyo Ravens is without a doubt a very enjoyable show. Story - 7.1: Where Tokyo Ravens' story shines isn't through it's rather generic premise or predictable plot twists, but the solid pacing and backstories of the characters and the setting. The pacing of Tokyo Ravens is nearly flawless in my opinion, giving proper amount of air time to the intro, the time at school, and the more climactic parts at the end. The background of the setting is also very well realized and had me captivated with its mechanics. The lore of the world of Tokyo Ravens is also rich and actually significant when it comes to later events in the story. Yes, the overall story of a boy who gains powers teams up with his classmates to stop the bad guys has been told many times before, but the execution and care put into it all kept me caring from start to finish. Rarely were there moments that left me shaking my head in disappointment. Art - 6.8: For the most part, the art in this show is great.... Until they decide to use CG. The character designs are good, and the non CG action scenes are well done. Everything is fluid and the varied locations display a wide array of colors and artstyles. However, when they decide to use CG for familiars in fight scenes, things break down. Sometimes CG is done well in Anime, but for the most part it feels out of place and really cuts into your immersion as a viewer. Without the use of CG, this score would have been higher because the visuals were good. Sound - 6.3: There's not a whole lot to say about Tokyo Ravens in terms of the sound department. The voice acting was solid all around with a large cast of diverse voices. The OST was good and fit the show well. There weren't really many stand out songs however so I wouldn't say it was too far above average. I did enjoy the openings and endings especially the first ED. Really the sound aspect of this show was definitely good but didn't really stand out particularly. Characters - 6.7: Now, the characters in Tokyo Ravens are interesting for me. Because for the most part, the characters were just cookie cutter stereotypes. However, I found myself much more invested in the than I usually do for such one dimensional and predictable characters. This may just have been a personal thing, but who knows. A big plus of the cast of characters was just its pure size and variety. There was a large ensemble of good guys, bad guys, and characters that were in the Grey area of their intentions. None of the characters were necessarily weak, and a few were quite intriguing. The two main leads have a very interesting history and the interactions between characters rarely failed to be entertaining. Enjoyment - 7.5: Tokyo Ravens was without a doubt, very enjoyable to watch. It had this nostalgic kind of feeling to it and exceded all my expectations going into it. The plot twists were well placed and at times shocking, and the array of humor, drama, and action was well mixed to create an all around very enjoyable show. I personally find it hard to keep watching a show on a weekly basis for months on end unless I really care about the characters and and entertained by the events in the show, and Tokyo Ravens resoundingly delivered in those departments. Overall - 6.88: While it never really shined, Tokyo Ravens was still 100% worth the time to watch it. Keep in mind that a 6 in my books means "good", and if a 6.88 is any indication, this show was unquestionably good in my opinion. It isn't a caliber of a show that I would recommend to all, but if you are looking for an enjoyable generic action fantasy anime with romantic elements, look no further. The Verdict: A well executed anime that plays it safe, but was a pleasure to watch. Pros: + Solid job of executing its wide array of genres (action, fantasy, romance, comedy) + Large cast of characters (all of whom are bearable) + Lore/Backstory Cons: - CGI poorly used - Predictable story - Failure to stand out If you liked Tokyo Ravens, watch... Fate Stay Night Strike the Blood 6.88/10 - Good

I´ll admit that I fell pretty stupid for putting this anime on hold for such a long time. As it started of with a meh and ended with a YEAH, this anime was surprisingly fun to watch. As I started watching this anime, I had a feeling that the main character Harutora was going to be one of those boring mains to watch in the long run, but as I kept following the story, it became more and more interesting to follow this boring main and his friends. Taking on enemy after enemy, trying to become powerful shamans (exorcists) was only a fraction of what the story was really focusing on. Still there are parts in the story that is halfheartedly explained, leaving you with a big question mark as to what is really going on and why. They also seemed to overcomplicate the story, making it harder to get in "The Zone" when it comes to characters and scenery. Still the story has plenty of upsides to it. As it is an well though story with good plot twists and a great rhythm and backstory to it, this story leaves me in nothing but awe. The art itself were also pretty good, fitting well in with the story and providing well expressed characters when it was needed. Some part were also a bit sloppy when it came to the art, but when it came to the fighting, the art were perfectly done in a way that fits perfectly with what I am looking for in a action anime. I was easily taken by the fighting scenery and style. As far as the sound goes, I have hardly much to say. The openings and the endings of the anime provides as beginnings and endings of the anime itself, making it easy for one to get right into the anime and the fighting without as great of a shock as what Ive seen other animes do. Following the story was no problem with such an intro to it. Yet I missed that little extra in the sounds, that little extra that leaves you with the impression "Oh, shits about to go down now" kinda sounds/music. Still it was fairly enjoyable. As for characters I feel it could have been done a little better. The amount of history put into them, doesnt add up to the amount we are shown. I feel as if I know the teacher Ootomo better than Harutora and the rest. Even though there is given alot of history to them, I still have no clue as to what really happened when Harutora was younger or when anyone was, theres simply a lack of debts to them. I mean, isnt it weird that the story is mainly focused around this Tsuchimikado Yakou guy, and we hardly know shit about him or what happened to him when he was alive. Maybe they should have freed some room for a little backstory instead of providing us with small, unnecessary fillers. Even though I said all that, this show still provided me with a lot of enjoyment and fun, and as to the ending being an ending I prefer over any other, there was no major disappointments to this show (that i noticed). So dont do as me and put it on hold after 6 episodes, make sure to watch it trough to the end straight away so it doesnt get confusing. I highly recommend this anime to all you out there who hasnt watched it, and lets all pray for a Season 2 :)

-I'm going to skip the synopsis as you can go ahead and read that on your own - I'm strictly writing a review as to my reaction when watching Tokyo Ravens- To be honest, when I first began watching this show I felt as though I was lacking originality, in both character and story. The originality wasn't so bad like 'I've seen it a million times' sort of deal, but It was interesting enough to make me want to watch the next episode. The characters seemed overdone and over the top, opening with the feisty chick friend of the male protagonist picking on him and his cool and calm best friend. Even if it started out quite cliche, I still kept watching it, mostly for lack of other anime to watch. It was worth it because this show had a lot more depth than meets the eye and gets better as it moves along. For people who enjoy magic fantasy action anime, you will probably like this as it has a nice mix of all of those genres with interesting plot twists. Though most characters remain stagnant throughout the anime, at least half of them have some sort of basic development, be it mind set, or physical ability. What bothered me the most about this anime's characters though is how most characters pick on the main protagonist. The anime already outlines him as 'dumb' and 'having a major lack of talent' so much so you wonder why he's even the main character . His interactions with other characters tend to end or start out with them calling him 'baka-tora', and describing how pathetic he really is. Even though he proves himself more than once to the gang, they still proceed to stick with that nick name. As usual, he is a typical shounen character that tries his best, despite his obvious lack in talent. The anime later drops these undertones though, making it A LOT more enjoyable. The music I found to be quite nice, the opening and ending were okay, not bad but not my favorite anime openings. The music during the anime is very nice, giving it a nice sorta mystic aura, adding a lot more epicness to the show. Without the music, I swear the scenes would feel a lot less intense. The story itself is a nice mix of magic and action, though it might not be the most original story ever written. Its enjoyable enough to keep watching. It may not be one of your favorite animes, but if you watched all the anime there is and happen to come across Tokyo Raven's, its pretty good, and you'll like it better towards the end so i recommend not judging it until you get at least half way. Even though I wouldn't consider it my favorite show, I did enjoy watching it. Its not one of my most memorable animes, but you definitely wont be wasting time.

