Tokyo Ravens (東京レイヴンズ,TōkyōReivunzu) is a Japanese light novel series written by Kōhei Azano and illustrated by Sumihei. It was adapted into a manga series in 2010.[1] It received an anime series on October 9,2013[2][3] and ended on March 26,2014. Funimation simulcasted the series on their website.[4]
Onmyodou magic was a powerful technique which was used by the Japanese during World War I. Later, the infamous Yakou Tsuchimikado performed a ritual known as the "Taizan Fukun Ritual", which will eventually bring out Japan as a formidable force. However, the ritual goes horribly wrong and the result of this becomes what is now known as the "Great Spiritual Disaster", an incident which haunts the entire Japanese continent to date. In addition to this, the Onmyo Agency was established to monitor supernatural activity in the area and to combat any spirits or demons that would make their way into the real world.
In the present day, onmyodou has become more refined, simplified and modernised, even finding its use in the fields of medicine and technology. But not everyone is capable of affording this power, as can be seen in the case of Harutora, a member of one of the Tsuchimikado's branch families, who was born with no spiritual power. Despite being born to a distinguished onmyoji family, his life has become meaningless as he can accomplish nothing without any spiritual power. But he does remember the fact about him making a promise with his engaged childhood friend Natsume, the Tsuchimikado's family heir and Yakou's supposed reincarnation. Despite his background, living a normal and peaceful life is all Harutora ever wanted. But when a group of people from the Onmyo Agency attempt to recreate the same tragedy that led to Japan's downfall two years ago, he decides to take matters into his own hands by fighting alongside Natsume as her shikigami (supporter).
Media
Light novels
Tokyo Ravens began as a series of light novels by Kōhei Azano, author of Black Blood Brothers, with illustrations by Sumihei; 16 volumes have been released as of October 2018. The first volume of a side-story series titled Tokyo Ravens EX was published on July 20, 2013; four volumes have been released as of October 2016.
Tokyo Ravens inspired the creation of six manga series based on the light novels.[22] The first one, Tokyo Ravens, was illustrated by Atsushi Suzumi. It was serialsed from April 26, 2010 to July 26, 2017 in Monthly Shōnen Ace.[23][24] The chapters have been collected into fifteen volumes. It follows the main story of the light novels. In 2014 and 2015, Kadokawa published eleven English volumes of the manga adaptation on BookWalker, their official eBook store.[25] The second manga series, Tokyo Ravens: Tokyo Fox was illustrated by COMTA and published in Fujimi Shobo's Age premium in 2011. It features an original story focused on Kon. The third series, Tokyo Ravens: Red and White, is a manga spinoff by Azumi Mochizuki. It was serialized in Kadokawa's Monthly Dragon Age and concluded in the November 2013 issue.[26] The fourth series, Tokyo Ravens: Sword of Song, is a manga spinoff by Ran Kuze. Its serialization began in the November 2013 issue of Kodansha's Monthly Shōnen Rival.[27] The fifth series, Tokyo Ravens -Girls Photograph-, started serialization in Kadokawa's Monthly Dragon Age in the January 2014 issue.[28][29] It focuses on the female characters of the series. The sixth and the latest series, Tokyo Ravens AnotherXHoliday started in Kadokawa's shojo magazine Millefeui in the February 2014 issue.[30] It focuses on the male characters of the series.
Anime
An anime adaption aired in Japan from October 6, 2013 to March 26, 2014, animated by Eight Bit, directed by Takaomi Kansaki, and with screenplay by Hideyuki Kurata. Funimation has licensed the series for English release.[31]Medialink licensed the series in Asia-Pacific.[32] The first opening theme is "X-encounter" by Maon Kurosaki and the first ending theme is "Kimi ga Emu Yūgure" (君が笑む夕暮れ) by Yoshino Nanjō. The second opening theme is "Outgrow" by Gero and the second ending theme is "Break a spell" by Mami Kawada.[33]
"SHAMAN*CLAN -Promise-" "Shāman Kuran Yakusoku"(SHAMAN*CLAN -約束-)
October9,2013(2013-10-09)
Harutora Tsuchimikado recalls his childhood promise while sleeping during summer school before he and his friend Touji Ato encounter Hokuto. Idling away the day, Hokuto lectures Harutora once again to become an onmyo mage. On his way home, Harutora unexpectedly meets his childhood friend Natsume but ends up offending her prompting Natsume to leave. The next day, Touji enlightens Harutora on Natsume's comments before they meet up with Hokuto at the festival. Hokuto promises Harutora a kiss if he wins but teasingly plays it off but promises to take care of the ribbon. Suzuka Dairenji arrives at the festival while Harutora fights with Hokuto about her ema. Before Harutora can chase her, Suzuka enters and, mistakenly thinking Harutora is Natsume, asks him to help her with a certain ritual she wants to perform. The Magical Investigation Bureau drives up to take Suzuka into custody for use of forbidden magic but she utilizes an Asura to wash them away capturing Harutora in the process. When Hokuto arrives revealing Harutora's real identity, Suzuka leaves Hokuto with a message for Natsume and kisses him.
