Tougen Anki: Oni vs Momotaro! War Between Dark Heroes

A demon bloodline, a “hero” agency that hunts it, and a kid who finds out his life was a lie the hard way. We’re zoning in on Tougen Anki with a full anime review that gets into what the story is really selling: Oni vs Momotaro as a long-running faction war where nobody gets to wear a clean white cape.

We talk animation honestly, including the moments that feel like 3D CGI fights and why they didn’t completely ruin the action for us. Then we get into the fun part: the Blood Eclipse power system. Shiki’s guns, Jin’s buzz saw wounds, Homare’s Blood Titan, Mudano’s umbrella style, and how these abilities tie back to personality, trauma, and obsession. If you love power systems that double as character writing, there’s a lot to chew on here.

From there we go character by character and call out the shounen DNA the show wears on its sleeve. You’ll hear our comparisons to Jujutsu Kaisen, Blue Exorcist, Naruto, and Deadman Wonderland, plus a real conversation about tropes, pilot-episode hooks, and when fanservice crosses into “yo, wait a minute” territory. We also break down the Momotaro Agency’s key players and why the show’s biggest strength is moral gray conflict, not a simple protagonist vs antagonist win condition.

If you’re watching Tougen Anki or thinking about starting, hit play, then subscribe and share the pod with a friend who needs a new shounen. After you listen, drop a review and tell us: who are you siding with, Oni or Momotaro?

Transcript

Welcome And Review Setup

SPEAKER_00 0:01

What up, gang? It's the Zone Podcast back at it again with another review. Today's topic is Togen Anki. And of course, I'm JB, and with me we have Playboy. Now let's go ahead and zone in on it. Now, in this universe, the bloodlines of Oni and Momotaro have been passed down among certain humans for generations. Long ago, the Oni aware of their own ferocity and lived in seclusion. However, their peace was shattered by an invasion led by the Momotaro. Over thousands of years, these two factions formed the Momotaro Agency and the Oni agency respectively. They have been locked in conflict ever since. The protagonist, Shiki Isinose, suddenly learns of his Oni lineage following an unexpected attack by the Momotaro. This revelation sets Shiki on a path to discover the destiny that lies within his blood and a meeting with the Oni Dwelling Within Him. And a new generation of dark heroics begins with this tale of demons. Now, before we really get into it, I gotta say, I kind of like how we got this generation of anime to where there's like two main factions, and I'm like, it's kind of remind me of what uh Jujutsu Kaisen kind of opened the door for to where you have these two opposing forces, and uh it kind of made me curious about Rap So Petty doing uh abridged series on stuff like this. So like we're he's already considering Gotcha Akuda, but I'm thinking Togen Anki might also be one of those shows where uh if it goes in the right direction, then yeah, I can imagine someone trying to abridge the series. Uh it's really good, and I'm gonna get into it. But uh, Playboy, how are you feeling about Togan Anki as it stands right now?

SPEAKER_02 1:55

Uh man, uh Togan Anki, I I like it as a good animator. The animation wasn't too bad. I've seen, I've recently seen a lot of people say they don't like the 3D fights. Um I I I I guess I might have to go back and actually look at it. For one, the fight scenes weren't bad to me as far as any animation. So um I like the actually.

SPEAKER_00 2:16

Well, the 3D, like, okay, there was some 3D, but I didn't really notice that in the fights. Like the fights were fairly good. But um, if there was, it was more like something up in the movements and whatnot, like uh some of the simple movements, and that was like the only thing for me. Like, that was the only thing that kind of ruined it for me. But other than that, salt was yo.

SPEAKER_02 2:37

Yeah, yeah. Like I noticed they took some certain angles to, you know, try to utilize it. Like they didn't want to revolve the fight around it, but they used it like it was in their budget or something. Um the I like the main character Shiki, he's really draws interest, and I honestly just thought about it today. And I know I've been seeing it, but it really did my interest when I was re-watching it, and I seen him on basically kind of like how uh with a power system or like blood molecular stuff. I see a resemblance as to where they use the same power system, but like based on their interests or hobbies or the way that they are is how their blood is, you know what I'm saying, used as their power. I feel uh almost like you know what I'm saying. For example, Sheiki has his guns, and in the first episode, you see before he became aware of his only powers, he was effectuated with drawing guns, playing with guns, even had a whole arsenal of guns, you know what I'm saying? So it's like was that because he's a gun on it, or is that because was that what led him to you know what I'm saying, use guns for his blood power? So that's what I'm kind of like curious about at this moment. But as anime as it stands, I'm looking forward to a season two sure. See what the rest of the happen.

Animation And 3D Fight Takes

SPEAKER_00 3:56

I think with for now, I'm thinking he just happened to be a gun enthusiast and says he has his only abilities and he didn't have real good control over his abilities. It's like he had to visualize something that he can really lock in on, and you know, him liking guns. I guess guns is the only thing that he can think of as far as uh his abilities. Like on one scene, one yeah, like it kind of says that with their abilities, it's kind of like it mirrors their personality. But, you know, that's kind of thing that's kind of common with anime to where they have abilities that's like kind of related to what they're about as people, and nothing wrong with that. Uh, I'm just saying, like, I just don't think it's that neat. But if it is, and it turns out, oh, well, turns out he's uh his ability is based around guns. I'm like, all right, well, shit. Uh, but then again, uh, buddy that we're gonna be talking about, uh, his friend, uh quote unquote. Uh he also uses guns, so I'm like thinking that's probably just a coincidence.

