Tokkou

Wow... I must tell you before you read this review that it has been awhile since I watched Tokko.

I really do not think this anime has gotten enough love. It was actually a VERY great anime with a great story. Even though, it made me very upset that they ended it with pretty much... no ending. It was kind of just... over.

This anime... is not for little kids. Very bloody and a lot of swearing, but that was one of the reasons I liked it so much!

STORY: I think that this anime had an amazing story. I mean, sure it's kinda getting old, the whole, ... "My family died in this major massacre/accident and only I survived...". But, looking past that, the way Ranmaru deals with it and wants to right the wrongs is very inspiring. This is a story of... killing demons pretty much. But the creators of this anime made it more interesting than that. Because there are so many stories like this one, they had to do something to make it stand out from the rest. I think that the characters make this story. I'll get to that later, though.

ART: It's true... the main reason why people have not watched Tokko is not because the story is not amazing, but it's just because the artwork is not "blow me away" incredible. It's just... decent. The drawings have that kind of rugged look to them, which suits it well for a horror/slasher anime.

SOUND: The OP theme is TO DIE FOR! I totally adore it. It even put it on my I-pod. But don't listen too many times, or it gets stuck in your head forever... mwahaha! Throughout the anime, the sound is just... eh. Not too amazing. They do some cool background music I guess, but nothing that really makes you get into the story.

CHARACTER: This is where I belive Tokko excells. At least, with the main characters. Ranmaru Shindo is probably one of the coolest anime characters ever made in my eyes. He's hot, he's a policeman, and he has special powers that he doesn't even know about. Plus, he's got that traumatic past thing going for him. :) I dig that. It took me a few episodes to start liking the main female character, Sakura. First of all... the name Sakura is so over-used. But looking past that, she really turned out to be a great character and played a very important part in the story. Without her, Ronmaru would not have been as amazing. They were a great pair :) A few of the lesser characters (the male ones) where also great, but I'm not gonna spoil it for you. Sadly, the lesser female characters were semi annoying. Especially Ronmaru's younger sister Saya. But, she was important to the story and she made for some good laughs along the way.

ENJOYMENT: VERY enjoyable anime. I mean, who doesn't like hot men and women running around fighting monsters and cutting them up and swearing all the time? Cause I know that I like that sort of thing. There were some intense and emotional moments. Not very many laughs, but a couple popped out along the way. :)

Please tell people about this anime. It really needs more love. It was incredible!

Overview:

When you hear the word "anime" what pops into your mind? Do you think of the beautiful movies of Hayao Miyazaki? Do you think of generic shonen series like Dragonball Z, Naruto, or Bleach? Perhaps you think of the artistic and Avant Garde works of Satoshi Kon or Masaaki Yuasa? For someone like me who was born in the late 1980s and grew up in the 1990s watching the anime available on American TV, I first think of highly formulaic action series with clear character archetypes, mediocre animation, and attempts to use pointless gore and nudity to make themselves edgier than the animation of ... other countries. Tokko aired on 2 separate channels in the US: Syfy and Chiller. It is the very epitome of mediocrity. It perhaps above all other series I can think of perfectly represents what my generation thought of "anime" at the time.

Plot and characters: 4/10

Spoilers!!! (Not that anyone reading this would care)

Tokko begins with a group of teens fighting demons that attacked them years ago and now those demons wish to finish the job. The teens all have special brands on their bodies that help the demons hunt them down. This plot point was completely stolen from Berserk, but I digress. Our teenage heroes slay the demons with magical swords and many times the action and plot heavily resembles that of Bleach. Although actually Tokko came out the year before Bleach. The demons that are causing trouble in the human world all came through a portal opened by mad alchemists seeking immortality. In order to seal the portal, the powerful 108 demons (Hindu/Buddhist reference) must be defeated and their shards reclaimed. With 108 main enemies to defeat, you would think that this series would drag on for years. Although that was indeed the writer's original intent, the series was dropped after 1 season and ended forever on a complete cliffhanger. A brief Radio Drama came out only in Japan that was supposed to wrap up the plot, but even that didn't work out! The characters are all the exact types you have seen again and again! I have said before that this is one of the most generic anime you will ever see, and I REALLY mean that.

Art and Music: 5/10

The opening "Sunny Day" is very generic J-pop tune representative of the time. The OST is completely forgettable. It isn't bad, but it isn't good either. The animation was considered mediocre then and would probably seem a bit dated to young viewers today. The people on Syfy channel really thought this anime would sell because it had some tits and blood, but no one really paid attention. This anime quickly vanished from the public mind and plunged into the deepest obscurity.

Overall: 5/10

Tokko is not a good show, neither is it a particularly bad show. It is an extremely generic action anime of the late 1990s/early 2000s. It is the exact kind of anime that me and my peers grew up watching on American TV at this time. If any of my fellow "oldtaku" want a blast from the past, they should watch an episode of Tokko and have a laugh. If younger readers of this review want to see what watching anime was like in the old days when all the anime we saw was either on TV or at the local video store, then check out an episode. This was the kind of stuff we watched, because the total quantity of anime available to us was low and the quality was also fairly low. We usually were much less cynical and jaded than today's otaku. We didn't attack series for lack of realism as if everything NEEDED to be a Chekhov play(or Ping Pong). We didn't freak out that visual quality wasn't 1080p. If something didn't absolutely SUCK ASS, like the shit Central Park Media always dumped on us, we were God damn happy! That is why we watched shit like Tokko and were content with it. Before you young ones judge us, try and put yourselves in our shoes and imagine what it was like.

Introduction
Firstly I'd like to say i read some other reviews and this is a very varied anime. (I have finished this anime before reviewing) It's like marmite / veggie mite lol You love it or hate it.

Story
While watching this I was always wondering what was going to happen next, have seen alot of horrors / slash 'em up movies and anime, I wasn't entirely sure what was going to happen through this. There was various suprising moments through-out the entire anime. The idea of demons trying to kill humans isn't as simple as it goes, that is just the impression you get at the start ... but there's a little more to it than that. Alchemists summoned the demons for certain reasons (I'll try not to give anything away to spoil the plot) Anyway theres a few twists and turns there was alot i didn't expect to happen that did. Yes, it could have been better, the ending was a little rapid and maybe it should've been 14 episodes, but this is the reason i don't make 10 out of 10 and only 8. It felt somewhat slightly rushed on the last episode, but I still enjoyed it.

Art
The art was somewhat different to other anime, it could be related to elfen lied in some ways, but in others it's nothing like it. The blood and gore was well drawn as was some of the characters, it was simple in alot of places yet effective but nothing special, so although I really like this anime I will have to mark this as just a 7.

Sounds
I don't know how anyone can say there was no ambience in this...it was full of it. I guess if you're not enjoying the anime you won't pay attention to little things like this. There wasn't a whole lot of BGM but the OP was nice and the EP was not too bad. Remember this section is about SOUND not just MUSIC though. The sound went well with the series although maybe they could've added a LITTLE bit more music. The sound of death, gore spilling, OP, EP, music in some places, ambience reverb effects, this HAS sound, just not a great deal of music or if there was I didn't notice too much of it. But what i heard was nice...7 out of 10.