There’s a saying that goes something like this: “two wrongs don’t make a right”. In Tokyo Ravens, this doesn’t apply as onmyouji magic is accepted by society as a form of dealing with spirits and apparitions in general. The show builds itself with the basic concepts and principles of a modern fantasy involving characters dealing with onmyouji, otherworldy beings that have been causing trouble in Japan. While most anime involving magic is forbidden, Tokyo Ravens takes the liberty to accept it as a form of art. Thus begins the adventurous tale of Harutora Tsuchimikado as he learns the truth about the world he lives in. Tokyo Ravens is an animated series based off the light novels of the same name written by Kohei Azano. It’s easy to notice quickly that the show is colored with modern fantasy themes such as the shrines and stylistic clothes that our characters wear. There’s also no doubt that the show has potential with its concepts. But what’s more important is the execution. After all, Harutora is labeled more as babyface with little skill in onmyouji magic. He has potential and Tokyo Ravens explores it in various aspects. What Tokyo Ravens went wrong in this part is its execution that becomes blend and sometimes insufferable. But despite this, the show itself does handle its structural set up in a tolerable fashion with credibility. Take the series’s story as a modern fantasy with the magic, curses, and spells in an all-you-can-eat buffet. There’s no special appetizer because everything is conventional and expected in terms of its general set up. The first few episodes establishes the premise and delivers itself in its traditional fashion. We meet Harutora and his friends whom doesn’t seem so different from folks you see from our society. However, realize there are abnormal beings that exists in their world. There’s a lot of information to absorb in the beginning, in ways that seems to cloud the story until we meet some antagonists. It also becomes more and more clichéd with the characters involving a typical childhood friend named Natsume that comes to visit, the flashy fireworks in the sky with a misunderstanding, and mecha-like gadgets popping out as adversaries because they look flashy and demonstrates a lethal presentation of modern fantasy. While all is fine when presented in the right fashion, Tokyo Ravens introduces everything together all at once that feels rushed. More than that, there’s also predictable plot twists that at times becomes bizarre and lands nowhere with Harutora’s characterization. Speaking of characters, there’s quite the diversity. Thankfully, none of them sits in the background but instead get their spotlights, some even more so than our main protagonist. Still, that isn’t exactly a gift to accept so easily because Tokyo Ravens only develops them on a substantial level. Natsume for instance never really changes with her time on the show. She is portrayed as an innocent girl who is willing to protect others. There’s obvious affections coming from her towards Harutora despite the latter being oblivious to her some of her words and advances. To make matters worse, most of the school they attend are under the belief that she is a guy. This is where the silliness comes into play with their “yaoi relationship”. As quirky as it sounds, the series actually doesn’t hide this as they play on this trope many times with almost the entire female student body believing it as reality. Other characters in the series serves as the support for Harutora’s development but most of them are more like friends to him rather than a coach. They offer him advice, training sessions, and details to unlock his potential. Unfortunately, Harutora is presented as an irrational man when it comes to textbooks and learning. He even earned the nickname ‘Bakatora’ which is a played as a joke as baka translates to ‘idiot’ by Japanese standards. At the same time, we do witness Harutora become stronger through experiences and determination to protect others. There’s a sense of hope when he really puts effort or when the people close to him are in danger. It’s there that we see Harutora shines by moments of his selflessness. Other times though, Harutora is hard to get attached to for his abilities and dull personality. The series itself also follows sequential arc style in presenting stories and characters. Like I mentioned previously, almost every main character gets their spotlight whether you’re former delinquent (Tojo), the youngest of the Twelve Generals (Suzuka), a shikigami (Kon), or heir of a famous family (Kyoko). Speaking of the Twelve Generals, the series presents themselves as a testimony of strength. Each of them possesses their own unique abilities that makes them both fear and respected. Unfortunately, because the show itself focuses on more of the main characters, they lose focus and only gets their chance to shine when the action calls for it. The action itself also can be a mixed bag. The usage of CGI and magic at the same time is certainly an odd mix. It almost feels like the show is running on an engine with a different set of gears. However, the show does well with its mechanics in terms of explanation. Every episode contains a little bit of explaining whether it’s the backgrounds or just in general of what’s there. Various terminologies such as onmyouji, shikigami, as well as events are usually easily understandable with attention. Furthermore, the term raven is symbolic for death (foreshadowing in the beginning) and matches perfectly with its presentation of magic linked to Shamanism. It could also be something refreshing to watch as it sometimes brings that fantasy taste in a way you might not get used to. What really makes Tokyo Ravens hard to get used though might be the asinine comedy that tends to be an overused way of delivery. This includes but not limited to Harutora being an accidental pervert, Suzuka’s fake relationship with Harutora, and Kon’s obsessiveness with her master. It also uses cheesy lines with little favor that often lacks sense. Natsume’s cross-dressing makes her a subject of attraction for girls at the academy they attend. It spells out laughter in the wrong way because the misunderstandings should be so obvious. Really, does Natsume look that much like a guy with her fragile face and long hair? Some of the characters’ personalities are also hard to figure out such as Suzuka and her manipulative actions. Kon’s personality changes almost every episode according to what circumstance she is and whom she is with. Tenma, a classmate of Harutora, also seems to be in the background most of the time and plays almost no significant role. While the show doesn’t explicitly present fan service or the typical beach episode, Tokyo Ravens still reveals more skin than it should thanks to mostly Harutora’s stupidity. Artwork remains standard on most parts for Tokyo Ravens. It is noticeable that 8bit is also in charge of producing both Infinite Stratos 2 and Walkure Romanze at the same while this show is also airing. But for judging its animation, Tokyo Ravens does it well only in terms of credibility. Supernatural familiars are believable with their designs while backgrounds reflects the modern fantasy style that it should be. Unfortunately, most of the characters stands out as blend. Kon is perhaps the most noticeable character because of her animalistic features. Suzuka on the other hand has bits of fan service in her design while Natsume’s cross-dressing literally covers almost every inch of her body besides her face. The strange usage of CGI will take time to get accustomed to. At several times, I almost thought this had mecha-esque concepts. Soundtrack wise, Tokyo Ravens surprisingly works out well. While Harutora’s voice is nothing special, there’s something noticeable about its OST with the way that fuses fantasy elements with reality. Not only that but the OP song “X-encounter” by Maon Kurosaki had an intense beat…