SPEAKER_02 5:12

Oh, yeah, you're talking about the uh guy from the other side. Yeah. Yeah, no, that was crazy. That was a good fucking.

SPEAKER_00 5:21

Yeah. But uh the only thing I got on Shiki is that, you know, rebellious teenager living with his adoptive father. One day, did lodge get upended, got attacked by a sass, and leading Shiki to discover that he's an Oni and that his uh adoptive father, Suyoshi, was formerly a Momutaro, uh, and abandoned his duty to raise him. And following uh Suyoshi's death, Shiki is drawn to the long-standing conflict between the Oni and Momutaro, bound to survive and to exact revenge. And crazy enough, in this instance, it's giving blue exorcist vibes. Like, you you know how like you had this uh father, this adoptive father that was like stone cold back in the day, and he gave that up to raise a child that's like supposedly like the son of the devil or whatnot. It was kind of giving blue exodus to me for a bit. But that's all. Oh, wait, wait, wait, I got more. Uh Siki is only whose powers manifest after an attack by Monsaru, results in the death of his doctor's father. Biologically, he's one of the eight children of Keishin and inherits a fire elemental attribute. His blood eclipse release uh manifests as various guns, a reflection of his past interest in them, see. And the tremendous output of his power generates severe uh after effects, such as causing blood to rain from the sky. So, yeah. Kind of give him uh blue excesses, but also to use the Kaiser in a way. Well, no, no, no, back down more like Naruto, you know, like uh wind release, uh lightning release and whatnot, but in this case it's blood eclipse. Uh like a lot of like like I ain't gonna say references, but like I've seen, you know what I'm saying, like some real like some relative situations or scenarios and other animations and token, like um it's more like tropes and like nothing against tropes, like some some tropes just work, you know, like like mechanics where uh let's say for instance you're trying to build a car, and would it be better to get an engine that someone already put together and it's already tried to test it, or would you be experimental and try to build an engine on your own? Just something to think about because uh I just think something just works, and I'm like, okay, uh just have this troped where uh main characters lose their parents, and that also kickstart their journey, their revenge part and whatnot. It's kind of like a common uh writing plot. Like, hell, I got a book that I've been writing, I mean, reading that's been helping me with my writing. And essentially, it's just one of those things where you gotta hook the audience with something where, okay. Kind of like with uh Aaron Yeah from Attack on Titans, where his main thing was revenge against the Titans or um eating their mom and whatnot. So it just kind of makes sense for that to be that way.

SPEAKER_02 8:45

Yeah, yeah, you get the attention with something crazy, like, damn, this is how we're starting off already. Yeah, it needs to hook. Yeah, I ain't gonna lie, I'm like, that's literally what it's crazy because that is a lot of people who I've known haven't watched Attack on Titan because of that first episode, but it's also the reason I continued watching it. So like that first that pilot episode does hit a little different. Well, Toganaki, I definitely it was I was I was paying attention. One thing I do I pay attention to the most is the pilot episode. Um with Toganaki, uh when it's when the Mobutara came and fought his dead and the black stuff started appearing. Um, it's just that I I they they explain how that power works, like with the dark ashes, the black ashes and stuff. I still find it interesting though, just the the whole trope of you know, with the humans fighting goblins or demons, but the humans are the bad guys, you know what I'm saying? Because you know, back in the days, the bad guys used to be somebody else, and the heroes was always human beings saving the day. But now it's like as you get older, you see who the real human like the real problem is.

Tropes And Strong Pilot Hooks

SPEAKER_00 9:53

Oh, you know what? This reminds me. Uh I was mean to mention how this reminds me of an original story that I'm working on, but now I know we're talking about writing techniques and whatnot, where the main cast, like, keep in mind, this is one of many stories. So it's not like I'm only working on one story. But in this story, the main cast are like dark heroes. They're not traditional heroes, but it's more like they do some of the shit that some of the traditional heroes won't do. Like, say, for instance, like on some Assassin's Creed type shit, where like you need some like problematic um taken care of, we'll take care of them. Uh, you need some uh demons that need to be hunting down, uh, we'll take care of them. But the thing is that um they do something else with the demons. So it's like they kind of masquerade as villains, but if you actually work with them, you know that okay, they're not uh bad guys, but uh they uh they kind of uh delve into some shit that I don't know if I can cross that line, you know what I'm saying? But hey, I guess, you know, necessary evil, so to speak. But uh, I do like how with the Oni's and the Momotaros, the Momotaros think they're all about justice and whatnot, and they're trying to take down the Oni's, uh, kind of prove that they're the only force that they need to be these kind of assassins in the dark. But uh Onies, you know, they're not bad guys, but at the same time, you just wouldn't look at them as good guys either. Um actually, you know what? I would say jujitsu Kaisen, once again, like, yeah, the Juicy sorcerers, you would think they're the good guys, but not they're not really good guys. It's more like, okay, we go around exercising these uh spirits and whatnot, but like, okay, if it makes us look good, okay, cool, but they're not heroes trying to save the day uh necessarily.