2
"SHAMAN*CLAN -Confession-" "Shāman Kuran Kokuhaku"(SHAMAN*CLAN -告白-)
October16,2013(2013-10-16)
Hokuto indirectly reveals she loves Harutora but avoids him for the next day. Touji discusses what Suzuka wanted with Harutora before he is called away to meet Natsume wherein Suzuka's familiar (which was inside Harutora's stomach after she kissed him) steals Natsume's spiritual powers. While taking Natsume home, Harutora comes across Suzuka and leaves Natsume to an officer while he goes to Suzuka. Overpowered by Suzuka's juggernaut, the Magical Investigation Bureau agents are spiritually wiped out before Harutora is almost able to convince Suzuka to stop. A badly injured Magic Investigation Department agent binds Suzuka who, enraged, calls upon her juggernaut to kill him. Harutora saves the agent's life but as he is about to die, Hokuto sacrifices herself to save Harutora. Alone and grieving over Hokuto's death, Harutora makes his way to Natsume and becomes her familiar.
3
"SHAMAN*CLAN -Calling the Dead (Tama Night Crawling)-" "Shāman Kuran Tamayobai"(SHAMAN*CLAN -魂呼(たまよばい)-)
October23,2013(2013-10-23)
Natsume and Harutora make their way to the shrine by riding Yukikage (a familiar in the form of a white horse) to stop Suzuka but she retaliates by sending her juggernaut and Asura. As the juggernaut forms a protective barrier around the shrine, Natsume and Harutora battle the two while Harutora develops a strategy to overcome the latter. In the midst of the battle, Harutora falls off Yukikage and Natsume calls out for Hokuto, the Tsuchimikado family's guardian dragon, to save him. Hokuto defeats the Asura and successfully delays the juggernaut enabling Harutora and Natsume to arrive at the shrine but Suzuka stops them. Suzuka ultimately brings forth a spirit pulse which is controlling her brother's body and is now strangling her. Harutora and Natsume eventually save Suzuka whereupon Harutora lets Suzuka see her brother off properly. Afterwards, Natsume reveals that the talisman familiar was a manipulation type and Hokuto's real controller was somewhere else alive. In Tokyo, Harutora meets with Natsume after enrolling at Onmyo Prep School where he conveys the wrong impression that he knew Hokuto was Natsume the entire time. Harutora doesn't realize Natsume has still kept her ribbon and when Tōji appears having enrolled at Onmyo Prep School as well, the two act overly familiar with each other wherein its subtly revealed that Tōji knows Hokuto's controller was Natsume. On the verge of making a connection, Harutora and Tōji leave with Natsume.
Harutora and Touji arrive at the Onmyo Academy. The two are greeted by the man-made Shikigami who guards the entrance, Alpha and Omega. Shortly after that the two meet the principal of the academy, Miyo Kurahashi. The three of them discuss about Natsume and Yakou Tsuchimikado and about the supposed connection between the two. Harutora and Touji then meet their homeroom teacher, Jin Ohtomo. While the two introduce themselves, their new classmates are surprised since the two of them transferred half a year later when the new term started. Kyouko Kurahashi, the granddaughter of the principal, annoyed by this fact has a brief argument with Natsume. After that, Harutora is surprised when Natsume and Touji are acting familiar towards each other as he thinks that they just met yesterday. Harutora and Touji befriends their new classmate Tenma Momoe. He gives a brief info about Kyouko and the current Kurahashi clan. At the end of the day, Harutora finally meets his Shikigami, Kon. Due to a misunderstanding, Natsume catches Harutora with a naked Kon thus causing her to punish him. The next day, Harutora is not paying attention in the class. Kyouko suggests that the class should abandon those who can't keep up with their studies. Ohtomo, on the other hand, tells them that he would still help the students despite the strict Academy rules. This irritates Kyouko and at the same time Kon shows up having her sword pointed towards Kyouko for badmouthing Harutora. Annoyed because of Harutora, Kyouko summons her Shikigami called Hakuou and Kokfuu. Seeing this, Jin Ohtomo suggests them to have a Shikigami duel. Harutora tells his plan to Kon and the two prepare to face against Kyouko's shikigami.