Characters
I remember reading before about character's having limited emotions. But I think people forget one thing...from what happened in the story the characters was trying to make themself strong I don't think they would show much emotion after having been traumatised from the event that happened. I think people expect too much in certain circumstances instead of thinking about how they would really act in certain situations. I'm giving this a 8 out of 10 because the characters represented themselves well and I really don't think I'd act any different given the same situation, I think it would be hard to show anymore on character development because you had someone who rarely talked, to having convosations because of how someone effected her. If you really take a step back and look at this, theres alot to the majority of the characters.

Enjoyment
I may watch this again...I think I probabaly will. It was nice to watch, it was entertaining, blood gore, character development, not to the extent of elfen lied but it was good! 7 out of 10!

Dreadful, boring, plot goes absolutely nowhere...

Man, FUCK this show!

Tokko is an anime that seemed to have a lot going for it, at first at least. Too bad Tokko was too busy fucking itself. Truthfully, I was not able to finish the entire series; I only watched 8 out of the 13 episodes. Honestly I do not even care to finish the rest of the show, even if Tokko happens to have an amazing ending, which I highly doubt. I bet the ending sucks as much bullshit as what I saw. The 8 episodes I watched sucked dirty asshole and wasted my time.

Story:

The premise may sound ... interesting, but trust me, the story sucks. It was one of the most boring and dull experiences I have had watching an anime show. At times I kept hoping that something would eventually happen; yet nothing does. It was a huge disappointment and letdown of something that had potential.

Characters:

The biggest problem I have with this show is the main character, Shindo Ranmaru. He has a pretty interesting character design and personality. But that is all wasted, cause he doesn't do jack shit the entire time I watched this show. The main character doesn't get any stronger or anything, which really bugged me, because Tokko has a shonen feel to it, like Bleach. What a shame.

The monsters are all generic and are a completely uninspired mess.

Overall:

This show could have been good if something actually happened. The show has to much suspense, like something big is going to happen later in the show. Yet there is only 13 fucking episodes and before I knew it I was already on episode 8 and nothing cool happened. I was pissed off. Please don't watch this show, because it sucks.

Based on the manga of the same name which was written by Tohru Fujisawa and directed by Masashi Abe. Tokko is an action anime that dabbles in the supernatural and Japanese mysticism. It involves a group of supernatural detectives taking on supernatural threats, in this case it's some type of zombie like creatures possessed by demons whom devour the living. Many naysayers hit on the unoriginal feel of the series, yet I can outright ignore just how derivative the story is, because the real problems are stale characters, unnecessary filler, bad story progression, poor interactions, plus a rushed and unfinished ending. This is more than ... enough to bury any title 40,000 leagues under the sea.

I honestly do not watch anime for the sake of complaining but there is so much about Tokko to complain about. The characters are a real problem beginning at the top. The main character Ranmaru and his sister Saya have a relationship that can only be described as disturbingly creepy, while the rest are bland stereotypes meant to fill up roles. There's only one character by the name of Chief Kunikida who is funny as hell (English dub), and I doubt he was meant to be the real comedy relief.

The plot follows Ranmaru as he becomes intrigued by these monsters they face and he eventually meets the girl in his dreams, the sword wielding Sakura, and her team equipped to deal with this threat called Tokko. It appears that they are the only one's capable of killing these monsters. He learns a lot about them, plus the main threat which has a whole lot to do with him and the tragedy they all experienced that changed their lives.

Tokko drags its feet revealing smaller parts to the mystery, and the pacing is bad as it jams in more moments of Saya and the weak cast. I found no one in this worth attaching too. Ranmaru is the typical shonen guy that acts as if he's afraid of women, gets in danger, all that good stuff. The characters are so weak and can't carry the plot leaving only its story to try and save things which had plenty of potential. There's another organization to battle the creatures, other warriors of Tokko's type with one couple actually doing something weird to the monsters after they kill them. Unfortunately, a lot of this stuff goes nowhere and it's even more frustrating that the episodes contain more filler than substance. It also does a terrible job at foreshadowing; it's too obvious what's going to happen and who could be working something behind the scenes.

Even the production values are quite mixed; the action department consists of the quick swipes and falling body parts which gets old really quick, yet there are some nice moments of some brutal gore. The bullet holes to the face and eyes looks pretty cool, with monsters being outright obliterated into pieces along with blades through the head. It's a shame that the viewer isn't treated to a lot more of that.

The backgrounds of buildings, trees, and hazy flashbacks make good use of the visuals, yet still character backgrounds and CG background vehicles look awkward. I'll give credit to the creepy monster designs though; those baby-face looking, parasitic maggots, are something that will stick with you. Whenever I think of this anime those sick looking things come to mind. They are definitely the highlight in terms of designs. The J-pop soundtrack is just there, but the series BGM does have its moments where it tries to work with its horror-like atmosphere using static background music which works well in the hazy, choppy like flashbacks and visions.

In the end though, Tokko crumbles underneath everything it wants to do. I saw a professional review once stating that this anime is an unrelenting blood bath, and it's one of the most violent series ever created. Do not buy into this; the violence is pretty average when considering how violent this genre has been for awhile. In addition, it spins its wheels with not much happening until around half way, plus the ending is a serious jip. The only people I can see falling for this are the very easy to please. If you do not fall into that group then I recommend other dark action titles such as Speed Grapher, Basilisk, or Berserk. I agree that Berserk has a jury-rigged ending, but at least everything before the ending is very gripping and leaves a damn good impression. Tokko is simply boring and forgettable.

Highs: Decent production values

Lows: Lots of missed potential, undeveloped story elements, unfinished

A rather good anime ruined with an incredibly disappointing (lack of) ending. Though it lacks anything spectacular or unique with its plot, setting, or characters, Tokko is for the most part a good action series with good action scenes, and is able to hold the viewer in with its deepening mystery and conspiracy behind the secret organization Tokko and the evils it fights. Another thing it has going with it is, yes, fanservice - some may complain it's overboard but I think it's actually handled rather well. However, once again, the series is ultimately ruined by its short length and obviously rushed conclusion - it's ... such a shame they couldn't continue it for as long as they hoped.

Story: 3 (Poor)

Don't get me wrong, the story behind Tokko is excellent - and, as much of a paradox as it may seem, that's precisely why its rated so low. Tokko's plot revolves around Ranmaru, a recent graduate of the Tokyo police academy who is accepted into a special operations branch; he spends much of his time trying to investigate a mysterious, paranormal event that occurred in the apartment complex he lived in as a child which left his parents dead. Soon after joining the police force, however, he begins to encounter strange monsters which inhabit people's bodies and induces as demonic, zombie-like state. When bullets prove ineffective, a mysterious and secret branch of the police known only as Tokko steps in and cuts the demons down. Ranmaru starts investigating Tokko at the behest of his boss, which attracts their attention. They discover that Ranmaru possesses powers which may prove helpful towards fighting the demons, and Ranmaru discovers that these demons may be links to his parents' deaths.