SPEAKER_02 12:03

Yeah, uh that would be saying, like, we're not heroes, we're sorcerers.

SPEAKER_00 12:07

Yeah. Yeah. So I kind of like this new generation of we have two factions where they're not really heroes. It's not really, it's not really black and white where heroes and villains. It's more like you have these two factions where, okay, one side thinks their uh sense of justice is right, and then you have the other side where they're being painted as the villain, but in actuality, they're not. In fact, the boys, another great example where, okay, yeah, the seven is supposed to be poised as heroes, but we know they're not the heroes, and the actual heroes are being painted as the villains. So it's not as black and white as it was back in the day, and I kind of like that.

SPEAKER_01 13:00

But uh, Playboy, you got anything to add on before we get to these other characters?

SPEAKER_02 13:05

Um, I had something about I was trying to thought it might come back to me once it's up to it.

SPEAKER_00 13:11

I'm sorry, dog.

SPEAKER_02 13:12

Like Koke got to now with uh yeah, yeah, I walked up to you know, grab another rapper, wrote in another one.

Mudano The Hard Mentor Type

SPEAKER_00 13:21

Oh, I gotcha. Go ahead. Oh, by the way, before I forget, happy 420 to anybody that's listening to this. Yeah, just thought about it. Yeah. Uh Nigel Mudano, uh, the teacher of Shiki's class, a tattern, uh, strict man, a highly skilled fighter, respected as by uh both Oni and Momotaro, often traveled around and roller skates instead of walking, and he got this umbrella um blood clips release. Crazy enough, I'm like thinking, okay, to be fair, I'm not really trying to uh pick on him, I'm not trying to discount them, I'm not trying to like uh be too negative, but like sometimes, you know, the resemblances and like, you know, like archetypes and whatnot. I couldn't help but think this dude kind of gave me like the fusion of Kakashi and um Eraserhead from My Hero Academia, where it's like he's kind of tough on his um students, but at the same time, you know he cares. But uh at the same time, there's like there's uh something about him where it's like you know he's like one of the best of the best. Almost kind of like um giving Levi vibes from um Attack on Titan, where you know he looks out for his people, but uh he can be kind of rough around the edges and whatnot. You know, he's not one of those uh warm teachers. He's more uh, hey man, get your shit together.

SPEAKER_02 14:51

Yeah, they suck at expressing their emotion. They just straightforward. They don't they don't know how to love people.

SPEAKER_00 15:00

But I get it because you know he lost his people in this line of work. So, and you know, with the tattoos and shit, so he's just trying to make sure that those sleeves don't get completed. Almost, oh man, you know what? It's given Shifu from Kung Fu Panda, where ever since Tai Lung, he's like, oh man, you know, I can't get too attached to y'all like that. Like, uh, because you know, I got too attached to some of my partners that got killed in this war. So I'm like, hey, look, I'm gonna get y'all right, but I ain't your friend, okay?

SPEAKER_02 15:35

Yeah, no, especially like in in in lines of work like theirs that gets like that. Like, we seen that with Freeman, man. That's what that's what Fremen's whole personality is around her party. She's like, you know, they live longer than human beings. So what's the point of getting, you know, attached to somebody who ain't gonna be here that long? But then she realized, you know, that's the beauty of it. Like, it's better to have memories than not to have, you know, witness to that. So the whole black we haven't, you know what I'm saying? That's that's that's like part of that message. Like, you still think about those people, like you still care. So to an extent, it does mean something to you. You just don't know it yet. That's like, and it goes back to the saying, you don't know what you got until it's gone. You know what I mean?

unknown 16:18

Oof.

Blood Eclipse Powers And Classmates

SPEAKER_02 16:20

Do I feel uh yeah, that's a message. A lot of messages being these animes, and they and the tropes best definitely transform into other ones. So it's easy to see in other animes when you see the pattern a lot. But there'll be nothing wrong with them because they just remember to put in their own ways, like different MCs having a different trauma, uh, different friend group, different relationship with their rivals, uh, you know, teacher relationship, the bonds, the fights, the losses. The jokes be the same, yeah, but the results and the process do be unique in their own ways. I'm not a big blood person, so the show was kind of icky to get used to, because I'm used to a show having one character use a blood ability. Not the whole cast on it, period, but it's kind of getting some use to.

SPEAKER_00 17:16

Oh man, so I'll tell you that you never saw Dead Man Wonderland back in the day.

SPEAKER_02 17:20

Yeah, no.