During her fight with Harutora, Kyouko remembers her childhood promise with a Tsuchimikado boy. After this flashback, Harutora's Bokken energy bursts out due to overcharging. Jin Ohtomo is forced to stop the duel after watching Harutora lose. Due to his duel against Kyouko, Harutora gets popular in his class which upsets Natsume. Later, Kyouko apologizes to Harutora for her rude behaviour which she reveals due to her assumption that the one she met in her childhood was Natsume. She thinks Natsume has forgot about the promise between her and the Tsuchimikado boy she met. As Natsume arrives, she sees Harutora together with Kyouko and gets upset and cries after scolding him. As Harutora goes to comfort her, she gets caught up in the miasma caused by a Magic Investigator from the Onmyo Agency who is in fact a Yakou disciple. Harutora and the others arrive at the place where Natsume is held hostage by the Yakou disciple and he summons a one-armed demon whom he calls Kakugyouki. After an intense battle with the fake Kakugyouki, Harutora manages to break its seal. Unable to control the fake Kakugyouki, the Yakou disciple flees. After getting rescued by Harutora, Natsume summons her Shikigami dragon Hokuto which kills the fake Kakugyouki. Touji later confirms that the one-armed demon was not the real Kakugyouki. Later, in their conversation Kyouko confesses that she likes Natsume and wants Harutora to help her start dating with Natsume. Harutora is surprised after hearing this as he can't tell her that Natsume is in fact a girl pretending to be a boy. Just after their conversation, Harutora has a flashback of a girl whom he made a promise and the girl looks like a younger Kyouko.
6
"days in nest -holiday-" "deizu in nesuto Kyūjitsu"(days in nest -休日-)
November13,2013(2013-11-13)
The dorm mothers Mako Fujino and Ako Kifu spots Harutora with a Shikigami that looks like Natsume albeit with a male body. They misunderstand the situation and takes their pictures together which embarrasses Harutora. Weird rumours spread throughout the school about Harutora and Natsume which now includes Touji as well thanks to the dorm mothers. Harutora plans to go shopping on his day off but since Touji has plans, he suggests Harutora and Natsume to go together. This makes Natsume happy as she considers this as a date with Harutora. Next day, while searching for a clothes shop, the two of them gets lost and end up in a love hotel where they hide from the dorm mothers who were chasing them. While the two shares a light moment together, Kon shows up and tells them they are also being searched by Kyouko and Tenma's Shikigami. Natsume thinks that she can handle their Shikigami but when Jin Ohtomo shows up to help in their search she loses all her hope. Harutora calls Touji for help and the two escape thanks to him. They later meet up with Jin Ohtomo and others but things don't go well for Harutora when he is misunderstood again being together with Kon in the hotel room. Later in the evening, Jin Ohtomo manages to successfully locate and capture the Yakou disciple who kidnapped Natsume previously. The principal also shows up controlling her cat Shikigami and she confirms the Yakou disciple's connection with the Twin Horn Syndicate. Shortly after that, Ashiya Douman discusses with a man about the Yakou disciple. The man states that he does not want to get involved with the Twin Horn Syndicate's conflict. He also seems interested in the Tsuchimikado branch family's son Harutora. While he is about to leave, it is subtly revealed that he has one arm missing and that person is actually the real Kakugyouki.
Six months has passed since Harutora and Touji enrolled into Onmyo Academy and the students prepare for their end of year exams. Natsume is trying to make Harutora pass his exams by helping him in his studies. In a second duel with Kyouko, Harutora manages to beat one of her two Shikigami. Touji meets Miyo in her room where she discusses about the practical exam which will be the purification of a simulated Spiritual Disaster. She tells him about this exam as she thinks Touji has a handicap in this exam for being a victim of the Spiritual Disaster which happened two years ago. Meanwhile, Jin Ohtomo meets Daizen Amami of the Onmyo Agency. Amami, Jin, and the current investigator of the "Twin Horn Syndicate," Atsune Hirata, discuss about the future plans of the Twin Horn Syndicate which caused the Spiritual Disaster two years ago. Ashiya Douman had contacted a member of the Twin Horn Syndicate, Chihiro Mutobe to conduct a new Spiritual Disaster. The next day, the simulated Spiritual Disaster practical exam is held. However, the exam doesn't go well as a Chimera 01 type Nue appears in the exam site due to the miasma getting stronger. Upon sensing danger, Natsume summons Hokuto to expel the miasma and keep her classmates safe. Reiji Kagami, while pursuing the Nue, appears at the exam site. While Touji is in pain due to the strong miasma, Reiji notices him becoming a Half-Ogre.
In a flashback, Touji remembers his past during the time he was receiving treatment from Harutora's father. It is revealed that two years ago Touji was possessed by the same Ogre which caused the Spiritual Disaster. Touji is later admitted to the hospital, but disappears after regaining consciousness. Zenjirou Kogure and his Shikigami pair of Karasu-Tengu arrive at the scene of the growing Spiritual Disaster. He and Reiji suspect the Twin Horn Syndicate of causing the event. The two of them leave the scene to go after the Nue. Natsume agrees to aid the Onmyo Agency by using her dragon, Hokuto, to help fight the Spiritual Disaster. Tenma, Kon, and Harutora search for Touji, while Natsume and Kyouko meet Zenjirou. Later, Harutora runs into some strangers but Kakugyouki arrives and tells them to stop making a scene. Before disappearing, Kakugyouki tells Harutora about Touji's whereabouts. Meanwhile, Reiji Kagami and Iwao Miyachi tries to take down the Chimera 01. While fighting, Harutora explains that Touji can't kill him because Touji loves his friends. While Mari Yuge is making a special barrier to contain the Chimera 01, Hokuto lures the Nue towards the barrier. Later, Chihiro Mutobe casts a spell which causes the Chimaira 01 to progress into a Phase-4 Phenomena.