Unfortunately, all of the binding plot points and intrigue that comes with a compelling, mystery-laden story like this comes for naught. The story comes to an abrupt end at episode 13 as it is cleared that this series was not renewed for what should've been a well-deserved second season, and the only conclusion we get is a trite epilogue over the end credits of the final episode that leaves the viewer feeling cheated. It is for this reason that the story ends up being rated so low; there's no point investing any time or emotion for a story that builds up to a blank conclusion.

Art - 7 (Good)

The art is at least decent and on par with other popular works, the special effects help carry the story along, and at least the ladies are very sexily drawn :)

Sound - 7 (Good)

The sound quality is good, and the music pretty ok save for the OP, whose only saving grace is that TVs come with mute buttons now.

Characters - 7 (Good)

Tokko comes with some pretty interesting characters - Ranmaru himself is pretty interesting: devoted towards the care of his sister who also is a recent recruit into the police force; towards the investigation of who's responsible for his parents' murder and discovering the truth behind the Tokko organization and discovering the true meaning behind the dreams he's been having. The show's supporting cast is diverse, along with Ranmaru's boss who provides a combination of comedic relief and a level of GAR that sometimes approaches Kamina's, or at least Bruce Campbell's, taking down a horde of zombies with a freakin' machine gun! The female cast is pretty interesting as well; they heap on the fanservice yet are very well developed and motivated.

Enjoyment - 8 (Very Good)

For the short while it lasts, Tokko is a very enjoyable series with the right amount of action mixed in with the right amount of mystery and intrigue. People will be glued to the series wanting to discover whether or not Ranmaru will avenge his parents, if Tokko will stop the "Big Bad" from accomplishing his demonic goals, and just how deep and twisted does this ancient demonic conspiracy run. This enjoyment, however, is ruined when most of these questions are given rushed answers, or none at all.

Overall - 6 (Fair)

Overall, Tokko is an excellent series which unfortunately got cheated from a proper ending, and this will effect the viewer's enjoyment in turn, as much of the enjoyment comes from the deepening conspiracies which revolve around the forces Tokko fights against. Unfortunately, these conspiracies come to rushed conclusions, and the final show-down between Ranmaru and the evils Tokko fights barely happens at all. Anit-climatic indeed.

Tokkô

Total score: 2/5

I had high hopes before watching Tokkô, I really did. I was expecting, hoping for, looking for something dark. I wanted an anime rich in horror, blood, violence. I was looking for scenes bathed in the blood of unjust enemies who committed horrendous crimes. I wanted to be kept uncertain as to whether or not someone would be left alive at the end. I wanted uncertainty as to the fates of everyone involved.

I got none of that from Tokkô.

I have only watched this show once, so I'm the first to admit the possibility that my disappointment stems from setting my expectations too ... high. I had just watched Hellsing Ultimate and wanted more of something in that vein of violence, treachery, and uncertainty. Tokkô did not give me that.

Instead, it left me feeling confused, rushed, off-kilter. There were frequent pauses, full of discussions of "Wait, what? Did we miss something?". There were far too many instances of half-tilted heads and squinted gazes as we struggled to make sense of the uncertain and contradictory storyline being presented to us.

Sound

Overall Score: 3/5

In its defense, the soundtrack (barring two points which I will discuss at the end of this section) was excellent. The music fit flawlessly within the show's theme, and did an excellent job of providing an appropriate emotional tone for the scene at hand. The sound effects were also extremely well-done, complimenting both the music and the scene without being too prominent or overbearing.

The overall sound quality was acceptable. I'm not much of an audiophile, but I was never disappointed with, or blown away by, the overall quality of the sound itself. There was a good balance between the inherent volumes for the voice acting and the rest of the audio. I never struggled to hear the voice actors above the noise of any scene (I did watch the show in Japanese, with English subtitles), and if any rewinding was done, it was for my better half to listen carefully to the specific words used, in order to better understand the nuances being missed by the English subtitles.

My biggest complaints with the music, however, lie within the opening and closing songs. The opening song was extremely upbeat and poppy, while the animations had the potential to be rather dark and foreboding. The song felt overly long and hugely at odds with the show itself. It wasn't quite in line with the show, and so watching it before each episode was slightly jarring. We eventually started fast-forwarding through the opening credits, largely because of the length.

The closing credits were especially jarring, especially with the chosen background art. The tone of the music was light and airy, which was also extremely disconcerting. The background art chosen was a silhouette image of the male lead reaching out to take the hand of the female lead. Both were topless, for whatever reason, but the semi-nudity was yet another piece that came across as slightly off and not fitting with everything else. We choose to fast-forward because we felt off-balance by everything with the closing credits and simply wished them to be over as soon as possible.

In total, the overall sound, while clear, didn't stand out either way and stayed middle-of-the-road in terms of quality. If the opening and closing songs had been better, or more suited to the show, my overall score for sounds would have been 4/5. As it sits, the perfection of the in-show music coupled with the sound effects does counteract the detractors that was the credit music.

Characters

Overall score: 2/5

I struggled with the way each characters were established early on and the ways they each grew.

The biggest source of my complaint lies almost solely within the lead, Ranmaru Shindo. The show starts with him dreaming, and we everyday see a half-naked woman rescuing him with a sword. He wakes up to his half-naked sister, bouncing everywhere and essentially stating that she's doing it because he doesn't have a girlfriend. I don't have a problem with incest in anime because it's not real. What I found to be confusing about it was the way he dreamt about the half-naked woman.

The character somehow moves away from the incest angle to suddenly Ranmaru becoming a perceived ladies man. We on the other side know differently, but the transition didn't make sense, when you go back to the first episode. I felt further disconnected when Ranmaru switched from being a perceived ladies man to having a woman presented as his soul mate. I will say this: I'm an anime novice. Haven't watched much until recently. I'm semi-familiar with character tropes in anime. I don't know if the switch from incest to ladies man to the man finding his soul mate and never leaving her side. If that IS a thing in anime, it was very poorly done.

It felt, to me, like the writers weren't sure of Ranmaru's character and that he was being rewritten from episode to episode until they figured out who he was supposed to be. Now, this isn't genuine character growth I'm talking about. This was an unfinished character, who was slowly being fleshed out throughout the show instead of having him grow. UNLESS I'm wrong about how characters in anime transition from lusting after their younger sister's nether regions to standing by the woman of their literal dreams. If I'm wrong, then great! That actually changes a huge part of the show for me, in a positive manner.

Any other characters felt exactly like characters, in every sense of the word. They weren't people defined by their past and making choices based on that, they were characters making decisions the writers said they made. The one exception, the absolute best person was Kaoru Kunikida, Ranmaru's boss. Kunikida had motivations that drove him, he took stands, and unlike everyone else around him, he didn't allow his past to chain him, but instead used it to move forward. He grew. I can't say that about anyone else.