There's a certain feeling of mediocrity that arises from simply looking at Tokyo Ravens. It doesn't really look like anything new, innovative, or fresh. Despite its generic appearance Tokyo Ravens still manages to do what it's supposed to: entertain. As far as story goes, there really isn't much of an intricate, deep, or immersive plot. The story is pretty sub par for a good amount of the first half, adhering to countless generic cliches like the childhood friend promise, amnesia, and what have you. Although it gets better during the second half, it's still not anything amazing. The key aspects that make the second half take flight and become more enjoyable to watch is that there are actually Onmyo spell battles, familiar battles, the plot finally breaks out of its run-of-the-mill school life trope, and the concept of the shaman society is fleshed out a bit more. With all of that being said, it's awfully apparent that the adaption of Tokyo Ravens from the light novel to the animation is fairly bad. There are countless instances where moments, events, and key turning points in the story felt extremely underdeveloped, unexplained, rushed, or skipped over. The art and animation of Tokyo Ravens seemed pretty average, if not below average, in most cases. Most animes nowadays at least bring decent art and animation to the table, but that doesn't appear to be the case with Tokyo Ravens. The art isn't all that great and animations can feel stiff at times. Overall, the art and animation felt a bit behind the times in comparison to many of its visual contemporaries. The sound criteria was fairly average. There's nothing that stands out, but it's not bad. I think it's become pretty standard in anime for the male MC to be a fool and dense for a majority of the series. Unfortunately for the audience, Tokyo Ravens falls victim to this generalized male lead personality. Harutora, along with most of the other characters, are extremely generic and cliche. If you've watched a good handful of anime you can recognize most of the character tropes that are used here. Childhood friend blossoms into friendship(s) after many years? Preposterous. There are a few interesting characters amongst the Divine Generals, but they get far too little screen time to make much of an impact. There isn't much character development and most of the characters retain their original personalities throughout the series. Supporting characters often felt more interesting and almost as equally developed as main characters and that's saying a lot. Although there are many aspects about Tokyo Ravens that are extremely ordinary and plain, it still did a fair job of at least keeping me entertained. There are certain instances when watching average is entertaining. This is one of those times.

I generally try to have an open mind when it comes to anime, and when I start a new series I attempt to take as few preconceptions into it as possible. That said, when I started Tokyo Ravens I had already pretty much given up on it. The promotional artwork and brief synopsis I read, while somewhat interesting, gave me the vague impression of a mediocre anime with throwaway characters and a wasted chance at a good plot. I write this review in an attempt to dispel those misconceptions in anyone else. Tokyo Ravens, an anime with a plot initially not too unfamiliar involving magic users in modern-day Japan, starts off rather slowly and doesn't promise much. However, after just a few episodes, the tempo changes rapidly and soon a well-thought-out, refreshingly unique story begins to develop. What originally seems like a straightforward plot becomes increasingly deep, with enough twists to keep you wondering from one episode to the next who's really the good guy. Add to that a major plot twist that completely changes the direction of the show, and you get a very satisfying, entertaining story. The art was really the only slightly detracting feature of the show for me, as it was close to being sub-par, but at times where it really mattered the animation was good enough to not take away from the drama of the moment. Both the voice acting and the soundtrack were done well, the latter having moments where it went from being sufficient to excellent, and the over-all delivery was handled very well. Now to address my favorite aspect of the show: the side characters. Something that consistently annoys me about many anime is the one-dimensional supporting characters that are often present. Whether they're there to simply fill the stereotypical niches, to be killed off for the sake of adding drama, or whatever role they're given, side characters in many anime are simply unnecessary. Their lack of presence, importance, and screen time makes them feel hollow when compared to the main character/characters. Tokyo Ravens, however, had a well-rounded cast of supporting characters that actually played important roles in the story, and had distinct personalities tempered by whatever problems they had/things they had experienced. Beyond the main character's "party", the other characters in the series felt very real in the way they were presented. Rather than trying to include a ton of other characters and explain their every facet, they were presented at face value. Many of their motivations/convictions remained unclear, which, realistically, would be the case in a conflict on the scale of the one in Tokyo Ravens. Every character in the series felt like they weren't written into the story to make some specific part of it move forward, but were first and foremost members of Tokyo Raven's universe who participated in the story on an equal level with the characters who got more screen-time. That gave the series a very realistic feel to me, something I don't often get in comparable anime. Overall I would say that Tokyo Ravens is a good, well-written anime that may be overlooked by many people (such as myself) that would think it's just another harem-ish shounen. I would recommend giving it try, and letting it prove or disprove that preconception itself.

I liked it overall, to be honest. The story itself, I feel is pretty unique, I rarely see any anime with elements of Shaman besides Shaman King but I will admit that I haven't watch enough anime to actually warrant it unique. But, there were times whereby you would feel it's rushed in some episodes. I personally feel that some instances of the show might not have been explained properly. (I looked it up the forum to see what actually happened as some people read the light novel and kindly explained it in the forum.) I personally like the art, animation of the characters and especially the fights, pretty well-defined and impactful. The sounds for the show were pretty decent. The openings were pretty impactful and the endings simply give a soothing yet slow feel which I liked it. As for the characters, this would be one of the points where I feel it brings down the score just a tad bit. The main character, Hakutora, isn't very perceptive at the start which I would say was his flaw. Secondly, I personally feel Toji started off well in the series but I feel and would have liked if he could be given more attention to make him a stronger supporting character due to his past, having gone through a painful experience. I personally felt that Othomo gave the biggest impact to how the story transitioned and flowed and how he stuck to people who he wished to protect. Last point, There were also a few occurences whereby I felt the internal monologues or thinking processes of some charaters were not expressed properly. I enjoyed the show overall, to be honest, the fights hype things up, the story keeps me hanging on what's going to happen next.