After witnessing the Chimera 01 progress to a Phase-4 Phenomena, the Nue starts to run away with Natsume and Zenjirou in pursuit. Back in the hospital, Touji wakes up and finds that Miyo has loosened his Ogre seal. She tells him to control his Ogre power instead of merely driving it away. Elsewhere, Reiji Kagami, Iwao Miyachi and other Onmyouji exorcists are purifying the Chimera 01. Zenjirou and Natsume are stopped by Chihiro Mutobe in their chase. Zenjirou faces Chihiro while the others continue after the Nue. Meanwhile, Tenma comforts Touji and tells him he still considers Touji a friend. Touji decides to help Harutora against the Nue and later arrives at the scene. After an intense battle, they are successful in purifying it. Reiji Kagami comments how their actions will cause Natsume to be famous among the Yakou followers and will re-energize them. He meets Ohtomo, who warns him to stay away from his students. Zenjirou also arrives and tells them he failed to take Chihiro Mutobe into custody, since he had placed a suicide spell on himself and died. Shortly after that, everyone feels the powerful presence of Ashiya Douman who was planning to retrieve the Nue for himself but failed. In the end, Atsune Hirata is seen performing the Taizan Fukun ritual thanking Chihiro Mutobe for his work.
One month after the Spiritual Disaster, "The Second Great Purification of March 3," caused by the Twin Horn Syndicate, Onmyo Academy's entrance ceremony is held and Suzuka Dairenji enrolls. She notices Harutora in the ceremony and declares that he was her first kiss which causes him to be bombarded with questions. Zenjirou Kogure tells Jin Ohtomo that the Onmyo Agency enrolled Suzuka in the Academy as her penalty for the incident she caused last year. Jin states that the Onmyo Academy will take care of Suzuka for her re-education. Natsume becomes worried because Suzuka saw her dressed as a girl during last year's incident, so she continues to hide herself from Suzuka. While searching for Suzuka, Harutora meets an unusual senior third year student who seems interested in Kon. Later in the evening, Suzuka reveals to Harutora that the Onmyo Agency sealed most of her magic powers and gave her a penalty of staying in Onmyo Academy for three years. The next day, she keeps wanting to meet Natsume. Touji suggests that Harutora tell her about Natsume's circumstances regarding the family tradition to dress as a boy. Harutora talks to Suzuka; she cries that even though she killed Hokuto, Harutora doesn't resent her. Harutora releases Suzuka from her guilt when he tells her that Hokuto was in fact a Shikigami controlled remotely by its user. After their conversation, Suzuka notices Natsume's presence and quickly recognizes her as the girl who wore the priestess outfit.
After learning about Natsume's real gender, Suzuka continues to bully both Harutora and Natsume, though she chooses not to reveal the secret to anyone. As punishment for not answering her phone calls, Suzuka decides to investigate both Harutora's and Natsume's rooms. Natsume becomes very reluctant and defensive. Suzuka notices a barrier placed on Natsume's closet, but Natsume summons Hokuto and ends the situation.
The next day, Harutora notices that Kon is still in her physical form and can't transform back. Touji suggests that it was Natsume and Suzuka's fault due to the spells used in the closet incident. Suzuka and Natsume both refuse to ask for the teacher's help. Kon wants to follow Harutora through school, so she disguises herself wearing Harutora's favorite tiger imprinted jacket. She causes trouble in the cafeteria when she is mistaken for a tiger Shikigami. The school issues a tiger warning and calls the Onmyo Agency for help. The principal and Zenjirou conclude that someone sent a tiger Shikigami to attack the students. While Suzuka helps Kon escape, Zenjirou attacks them. They manage to escape, but Harutora's jacket gets destroyed in the process. Suzuka, Kon and Harutora are scolded by Jin and Kon is able to get rid of her physical form. In the end, Suzuka is seen sleeping with a one eyed Tiger plushie toy.
Harutora's whole class goes on a Shikigami training camp somewhere in the mountains. Suzuka also attends the tour, much to Harutora's and Natsume's dismay. Touji then asks Suzuka for a partnership to defend themselves against the Yakou devotees who are after Natsume. She complies, leading Natsume to ask Suzuka if she really is Yakou's reincarnation. Suzuka believes Natsume is but can't be sure. She tells them about the "Raven Coat," a spiritual tool Yakou used to wear that is the only way to find out if Natsume really is his reincarnation. Jin Ohtomo and the principal overhear their conversation. Jin believes that the real Raven Coat is in Onmyo Academy and the one in the Onmyo Agency is just a replica based on information he learned from a man named "Ryo Saotome". The next day, Harutora is stopped by Kyouko who wants to know if he really likes Suzuka. Out of nowhere, Suzuka steps in and rants on about how Harutora likes Hokuto and not her. Harutora tells Kyouko about how Hokuto was a Shikigami being controlled outside, and Kyouko speculates that Hokuto's controller had to be very powerful to make Hokuto seem like a real person for so long. Later on the bus ride home, Harutora notices the pink ribbon in Natsume's hair and realizes that it's the exact ribbon he won for Hokuto at the fair, making him believe that Hokuto's real controller was Natsume.
