Ushio & Tora

Episode 29

You think you know a show by season 2, but then, this is Ushio & Tora. Episode 29 dropped two major bombshells so casually that I had to do a doubletake. This episode was heavy on flashbacks and world-building, but managed to keep its focus on a fight in the present, leading to a rare half hour of riveting action that lines up chess pieces in the background.

Some time has passed since the last episode, and both of the show's heroines are now out of commission—Asako is in the hospital, and MAYUKO is at the bottom of the sea, possibly with Ushio's mom. Kirio is especially heartbroken about “big sis” having been whisked away, but Kuin urges him to be patient. “To fight an enemy, we must first understand them,” Kuin says.

Beginning to understand our enemies is what this episode is about. A chance encounter with Hyou, the badass exorcist, leads Ushio & Tora right into the center of the mystery. (The fact that Hyou is still extremely relevant after intermittent appearances since episode five shows just how well the pieces have been falling into place for a while.) When a bunch of creepy Tora lookalikes are drawn to the Beast Spear, Ushio and Tora aren't sure at first if they are friend or foe. Luckily, Hyou is there to explain—these are beings called azafuse, and they themselves were once human Beast Spear-wielders who were changed, the way Ushio almost was. It's fascinating how the best weapon of the show is so double-sided and can spell out salvation or doom—this episode shows just how lucky Ushio was. Guren appears on the scene, and suddenly we realize the three parallel scars on Hyou's face match up with Guren's three claws. This is the being that Hyou has been hunting all this time. As for Tora, there's no getting around it anymore—Tora's resemblance to Guren and the other azafuse is no coincidence, and that means he was once a human, too. That's a mind-blowing twist! The real question now is whether Tora remembers what kind of human he used to be.

In this one exchange, two major discoveries come out casually through Hyou's matter-of-fact exposition, as Guren's background is told in a colorful style to keep the viewer's attention. Guren's transition from black-hearted thief, to spear-wielder, to lackey of the Hakumen no mono is illustrated in three monochrome stages—purple, then gray when his luck turns, then red. The Hakumen no mono takes on her haggard, haunted human female appearance, and her caress is seductive to Guren when she promises him unlimited power in exchange for servitude.

The other azafuse confirm Hyou's tale, but their assurance is far from comforting when you see their distorted, unmoving visages. I am especially disturbed by the one with a sphincter crammed full of teeth for a mouth. None of them remember their human lives, but Guren remembers destroying Hyou's family quite well, recalling his decision to let Hyou live in pain as an indicator of his “playful side.” Despite his appearance as Tora's match, this battle is Hyou's to fight. The conclusion should come next week, and if the next episode is as full of surprises as this one, it should be crazy good.

Rating: A

Ushio & Tora is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.

Lauren writes about anime and journalism at Otaku Journalist.