SPEAKER_00 17:22

Uh no, see, that was it for me. Like, back in the day, like, so when I watched this shit, I was like, okay, so it kind of giving Dead Man Wonderland, except it doesn't take place in a prison. But uh, speaking of troops, let's talk about Jin Kogasaki, uh student of Shiki's class and his roommate. His father is a Momutaro who previously attempted to kill Gene after he discovered his son was a honey, leaving Jean, with scars and stitches all over his body. His father's also killed his mother and his sister for the same reason. And as a result, Gene seeks little else but to eventually get powerful enough to kill his father, often brushing off Sheiki and the others. His blood um clips release manifest as buzz saws that pop out from his wounds. Now, am I tripping? Or is he kind of giving Sasuke clone vibes a little bit? No, he got that Avenger type shit.

SPEAKER_02 18:28

Like the only thing is he he's like, granted the situation opportunity he has, he does come out on that bullshit sooner than Sasuke did, like he didn't come out like they both was on some like alone shit and just wanting to get stronger and not caring about their teammates. But like he was really like not giving a fuck about nobody else around him.

SPEAKER_00 18:57

Right.

SPEAKER_02 19:00

See, I got those characters though, because it gave them a lot of room for development. Because if we didn't have those characters, there wouldn't really be no it adds it as dynamic to the group, you know what I'm saying? Like you have the hot head, the shy girl, the timid one, some split personalities, you know what I'm saying? A long mouth, the OP one was actually quiet, but all type of stuff going on.

SPEAKER_00 19:24

Yeah. Oh uh speaking of quiet, uh homore, um give me a moment, um, bear me with me's name. Uh homore uh Bobugara, Biobugara, that's how you pronounce it. Uh, a student of Shiki's class and the love interest for Shiki in her past, she was heavily abused by her parents, leaving her constantly apologetic and self-depreciating. Her blood eclipsed release manifest as the blood titan and gargantuan ghoul-like representation of her sister, who used to protect her from her uh their parents before being killed by their father. Now, I was gonna say Sakura slash Hinata clone because you know, pink hair, and also she's like kind of the side type, kind of sort of, and she's not really in love with Shiki, but at the very least, she's like, okay, well, I kind of feel comfortable around him. And uh personality-wise, she's like neither Sakura nor Hinata, but it's almost like she's set up to be kind of like that. But uh her personality and her background is what really sets her off to where, like uh she just like uh calling us uh uh trash and whatnot. And I'm like, oh no, hombre, don't do that. Don't don't talk about yourself like that. I I she be fucking killing me when she be talking down to herself like that. Like, no, no, you're doing fine. Like, you're not useless. Stop that. Come on.

SPEAKER_02 20:58

Yeah, she be killing me with that shit, man. Like I say, it's always one of those characters that just be so timid and shy, like it's always that one.

SPEAKER_00 21:09

Right. Now, Ikare Yaroshi, a student of Shiki's class, having a volatile temper, his blood clips release, manifests as any object that comes to mind whenever he's in a bad mood. And I don't got much to say about him. Moving on. Uh, Juji Yusurube, uh, another uh classmate, uh generally appears collected and intelligent. He's actually a massive pervert who frequently tries to lose his virginity to no avail. His uh release manifests as a sonar, which I activate by seeping into cracks and traveling relatively foreign distances. Okay, cool. Moving on. Uh Rokuro Kiriyama. Okay, here's a guy like uh student in Shiki's class, extremely adverse to all uncomfortable situations, a result of him losing his only girlfriend. To an illness, his release manifests as paper fans and a dancing outfit, having been a dancer in the only builds he grew up with. Now, him, he's also one of those, he's like the real shy type. But uh, whenever he had to like lock in, he kind of given off like Zenisu in a way to where it's like almost like he had to like uh either fall asleep subconsciously, but he he was awake. But I'm just saying, like, it's almost like he had to either snap into a different personality or go unconscious to really like lock in in a fight. So I kind of like him when he fights, but uh uh outside of that, it's just kind of funny how like shy he is, especially um when it comes down to the next character we're gonna talk about. But uh Boy Boy, you got anything you add on to Rock Row?

SPEAKER_02 22:54

Uh shoot. Like I already seeing him, I already knew what this picture, like you say, just like Zenny Sue. Is this one of those things where you know you got this character where they throw you off? Like they want you to think they weakened, then they just come out entirely. Because you gotta think, they're not here for no reason, bro. Like, it's a motherfucker here. Like, you're not gonna throw, you're not gonna trick me. You know something, you know what I'm saying? And I've seen too many animes where that required one. That's even in real life, you know, it's it's always the one you least expect to pull some shit out of their ass. You know what I'm saying? But when he started dancing around with the fan and cutting the motherfucker up, that was that was nice. I like that. And but what's crazy is after that moment, he his his character kind of set in stone because he was much more quiet until that part of the show. Like, once that came out, that's who he really was. He became that character a lot more. Like, that was his episode. So I do like that they put that on detail in there and stuff with it. Right. Gotta dismiss this split personality thing.