A Spirit Disaster begins at the Onmyo Agency's branch office. Harutora, Natsume, and the others fight against Shaver, who has become increasingly berserk. In the process, Natsume's true gender is revealed in front of her friends and other students. To protect her, Harutora manages to tap into the power of the star mark she gave him earlier. He realizes he can now sense the type of spirits around him and how to fight them. He defeats Shaver and the remaining spirits. Later, Amami talks with the Chief about Takiko Souma, assuming she is part of the Twin Horn Syndicate. Souma enters the room and Amami finds out the Chief is also working with her. She presumably kills Amami for knowing too much. Souma and the Chief agree that it's time to attempt turning Natsume into Yakou by using the Raven Coat.
School classes resume as usual. Suzuka persuades Kurahashi to make up with Natsume and Harutora, despite Kurahashi's disappointment that they all kept secrets from her. Harutora talks to Kyouko, then realizes that he is the one from her childhood memories. The next day, the Tsuchimikado house is found to be burned down with Natsume's father nowhere to be found. The events leading up to the fire are revealed: Mari Yuge, on behalf of the Onmyo Agency, had come to take Natsume's father into custody. Later, Jin talks to the newly reincarnated Ashiya Douman, learning that the Twin Horn Syndicate has supporters in the Onmyo Agency.
Souma learns of the fire and reveals to Natsume, Harutora, and the others that she is somehow connected to the Onmyo Agency. She duels with Natsume, testing whether Natsume is worthy as Yakou's reincarnation. Jin-sensei steps in to break up the fight when he notices that Harutora's spirit energy seems unusual. Later, Natsume makes up with Kyouko and they acknowledge that they will be rivals for Harutora's attention. The principal talks to Jin-sensei about him resigning as a teacher and working independently behind-the-scenes again. She offers to protect Natsume in Jin's stead, but is also shocked when Jin reveals the Natsume is actually a girl. Meanwhile, Chief Kurahashi is shown talking to a man who is bound to Takiko Souma. He claims to be Yashahara, one of the Imperial Pallbearers that Souma can summon. Souma enters with Mutobe, the other Pallbearer. She questions whether Natsume can become their comrade, and becomes very excited when she is presented with a package presumably containing the Raven Coat.
Natsume reminisces about her childhood, revealing her attempts to be close to Harutora through Hokuto. Later, the group goes to the fireworks festival. While Natsume and Harutora are alone together, she begins to tell him about Hokuto. Their conversation soon gets interrupted when Souma Takiko arrives. She then explains her family's connection to Yakou and reveals that Harutora is Yakou's true reincarnation. She lets loose the Raven Coat, but instead of settling on him, it begins to possess him. By this time, all the others have arrived to the scene and they follow Harutora in an attempt to stop him. Natsume recalls all the events up till date and realizes that the star spell she placed on him really didn't give him spiritual seeing power, it only undid half the curse which was sealing his natural abilities. She decides to completely undo the seal so that Harutora's spiritual power can settle down. After doing so, the Raven Coat stops possessing him. In the process however, Natsume is fatally injured, but manages to tell Harutora that she loves him.
21
"to The Darksky -Dark night-" "tū Za Dākusukai Yamiyo"(to The Darksky -闇夜-)
March5,2014(2014-03-05)
Harutora runs off with Natsume's body, with Touji and Suzuka following. They encounter Dairenji Shido, Takiko's summoned familiar. Suzuka recognizes that he is her father, though he had died and was brought back to life. He tries to persuade Harutora to join the Twin Horn Syndicate, offering the Taizan Fukun Ritual to bring Natsume back to life as a bribe. He departs and the Onmyo Agency catches up, taking Harutora in for interrogation. Touji and the others wait at the Onmyo Agency, explaining what happened to the principal. She talks with Zenjiro and they say they'll handle things. Touji and the others decide to sneak back to the Onmyo Agency later to see Harutora and attempt to retrieve Natsume's body in case there's any chance of reviving her. Meanwhile, Jin-sensei visits Natsume and apologizes for not saving her. He calls Ashiya Douman and asks for his help to attack the Onmyo Agency.
22
"to The DarkSky -Protector-" "tū Za Dākusukai Gohō"(to The DarkSky -護法-)
March12,2014(2014-03-12)
Harutora talks with Chief Kurahashi and Yashamaru about resurrecting Natsume with the Taizan Fukun Ritual. He almost agrees to cooperate with them when Kon appears and talks him out of trusting such shady people. She assures him that if he is Yakou's reincarnation, he will find a way to revive her himself. Meanwhile, Douman and Jin-sensei attack the Onmyo Agency. Miyachi fights against Douman while Jin-sensei runs into Kagami. Touji, Suzuka, and Kyouko also move in to try finding Harutora.
