- In the shadows of this modern world, ninjas fight for control of an ancient technique which holds untold strength. This coveted power dwells within apathetic Miharu, a fact the guy really couldn t care less about until the clashing rival clans bring their battle to him. Now Miharu struggles to understand the mystery buried in his soul, and must choose a side if he hopes to survive. But when con
Description
In the shadows of this modern world, ninjas fight for control of an ancient technique which holds untold strength. This coveted power dwells within apathetic Miharu, a fact the guy really couldn’t care less about – until the clashing rival clans bring their battle to him.Now Miharu struggles to understand the mystery buried in his soul, and must choose a side if he hopes to survive. But when conflict is waged in secret, and lethal ninjas hide in plain sight, friend and … More >>
Nabari No Ou: Complete Series, Part 1
Tags: Complete, conflict, miharu, Mystery, Nabari, Part, Series
#1 by Malia Nash on April 20, 2010 - 1:00 pm
One of the first rules of creative writing is to get the reader to LIKE the characters. There is literally no one in this anime to like. The reluctant hero is annoying as all get out; ok, I get why he’s apathetic, but after getting attacked and having his side kicks willing to die for him; this gets OLD. True, his side kicks have little or no attracting value and I personally wouldn’t enjoy hanging with any of them.
I think the writer, himself, got pretty fed up with the “full of hangups” four heroes and started to write the bad guys better; they were certainly more interesting and even redeeming in some ways.
Unlike Story of Saiunkoku and other animes, I’m not waiting with bated breath for the english version sequel to come out on DVD.
Rating: 1 / 5
#2 by Varian on April 20, 2010 - 1:50 pm
A tad on the boring side. The flow of narrative lacks drive and that’s not because the main character has a tendency toward apathy. Animation at some points becomes inconsistent and jerky. The style of storytelling also jumps around. One moment the story will be all seriousness then slide into something more sardonic like the manga.
Also, having read the manga, I was excited to see an anime release because I love the series. However, the anime is without the majority of Miharu’s apathetically sarcastic humor (one of the main staples in the manga), changes plot and dialogue, and arbitrarily changes character designs (both appearance and personality). If I hadn’t read the manga, I would probably have rated a three because I would have been without the element of disappointment, but I would probably have lost interest and not finished because of plot jumps and lack of intensity. I found it difficult to connect with most of the characters because the anime doesn’t take the time to explore them on a level of detail I think should be taken. So, two stars because I read the manga and three while pretending I haven’t.
Rating: 2 / 5
#3 by The Pes on April 20, 2010 - 3:31 pm
Nabari no Ou is a dilemma of a show. On the one hand you have a fantastic, interesting twist on your usual ninja fare. On the other, you have an apathetic central character in Miharu that makes it hard to connect with him and the story. As a viewer you have two choices: can you connect enough with said central character to keep watching? or, do you keep watching because you are interested enough in the world and the plot, Miharu not withstanding, to see the series to the end?
It’s a troubling question and one that totally depends on your bond with Miharu and his apathy. The problem, in my opinion, is that Miharu as a central character lacks the motivation for you, the viewer, to keep watching after a few episodes, let alone 13 of them. His total disregard for the consequences that are present just on the fact that he is who he is, can be grating and frustrating. It seems that he isn’t much of a catalyst for the things that are happening, but rather, he seems to be a reluctant passenger in other people’s ambitions. He’s just there for the ride, one that he wouldn’t really care to be on if given a choice.
If that was the only value that the series has, then I’d say this would be a waste of your time. However, the fact that different factions within the Nabari world want him for what’s inside him, redeem the plot to make it interesting enough to keep watching. Particularly of note are some of the key players in both the Banten and Kairoshu clans.
If given the chance, I’d make Tabari Sensei the key player of this anime. The school teacher assigned to take care of Miharu, he has a real dilemma in his hands. His personal convictions go directly against the natural world of the Nabari, in that he sees killing an unnecessary part of his work. This really struck me as an interesting aspect of this character’s persona. A person who willingly entered a world where murder, and violence take precedence to finish a job and is totally against that sounds way more interesting to me than an indifferent youth. This is real, personal conflict, which is in stark contrast to Miharu’s apathy.