Tokyo Ravens is surprisingly not entirely about ravens. Tokyo Ravens is about shamanism infused in the modern world. This show is apparently average at best but it did not fail to entertain me. In the end, I really enjoyed it. Tokyo Ravens has no major problems in the story but its exposition sometimes is tedious. First half can be lacking in actual story and action but it was justified by the second half. The characters are created well but development seems rushed sometimes. Drama in Tokyo Ravens is basically the story’s weakest point. A good example of this is when Tenma was guilty in the Douman arc, where he was blaming himself for letting Douman invade the school but after a minute or two, he was not guilty anymore. The drama is too unbalanced and too rushed to earn the emotional weight Tenma feels. The visuals and animation are fine but the CGI can be sometimes cringe-worthy. Music is nice but nothing special Overall, Tokyo Ravens is enjoyable and entertaining but it isn’t ambitious enough to put a higher score

When I first heard of Tokyo Ravens from my friend, I was like OMG! I'm so going to watch it. But then, my expectations of this show died as the series progress. I was practically lost and confused as the series moved along which is something I don't like. Tokyo Ravens is not bad, but it's not good either. It is mediocre at best. Story: 5/10 This show is about a teenage guy named Harutora who can't see spiritual spirits like his family. Then he met his childhood friend and the Onmyoji drama starts from there. Afterwards he moved to Tokyo and attended a school to hone his Onmyoji skills. This where the plot started to fall apart. During the few episodes of the series, it started off with action, explosion, and magic. However, instead of continuing the action, the plot decided to throw a long laid back school life series. It's a nice touch to show their school life and how normal teenagers interact but there's too much. Most of it doesn't push the story forward. It is just there to create humor and well, meaningless dragging of the series. Then here comes the part where I want to smack my head against the wall. Tokyo Ravens has a lot of CONFUSION/PLOT HOLES. When watching this series, I keep having questions in my head. What happen to Natsume? What are phases? What's Suzu's purpose? How can you conjure up spiritual disasters? CAN SOMEONE PLEASE EXPLAIN THIS TO ME?! *sigh* I think the producers needs to execute this series better... However, there are good points as well. The action and fight scenes were well done. The positioning of the romance is also well done. They kept me slightly interested towards the end. And speaking of the end, the ending of Tokyo Ravens is unsatisfying. It is like they drop another big plot hole on top of the old one without fixing it. Art: 10/10 Despite the mediocre and confusing plot, the art in Tokyo Ravens is AMAZING. The colors and brightness are so beautiful. Even though there are some *cough* problematic CGIs, I'm not the type of person to judge the quality of it. All CGIs to me look the same so yeah... Overall the art in Tokyo Ravens is beautiful. Period. Sound: 9/10 I really like the first opening of Tokyo Ravens. It brings out the hidden darkness of the series. The song also fits with the ongoing action. The second opening is a little bland for me. It doesn't really bring out the darkness of the series anymore. Instead, it beings out well, action/adventure. Character: 6/10 Oh boy. Here comes my rant. The problem with the characters that there are WAY TOO MANY! There's too many characters to keep up with. If there's too many characters, it leaves little room for the other characters to shine *cough* main character Harutora *cough*. It also left me the impression of what the hell is his or her purpose in this story. Then there's one part of the show where they introduced this side character but he didn't appear for like ten episodes but then appeared during the end, claiming that he has an important role to serve. I completely forgot his name and who he is. This shows that they should lessen the characters or give them enough screen time in order to make them more memorable. Then as for the main cast, I feel like their action in this story is minimal. Harutora has not taken action until towards the end of the story, which is kind of sad. Heck, even the side characters does more actions than him. The side characters help move the plot along until it's time for Harutora to shine. However, the other main characters serve their purpose in this story well. They played their part in the right time and place. But, there's little character development form them. Enjoyment: 7/10 Despite all those negative comments I said about this series, I actually enjoyed it till the end. The humor made me laugh a couple of times and the fight scenes were spectacular. If only the series explain all those plot holes and give some spotlights to some characters, then it will be even more enjoyable. Overall: 7/10 Tokyo Ravens has its ups and downs, but it is an enjoyable show. It's just that the confusion and plot holes kill the show for me. I feel like this show needs a season two to explain all those unanswered questions. But that's all in the near future. So if you're a person who is indifferent to plot holes and likes a story about magic, Onmyojis, and romance, then this is a show for you.

Ah, surprises. Don't we all love them? Whether good or bad, they always add something in our life - something that spices it up and moves it out of the monotone stillness we are ever so used to. Good surprises are common, and usually with very little significance attached to them. However, a slight surprise can put a smile on your face and leave you in awe of our large world. When I first started watching this series, I expected a typical shouen that would keep me entertained for a while. I really liked the magic system present in this show, along with its impeccable execution. This is why I kept watching, despite lowering my rating to 6/10 during the first half, and dismissing it as your average shouen, with no real content or anything memorable... This however, slowly changed during the second half. Things started to pick up their pace quickly and kept me watching, sitting on the edge of my seat. The second half of this show saved it, and made it worth the watch in every way possible. This show let me enjoy myself in a way I haven't for a long time now, and I can reassuringly say that it was one of the best "feeling packed" shows I've ever watched. Read on to see my views on the characters, sound, animation, story and the overall "feel" of this show. STORY: 7/10 Firstly, the story of this show is nothing spectacular. In essence, it is about a person who is supposed to be the incarnation of a military prodigy - nothing new, and it has been done before. However, the way it is executed in the show makes for a feeling packed ride that is very memorable. It's hard to say more without spoiling so I'll just end my opinion with this: "A slightly generic story turned interesting and further redeemed by avoidance of typical shouen moments." Now that the story is out of the way, I'm free to elaborate freely on every other aspect of the show without worrying about spoilers :) ART: 9/10 The art in this show was nothing short of amazing. The character designs felt fresh and fit the characters' personalities perfectly. Apart from this, the effect design for the various spells used by the characters were literally spot on. From the growing roots, to the raging fire and instantaneous flowing rivers, the mood and feel of the spells was completely captured and portrayed to the viewers perfectly. You would never look at the screen and say to yourself "wow, for talking so much that sure is a weak looking spell". Even the simple "paper" spells seem to be executed well, it's as if the "paper" is given command and as a living being is executing it. The use of CG might be off-turning for people, but I personally didn't mind it. The only use of CG was for animating Machine - like beings, which fit perfectly well. Similarly to how Berserker was incorporated in to Fate/zero, the CG doesn't make you feel like anything is out of place. Personally, watching traditionally animated robots is a bit weird to me, as no matter how hard you try it's near impossible to achieve the feeling of machinery without putting too much time in to it. One more thing I feel obliged to mention, is the backgrounds. They were absolutely BREATHTAKING and I would even compare them to kara no kyoukai. There was absolutely no scene with a dull background with a deficiency of details... My eyes always had places to look at to notice all of the details and, honestly, it was a pleasure to look at. SOUND: 10+ This is largely personal preference, but the sound completely captivated me. I always felt as if the sound fit the scenes perfectly, from the abstract whistling sound when Suzuka first appeared to the catchy poprock-esque themes present in the battles. Sometimes there was pure silence, and it was appropriate for the situation. The voice actors did a great job imo, and the voices never felt out of place. This added to my immersion in the show and helped me relate to the characters in many ways. The only voice that slightly bothered me was the voice of Kyouko's father, but that's a minor "flaw" based purely on taste. The openings gave you a decent taste of the show, and the endings did well to close off the feeling packed rides and get you excited for the future events. As I'm writing this, I'm listening to various tracks from the show and I'm enjoying them fully! ^_^ CHARACTERS: 9/10 This show had a fairly large cast of characters, and even if all of them weren't fully developed, they still had their progression and enough time to shine. To add on to this, none of the characters fit a certain stereotype and no character was annoying, irritating or just plain out badly written. In essence what I'm trying to say is that all the characters were bearable and worked as a whole really, really well. A few honorable mentions I personally really liked were: Our main character, your typical shouen hot head (kind of) who developed so much, even before the miraculous "power up". Also, he had a high level of maturity which is nowhere to be seen in your usual shouen main character. The homeroom teacher, though I can't explain why due to spoilers. Kyouko, for being a mature friend and her adult like behaviour in the (emotionally) intense situations and times where a typical character would've just cried dramatically. Natsume, for trying her hardest and her bravery. Also what I said about Kyouko. Suzuka, for her gradual development and evolution in to a normal girl... I really could mention so many here since all of them (well, with SOME exceptions) were special in their own way, kudos to the writer for coming up with these characters and designing them in a realistic way without slapping a bunch of stereotypes on to them. ENJOYMENT: 10/10 I'm not going to lie, I enjoyed this anime much, much more than I thought I would and I feel confident enough to recommend it to anyone reading this review! This anime just made me feel excited, didn't leave me sad or mad about certain parts of the ending, didn't leave a bittersweet taste in my mouth and never made me facepalm at certain events. I laughed, I felt sad for characters at times, felt happy for them at other times and was cheering and watching in awe as the show unraveled. I truly had fun watching it, and simply because of this reason I believe it to be a gem in the rough that needs to be discovered by everyone out there! OVERALL: 8/10 As much as I loved this anime, it pains me to say that it had a fair share of flaws, mostly present in the first half... The critic in me (assuming I went out and pointed out every little flaw and didn't factory enjoyment and immersion whatsoever) would say the score of this show is hovering around 6.5/10, however factoring in the fun and enjoyment, the lovable cast, the amazing art and music.. I feel as it's deserving of a 9/10. Despite my mixed feelings on this, I've decided it's a safe bet to rate the show as 8/10 which I figure most people can agree on. It's not a masterpiece, it's not a one of a kind show... but it's good and nobody can deny that. It's simply that, good and there is no other way for me to explain it. I don't know what to recommend to you if you liked this show, apart from maybe Kara no Kyoukai or Fate/Zero due to the similar approach to the magic systems. If you're a fan of the music of this show, I'd point you towards the To Aru series. I believe no other show really manages to achieve the "feel" of this show, which is why I can't truly recommend something. FINAL VERDICT: If you don't watch this show, you won't be missing out on the masterpiece of the year. You will be, however, missing out on a lot of potential fun that might just brighten up your day.

