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Ushio & Tora
Episode 4

by Lauren Orsini,

How would you rate episode 4 of
Ushio & Tora ?
Community score: 4.0

Part of the appeal of Ushio & Tora lies in its retro origin as a '90s OVA and manga. However, it's the 90s that make episode four less strong than previous weeks. Today we don't just have a '90s premise, but a plot and cinematography that are simply too played out.

The episode begins like every Saturday morning cartoon I remember from childhood: a bunch of people are ignoring supernatural warnings and proceeding with something stupid. It's a plot right out of a box—literally—when some construction workers unearth some vengeful disembodied heads who are searching the city for their exorcist. Of course, they were exorcised in the Meiji era so they'll settle for somebody who looks just like her—Ushio's friend Inoue. With a plot that simple, it's hard not to give the whole thing away in the review.

The problem is that the evil here is very clearly defined, without a single redeeming quality. What made episode three so standout was the complexity of the villain, who had a very commendable motive (protecting his daughter) even if the ends did not justify the means. We had a well developed victim whose story I wanted to learn more about. Here, Inoue is targeted simply because she resembles a Meiji era woman—it's not clear if she is even related to her. There's action, but no character drama to speak of. We don't learn anything new about Inoue, and we don't care about the floating heads either.

It's not just the premise that's straight out of the 90s; it's the cinematography as well. It's charming how many scenes appear to be hand drawn line-by-line—I'm thinking in particular of the scenes when Tora goes hog wild against the floating heads, and his rapid movements are portrayed in wide brushstrokes. This, along with the exaggerated facial expressions that all characters exhibit in times of strong emotion, are effective '90s throwbacks. Other choices, like camera panning over still images, not so much. Since this show blends some '90s techniques with more modern digital animation, the effect is that it sometimes looks cheap.

The saving grace of the episode are Ushio and Tora themselves. These two are never going to be on the same wavelength, and their playful spats and comic misunderstandings form a well-developed relationship at the heart of the show. Tora's fascination with modernity continues to lead to slapstick humor. “What is this horde of annoying things?” he says about cars in traffic. His visit to the city leaves him puzzled, and my one complaint is that the show doesn't need to spell out the punchlines in text for viewers—we get that Tora is completely out of his element. Ushio plays second fiddle this time around, but remains likable, loyal, and apologetic when the time calls for it. There is always interesting tension in their uneasy truces, especially now that they've discovered that neither one is stronger than the other.

Ushio & Tora's older pedigree is turning out to be its blessing and its curse. At its best, it delivers a perspective completely different than anything else in anime today. At its worst, it plays like a '90s rerun—forgettable and better left in the past.

Rating: B-

Ushio & Tora is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.

Lauren writes about anime and journalism at Otaku Journalist.


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