Ushio & Tora

Episode 14

Is that a slightly new OP I spy? That's right, we're kicking off the 2/3 mark of Ushio & Tora. If the new opening and ending sequences don't tip you off, the introduction of two new, plot-central, superpowered characters should remove all doubt. This episode is less about a chaotic evil force than it is about the many shades of human morality, as Ushio, Tora, and two would-be Beast Spear wielders all have differences of opinion. There's a lot to accomplish here, and the episode structure suffers in exchange for packing it all in.

Ushio and Tora have finally made it to Hokkaido, but Ushio's got another think coming if he thinks he'll get to Mom that easily. Every yokai along the way is targeting the wielder of the Beast Spear—and now four new humans are too. The first is Hinowa, a girl who totally looks like Ushio's type (given her resemblance to Asako), except she doesn't have Ushio's best interests in mind. Hinowa has been watching him for a long time, and she knows exactly how to cruelly punch Ushio in the gut: by implying that he's hurting people as long as he wields the spear. In a show of arrogance, she tries to grab the spear right out of Ushio's hand—and he actually gives it up.

It's not just Ushio's morality that Hinowa stings here, but his pride. Just last episode, Tora had to weigh his pride against Ushio's life, and one week later the tables are turned. Hinowa claims Ushio's biggest flaw is his failure to “even try” to defeat Tora. For his part, Tora refuses to eat the spearless Ushio because “there's no point if you don't fight.” This episode is also full of charming moments between the two; Tora pretends to speak as the Beast Spear, and Ushio reluctantly puts up with his crap. Their relationship is slowly but surely strengthening, as indicated when Tora barely denies their partnership later. It's just in time too, since the pair is about to undergo some major trials in the form of Hinowa, Akiba, and the final two unintroduced Candidates for the Beast Spear.

Naturally, the Beast Spear doesn't listen to Hinowa, only Ushio (probably because her hair isn't long and lustrous enough), and you can guess where it goes from there. Have you noticed that Ushio is really great with the ladies, especially for a middle schooler? He may blush a lot, but he's suave and always there to rescue a damsel in distress. What bothers me, however, is that it always seems to be a damsel in distress, and said damsel always seems to lose her clothing in the process of being rescued. I'm certain viewers wanted to see high and mighty Hinowa taken down a peg, but do the women of Ushio & Tora always have to convey their vulnerability through nakedness? From Inoue to Saya, we've seen this before. While we're on the topic of gender, it's interesting that the hiyou (minions of the Hakumen no Mono) speak with a breathy, feminine voice. The breadth of female roles in this show gives me hope that this whole search for Mom thing isn't just a rescue mission.

The second half of the episode is the stronger one—and this truly feels like an episode divided into two halves instead of a full story like usual. One new character makes her entrance and exit, followed by another. Meet Akiba, a second Candidate for the Beast Spear who's really more interested in killing the legendary yokai than taking his partner's weapon. Since the beginning of the series, we've been reminded that legends have been told about Tora's fierceness, and this battle makes good on those legends, putting his full powers on display. The best battles are the ones where the fighters grow and evolve, and this battle shows Tora's strength of will as well as his strength of body. Akiba and his powerful eyebrows put up a far better fight than Hinowa did, possibly reserving him a space on the list of Ushio and Tora's best allies.

Ushio & Tora has only just begun its middle third, but this episode already ends on a cliffhanger. Between introducing two new characters, building Ushio and Tora's friendship, and revealing new information about the Hakumen no Mono, there wasn't quite enough time to wrap up the plot. I'm expecting things to move even more quickly as we continue on.

Rating: B

Ushio & Tora is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.

Lauren writes about anime and journalism at Otaku Journalist.