Tokyo Ravens is often described as a prototypical high-school fantasy style anime. While the description is accurate, it is far and away better than most of the stereotypical high-school fantasy anime that are rolled off the factory line every year. Tokyo Ravens does an outstanding job creating a universe in which you feel fully connected to both the past, present and future of many of the characters and their world. Although I do not do much reading of manga or light novels, I will be pick up the Tokyo Ravens light novel where the anime left off as the anime leaves little closure. {Story} - Easily one of the highlights of Tokyo Ravens, the story is well developed and cohesive throughout the anime. Set in an alternate universe of post-world war II filled with magic, it comes with a few surprising twists and turns. The story is filled with hits of romance, action and fantasy and they all come together to form a story that will have you craving more once it comes to an end. {Art} - As with many anime that make use of magic, Tokyo Ravens is gorgeous. Top notch visual graphics are used throughout the anime and they really come to the forefront in the final episodes. {Sound} - As with the visuals, Tokyo Ravens had an excellent audio profile. The anime made excellent use of background music in both emotional and action scenes that never distracted you from the focus point but very much created a beautiful atmosphere. {Character} - Along with the story, I consider character development to be one of the most important aspects of an anime. Tokyo Ravens did not disappoint. While the anime makes use of quite a few central characters, they're all given fleshed out identities and evolve over the anime. Each character will take turns surprising you and showing why they are as important to the anime as the next character. Unlike many anime, this anime will connect you to characters from the first episode and will leave you wanting to know their future once the anime ends. {Enjoyment} - Quite frankly, I enjoyed this anime much more than I expected. I binge-watched the entire thing in one day and I do not regret it for a moment. I was surprised when reading other reviews that people found it average and just another fantasy anime - I found it to be head and shoulders above much of the average shows that the anime machine sends out these days. {Overall} - Overall I gave this anime a 9/10. Much higher than the MAL average but fully deserving of more recognition. I believe Tokyo Ravens is extremely underrated and looked over. With an excellent story and character development along with immersive visuals and audio - this anime needs to be watched.

I've loved magic since the time I was a child. I don't know why but I always dreamed of having some cool powers, being able to cast spells etc. That's the reason I, for instance, love Harry Potter, Avatar, I used to love Winx, and now I came across an awesome anime that is also about magic. This time, as promised, I have for you Tokyo Ravens. Plot and Storyline In the beginning of this story we have the main character Harutora, a boy born in the prestigious Onmyoji (Magic) family Tsuchimikado. Although born in such a family he still isn't able to see "spirit energy", meaning he is not able to use magic. Or he wasn't able until he met his childhood friend Natsume, who is also the heir to the main Tsuchimikado family. After the accident with one of the Twelve Divine Generals (first class Onmyoji) Harutora decides to become Natsume's familiar (protector).*(Just as a little add, the Twelve Divine or Heavenly Generals exist in the Japanese belief as the protectors of the Medicine Buddha).* He becomes able to see spirit energy, and shortly after that enrolls the Onmyo Prep School. In the now "new world" for Harutora, everybody is speaking about Natsume being the reincarnation of Yakou Tsuchimikado, a genius Onmyoji who is told to be The Father of Modern Onmyoudo. But is she really the reincarnation? Hmmm... The storyline of this anime is great. You have the slowly (yet not too slow) developing story whose peaces are placed one by one, like a puzzle, until you get the whole picture. I have to say, after the 14th episode I was scared that they will just ruin the rest with the episodes to come, but they did not. The opposite actually happened. The story became more and more interesting and it kept me on tenterhooks until the very end. A couple of plot twists also contributed to the show, leaving actually no plot holes at all. The mix of magic and action fights also did they bit in this show. And finally an anime that has a finished love story. It didn't left me with the stupid thoughts: "Will they be together", "Will he tell her how he actually feels about her" etc. I hate unfinished stories in anime which don't have a second season. Make an OVA at least, that would make me really happy. And while talking about second seasons, this anime really deserves one. It did leave some open questions and a movie or another 12 episodes would be great. I could read the finished novel, but I am too lazy to read something. School is coming after all. Anyways, Tokyo Ravens is a catchy, awesome and in some parts very emotional story that is worth every single second of watching. There are not much anime which have a great story that is not ruined in one or the other way. And even if the beginning seems a bit like there is no progress, be patient. The best is yet to come. Characters: What a crazy bunch of personalities we have here. We have the cool guy, the stupid one, some prodigies, a girly, a shy boy, an awesome teacher, a cute familiar... This anime really has awesome characters, and I could talk about them the whole day, but the main two will also do good. Ladies first... Tsuchimikado Natsume is a prodigy onmyoji and as said before the heir to the main family. Don't be confused, she will just pretend to be a boy in most of the show. She is a very caring person and she takes her obligations as the heir very seriously. She proves that there is no success without hard work and sacrifice. An awesome and interesting character, Natusme-san. Just as everybody in the anime says : "Baka-Tora" or "Stupid Tora". Harutora Tushimikado is really what the world calls stupid. It takes some time before he understands some things. What I like about his personality is that he's not afraid to take some risks. And also he wasn't very confident in the beginning , but because he knew that learning magic is the only way to save the people he loves, he didn't give up. A very funny and determine main character, with some flaws that actually just made him so unique as he is. Animation Well there is no much to talk about the animation. It is good just like in other anime shows too. The characters look good, the style is awesome and the landscapes and backgrounds are also well done. The thing that needs to be commended is the animation of the spells and the powers. Even the monsters look awesome. Nice job! Conclusion At first glance, I didn't think that this anime would turn out this great. The only thing I have to criticize is that there is no release date for season 2. I really hope that the makers will make one. In short, Tokyo Ravens is a great story, with no plot holes but with some awesome reviews on the past. The background stories are not boring, I liked them actually, and the romance, shounen, action mix was just epic. MAL scored it with 7,88 but I would give it a 9,27. Almost a masterpiece, TOKYO RAVENS.