Kunia And The Awkward Comedy

SPEAKER_00 24:05

Now, this next character. Good lord. Kunia Sazanami. She's the brass and tough girl who got this motherly fetish that causes her to uncontrollably dote on people she sees as weak and is attracted to. She's soon forces uh Rokuro into a relationship under this pretense, much to his dismay. Her release is uh kickboxing gloves. Now, let me tell you something. When I when we got the background story and all that, I'm sitting there like, how old is this bitch? Because they're they're supposed to be students, right? And I'm assuming they're like 15, 16, and come to find out they're like, yeah, around that range, like 15, 16, 17 or so. Now keep in mind, by Japanese standards, if they're 16, they're good to go. But I don't like how they set her up to make it sound like uh she's been dating a whole bunch of dudes to a point to where I'm like, okay, and you know the routine that she spat out to where, like, okay, uh with my man, it'd be like, I made sure that he's fed, brush his teeth, make sure he has plenty of sex all throughout the day. And I'm sitting there like, how long you been doing this? Have you been doing this when you were underage? I'm like, I don't know, this is becoming all kind of problematic to me. But then again, Japan ain't America, so I I can't really judge too hard. And I'm not really, I'm not really, just whoa, whoa, hold on. Like the implications, like, you know. She was like one of the breakout characters where it's like, if nothing else, if you don't remember nothing else about this anime, uh, it'll probably mainly her. She was like the main reason why I'm like, all right, let me go ahead and check out this anime. Because apparently this chick uh tripping talking about um we're gonna have sex like at least three, four times a day. And I'm sitting there like, I mean, I'm kind of down for that, but I'm like, whoa, hold on. Like every day though, I'm like, oh, okay, let me see if I have the stamina for that. But like, you know, you know, it's like, wait, you know how it is, like, as a man, you like you kind of wanna uh be like, okay, it's one thing if it was my idea, but like if he's kind of beating you to the punch, I'm like, I don't know, dog, like stamina at him and no shit like that.

SPEAKER_02 26:45

Like, they're built for that, first of all. So, like, that's what I'm saying. Like, yeah, they can't be the one that try to do no shit like that all day. They're built for that shit all day. We're not.

SPEAKER_00 26:56

Yeah, I gotta lay my head down because I work 12 hours a day, like what? Like, you gotta give me like at least a few days apart. You know, it gotta be like a part-time job where hey, look here, I can put in overtime if you let me have this day and that day off. You know what I mean? Like, hey, yo, chill. Like, I'm like, I I kinda wanna fuck with you, but uh uh it's one of those things to where it's like it kind of loses that specialness to it, to where it's like you would think that okay, we're trying to uh get on it like every day. I'm like, but yeah, it's like at least once every day. I'm like, okay, that's fine, that's reasonable. Like, bitch, you talking about wake up having sex, um, before we even go to work, we're having sex. Uh as soon as we get home, we're having sex, and then before we go to bed, we're having sex. And I'm like, it sounds good at first until maybe a couple weeks in. I'm like, hey, yo, it's I'm sorry, am I tripping? Or it kind of feels like I'm full. I'm like, I'm good. Like, you know, it it ain't getting you. You you're still fine and all that, like you still find shit, but we gotta chill out, like, you know, and let's just watch Netflix and actually watch Netflix, you know what I'm saying? Yeah, yeah. That's it. Like, I don't even be wanting that much. Yeah, I'm like, it's cool and all, but whoa, whoa, whoa.

SPEAKER_02 28:32

It's a stuff to do up in the world with my life.

SPEAKER_00 28:36

Yeah, and you know how those guys uh end up, right? It's where I'm like, hey, yo, listen, like it was good for like a little while, but uh I gotta go because uh you you drain me, baby. You drain us.

SPEAKER_02 28:53

That's crazy, man. They get you by looking good. That's how they get you.

SPEAKER_00 29:01

And see, that's what I think, that's what my thing. At first, before I watched this anime, I thought they were like young adults with the way they uh built. Um flashing back to uh homory, like see, the crazy thing is, and I know I'm kind of spoiling ahead, but it's crazy how, and I'm not even complaining. Don't don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining, but I just think it's crazy how all these women have these proportions to a point where even Homer, technically, her chest is like the most normal of them all, but it's still pretty big. So I'm saying, like, compare, she's like standard compared to all the other women we're gonna be talking about, where all of them I'm like, God damn, like a fucking D-bag, like everybody else is like triples or quadruples or some shit. Yeah, and I'm saying, like, see, if I had all those women in one room, I swear to god, my head would be spinning. I'm like, I don't I don't even know what I want to do with all that shit. Like, you would think you can handle it all until you actually get it, and I'm saying, like, depending on how you built, maybe you can. But me, I'm like, I'm gonna be honest with you, I'm like, I love it, but at the same time, I'm like, ooh, oh, I need to adjust to all this. Like, I'm used to like have like one or two baddies in the room, but then you have like a full room all, and I'm like, I don't know how to act all. Like you might wait, but you might have to hold me back. I'm gonna act up in this room.

SPEAKER_02 30:35

Oh rotate them out like once a day, everybody could have turned to some shit. Like, you gotta let that shit fucking go into a queue. Yeah, like kind of what got my attention to the show, to be honest. And then uh Yomiki, I slick thought they was the same person for a minute.