Overall, the strength of Kunikida wasn't enough to effectively counteract the constantly rewritten Ranmaru and the lack of depth regarding everyone else. A story filled with characters isn't compelling, it isn't captivating. You are never presented with moments where you see genuine growth, just worn out scenarios where nothing ever changes.

Story

Overall score: 2/5

I found the story immensely frustrating. In a nutshell (POTENTIAL SPOILER WARNING; DON'T READ PAST HERE): Ranmaru and his sister were orphaned because somehow everyone in his apartment complex was brutally slaughtered. He becomes a cop to hunt down the killer. It's revealed that the attack was because someone opened an alchemical box (I didn't write the story) and opened up a gateway to another dimension. This box has 108 pieces (I don't know why the weird number), and it cannot be closed until every piece is found. There is a group of people dedicated to finding said pieces to close the gateway because reasons (there are legitimate reasons, but I'm trying to avoid spoilers and take as little time as possible).

Here is my issue. The entire storyline felt like it was slowly being reworked. People were saying things that they shouldn't have known, things were being presented suddenly that contradicted something said earlier. The storyline as a whole felt clumsy, unfinished, poorly thought out. What was ESPECIALLY frustrating was the realization that the story had AMAZING potential, but was lost somewhere.

The story felt like it was intended to run on for much longer, but was cancelled or ended prematurely. Honestly, I see why. The story takes eight episodes to go anywhere. The plot was unfinished, not fully formed from the beginning. I had a very strong feeling of "Figure that part out later" or even just adding something solely for the episode to make sense. That's bad writing. That's incredibly bad writing.

I'm struggling to fully express just how frustrating it was to watch the lack of progression from the story. The show shied away from actually getting into the action and just going off, and instead held itself back the entire time until the very end. The story dawdled, moseyed, and doddered about, avoiding it's true core: people kicking demon ass. And that's not even all of my problems. When you look at the actual storyline of the show, from beginning to end, it just falters from the beginning. So much of the first seven episodes could have been done in the first episode, freeing up the remaining episodes up to explore the world being presented to the viewer.

We were not given that. We were given a lost show, confused about its characters, storyline, direction, ending. The show is short, only 13 episodes. It took eight to get going. It shouldn't.

There are, in my mind, two ways to look at the show. Either it was intended to be 13 episodes, in which case the show was a an overly ambitious train wreck. You don't create some arbitrary number of enemies to kill, and then spend a full quarter of your show before you even show off how bad-ass the main character is. You just don't. That's terrible writing. OR the show was meant to be longer, but was cut short due to whatever reason and so they were forced to create SOME kind of ending that had any kind of logic. This makes more sense, because I refuse to consider the former a possibility. I can see why the show failed to gain any interest. The storyline was poorly planned, the characters were dull, and the art was uninspiring and bland. It could have been so much more, if the story hadn't been afraid of itself.

If you're going to do a thirteen episode anime about kicking demon ass, don't wait three quarters of the way to get going while simultaneously introducing probably one of the most arbitrary enemy counts I've ever heard.

If you want to do a long running anime about kicking demon ass, you STILL don't take eight episodes to show off the big bad-ass. The only thing that kept us watching was we bought it and started it. There was no compelling reason in the show to make people keep watching.

We didn't finish it because we wanted to know what happened. We finished it to avoid having an incomplete anime hanging over our heads. We were watching out of a sense of an unspoken obligation, to see an unpleasant task all the way through.

In total: this was an anime that had tremendous potential, but was lost or squandered. It was poorly planned and executed from the very beginning. On the surface, the story sounds great. But it was incomplete. I'm willing to try one more time with it, to see if I wasn't in the right state of mind for it, but I don't have high hopes. I can't give it anything higher than a two, despite how strong the music was. The music wasn't enough to redeem the rest of it. We'll see how the show fares with a rewatch.

I felt that, the story's build up stretched out far too long and then the ending was pretty much non existant, there was little to no explination as to what happened in the final episode.

In short i felt very disapointed by this anime once finished.

I great start to a series, but a ruined ending... or should I say a lack therof. They just...stopped. No explanation or reason. That was it. Otherwise a enjoyable series until then. Violence, good fights, good story potential.

This was one of those animes which had a massive amount of potential, but then seemed to take a wrong turn near the end. It seemed as if the producers had run afoul of their budget and then quickly rushed the series to keep the big boys happy.

The build up to the latter part of the anime is definitely worthy of recognition as one of the better series, but then things begin to unravel near the end where the whole tone becomes rushed and abrupt. There were some real golden moments, but they are few and far between.

My biggest qualm is the fact that it ... was tarnished by a complete anti-climax. The final battle is short and boring, and doesn't do the series any justice. If they had fleshed out the story a bit more by including at least another two or three episodes to bring it up to a nice closing number of 15 episodes, and had a far more epic finale, this definitely could have been one of the better animes to deal with demons and revenge.

The series had the expected gore of one that deals with demons, and of course the usual shower scenes to add a bit of an ecchi flavour, some interesting characters, and a decent storyline, but once again the finale simply lacked that special touch that most highly rated animes are marked by.

To repeat myself, this series had so much potential, but that potential was not displayed. I doubt they'll release a sequel as it has been four years, but we can hope. If they do take the dive, let's hope they improve on it tenfold. The ingredients are there, they are just not mixed together properly to make a tasty, mouthwatering meal.

A total flop.

One of the worst series I've seen. The biggest problem for me with this anime was that you're aware from very early on there's not going to be a proper resolution.

It seems more like a video game plot, where the main character has to defeat x amount of monsters to collect things inside them. Totally unoriginal.

Animation is pretty poor too. Lots of unanimated characters rushing through static backgrounds. Also the character design is pretty dull. None of them break out of the most basic stereotypes.

Avoid.

Tokko was recommended to me by a friend who fairly knew some of the qualities I seek in an anime, which is vague even for myself. However, he seemed pretty positive that I'd like it, and he was right. Tokko is a fairly good anime that knows how to keep the story flow. If you are a fan of gory, bloody and gushing gruesome horror, Tokko doesn't hold up to the standard highly, however it makes a fair attempt to deliver those qualities to the viewer.

I liked the anime a lot because simply I'm sucker when it comes to body-ripping, blood-flooding death scene, but ... also because the story line itself holds up a continuous event. The anime succeeds in holding up secrets that slowly reveal its truth throughout the anime. The characters have a nice connection between each other, the sister, the cursed brother and the people who were effected by the incident at the hospital. The way they also slowly develop their relationship is well written.

Some of the things I disliked about the anime is the way the main devil presented itself and the very vague ending. Maybe I did not understand the ending, maybe I should watch the last episode again, but there was something missing to wrap up the anime with. The element of a good-ending.

Overall, I enjoyed this anime and definitely recommend it. If you liked animes between the lines of Gantz, Elfen Lied or even Hakuouki, I'm sure you will enjoy this shounen. There's also a very high chance that I'd watch this again.