23
"to The DarkSky -Onmyou-" "tū Za Dākusukai Onmyō"(to The DarkSky -陰陽-)
March19,2014(2014-03-19)
A flashback reveals how Tenma single handedly infiltrated the Onmyo Agency and broke the seal on the Raven Coat. He's aided by a magic spider, one of the spells his mother developed. Daizen Amami is shown to still be alive, possibly the one controlling the spider. Jin-sensei easily defeats Kagami. Touji retrieves Harutora from Chief Kurahashi and Yashamaru. They meet up with Suzuka and Kyouko outside. Tenma appears with the Raven Coat and they all manage to get away from the Onmyo Agency. Tenma relays that Suzu has offered assistance with the Taizan Fukun Ritual if Harutora chooses to do it to which he says he will. Zenjiro and Jin-sensei appear, after hearing their plan. Zenjiro plans on stopping them from using forbidden magic. Kyouko manages to slip into a star-reading state for the first time and tells them that she still sees Natsume's stars, and that she's waiting for Harutora. Harutora, Suzuka, and Touji get away to find Natsume.
24
"to The DarkSky -Calling the Dead (Tama Night Crawling)-" "tū Za Dākusukai Tamayobai"(to The DarkSky -魂呼(たまよばい)-)
March26,2014(2014-03-26)
Yakou's memories of meeting Kon (Hishamaru) are shown. Presently, Harutora continues on by himself to retrieve Natsume's body. Kagami intercepts him, calling out Shaver to fight as well. He stabs Kon and Harutora rushes to protect her. In the process, his left eye gets slashed and is almost killed. Enraged, Kon decides to release the seal on her to access her full power. She transforms into a grown version of herself (i.e., Hishamaru) and Kakugyouki appears. They fight off Kagami and Shaver and rescue Harutora, showing their loyalty to him. The three continue on and find Natsume, then meeting up with Suzu to perform the Taizan Fukun Ritual. Elsewhere, Jin has Ashiya Douman become his familiar. Harutora's friends also wait to hear from him, receiving only a vague phone call from Suzu saying that the ritual "kind of" worked. Harutora is shown with Natsume again, just long enough for her to repeat that she loves him and for him to kiss her. She supposedly drifts off, with Harutora promising he'll see her again before departing to the sunrise with Hishamaru and Kakugyouki following him as his loyal subjects.
Reception
In Anime News Network's Fall 2013 Anime Preview Guide, reviewers Rebecca Silverman and Theron Martin gave the series an initial rating of 2 out of 5 stars, while reviewers Carlo Santos and Carl Kimlinger gave the series an initial rating of 2.5 out of 5 stars.[35] Martin commented that "the artistic effort is wholly unimpressive beyond the yukata that Hokuto wears and the CG creations stand out too starkly against the regular animation. Director Takaomki Kanasaki is quite capable of producing fun, stylish fare (as he proved with Is This a Zombie?), but this definitely does not qualify. Only some decent early character development saves this one from the garbage pile,"[36] while Santos gave a slightly more positive review, stating that "Tokyo Ravens is nothing special, but it isn't horrible, either. This supernatural adventure series employs all the usual trappings of the genre, but does so without making a mess of the story or throwing too many ideas in. In fact, it even spends a good amount of time on the characters' day-to-day lives, instead of rushing them into the action."[37] Silverman praised the series' art and character designs, as well as the series' use of both 2D and 3D CGI graphics, but concludes that "right now it feels like a hodgepodge of ideas that hasn't quite gotten itself grounded yet,"[38] while Kimlinger criticized the series' poor start and use of clichés, stating that "watching Tokyo Ravens is probably the closest you'll get to experiencing precognition. In a show that gets the desired effect from its tropes, that wouldn't be a problem. But Ravens only does its tropes half-right."[39]
China ban
On June 12, 2015, the Chinese Ministry of Culture listed Tokyo Ravens among 38 anime and manga titles banned in China.[40]
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Fate/stay night is a Japanese visual novel game developed by Type-Moon for Windows on January 30, 2004. Initially released as an adult game, a version titled Fate/stay night Réalta Nua, which replaced the sexual content with alternate scenes, added an extended ending scene to the Fate storyline, and featured voice actors from the 2006 anime series, was released on April 19, 2007 for the PlayStation 2. It was later ported to Windows in 2011, PlayStation Vita in 2012, and iOS and Android in 2015. A remastered version of Réalta Nua was released for Nintendo Switch and PC via Steam in 2024, marking the first time the game was made available outside Japan. The plot focuses on a young mage named Shirou Emiya who becomes a warrior in a battle between "Servants" known as the Holy Grail War. Shirou bonds with a heroine through each route and confronts different adversaries participating in the war. The author, Kinoko Nasu, summarised Fate/stay night as:
...the story about legendary heroes and "a boy meets a girl."... The main theme is "conquering oneself." There are three story lines in Fate, each has a different themes. The first one is the "oneself as an ideal." The second one is "struggling with oneself as an ideal." The third one is "the friction with real and ideal." This game is describing the growth of the main character Emiya Shirou. The first storyline shows his slanted mind, the next storyline shows his resolve, and the last storyline gives another resolution for him as a human. All three storylines are essentially equal, but they have different forms.