Kyoya The Medic And Support Value

SPEAKER_00 30:57

Oh, yeah, like uh maybe like related or something. But I'm gonna get to her in a minute. Yeah. But that was all I had on uh uh Queen of uh Queen of however you pronounce uh let me just go with Sutzunami. I can't pronounce that right. Uh that's all I had to say on her for now. Like she was like the main reason uh pro hot minute. But uh ultimately I did fall in love with the overall what they got going on. But uh let's keep it moving because uh I still got some more characters I want to talk about, like a bunch more. Not a whole lot, but uh I'm almost done. I'm like halfway there. Uh where were we okay? Uh Kyoya uh Oran. Let's just go Kyoya. Okay, uh he's the doctor, the medical Oni, that initially uh the main force behind the medical wing of the Oni's uh Kyoto brands, but later becoming the uh Rosesso Academy's personal doctor. Uh by the way, Rosesso Academy is where the students are gonna be heading at um part of the Oni agency. Uh oh um play boy something, but uh I'm I'm sure he's gonna be back in. Uh his blood clips release grants him the ability to perform miraculous blood transfusions that can even restore lost limbs, although he can only do a certain amount at a time. Uh though often called out for being lecturers, he has a deep care for his patient. Uh boy, how you feeling about the doctor?

SPEAKER_02 32:34

The dog I fuck with him, I ain't gonna lie. I I honestly thought they were gonna offer him. I thought they was gonna offer him a boy.

SPEAKER_00 32:46

Okay, uh, maybe he's kind of losing um signal or whatnot, but it's all good. Uh kind of give him a moment to jump back in. But oh yeah, I kind of like his spirit to where I like the way he was saying about how the Oni has the front line, you know, Siki and the others. But him, his battlefield is make sure that the paces are good. And I really like that speech that he had. But um hold on, let me message playboy, make sure uh he's straight because uh that was kind of awkward, but uh yeah, there was like a whole bunch of characters that um bunch of characters that I want to talk about, and I wanna make sure that he's still on for that. Oh, there you go.

SPEAKER_02 34:01

Oh, Daniel realized I got kicked.

unknown 34:04

I'm not sure.

SPEAKER_00 34:05

No, I didn't I mean I didn't kick you, but like I don't know, it's like keep going in and out.

SPEAKER_02 34:09

Yeah, I don't probably keep my eye on it. But no, I was saying, uh, I'm not sure when it went out, but I was saying, like, I like you know the center thought that he's he kind of put me in the mind of like, you know, like I said, he wasn't he's not my favorite character, but he's one of those characters that like I feel would be overlooked, but very useful. And I was saying, like, like when it comes down to him, like he said he's not a like a fighter, but he won't be on the battlefield, he's more of a support. And I fought with that because considering the the the I can't think of the word for the cat, but like he probably like the most optimistic, like the most epic go-lucky, grand demons fighting for the lot, you know what I'm saying, people coming to kill him for the plus level, but he still got a smile on his face, a genuine smile on his face. You know what I'm saying? He doesn't like the life of the party. Like he kind of like if if if shit is going wrong and you know what I'm saying, you're having a bad day, you just got your fucking arm and leg blown up. I feel like you go see him, he'll you know what I'm saying, make things better in more than one ways. You know what I'm saying? He's a good guy to fuck with him. I was kind of sad, like I was saying, hope during this fight, I was hoping that he literally didn't die, you know what I'm saying? Because he was a good car, then I was done off him kind of early on.

Mary Aki And Age Line Debate

SPEAKER_00 35:28

Right. I'm glad that he's still sticking around. And speaking of doctor, here's another doctor that uh I'm gonna have some words say about. Uh, Mary Aki, a doctor and researcher affiliated with the Oni Corporation. Mary is a fair-skinned woman with above-average height, with a curry figure and a prominent bust. She's got this friendly and easy-going uh personality who's not afraid to speak her mind, which often make her come off as blunt and straightforward, such as when she casually drags Shiki into her apartment and called him cutie. Now, she's also been known to have little to no shame in regards to her body, nor does she have much of an issue discussing matters like sex with others. Although, given how she didn't seem to understand Shiki's reaction upon asking the young Oni whether he'd like to have sex with her following the latter's blood extraction, it's possible that Mary could genuinely be unaware of how strange and or unorthodox her behavior is to those around her. So she arguably has one of the bigger sensitive on this show. And it's crazy how like she was uh really like, oh um, you know, a scene where it's like, okay, uh, she could like talking to her and whatnot, but at some point it's like, all right, let's just go ahead and get this out of the way and just go ahead and show her um the nipples and whatnot. I'm like, whoa, what on? I'm like, because you know, they're like so noticeable. I'm like, hey, yo, listen, like, uh I wasn't, that's not what I'm here for, but like I kind of appreciate it. And it's like, hey, you want to do it while you're here? And I'm like, uh uh, because you know, it's like so fast, it's like it's like one of those things where I'm like, nothing wrong with the chick, but it's like sometimes, like, I don't know, like ever since way back in the day when I was a kid, it was like when it seemed like she's wheeling a little like too fast, almost like, damn, bitch, I just met you and you're already like ready, like you're down already. Like, I don't know, is this like a setup or something? Like, whoa.

