Anime Review: Nabari No Ou

I found Nabari No Ou or "Ruler of Nabari" while looking at a list of anime coming out in the spring of 2008. The various screen-shots made the anime look as if it was filled with action and such, so I decided to try it and deliver a first impression review of it, to inform others if it's actually worth watching or not.

Keep in mind this is basically just a review of the first episode, but watch out because I go into detail about what happens in it. The same company that was involved in the production for many anime including Shigofumi is also doing the animation for Nabari No Ou. J.C. Staff, is the company I'm referring to, for those of you left wondering.

Nabari No Ou, was first aired on TV Tokyo on the sixth of April. Take note that personally I am watching a fan-subbed version of the first episode. However, I bet you don't care about that, let's get started.

The first episode starts off in the rain, and two males, being chased by ninjas. They get circled, and the boy uses some mysterious power and kills off all the ninjas. It's a bit hard to explain, roots came out of the ground and just killed the people basically.

I assume that first scene was a dream or something, but after that the opening theme plays. Which is "Crawl" by Veltpunch for those of you wondering. It's a pretty decent opening, I have no complaint's about it.

After the opening we find ourselves in a class room watching a boy named Rokujou Miharu, one of his classmates approach him and tries his best to act very friendly with Miharu, but he just brush's him off and escapes for the time being.

A bit later we find out that his classmates name is Yuuichi Aizawa, and all he wants is for Miharu to join a club. He explains that the purpose of the club is to train the body and mind, however neither of them know about the person on top of a near by building spying on them.

Miharu finally makes his way home after school, and it seems that he lives with his grandparents and mother, and they own a restaurant. What's up with anime characters living in family restaurants anyway?

One of Miharu's teachers from school apparently, walks into the restaurant. It seems this person is named Kumohira and also wants Miharu to join the club. He explains to Miharu that he is being targeted by ninjas and that they still exist in the world today.

For a few minutes the anime cuts to Yuuichi Aizawa being followed by someone, they both make their way to a temple where it seems they'll be fighting very soon. Turns out the person following Yuuichi was his teacher nonetheless. For a moment we go back to the restaurant, where Miharu's grandmother explains to him that they're out of a certain ingredient.

Of course Miharu volunteers to go and pick up some of that ingredient from the local store. After walking outside he begins to feel something and starts walking in the direction of where Yuuichi and the teacher named Yamase are. When he makes it there Yamase throws a ninja star at him, and Miharu uses some sort of power to block it.

Some pretty nice fighting happens between Yuuichi and Yamase, then Yuuichi and Miharu escape via some sort of ninja skill. However, they are quickly surrounded by Yamase and two other men, who claim to be from a group called the Ash Wolf Group, and that they are going to take the hijutsu that is sealed in Miharu's body and use it.

Yuuichi tries his best to fight the men off, but Miharu hears a strange voice in his head and then something very strange happens. Roots start to come out of the ground and attack the men, furthermore, Yuuichi stabs Miharu with a katana to try and seal away the power.

Needless to say, that doesn't work, but Kumohira comes to the rescue and pulls the katana out of Miharu. Obviously, he is wounded pretty bad, but in the next scene he wakes up in the school nurse room, and all his wounds are healed.

His two new friends go on a long boring speech, and then they are attacked yet again by ninjas, only after this round the episode is over. Now comes the question, will I continue to watch Nabari No Ou? Probably not to be honest, don't get me wrong though, this anime is pretty decent. It has lots of action and ninjas like fans of Naturo would enjoy.

I'd like to point out that there is a bit of yaoi going on in this anime, which may be part of the reason I'm going to not continue watching it. I'm just simply not into that kind of thing, but to each his own or so they say. If you like yaoi, ninjas, or just romance anime, this might be the series for you.

One thumb up!