Tokko was interesting. I was promised zombies and only kind of got my wish. It wasn't bad at all and I actually enjoyed it, but there were flaws (Like the ending)

Story: 7/10 - The story was good and had a cool plot. It was executed fairly well, but it went in a lot different direction than I expected. I did enjoy the story but it seemed lacking and it just kind of ended.... very abruptly.

Art: 5/10 - I honestly don't care about art or how bad it is, but this did have an older feel to it, which honestly isn't my favorite style. It was ... somewhat nostalgic though.

Sound: 5/10 - Nothing too memorable, but nothing too bad. I don't personally care enough to put the soundtrack on my playlist though.

Character: 6/10 - I actually liked a lot of the characters. At least the ones that I could remember. The show ended too soon for me to really get to know all the characters. The characters were not bad though. They just needed to be more developed.

Enjoyment: 6/10 - I enjoyed this and watched it all the way through. I liked what it was doing, but am dissapointed with the ending.

Overall: 6/10 - I would recommend this because I did enjoy it, but it's definitely not for everyone

BONUS: Watchability
Violence: 8/10
Fanservice and Sexual Content 6/10 - (No Fanservice, but a few brief shots of a topless girl in the fog)
Profanity: 8/10

this is one of my all time fave anime's simply because it's one of the first anime's watched online after getting a computer and the fact it was different to the other anime i watched back than. loved all the fight scenes and the story line it's self was really good (imo at least) and i probably also like as much as i do since it was the first anime i watched that had nothing to do with kids in high school since i do get bored of them some times,
the only thing i didn't like about the anime was that it was to ... short and wished it was longer and the finish felt like a cliffhanger(at least to me anyway) but other than that i really like this anime and recommend it to those that love blood and gore in their anime and my overall rating is 9/10.

I think I speak for everyone when I say that an old looking show doesn't mean that it's bad, and for the minority of you who have the brain to think that a shows age determines it's quality, you probably watched Ranking of Kings and then Mars of Destruction in that order in order to satisfy your shitty take, rather than watching something like Neon Genesis, Hotaru no Haka, or even Tokko.

Tokko may not stand the test of time like other shows such as One Piece or Yu Yu Hakusho, but what it definitely stands the test of is whether writing ages well or not, ... because for a show adapted by a manga written in 2003, this show really slaps with it's writing and personality. While the show is cheesier than a mozzarella stick throughout it's full duration it definitely doesn't disappoint with how well rounded the writing is, many if not all questions you may have on the series pre-finale are answered and foreshadowed throughout the show and it's really interesting realizing this as each plot hole is filled by the shows dialogue and events. Which I guess you can really just expect from the writer of GTO Great Teacher Onizuka.
Regardless of the writing in Tokko, it isn't exactly anything worth paying attention to at this point in age, so allow me to direct you to something that is, and that's the shows successful genre-blend when it comes to shit like comedic accuracy in common sense. We all find lack of common sense in our favourite shows and get pissed off sometimes by it, but this show throws common sense in your face so much that when someone so out of the ordinary in anime but so normal in real life occurs you can't help but laugh and respect the little details. Such as the HORRIBLE troupe in anime where you can yell about incest loli rape in a crowd quiet enough to hear a pin drop, and NO one notices your existence or seems to have a mind for themselves, but no, no in Tokko these guys talk about all the shit they want like irresponsible teenagers and EVERYONE knows they're doing it and stare at them like they're having a schizophrenic episode, and you just can't help but laugh at such a troupe being totally overthrown in Tokko, which adds to Tokkos well executed genre-blend.

Lastly, while Tokko may have personality and the appropriate mix of genres, it's hard to excuse for the lack of originality in concept. As stated prior, this show manages to cover up how cheesy it was, but not entirely. Tokko is undoubtedly a perfect example of edgy teenager bait, like something the 15 year old goth girl from high school would fan fic draw instead of writing up their english essay, it's just way to easy to understand why someone would hate the show or be put off, which in turn ruins a lot of the shows authenticity, unfortunately making what could've been one of the best shows of the 2000s period of anime, forgettable and overshadowed.
Gore softened by comedy, comedy softened by personality, and personality softened by cheesiness, a prime example of how no matter how good you mix and match, it's nearly impossible to create an objectively good show with an edge lord concept written for rebellious teenagers. Oh yeah, and the dub is hilarious.

TOKKÔ had a lot of potential to be a genuinely chilling horror anime, but instead, it devolved into a convoluted action flick, where adults in trench coats slice through monsters like butter. It began with intrigue into extra-dimensional creatures that infect human bodies like parasites (think H.P. Lovecraft or Parasyte) and ended with a sappy, gothic harem!

This review of TOKKÔ is spoiler free!

—Story/Characters

Synopsis: Shindou Ranmaru has just graduated from police academy and assigned to Tokko: Special Mobile Investigation Force. On the day of his graduation, he meets the half-naked girl he has been seeing in his dreams. Her name is Rokujo Sakura and she ... works for a secret group within Tokki, known as Tokko: Special Public Safety Task Force. Shindou ends up joining Tokko to avenge his parents' death, and solve the mysterious mass murder of residents in his hometown of Machida. Meanwhile, bottomless pits begin appearing around Japan, and mysterious creatures emerge from them. Could these events be linked to Machida Massacre?

The name Tokkō is a reference to either the shortened version of, 1. "Tokkō (特攻), a portmanteau for Tokubetsu Kōgekitai, literally meaning "Special Attack Unit"—the official name for Japanese aviators conducting kamikaze attacks in World War II, or 2. Tokkō (特高), a portmanteau for Tokubetsu Kōtō Keisatsu, meaning "Special Higher Police"—in history, it was a special investigation unit used to dissuade what the Japanese government considered to be anarchists and socialists that threatened public order. Either way, if you add the historical connotations onto a story about a bunch of leather-clad rebels fighting demons, it has weird implications!

More specifically, they fight demonic creature call Phantoms that crawl over to the mortal world when the seal between the two worlds is broken, it's literally referred to as the "Box of Dirge ("Druj")"! Regular weapons don't work on them, so Tokkō is employed because they have magical swords that can combat the creatures! They get possession of the swords by having the Phantoms cohabitate with them in a symbiotic relationship inside of their body, which somehow creates a tattoo. Man, all of this feels like it came out of a beginners guide to Wicca or something!

There is a bit of intrigue when the main character, Ranmaru, is set up on a blind date with a woman, who's father just happens to be doing freaky experiments on the Phantoms. But, as anyone could have learned from any Resident Evil game, scientists tampering with otherworldly beings always has to go wrong somewhere! Not going to say how, because that would involve spoilers, but that arc (episode 5) is where the story ceases to be interesting.

The series meanders on the ever-present mystery of Ranmaru's past and the secrets behind the Phantoms, which on its own would create intrigue, but the series vaguely mentions it and then has Ranmaru go on angsty dates with a random girls who all have tragic backstories (which is no wonder, why would you voluntarily join an organization of demon slayers otherwise)! There's even a member of Tokkō that wears no bra and leather jacket, I guess to the show's credit... she's kind of crazy (?), but still! How would that defend you into parasitic, flesh-eating monsters? Oh, well. I guess the series randomly has her show Ranmaru her nipples (er, tattoo) in one episode, so it's okay.