SPEAKER_02 37:50

Yeah, no, she's too ready. I mean, that that would do bitch, but that would have threw me off too. Like, imagine you don't even know this person, like you don't know them, like you've never seen them before. So, like the first impression already crazy, like that. So it's like she just it's it's even crazy because this where the fucking fan service comes in with people talking about, like, it's already crazy. He's a teenager, and I'm pretty sure she's an adult as it is, and then like they are noticeable. Like, I'm pretty sure she's used to this. This can't be her first time, so it's like she already knows he's a young boy, he's going into blah blah blah shit speed. Let's go ahead and show now what fucking me up was him running away and she getting upset that he ranning. Like, if he would have stayed, she probably would have raped his ass. She definitely got it.

SPEAKER_00 38:39

Yeah, like and once again, it kind of makes me question the whole age thing because like if he was 16, then I'm like, okay, well, here in America, that probably went squad with us, but over there in Japan, I'm like, okay, well, well, whatever. You know, it is what it is, but yeah, like that's still crazy though. Like, woman, this boy is barely, like, if he's underage, then shame on you. But if he's like 16 or so, I'm like, he's barely legal. I'm like, you're technically um with it's technically fine, but like broke, you see, that's why I'm like, it's kind of fucking me up where I'm like, this is why I need more anime with young adults, where like uh this one anime that I would watch it, like it was like uh rom com uh golden time, where at least with them having like romance and whatnot, all of them are college students. They are clearly like 18 or above. So I'm like, okay, I can live with that. So if they get it on, I ain't got no problem with that because they're clearly of age. Like, even by American standards, I'm like, hey, I got nothing against that. It is what it is. Fair game. But um, this, I'm like, hey, yo, I guess some teenage boys might like that shit, but that's just the thing. It's like having a crutch on your teacher, you're trying to smash the teacher. And it's like, to the teenage boy, that might sound like a fantasy that um wanna make a reality, but to the teacher, like, that's lawsuits of termination and a ruined reputation. Maybe jail time. So I'm like, it might sound good on one end, but on the other end, it's not a good one. That's just me overanalyzing. But uh wait boy, you got anything you want to add on to that?

SPEAKER_02 40:58

Uh not particularly.

SPEAKER_00 41:04

All right, the Momotoro agency. Um hold on, give me one moment. I'll be right back. Alright, my bad now. Uh Robozai, yes. The Momotoro, let's go ahead and talk about the main antagonist of the series. Based on the Japanese folk heroes of the same name, which each their surname starting with Momo. Similar to the only ability to manipulate blood, Momotoro are able to wield their own black bacterium for this purpose. They eliminate dangers only and protect the civilians from the shadows, believing that they represent justice and have no sympathy for the weak. Uh, we have Samidare Momoya, who's voiced by my man Patrick Sykes, uh, the leading Momotaro officer with an intense hatred for Oni, driven by MV for his colleague, uh Suyoshi, you know, Shiki's dad, uh, murdered him after hunting him down and left the Momotaro agency. So, see, right there, now Shiki has a reason to go up against the Momotaro, me, primarily the leader. Because if it was like just anybody in the Momotoro, it's like, okay, let me kill this guy. And alright, um, your war got nothing to do with me because I killed the guy that uh killed my dad, but he wasn't like the top dog. I just was going after that guy. But since it is the top dog, I'm like, all right, bro, you really gotta lock in on this war now. Because if you want revenge, now you're gonna have to get involved. Like, you gotta get really involved. It's not just um one-on-one beat, but you gotta get really involved. Yeah, this ain't what you gotta sit down and talk about. Yeah, I ain't give you no choice, Lowe. Now we got uh Suba Kiri, the captain of Kyoto's uh Momotara brand, sadistic man, lost his capacity for empathy after a berserk only child, murdered his mentor and the lattice family, and came to work primarily in a scientific uh scientific capacity, dissecting only corpses. His ability allows him to manipulate corpses, including homunculi and whatnot, uh, that he transferred his bacteria into. And after leading the assault on the uh Kyoto branch, he mortally wounded. Well, he is mortally wounded by Shiki's awakened inky abilities before being finished off by uh Mudano. Now, that was the um, you know, the guy with the well hold on, I think almost most of the captains do have that overcoat that like the you know the fluff, the fur and whatnot. So never mind that's but he was that blonde dude that I don't like. Uh the first one, the the in the beginning, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 44:00

Yeah, he was a good fucking douche.

SPEAKER_00 44:02

Yeah. But I did like his partner, Yomogi. Now that's the girl that we were talking about, where uh vice captain of the Kyoto uh Motor Agency, her ability allows her to create near impenetrable walls and with her uh bacteria. She's no nonsense and arguably one of the bigger sets of boobs in this series next to Miriaki.

