Ushio & Tora

Episode 33

Ushio has been through a lot. This week, he finally snaps. Now a shounen protagonist breakdown isn't such an innovative concept—until you consider that Ushio & Tora, released in the early '90s, is one of the pioneers of the genre as we know it today. With that in mind, this highly emotional, desperate episode is heart-shattering. As the Hakumen rises and Ushio collapses, Ushio & Tora continues to cement itself as an iconic shounen anime.

We know this episode is going to be a bad one for Ushio and friends right from the spoileriffic title screen: “The Beast Spear Destroyed.” I hate when the title gives away the episode, but it's quickly apparent that the Beast Spear's destruction is just the icing on a really giant horrible cake of bad turns of events. Most of this episode isn't about the Beast Spear at all, but Ushio.

Since he's bulging with muscles and seemingly unkillable, most of the time it's hard to remember that Ushio is only 15, but recent plot points have been capitalizing on Ushio's vulnerability. He's already lost his dad and his friends. His long-lost mother slaps him across the face to smack some sense into him, but for Ushio's fragile emotions, it's a crushing blow. “Why am I the only one forced to go through this?” he demands. His horrified face reminds me of Evangelion's Shinji being forced to pilot the robot or One Piece's Luffy during the Marineford arc. But really, my reminiscing is in reverse—Ushio's breakdown happened first. It's clear that Ushio wants to scream and cry and run away all at once, and his expressions show this powerfully, but what's endearing about Ushio is that even in a bind, he doesn't stray from his duty. When his pupils turn to needles, we see Ushio at his most vengeful as he lunges toward the terrifying Hakumen no Mono.

The Hakumen no Mono is the perfect foil to Ushio's raging emotions. Hakumen effortlessly slaughters a military fleet, precisely demolishes an island (where elementary schoolers used to live, ouch Ushio & Tora), and destroys humanity's every hope with a smirk and a tilt of its red, shattered eyes. You can see the glee on its face as it goes about ruining everything and each of its nine tails transforms into a familiar monster of the week. It's once again a reminder that Ushio & Tora never forgets—everything Ushio thought he had triumphed over has come back to haunt him. What makes the Hakumen so horrifying is the way the anger and fear that it incites only make it stronger, a cyclical spiral that is certain to snowball out of control.

But more emotional than the crushing force of the Hakumen, Ushio's breakdown, or Mayuko's resurgence, is Ushio and Tora's reunion. Tora has just killed (and mourned) Ushio's beloved “big brother” Nagare. It's the Hakumen no Mono's ace in the hole. Tora knows something is up—“Ushio, there's something wrong with you,” he barks—but can't bring himself to experience an emotional breakthrough even to comfort his out-of-control ally. Just as the Hakumen planned, Tora reverts to his tsundere ways. He doesn't only tell Ushio the truth, that he had to kill Nagare, but embellishes the truth with bloodlust: “I killed him brutally.” It's the straw that broke the camel's back, crushing Ushio and eventually causing the Beast Spear to shatter into dust.

Ushio & Tora is a wildly affecting anime. Through simple methods like monochromatic scene setting (red for Ushio's breakdown, green for Mom's mystic power) and '90s era art styling and facial expressions, it's bringing a powerful story to life—one that has already influenced shounen anime as a genre and will now stamp its impact on viewers' memories.

Rating: A

Ushio & Tora is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.

Lauren writes about geek careers at Otaku Journalist.