There's about eight people in his harem: including his male best friend who always talks about how awesome he is, his sister, his sister's best friend, a bloodthirsty sword-wielding prodigy, the commander of the division (the "cougar" option), etc. And Ranmaru has the least amount of chemistry... with the lead heroine. The series barely shows them interact and then it tries to push them together in the end, because certain incidents in their childhood converge. She's presented as the strong, silent type but in the anime adaptation, she barely says or does anything!

The only scene I can think of is when she stabs a sword through herself and Ranmaru to merge consciousnesses, but then Inukai (the only other male member of Tokkō) just randomly appears in their subconscious vision? I guess the sword thing was unnecessary? Everyone in this story is constantly angsty, and none of the mysteries ever get solved! The story just drags along: boring, repetitive, and nonsensical!

—Technical

Kazuo Takigawa (chief animation director)
* Chikyū Shōjo Arujuna, localized as "Earth Maiden Arjuna" (episode director)
* Keishichou Tokumu-bu Tokushu Kyouaku-han Taisaku-Shitsu Dai-Nana-ka -Tokunana, localized as "Special 7: Special Crime Investigation Unit"
* Kidō Shinsengumi Moeyo Ken
* Kurohime: Shikkoku no Yakata, localized as "The Black Princess"
* One Piece (animation director)
* Pokémon the Movie: I Choose You! (key animation)
* Prayers (character design)
* Rekka no Honō, localized as "Flame of Recca" (animation director)
* Strike Witches: Movie (animation director, key animation)

Commentary: I really liked Chikyū Shōjo Arujuna, but Strike Witches: The Movie had pacing issues. I guess that problem may have passed over into the adaptation of TOKKÔ. It's really interesting how you can look at a director's filmography, to see what problems they have with certain series! To Mr. Takigawa's credit, the horror scenes were "A" tier, I actually got cold chills from seeing the Phantoms forcefully inhabit human bodies!

Kōji Watanabe (chief animation director, character design)
* Armitage III: Duel-Matrix (mechanical design)
* Blue Gender and Blue Gender: The Warrior (mechanical design)
* Date A Live III (chief animation director, character design)
* Date A Live Movie: Mayuri Judgement (chief animation director, character design)
* Digimon Adventure tri. 2: Ketsui (chief animation director)
* Ginga Kikōtai Majestic Prince (mechanical design)
* Ginga Tetsudō Monogatari, localized as "The Galaxy Railways" (mechanical design)
* Gunslinger Stratos: The Animation (character design)
* Harmony (mechanical design)
* Kishin Heidan, localized as "Kishin Corps" (mechanical design)
* Koi Koi 7, (mechanical design, character design)
* Mahou Shōjo Lyrical Nanoha ViVid (mechanical design)
* Moegaku★5 (character design)
* Noein: Mō Hitori no Kimi e, localized as "Noein: to your other self" (mechanical design)
* Phantom: The Animation (character design)
* RErideD: Tokigoe no Derrida, localized as "RErideD: Derrida, who leaps through time" (character design)
* RoboMasters: The Animated Series (mechanical design)
* Sol Bianca: Taiyō no Fune, localized as "Sol Bianca: The Legacy" (mechanical design)
* Uchū Kyōdai, localized as "Space Brothers" (mechanical design)

Commentary: Not a fan of Mr. Watanabe's directing or character designs, but his mechanical designs are iconic in the industry!

I watched TOKKÔ with the ADV dub, so I will list the Japanese seiyū, but comments will be on the performances of the English voice actors.

Kenichi Suzumura as Ranmaru Shindo, notable roles:
* Ash Roller, Accel World
* Toru Sōma, Baldr Force Exe Resolution
* Tsubaki Asahina, Brothers Conflict
* Genzō Wakabayashi, Captain Tsubasa (2018)
* Locke, Chōjin Locke: Mirror Ring
* Eiji Shigure, Chōjūshin Gravion
* Lavi, D. Gray-man
* Hajime Tsunashi, Danna ga Nani wo Itteiru ka Wakaranai Ken, localized as "I Can't Understand What My Husband Is Saying"
* Yoshitaka Tanaka, Danshi Kōkōsei no Nichijō, localized as "Daily Lives of High School Boys"
* Kōichi Kimura, Digimon Frontier
* Takehisa Hinawa, Enen no Shōbōtai, localized as "Fire Force"
* Romani Archaman, Fate/Grand Order
* Zack Fair, Final Fantasy VII
* Momotarō Mikoshiba, Free!
* Hajiki Sanada, Gad Guard
* Wen-li Yang, Ginga Eiyū Densetsu: Die Neue These, localized as "The Legend of the Galactic Heroes: The New Thesis"
* Sōgo Okita, Gintama
* Yūichi Ezaki, Hanbun no Tsuki ga Noboru Sora, localized as "Looking Up At The Half-Moon"
* Junpei Manaka, Ichigo 100%
* Takeshi Yoroi ("Hurricane Polymer"), Infini-T Force
* Ryūtaros, Kamen Rider
* Mikya Kokutō, Kara no Kyōkai, localized as "Garden of Sinners"
* Atsushi Murasakibara, Kuroko no Basket, localized as "Kuroko's Basketball"
* Myōe, Kyōsō Giga
* Shin Kudō, Macross Zero
* Shinn Asuka, Kidō Senshi Gundam SEED Destiny
* Iyami, Osomatsu-san
* Daigo Tsuwabuki, Pokémon
* Yūya Mirokuji, Re: Creators
* Shiki Tōno, Shingetsutan Tsukihime, localized as "Lunar Legend Tsukihime"
* Ayumu Narumi, Spiral: Suiri no Kizuna
* Anti, SSSS.Gridman
* Sunny, Toriko
* Daisuke Shima, Uchū Senkan Yamato 2199
* Kazuto Tokino, UFO Princess Valkyrie
* George Ushiromiya, Umineko no Naku Koro ni
* Masato Hijirikawa, Uta no☆Prince-sama
* Kamui Shirō, X (TV)
* Chika Akatsuki, Zombie-Loan

Tony Oliver as Ranmaru Shindo, notable roles:
* Keiichi Morisato, Aa! Megami-sama!, localized as "Ah! My Goddess"
* Lancer ("Cú Chulainn"), Fate/stay night and Unlimited Blade Works
* Hajiki Sanada, Gad Guard
* Arsene Lupin III, Lupin III
* Minato Namikaze, Naruto
* Sha Gojō, Saiyuki
* Sirius, Sirius no Densetsu, localized as "The Sea Prince and the Fire Child"
* Simon, Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann
* Tetsushi Kaji, Ultra Maniac
* Hibiki Tokai, Vandread
* Sorata Arisugawa, X (TV)

Commentary: Mr. Oliver did very well with his portrayal of Ranmaru. You can tell with his roles as Arsene Lupin III, Sha Gojō, or Cú Chulainn that he's really good at playing "bad boy" characters. Even with his usual archetype in place, I also enjoyed his role as Simon in the dub of Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann.