Mushishi (蟲師) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Yuki Urushibara. It was serialized in Kodansha's seinen manga magazine Afternoon Season Zōkan from 1999 to 2002, and in Monthly Afternoon from December 2002 to August 2008. The individual chapters were collected and released into ten tankōbon volumes by Kodansha. Those volumes were localized to North America by Del Rey between January 2007 and August 2010. The series follows Ginko, a man who dedicates himself to solving problems caused by supernatural creatures called Mushi.
Kyo Kara Maoh! is a series of Japanese light novels written by Tomo Takabayashi and illustrated by Temari Matsumoto. The story follows the adventures of Yuri Shibuya, an average 15-year-old Japanese high school student, who is suddenly transported to another world where he is told that he is now the king of demons.
Trinity Blood is a series of Japanese light novels written by Sunao Yoshida with illustrations by Thores Shibamoto and originally serialized in The Sneaker. Set 900 years after an apocalyptic war between humans and vampires, the series focuses on the ongoing cold war between the Vatican, the human government, and the "New Human Empire", the government of the vampiric Methuselah. Fighting on the Vatican's side is Abel Nightroad, a Crusnik—a vampire that feeds on vampires. The novels blend science fiction, fantasy, and political intrigue, with some in the Vatican and the Empire striving for peace, and the Rosen Kreuz Order doing anything in its power to stop it.
Strike Witches is a Japanese media mix franchise originally created by Fumikane Shimada via a series of magazine illustration columns. The illustrations have since inspired several official light novel, manga, and anime series and various video games. The series revolves around teenage moe anthropomorphic girls who use machines attached to their legs to do aerial combat. The original video animation (OVA) preview episode was released in January 2007. The televised anime series later aired between July and September 2008. A second season aired between July and September 2010. A film adaptation was released on March 17, 2012, and a three-part OVA series was released between September 2014 and May 2015. A third season aired from October to December 2020.
Haruhi Suzumiya is a Japanese light novel series written by Nagaru Tanigawa and illustrated by Noizi Ito. It was first published in 2003 by Kadokawa Shoten in Japan with the novel The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, and has since been followed by 11 additional novel volumes, an anime television series adaptation produced by Kyoto Animation, four manga series, an animated film, two original net animation series and several video games.
Deadman Wonderland is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Jinsei Kataoka and Kazuma Kondou. It was serialized in Kadokawa Shoten's Monthly Shōnen Ace from April 2007 to July 2013, with its chapters collected in 13 tankōbon volumes. Tokyopop acquired the licensing rights to distribute the manga in English and released the first five volumes before the company shut down its North American publishing division in 2011. The series was later licensed by Viz Media, who published the 13 volumes from February 2014 to February 2016.
Baka and Test, also known as Baka and Test: Summon the Beasts, is a Japanese light novel series written by Kenji Inoue with illustrations by Yui Haga. The series revolves around Akihisa Yoshii, the titular baka (idiot) and his friends at Fumizuki Academy, a school where students are sorted into classes based on their entrance exam test grades. The top classes receive better classroom equipment and benefits, while the bottom classes receive very little. Class F, the lowest class in the school, are angered by this injustice and vow to fight the higher-level classes for better equipment and respect. Baka and Test was published by Enterbrain, with a total of 18 novels published from January 2007 to March 2015 under its Famitsu Bunko imprint.
A Certain Scientific Railgun is a Japanese manga series written by Kazuma Kamachi and illustrated by Motoi Fuyukawa, which began serialization in the April 2007 issue of ASCII Media Works' Dengeki Daioh magazine. The manga is a spin-off of Kamachi's A Certain Magical Index light novel series, taking place before and during the events of the main story. Seven Seas Entertainment began publishing the series in North America in June 2011. An anime television series adaptation by J.C.Staff aired in Japan between October 2009 and March 2010, followed by an original video animation released in October 2010. A second season titled A Certain Scientific Railgun S aired between April and September 2013. A spin-off manga series titled A Certain Scientific Railgun: Astral Buddy began serialization in Dengeki Daioh from April 2017 to July 2020. A third season titled A Certain Scientific Railgun T aired between January and September 2020.
Tokyo ESP is a Japanese manga series by Hajime Segawa. It began serialization in Kadokawa Shoten's Shōnen Ace magazine on February 26, 2010, and finished on July 26, 2016. It follows a high school girl named Rinka Urushiba who lives with her father in poor conditions. This leads her to work part-time as a waitress. Her life changes when she gains the ability to use extrasensory perception (ESP). An anime television series adaptation produced by Xebec aired from July to September 2014.
