Nura: Rise of the Yokai Clan
Synopsis
Rikuo Nura, a part-youkai and part-human boy, grew up as the young master of the Nura Clan. While he treated the clan, which consists of youkai of all shapes and sizes, like family, he soon learned that he was the only one among his classmates who saw youkai in this light. To most, they were terrifying creatures of folklore who ate children and relished in bloodshed. Taking this to heart, he swore to live his life as a normal human. Normalcy, however, is hard to come by for young Rikuo. Complicating his goal are his youkai attendant, who under the name Tsurara Oikawa, goes to school alongside him; the young onmyouji Yura Keikain; and his close friend Kiyotsugu, who idolizes youkai and hopes to prove their existence. To make matters worse, rival youkai and other entities threaten to harm those Rikuo holds dear. If he wants to protect what's important to him, Rikuo must acknowledge his ancestry—that he is the grandson of the legendary Nurarihyon—and transform at night into a youkai, becoming worthy of being the next leader of the Nura Clan. [Written by MAL Rewrite]
Audience Consensus
Audience reception is mixed, with some viewers finding the series enjoyable due to its premise and characters, while others are critical of its pacing and generic plot elements. Some reviewers found that the show requires a few episodes to get into the story, but is ultimately worth watching. The story is not extremely deep, and the show features several battle shonen cliches.
Strengths
- Interesting premise based on Japanese folklore.
- Good animation quality (especially for its time).
- Enjoyable action scenes and soundtracks.
- Well-developed characters and relationships (especially human characters).
Weaknesses
- Slow pacing that can drag down the story.
- Predictable and generic shonen story elements.
- Inconsistent character development.
- Over-sexualized tones.