Fumiko Orikasa as Sakura Rokujo, notable roles:
* Mabel West, Agatha Christie no Meitantei Poirot to Marple, localized as "Agatha Christie's Great Detectives Poirot and Marple"
* Rukia Kuchiki, Bleach
* Yuzuki, Chobits
* Shirley Fenette, Code Geass
* Yūko Okonogi, Dennō Coil
* Ruki Makino, Digimon Tamers
* Kaaya, Druaga no Tō, localized as "Tower of Druaga"
* Figure 17, Figure 17: Tsubasa & Hikaru
* Riza Hawkeye, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood
* Arashi Shinozuka, Gad Guard
* Kyūbei Yagyū, Gintama
* Hikari, Haibane Renmei
* Seres Victoria, Hellsing and Hellsing: Ultimate
* Rumiko Chie, Higurashi no Naku Koro ni, localized as "When They Cry"
* Torako Kageyama, Hyakko
* Miu Matsuoka, Ichigo Marshmallow
* Aoba Tsuzaki, Jinki:Extend
* Satsuki Momoi, Kuroko no Basket, localized as "Kuroko's Basketball"
* Chiyoko Kurotori, Kuromajo-san ga Tōru!!, localized as "Here Comes the Black Witch"
* Lotte Yansson, Little Witch Academia
* Meyrin Hawke, Kidō Senshi Gundam SEED Destiny
* Beth, Puchi Pri*Yucie, localized as "Petite Princess Yucie"
* Nicoletta, Ristorante Paradiso
* Saori Kido, Saint Seiya: Hades
* Chise, Saishū Heiki Kanojo, localized as "SaiKana: The Last Love Song"
* Kirara, Samurai 7
* Pacifica Casull, Scrapped Princess
* Chiyoko Fujiwara, Sennen Joyū, localized as "Millennium Actress"
* Ciel, Shingetsutan Tsukihime, localized as "Lunar Legend Tsukihime"
* Karin Kikuhara, Stratos 4
* Kanade Minamino, Suite PreCure
* Meia Gisborn, Vandread

Philece Sampler as Sakura Rokujo, notable roles:
* Sarara, Binzume Yōsei, localized as "Bottle Fairy"
* Mimi Tachikawa, Digimon
* Haré, Jungle wa Itsumo Hare nochi Gū, localized as "Haré+Guu"
* Maya Orihara, Ultra Maniac
* Silvia, Viewtiful Joe
* Yuzuriha Nekoi, X (TV)

Commentary: I really love Ms. Sampler's voice in Digimon, Haré+Guu, and X (TV); with that said, her performance as Sakura was not very good. Seeing as her other characters are a lot more vibrant, maybe the role was just out of place for her? It didn't help that Sakura is one of the least memorable heroines in anime history!

Kana Ueda as Kareha Suzuka, notable roles:
* Nami Aoi, Aki-Sora
* Paladin, Bikini Warrior
* IF, Chōjigen Game Neptune, localized as "Hyperdimension Neptunia"
* Rin Tōsaka, Fate/stay night
* Momo Kawashima, Girls & Panzer
* Chikage Izumi, Hagure Yūsha no Aesthetica, localized as "Aesthetica of a Rogue Hero"
* Yūko Morigaya, Hina Logi: From Luck & Logic
* Neon Nostrade, Hunter x Hunter (2011)
* Hazumu Osaragi, Kashimashi: Girl Meets Girl
* Yuiko Hawatari, Loveless
* Hayate Yagami, Mahō Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha
* Yumi Fukuzawa, Maria-sama ga Miteru, localized as "Maria Watches Over Us"
* Kurumi Momose, Paniponi Dash!
* Anastasia Hoshin, Re:Zero kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu, localized as "Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World-"
* Honami Takase Ambler, Rental Magica
* Luna Shirogane, Ryūsei no Rockman, localized as "Megaman: Star Force"
* Saki Miyanaga, Saki
* Fumika, Shigofumi
* Heidemarie W. Schnaufer, Strike Witches: The Movie

Tara Platt as Kareha Suzuka, notable roles:
* Tokiko Tsumura, Busō Renkin
* Akari Shinohara, Byōsoku 5 Centimeter, localized as "5 Centimeters Per Second"
* Vert, Chōjigen Game Neptune, localized as "Hyperdimension Neptunia"
* Caster ("Medea"), Fate/stay night
* Temari, Naruto
* Barasuishō, Rozen Maiden: Träumend

Commentary: I wasn't very fond of Ms. Platt as Kareha, especially when the alternative was Kana Ueda, the voice of Rin Tōsaka! The promiscuous vibrancy behind the character just wasn't there!

Rio Natsuki as Ryoko Ibuki, notable roles:
* Miyako Inōe, Digimon Adventure 02
* Nanami Jinnai, El Hazard
* Asuna, Pokémon
* Lucy Maria Misora, To Heart 2

Michelle Ruff as Ryoko Ibuki, notable roles:
* Aoi Sakuraba, Ai Yori Aoshi
* Luna, Bishōjo Senshi Sailor Moon
* Rukia Kuchiki, Bleach
* Chii and Freya, Chobits
* Euphemia li Britannia, Code Geass
* Cosette d'Auvergne, Cossette no Shōzō, localized as "Le Portrait de Petit Cossette"
* Thanast Useim Ruki Miu Sia Nostal Ren Naguregyug ("Miu"), DearS
* Hikaru Usada, Di Gi Charat
* Izumi Orimoto, Digimon Frontier
* Lopmon, Digimon Tamers
* Anri Sonohara, Durarara!!
* Saber ("Artoria"), Fate/stay night: Unlimited Blade Works
* Eugénie Danglars, Gankutsuō
* Miharu Sena Kanaka, Girls Bravo
* Sakuya Tachibana, God Eater
* Urumi Kanzaki, Great Teacher Onizuka
* Elle, Groove Adventure Rave, localized as "Rave Master"
* Kiari and Ririka Momobami, Kakegurui
* Chikane Himemiya, Kannazuki no Miko
* Alvis E. Hamilton and Tatiana Wisla, Last Exile
* Tsukasa Hiiragi, Lucky☆Star
* Fujiko Mine, Lupin III
* Etna, Makai Senki Disgaea
* Snow, MÄR
* Kizna Towryk, Megami Kōhosei, localized as "Candidate for Goddess"
* Cecily Fairchild, Kidō Senshi Gundam F91
* Tsukiko Sagi, Paranoia Agent
* Manaka Mukaido, Nagi no Asu kara, localized as "A Lull in the Sea"
* Sonoshee McLaren, Redline
* Sumire Kanzaki, Sakura Taisen
* Sophia Esteed, Star Ocean: Anamnesis
* Sakura Kasugano, Street Fighter
* Yuki Nagato, Suzumiya Haruhi no Yūtsu, localized as "The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya"
* Shino Asada, Sword Art Online
* Yoko Littner, Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann
* Yurika Dōjima, Witch Hunter Robin
* Kotori Monō, X (TV)

Commentary: When I was watching this, I kept thinking to myself, why is Ryoko Ibuki stealing the show? She's the exact same character archetype as Maki Kawazaki from Burn Up! and Sylia Stingray from Bubblegum Crisis. And then, I realized that her voice actor is none other than Michelle Ruff, and the charm of the character instantly made sense! I feel like Ms. Ruff should have been cast as one of the lead characters; it would have made the dub more enjoyable!