The players from the other clans also fare more interesting, but don’t really stand out from what we’ve seem before in other anime. Needless to say, the plot does get better as we get closer to the end of this set. Boundaries shift and key twists happen around the last few episodes that it starts to spice up the threads of the plot.
And even if the plot doesn’t excite as much, the fight scenes and artistry will. Top notch animation and fight scenes litter the show. There is enough eye candy here to kick the adrenaline up. Of particular note is the first fight between the Banten and Kairoshu factions. A real treat.
As much as the animation kicks…you know what…the comedy here too is appreciated. Even though Miharu might not be your typical leading figure, his comedy bits are funny, especially when he decides to pick on Tabari. It’s good to have these moments of lightheartedness. It gives the viewer some breathing room for the seriousness that surrounds the plot.
Overall, this series is a tough one to watch for some viewers. It really isn’t a cut-and-dry plot where you see a clear division between good and evil. The main lead isn’t a charmer either, and to me, leaves a lot to be desired. But, I can’t fault the story either as it sets a premise that’s interesting and one that will intrigue you if you keep going. After episode 10, things start to change enough that the story starts to grow on you. And even though Miharu doesn’t really change much from the beginning, he starts to show an inkling of humanity, which is a welcomed change.
My advice is to at least give it a chance. To some the main character might be too passive, and not enough to keep going. However, if you look at the whole picture, there is enough here to warrant a good look at the series.
Rating: 3 / 5
#4 by Rich on April 20, 2010 - 5:25 pm
The series seems to be a nice mix of Naruto, Basilisk, and X/1999 put together and all in all the story for the series leaves you watching up to the end. The basic storyline is that today there are still ninja that exist in what they call the hidden world Nabari where Ninja still use their skills and abilities as they did in years gone by from espionage to assassinations, the ninja clans today exist in five groups each with their own unique skills and abilities but now some of these clans wish to retrieve a powerful ninja technique that if able to be controlled will allow the possessor to have the powers of a god. This technique and knowledge unfortunately is sealed inside the body of a young boy who has no idea what’s inside of him or the vast power he holds and thus starts the series as various factions in the ninja world seek either to harness and control this power or seal it away forever. The characters are all entertaining and fun to see each with their own reasons or ideals of why their in this war and what they hope for after this battle is over. The animation and soundtrack for the series are very good and fit the series perfectly and the voice cast for the characters for both the Japanese and English cast did a great job in their roles. Sadly the extras aren’t really that great though just the usual trailer and textless intro/ending songs with one or two commentaries but that’s about it. The price is a little expensive for this set and I was able to get it at a better price but still at the end stil a entertaining series regardless….
Rating: 5 / 5
#5 by Karen R. Patterson on April 20, 2010 - 6:50 pm
THIS IS A MUST OWN FOR ALL ANIME FANS!!! I just finished this series and loved it. This show is not for the weak of heart. WARNING you will cry!!! The plot starts off pretty simply,as the story opens we meet Miharu,an apathetic high school student who wants nothing more then to live a normal boring life. But that soon becomes impossible as he is targeted by leathel ninjas! He is rescued by two other ninjas who inform him that a secret art known as the shinrabansho dwells within him. They also tell him about Nabari,a secret world of ninjas,and that one group known as the kairoshu will do anything to get the secret art. Soon after we meet raimae a blond pigtailed samuri who decides that the best way to whip Miharu into shape is to take him to her own vilage called the Fuma.Once there the group discovers that the Fuma are under attack.The Kairoshu are after Fuma’s book of forbidin techniquies.This when we meet one of the most influential charectors of the show and my personal faverite Yoite. Yoite uses the secret art of the Kairoshu known as Kira. This allows him to litrely kill his opents from the inside out,but at a terible price,each time he uses Kira it drains some of his life force. After the Fuma are saved all seems well,until Yoite returns and kidnaps Miharu! Yoite threatens the lives of Miharu’s new friends to force him to agree to use the Shinrabansho to erase his existence. The two then begin despret journey to help Miharu master the Shinrabansho and soon an uneasy friendship forms between them. This is onley the first half of the series. The second half will be availible in November.
Rating: 5 / 5