Nabari No Ou

Genre: Action/Comedy
Age Appropriate: Jr. High (violence)
Emotional Response: Wry amusement, heartbreak
Notable Features: NINJAS, and magic
Language: English
Length: 2 seasons, 12/13 ep. each
Overall Recommendation: Top 5


Nabari No Ou follows Miharu, a young teen with an apathetic outlook on life, who becomes the focus of attention of one teacher and a high school classmate. Fairly early, Miharu is told that he is the holder of the Shinra Bonshou - a powerful ninja scroll that contains the power to rule all of the Nabari world (NINJAS!). This power is coveted by all, including two factions of ninjas presented as good guys and bad guys. His teacher, Tobari, has secrets about Miharu's past but will stop at nothing to keep him from using the awful power of the Shinra Bonshou.

Despite Miharu's lack of affect, he has quite the mischievous personality. He pulls minor pranks, and uses his boyish charm to get his way - from getting someone's agreement, to distracting them from seeing him as a threat. Most of his actual pranks end up aimed at Tobari-sensei. Together, with his new band of ninja friends, Miharu struggles against the antagonistic ninjas. The only exception: Yoite, a young man seemingly slightly older than Miharu, who holds a different, powerful ninja technique: Kira.  This technique uses the bearers life force to control the body functions of others, mostly as pain. Yoite is being used as a threat/enforcer/torturer type minion because of his technique. However, part of the series highlights the price he has to pay - which leads to his request of Miharu. Somehow, the two become inseparable. Their similar painful experiences bring them together and both Miharu and Yoite fight against their respective leaders for each other.

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I don't really now how to explain my feelings toward this series. I think it's probably my favorite, if not then in the Top 5. It is, yet again, one of the few things I've watched that has made me want to, or outright, cry. I watched a second time to write this review, and I can say without doubt that watching it the second time was more heartrending than the first. Much like reading a book again, there is foreshadowing and anticipation one might not otherwise notice. Most of the humor, I found to be smirky, rather then LOL. There are a few times in the end where the seriousness is overwhelming enough that a little joke here or there saves the day. Sometimes I just wanted to punch characters though.

As long as you're not offended by blood and violence, this is probably ok as a PG-13 type series. The themes are deeper than most younger series, but there is no innuendo anywhere to be found. Romance plays no role, outside of some implied yaoi, but you really have to notice it to notice it. It's almost like watching America's Funniest Home Videos as a kid and realizing that some of those jokes were pretty bad when you're an adult.

My best recommendation to have the full experience is to watch as much of it in one sitting as possible. There is definitely something lost in watching only one or two episodes at a time, particularly if there is a significant period between sittings. Go forth and watch. If nothing else, it has NINJAS.

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Next series: Rin: Daughters of Mnemosyne