Susumu Akagi as Takeru Inukai, notable roles:
* Mōtoku Sōsō, Ikkitōsen

Kirk Thorton as Takeru Inukai, notable roles:
* Kai Shimada, 3-gatsu no Lion
* Shirō Fujimoto, Blue Exorcist
* Kurō Kazama, Black Jack
* Gabumon, Digimon
* Kiritsugu Emiya, Fate/stay night
* Hotohori, Fushigi Yûgi
* Toki, Hokuto no Ken, localized as "Fist of the North Star"
* Lazare d' Cagliostro, Lupin III: Cagliostro no Shiro, localized as "Lupin III: The Castle of Cagliostro"
* Kisame Hoshigaki, Naruto
* Jin, Samurai Champloo
* Guile, Street Fighter II: The Movie
* Ryōtarō Tsuboi, Sword Art Online
* Bunshichi Tawara, Tenjō Tenge
* Kunimitsu Tezuka, Tennis no Ōji-sama
* Hiei, Yū Yū Hakusho

Commentary: Mr. Thorton is a great talent in the voice acting industry, I love every single role that he's had on this list. The exception is Blue Exorcist, because I haven't heard the dub yet! I can't comment much on his role as Inukai, because (like Sakura), he barely got any time to shine in the series. Despite being the only other male member of Tōkko!

Conclusively, I'm probably going to check out the manga after this because, like I said, the premise is really interesting! I don't know if the manga is any better. The anime may have just flopped due to bad planning and directional decisions. TOKKÔ could have been something interesting, but instead, it devolved into a bunch of boring clichés! Overall, I give TOKKÔ a 3/10!

Rating: ★★☆☆☆

It doesn't feel like Tokkuou's a real anime as much as a template for an anime.

Story 5/10

The story is very straight forward, but, in my opinion, that's the problem because it makes the anime feel bland and boring. So Ranmaru wants to find the people who killed his parents, finds out they were killed by monsters, he joins Tokkou to kill the monsters, and at the climax fights the evil mastermind whose controlling the monsters and wants to take over the world.

There weren't really any big twists or surprises and it fells like the writers were really dragging the plot out, like they were ... struggling to make this anime 12 episodes long.

Also, I thought the fight scenes were pretty boring. Ranmaru and the others characters just slice the phantoms half with one swing of their swords so there really isn't that much fighting.

Characters 5/10

Again, these characters don't feel like real characters as much as templates for characters.

We never learn anything about them outside their origin stories. For example, I know Ranmaru wants to kill the monsters that killed his parents, but I can't say anything about his personality or anything I found likeable or memorable about him and that's true for all the characters.

Even when one of the main characters gets killed (which should be an edge of your seat, heart-pounding scene) I don't feel sad or angry or anything because I didn't know anything about this character other than his name and origin story.

Art 6/10

I thought the art was decent. The phantoms looked okay and the little parasite monsters were legitimately creepy. Also, since this is a horror anime, the artist did a good job by including lots of blood.

One character's appearance that really stood out, however, was Kureha. She doesn't wear a shirt!! Seriously, her leather jacket just barely covers her nipples; why does nobody ask her about that?!

Overall 5/10

I'd say Tokkou is a decent anime, but it just doesn't feel like a whole of effort was put into the story, characters, or art designs.

This is my first review so hmm where should I start.. I dont get it why is this anime so unpopular and ppl hate it. In my eyes it was pretty good if u like blood.The art is good for how old it is the characters are ok but now the bad thing the story is so unfinished they could have done much more it feels like the ending is just thrown at u this had a lot of potential imo.It also had a bit of humour which I like.Overall It needs more episodes and better ending. Im sorry its hard for me to rate ... stuff with this scaling system so I did it this way and dont hate me for my bad review I just wanted to recommend it for ppl to watch it.

Ok, so I saw a lot of people hate this anime because nothing happens. What they must understand is that unfortunately the manga as dropped after only 3 volumes. I think originally the anime was supposed to have 24 episodes or another season. This explains why until episode 9 things go very slow. I personally found the show very exciting and interesting with strong and deep characters. There are no bad people just because like some shows have and a lot of things got explained by the end. I could say the only thing I did not like was the last episode which was ... weird. It is clear that writers needed a quick end for a series that should have been longer while in the same time they wanted to leave place for a sequel/revival of the series that unfortunately never come (and probably never will). I do not want to give spoilers to those that want to watch it but I will say just this: if you decide to do so just see it trough, do not drop it because by the end most questions will be answered.

Just finished watching the anime.
If you're just about to watch it, here's the good and bad points;

Good points :

The story had a good concept, I mean, it's been done, but everyone loves gore and there's not much you can do with evil spirits. I actually quite liked the little twists and the way they laid out the order of things to come.
The characters are hard not to love. Ronmaru (the main character) certainly makes you smile, in the beginning he's very cute and fun and unknowing and he changes through out the anime, but you find out every reason why; which I like. I ... hate when you watch anime and suddenly someone's all pokerface for unknown reasons. Plus the whole, living-with-sister-cause-their-parents-died thing kinda made you feel sorry for the guy.
I wont go into detail about him or the other characters because you only find out snippets through out the series.

Okay so I'm going to give you the bad points now which might include the tiniest little bit of spoilage, you can either carry on or skip to the bottom of the review.

Bad points :

I am a little disappointed, at first I thought the anime was running at a smooth pace, but then suddenly as soon as his life "up's" he's this serious dude who knows everything? What happened to the guy who was too oblivious to notice girls blatantly flirting with him? I liked him! He was cute! Anyway..
Don't get me wrong in the end he turned out to be pretty bad ass (pardon my french) but in 13 episodes that happened kinda too quickly for my liking. It got to episode 8 and they just completely rushed everything! Suddenly he can kill 6 main spirits one after the other?! 3 episodes ago he couldn't stand up infront of one!

The characters where believable though while you saw part of each characters personal life and the way they felt, they never really let it shine through, apart from the 2 main characters.

The ending was atrocious and I feel robbed. He JUST learned how to fight and suddenly he's "The Chosen One". It's bull! How did he manage to get through all that tripe at the end only for it to come back in his face?! Ooh that sort of thing annoys me so much, and happened frequently in other animes. MAKE IT STOP!




End of Spoilers!!



Anyway, I would recommend watching it, I mean, it's a good watch if you're not picky that is.
:) x