Excuse me in advance for there will be minor use of profane language; I do not intend to offend anyone or anything. However, given that the review guidelines only consider the use of "crap" every three words, profane, I think (...I hope) I will be all right. Crap...crap...goose! Alright. Attempted humour spree go! It was the best of anime; it was the worst of anime. Now when I say that, I mean it. This is probably the most conflicted I've ever been about an anime. Half of me is like this was awesome, and half of me is like...what the hell is the other half of me talking about. All in all, Tokyo Ravens is probably one of the most unoriginal, cliche, done to death animes this season. And frankly, I have no problem with that. Being original is nice, but you're always sitting on the fence because you never know how people will react. Being cliche is great because you know you already have an established fanbase for whatever overused plot line you're dishing out. In fact, the very reason I started it was because I read the premise of the story (much more then the premise actually, I spoiled the whole plot for myself); anyways, I got to the part where a huge secret about the main character is revealed (I'm a sucker for these types of plots), and I figured, this is just what I was looking for! Tokyo Ravens has everything set up right, but after watching the series, I can only say that everything so magnificently flopped, rolled over, and died. The perpetrator? Poor execution. Some people have complained that the first half of the anime was too slow. On the other hand, I found that the first half was paced perfectly. Great character introductions, great background explorations, great steady buildup...to a climax which never happened and a denouement which decided to switch places with where the climax should have been, just for kicks. The second half of the anime was a complete mess. With all the buildup, you would have expected the second half to unravel all the tangles in the yarn laid out in the first half, but no. It's like they tossed the ball to a cat who started playing with it and ended up wrapping the whole house in yarn. Here's my very adolescent explanation: I remember watching the last six episodes, thinking "SHIT'S GONNA GO DOWN NEXT EPISODE", only to have no shit go down. And this continued until I finished the last episode, whereupon I felt extremely disappointed and empty inside. How is this possible you ask? Every single plot device/scene I was looking forward to was rushed, butchered, or omitted entirely. Stuff just started happening all over the place at the same time with minimal explanation. It made me totally lose track of characters and their personalities, philosophies, and motives - all the things that define them. And if you're wondering how I still ended up rating this an 8...despite all my complaints, I found Tokyo Ravens to be very addicting and enjoyable. I thought the magic system was really cool and the few fight scenes that existed were extremely noteworthy; definitely some of the better action scenes I've seen recently. On the art and sound front, I would say the series is near flawless. Even the story, I thought it was cliche, but great. My only complaint would be with the characters, who were (for the most part, few exceptions) so one-dimensional that it's amazing how they managed to keep the suspense going. There were just so many things in Tokyo Ravens that I thought could have been done better. But alas, as I don't plan to take up the director's seat anytime soon, these aspirations will remain unrealized. Takaomi Kansaki probably did a better job than I could ever do anyways.

My perspective is one that is most moved and motivated on the romantic genre of anime, I'm a sap for a good relationship story. If you don't care about romance, my opinions won't matter to you. Tokyo Ravens, is not that. It starts of with a bit of netorare (Which I despise) when the love interest is forced to see a stolen first kiss. The main male protagonist, Harutora, is your generic love-blind simple minded fool, who couldn't read the atmosphere even if a hose was attached to the exhaust of a car they're sitting blissfully and ignorantly inside. Natsume was a sweet love interest, who I genuinely rooted for, but the fact that her feelings weren't truly reciprocated until the most pathetic excuse for a climactic scene nearing the end of the anime, wore my patience greatly. The anime leaves you feeling empty and bitter at the end, a vague belief that everything turned out alright, but not really, not really one bit, especially since there is no sequel, besides reading into the light novel. P.S. The adorable fox familiar Kon was truly a saving grace, she was a loyal companion that was an actually useful plot device for the main character, if not for her, I'd probably have given this a lower score.