High School DxD is a Japanese light novel series written by Ichiei Ishibumi and illustrated by Miyama-Zero. The story centers on Issei Hyodo, a perverted high school student from Kuoh Academy who desires to be a harem king and is killed by his first date, revealed to be a fallen angel, but is later revived as a devil by the red-haired devil princess Rias Gremory to serve her and her devil family. Issei's deepening relationship with Rias proves dangerous to the angels, the fallen angels, and the devils. High School DxD began serialization in Fujimi Shobo's Dragon Magazine in its September 2008 issue. The first volume was released on September 20, 2008. A total of twenty five volumes is available in Japan as of March 2018 under their Fujimi Fantasia Bunko imprint. A manga adaptation by Hiroji Mishima began serialization in the July 2010 issue of Dragon Magazine and later in the March 2011 issue of Monthly Dragon Age with eleven volumes released.
Soul Eater Not! is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Atsushi Ohkubo. It is a spin-off of the main series, Soul Eater, taking place prior to the events of the manga. It was serialized in Square Enix's Monthly Shōnen Gangan magazine from January 2011 to November 2014. An anime television series adaptation by Bones aired on TV Tokyo between April and July 2014 and was simulcast by Funimation in North America.
The Disappearance of Nagato Yuki-chan, is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Puyo. The series is a spinoff of Nagaru Tanigawa's Haruhi Suzumiya light novel series, and is based on the alternate universe originally featured in the series' fourth volume and feature film, The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya. The series was serialized in Kadokawa Shoten's Young Ace magazine from July 2009 to August 2016 and is licensed by Yen Press. A 16-episode anime television series adaptation by Satelight aired between April and July 2015, with an original video animation episode released in October 2015.
Log Horizon is a Japanese novel series written by Mamare Touno and illustrated by Kazuhiro Hara. It began serialization online in 2010 on the user-generated novel publishing website Shōsetsuka ni Narō, being later on acquired by Enterbrain and published as a light novel in Japan since 2011. Yen Press began publishing an English translation in 2015. The series follows the strategist, Shiroe, and the other players of the long-lived MMORPG Elder Tale after they find themselves whisked away into the game world following a game update.
No Game No Life is a Japanese light novel series by Yuu Kamiya. It is published under the MF Bunko J imprint with twelve novels released between April 25, 2012, and February 25, 2023. The author and his wife, Mashiro Hiiragi, adapted the novels into a manga series for Monthly Comic Alive in 2013. Later that year, an anime adaptation of No Game No Life by Madhouse was announced. It premiered on AT-X between April and July 2014, and was simulcast outside Japan by Crunchyroll. An anime film adaptation of the sixth volume, No Game, No Life Zero, premiered on July 15, 2017. A spinoff manga, No Game No Life, Please!, focusing on the character Izuna, ran from May 27, 2015, to November 27, 2017. The No Game No Life franchise was localized in North America by several companies: Seven Seas Entertainment licensed the manga, Sentai Filmworks the anime, and Yen Press the light novel series.
Tokyo Ghoul is a Japanese dark fantasy manga series written and illustrated by Sui Ishida. It was serialized in Shueisha's seinen manga magazine Weekly Young Jump from September 2011 to September 2014, with its chapters collected in 14 tankōbon volumes. The story is set in an alternate version of Tokyo where humans coexist with ghouls, beings who look like humans but can only survive by eating human flesh. Ken Kaneki is a college student who is transformed into a half-ghoul after an encounter with one of them. He must navigate the complex social and political dynamics between humans and ghouls while struggling to maintain his humanity.
Restaurant to Another World is a Japanese light novel series written by Junpei Inuzuka, with illustrations by Katsumi Enami. Shufunotomo have released five volumes of the series since February 2015. An anime television series adaptation produced by Silver Link aired from July to September 2017. A second season by OLM aired from October to December 2021.
Classroom of the Elite, abbreviated as Yōjitsu (よう実) in Japan, is a Japanese light novel series written by Shōgo Kinugasa, with illustration by Shunsaku Tomose. The novel published from May 2015 to September 2019 under Media Factory's MF Bunko J imprint, a sequel Classroom of the Elite: Year 2 began publishing in January 2020. A manga adaptation by Yuyu Ichino began its serialization in Media Factory's Monthly Comic Alive on January 27, 2016. A manga adaptation of the sequel light novel series illustrated by Shia Sasane began serialization in the same magazine in December 2021. An anime television series adaptation produced by Lerche aired with the first season in 2017. A second season aired from July to September 2022, and a third season aired from January 3, 2024 to March 27, 2024. A fourth season has been announced.
Rumble Garanndoll is an original Japanese anime television series animated by Lerche. It aired from October to December 2021. A manga adaptation with art by Left Hand has been serialized online via Kadokawa Shoten's Comic Newtype manga website from October 2021, and a web novel by Ukyō Kodachi titled Gyakuten Sekai no Denchi Shōjo: Garan Senki began serialization on Kakuyomu in December 2021.
References
↑ "東京レイヴンズ (1)". kadokawa.co.jp. Kadokawa Group Publishing. Archived from the original on 2014-11-22. Retrieved 2012-11-15.
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