Here's an easy review to sum up the strengths and weaknesses of Tokyo Ravens--SPOILER FREE for your enjoyment! OVERALL-- Tokyo Ravens takes about five episodes before it really finds its footing; however, once it does, this show progresses with a great pace that will keep viewers interested through all 24 episodes! The ending is slightly open to interpretation, but comes to a satisfying conclusion. It leaves the viewer ready to continue on with the characters into their next big adventure, while still bringing the current story arc to a close. Overall, a very enjoyable show and well worth the watch! MAGIC SYSTEM-- A huge part of this anime is the magic system, which presents some of the show's highest and lowest points. Tokyo Raven's magic system is never given clear cut rules or limitations, which may leave some viewers frustrated. However, this lack of definite limitations allows for some excellent fight scenes because the magic can be used is so many creative and varied ways. A highlight of the series is the magic battles, which are interesting and never repetitive; they almost never use the same trick twice! CHARACTERS-- At first, the characters may seem a little cookie-cutter, with some of the typical "anime friend group" cliches; however, the show is not limited by this because each of the mains ends up so gosh darn likable! The mains are believable, with enough backstory to give them depth. The cast of supporting characters is wide, which allows for a lot of interesting personalities. Unfortunately, for a show with only 24 episodes, I found the cast a little TOO wide to keep track of all the characters at some points. Despite this, the wide range of characters allows the show to build up an interesting motif examining the reality and meaning of trust. As a viewer, you are never quite sure who you can trust, which mirrors the struggles of the characters. This gave the story extra intrigue as allies split into factions, friends turn into opponents, and previous enemies unite as accomplices. ART-- The major flaw in the art is how starkly the CGI stands out against the traditional animation. The CGI is mainly used on the familiars in battle scenes, but I found it both jarring and distracting. Other than that, the art is fairly consistent throughout the show, with vivid colors, enjoyable character designs, and beautifully animated spell work. SOUND-- The show presents a strong voice acting cast with bright sound editing and mixing, but falls short in musical composition. I didn't find either of the opening or ending themes memorable. Furthermore, the show did not make good use of background music, even though there were many instances where music could have provided a great boost to the emotion or energy of the scene. SUBS OR DUBS? Finally, as a lover of both subs and dubs in different situations, (and having watched Tokyo Ravens in both), I recommend the subs on this one. I found the subs to be slightly better in their explanations of plot intricacies, and the Japanese voice actors to be better suited to the characters as I understood them. PROS-- +good pacing +creative magic battles +likable main characters +visually appealing spell work +strong Japanese voice cast CONS-- -slow and slightly confusing start -lack of clear rules/limitations to magic -some distracting CGI -little to no effective background music

As I don't actually use reviews when decided whether or not to watch or read something, my reviews probably aren't that helpful, I just use them to say what I like and what I didn't like. Sorry :/ Honestly, I started watching this anime because it was on my to watch list and it looked good, that's all there is to it. After the first episode, I was hooked, sometimes it takes me a lot longer to decided but with this I knew straight away I would love it. And I did, I really like anime with magic and that fantasy element so this one was up my alley. I liked the characters as well, well I was a wit weary of the characters to start of with, but they grew on me. I had a feeling that the big thing that happened (no spoilers) would because I tend to be good at reading those sorts of plot twists but still, I was shocked. I did not expect (SPOILERS) Natsume to die though, this shocked me so much and yes, it made me cry too. I guess what I didn't like was, as with most things, that there was not a lot of back story. Granted there was a lot more back story than some anime I have watched but I still felt like it was lacking a little. The ending, while it was good, ended very suddenly and was rather cliff hangery. To be honest it left a little room for a sequel but more often than not, a lot of them do and we never get one so I'm not holding any hopes just yet. I guess another dislike I had is, well it did fell like it was something I'd seen before, it lacked a little originality and while I did enjoy it, it was rather similar to other anime in the same genre. I did enjoy the anime but there were times I did consider dropping it, not so much because I didn't like it but because there were quite a few main arcs (if you can call them that) and I felt it dragged on little. Saying this, It did work well as a 24 episode anime and I do not think it would have done so well being any shorter. So this review is probably not helpful but thats not really why I write them so... Sorry

OBSERVE : A score below 7 doesn't mean its bad, it means whatever that score originally is supposed to represent. Score five is mediocre. That means that you will still probably get some enjoyment out of it. RATING: 7.68 - Read rest of my review/rant to see my reasons why - - - - - - - - - As many others have mentioned, this anime starts off quite weak with a rather non-unique setting, but then during its second act has a very, very exciting plot development that keeps you striving for more. Although unfortunately, there isn't anything more, and you are left with a hefty amount of new unanswered questions. Story & Plot - - - As I said before, the anime starts off with giving a generic shounen vibe, and you can almost find all the shounen clichés there are. For example; main character fails school but compensate for his intelligience with practical skills, there's the childhood friend, there is the ever so important promise from early childhood. A majority of the series takes place in high school setting. Also there is the glasses-guy, the big anime tiddies girl, the tsundere, the friendship is magic and will rescue the day and so on and so on. So far it might not seem like too much of a premise, but becuase of a fast introduction followed right up by action, drama and mystery, you the viewer is immediately invested in the series. Unfortunately, during its first half of the story, it is somewhat underwhelming. Events occur, but there is a lack of character developement and story progression. It is almost like the first half of the series is dedicated to introduce the viewer to this fictional universe (unfortunately, there isn't too much interesting, a lot of generic shounen magic-stuff with no real explanation to why things are like they are.) It is not until at least after episode 14/15 things start to unravel itself and it starts to show some story heavy stuff. And that's my point really. I just finished rewatching this anime for the second time, and previously having fond memories of this show, I was shocked. Halfway through the series it was nothing more than another mediocre, shounen-seasonal like anime. ...Buuut then things start to happen. The plot picks up some good pace and a well thought story starts to unravel. The second half/ the last episodes make up for the previously dull arc. Art ~ ~ ~ Art/style/animation is mediocre. Little attention to detail and no interesting backgrounds. The CGI is really obnoxious, but.. sad but true, you get used to it, and it is used in moderation (except the first couple of epsiodes... Oh god my eyes). Choreography is good. Not too many moving still-shots or "guy's so fast he zaps past his opponent, and seconds later opponent falls over/is cut apart because for some reason there is a delay to the blow becuase guy is faster than goddamn light". (Like it or not, but you can't deny it is bad/lazy animation technique). Sound - - - Soundtrack is decent, not memorable though. Though there is one especially nice piano melody which plays during sad/bittersweet moments. Unfortunately it gets kind of repetitive after 24 episodes. Sound design is fine, but again, not memorable. Characters ~ ~ ~ At first the cast is not impressive at all. Main character follows typical shounen clichés and the rest of the cast is- you guessed it, super generic. It's only a bit into the series each character start to develop into something interesting. There are some interesting characters with even more interesting development, but... Okay it feels like I am repeating myself so I'll just finish this and then get to my point. Enjoyment and Overall rating : : : Overall, it is generic, mediocre, and at first very predictable. In this wall of text I have repeatedly said those specific words, generic,unfortunately and mediocre. There is no coming away from that. Though, during the second act it starts going into a great direction with lots of interesting twists, new revelations and lots of character developement, only to end with a bad conclusion. The ending isn't bad, but all suddenly there are all these new problems and you the viewer is filled with both old and new questions; Who is that? How is he their "master"? What the hell did she do towards the last episode? What is going on, and what the hell is going to happen next?! There is no conclusion. They introduce way too many story heavy/interesting characters right in the end of the series. Real shame. No questions are answered and when it finally starts to get reeaaally good, it just kind of ends. I found it very enjoyable, or rather, the finale of the series makes up for the otherwise dull and generic shounen anime you have seen too many times. My biggest problem with this anime is that it ends with no conclusion, and it just teases you with the possibility of a sequel. Also it kind of states that "oh no how is it going to end? You should probably read up on the maangaa!" Goddamnit, I just wanted a finished anime. Final Verdict, Good to very good, but maybe not a priority choice of what to watch anime.

This is a story where one of the main characters is one of extraordinary birth. They are born as the reincarnation of a legendary magician. The main cast consists of 6 magic students and a teacher. There is Harutora, Natsume, Touji, Kyouko, Suzuka, Tenma, and Jin. Each character has their own secrets that is gradually brought to light for the viewer. They all get to know each other better as they go through some comedic moments. While the plot does seem very overused, which makes the story seem lacking...until episode 13. That is where the plot picks up and shows that it can do something right. After this point I found myself needing to see more every week. The last episode especially made me want to pick up the light novel it is based on. If you don't mind putting up with some mediocre episodes that while lacking will keep you entertained then you will be rewarded halfway through.

Well to start off this review I would like to say that I was really excited about this anime. I am not going to say that this is perfect in an anyway though it does have a few major flaws. I am going to cover those flaws here shortly. So sit back and read this review :) Flaw #1- Character Development Character development was a major flaw in this anime. I thought that they focused too much on Harutora Tsuchimikado & Natsume Tsuchimikado. They had a string of characters that to me they were just lying them to waste. For the string of characters that weren't as important as the two main characters there wasn't any back-story for them. For instance a character that that was in the anime every episode was Touji Ato, he was a great character but they didn't bother to go into any details about him like how he became a half ogre. All they said was that he was in a disaster and thats it. I thought that he should of been the main character to begin with they made him look so much more powerful than harutora. (plus he had common sense) They also didn't fully explain the characters from the magic agency or anything. They also didn't go into very much detail with Yakou Tsuchimikado, they kept saying that he was a super good exorcist and that he developed taboo magic.(not much thought into that character) Flaw #2- Pacing of the story I felt that they went from a slow paced to overly rushed. It also felt like they skipped a few scenes throughout every episode, they never started off from where they left off. The ending was very sloppy and rushed, its like they were in a hurry to finish it or something. Despite that i still enjoyed it a bit. Those are the 2 major flaws of the story now i am going to get into the ratings. Story 7/10- Rated this for the reason above pacing of the story. As i said before they rushed and skipped scenes and it makes you get confused about what is going on. To me I thought that the beginning of the anime was slow paced and too annoying for me to watch, but once I toughed it out and completed more and more episodes I started to think that it was an enjoyable show. NO THE SHOW IS NOT ALL ABOUT RAVENS! (tiny spoiler) The ending royally pissed me off because of how they skipped the ritual and also how he leaves into the sunset. I didn't fully understand what was going on. To make matters worse I dont believe they are making a season 3 of Tokyo Ravens which really really makes me mad. time and time again I see myself being dissapointed at the stories begining and ending. Even though at times it felt really confusing it was easy to catch up in what was happening. Art 9/10- I thought the art looked fantastic. They went into great detail when coming to the characters, setting, the magic designs, even the dormrooms looked very detailed. Though there isn't much to say about the art all I can say is that I really enjoyed the way this anime looked. Sound 8/10- The sound was great. I know that they are starting on the dubbed version but I have not seen any episodes of it so I am rating it solely based on the subbed version so far. At times i felt that they characters rushed through enchantments and their sentences but that was okay to an extent. The music at the title screen was catchy, so catchy that I had to find the song on youtube :) Characters 8/10- As I previously mentioned about the character development they did have a string of characters that I thought to be more interesting than the main 2 characters. I was upset because they didn't give much of a back-story on any of the characters. Each character had their own unique personalities and attributes that they brought to the show to make it more enjoyable. One of my favorite characters that I thought should of been pushed more was Touji Ato. Touji Ato was an half ogre man beast lol. His personality was the best of the characters with him this anime I seemed to be amused in every episode, even though he was a bit cocky at times but it was still great to see this character in the show. They should of focused more on developing the characters to their full extent rather than half developing them. Enjoyment 8/10- It was enjoyable at points with all of the different characters and settings. Not much to say besides that I liked this show up until the ending. Overall 8/10- Overall I enjoyed this anime, it had a unique story. For all of the reasons above i chose to give this anime an 8 instead of a 7 because the fighting scenes with the homeroom teacher made a big difference and it caught my interest. THANKS FOR READING -_- (only a second review so it might be a bit sloppy but hope this helps on deciding if you want to watch tokyo ravens)

Tokyo Ravens attempts to create its own spin on spiritualists within anime as they are incorporated into a modern era setting with Harutora learning more of his family roots as he is trained in being a spiritualist alongside cousin Natsume and finds himself caught up in hostilities between the Onmyo Agency tasked with keeping spiritual disturbances to a minimum and the cult-like Twin Horn Syndicate trying to stir up disturbances that will lead to the revival of their worshiped leader, Yakou. Saying that things are a mixed bag with this series is quite an understatement. On the one hand, it does rather well for the most part at creating a unique world for spiritualists within Tokyo Ravens as the series has laws established in the modern era for spiritualists to continue honing their craft, while have a law enforcement body in the form of the Onmyo Agency tasked with keeping their activities in check to prevent instigators like the Twin Horn Syndicate from wrecking havoc on human society. The Twin Horn Syndicate create much of the conflict within the series as they are responsible for stirring up a series of events throughout the series to try reviving Yakou, a powerful spiritualist whose reception among those in the world of spiritualists is a mixed one due to an infamous event he was a major influence in from the past. This eventually leads Natsume and Harutora to get caught up in the conflict toward the second half of the series, as they are direct descendants of Yakou from being in the same family line. The spiritualist elements also contribute to the show's engaging action scenes as shikigami and magic of various forms are used by spiritualists against one another throughout the show, leading to some great fight choreography in spite of the conspicuous CG animation that is used for rendering many of the powers used by the spiritualists throughout the show. In spite of its unique premise though, Tokyo Ravens does have a number of shortcomings that cripple its quality to a good extent. The first half suffers from a number of episodes that are typical of high school comedy anime titles with the character archetypes and situations played up and the show making some failed attempts at trying to milk humor off Natsume's need to cross-dress as a boy while a student at the Onmyo Academy with Harutora. The large cast of characters and conflicts that build up throughout the show can usually make it hard to follow what is going on at points if this is your first time going through the show, especially in its second half when events escalate with the Twin Horn Syndicate. The final episodes also suffer a bit in some rather convenient plot and character developments with how Harutora and Natsume's situations are resolved, mainly coming from some shocking developments that take place regarding the upbringings of our two lead characters and their fates. Overall, I suppose your mileage may vary with how well you warm up to Tokyo Ravens. While offering decent world-building and plot developments with its spiritualist premise, the series peaks in its second half as you have to struggle through mediocre points in its first half and deal with final episodes that offer too convenient a climax for how Harutora and Natsume resolve their situations. I would say rent or stream this series first before you decide on committing to a purchase of it.