SPEAKER_02 44:29

Yeah, I like how fuck wise. She's not crazy or wild. Like, you know what I'm saying? She's kind of cool. She has the right questions. It was just kind of fucked up how buddy had her kill the little demon boy.

SPEAKER_00 44:41

I don't know what it like. It's like I said before on the podcast. It's like, what can I say? I love bitches that stand on business. I'm like, you know what? I respect it.

SPEAKER_02 44:51

She don't push. Them the ones you definitely gotta be scared of. You gotta respect.

Moral Gray War And Final Verdict

SPEAKER_00 44:56

Yeah, I ain't gonna argue with this bitch. Yeah. See, that's the main thing. It's like you're thinking, like, oh man, this bitch is gonna be a drag. But sometimes it be those bitches that keep you straight. Because you know how they say it's like behind a great man is uh a strong woman or something like that. Uh oh, the boy that we were talking about earlier, uh Mikado, uh he's the kindly uh Momotaro and Momoira uh partner. We're gonna talk about it in a bit. He's regarded as a prodigy. Now, he and Shiki, unaware of each other's identities, became fast friends after meeting each other in Tokyo. Uh, Momoira uh used this to reveal that Shiki's true identity and manipulate him into thinking that Shiki murdered innocent humans uh on some invincible uh sukina touching, you know, you know, like just kind of frame him for murdering innocent uh humans. And after their part ways, Mikado expresses uh sympathy for the Oni, which caused him to get transferred, and his abilities were similar to Sheiki's, he can create guns. Now uh his captain, his uh partner, the captain uh Momoira, he he had disabilities where he can peer into the business of up to 36 people for 24 hours and also capable of making a target see his vision uh as long as his bacteria is present in him. And due to his non-combative nature of his power, he's often deemed as unable to advance highly, causing him to become obsessed with status and being uh he started using underhanded tactics, including breaking Momotoro policy by pulling up uh lives of humans in danger to advance in the ranks. And you know, he did all that manipulating between Mikado and uh CT. That's it. That's it as far as characters. Uh now, this anime somehow reminds me of Naruto, Blue Exorcist, Dead Man Wonderland between the character archetypes, the school setting, and the range of blood manipulation powers. And I'm all for it. Because without big the titties are on just with all these female characters, you would think it would be a young adult show. But no, some of them are young enough to be in high school. Not complaining, but it's just an observation. But overall, I think it's a solid show, comprehensive plot, likable characters, great artwork, and the character design, and there's good music too. My only thing is the little bit of 3D animation that makes the characters look kind of blocky in some frames and scenes. But that's about it as far as criticism. What I love most about the series is that it's not as simple as the protagonist versus the antagonist. It's about two forces fighting each other until both sides agree to a ceasefire and squash the beef for good. Because ultimately, it's not about wiping one or the other out. It's more like, okay, we gotta keep fighting until we both come to agreement. Like, oh, you know what? Y'all nice with it. Uh, y'all know we nice with it. Can we like just come to an agreement where I'm like, hey, like, you know what I mean? So oh yeah, for sure. Yeah. I like how like it's not as like we said earlier, it's not as simple as one side versus the other. It's more like they just keep beefing with each other until they come to an agreement of some sort. So that's really what it's about. It's not like, oh, the main mission is to kill the main leader of this uh opposing force. It's more like convince them to leave us the fuck alone. That's pretty much it.

SPEAKER_02 49:08

They really make you pick a side like like there's no villains here. So like who are you really siding with?

SPEAKER_00 49:13

Yeah, that's why I'm like, ooh, that's why I really love that guy's second season. And um, you know what the weird thing is? Last year, a video game adaptation has been announced, but it's for mobile devices and PC. So if you're a PC player, good on you. Other than that, I kind of hoping that there's gonna be something for console, but hey man, like Gotcha Cuda already got something for like damn near all the platforms. I'm like, Togananki, you gotta get some love going on to where, like, you know, on the consoles, you know. But uh I am glad though that season two has been confirmed for later this year. So we get to see more of it real soon. But uh, yeah, that's that's pretty much all I guys say on Togan Anki. If I were to give it a rating right now, it's standing out of nine right now. Nine out of ten. Pretty good, pretty incredible. I like I like what I'm seeing here. I just need more. I need more before I give it a five-star treatment. That's all I'm saying. Because right now, it's like a good introductory season, but like at this point, I really need y'all to like really get into the plot, like really dig in, give us some more action and whatnot, and I might give it a five-star treatment. But uh, what about you, Playboy? How you feeling about rating and whatnot?

SPEAKER_02 50:44

Well, about the same about the eight to a nine, maybe. Like, no, like I said, uh, the animation was good for me, the the story, not too bad. Like the the two opposing sides, no, they did they both have their own perspectives. Uh the the villains were kind of, you know, we were kind of going through the villains a little quick. There's like no, they were kind of both like boss battles, like these guys, you know what I'm saying? Like within the one season, there was, and I had no problem with it because it brought us more powerful fights. But it's it only kind of like gave us a little bit too much early on, like you know, and then and usually there's nothing wrong about it, but what basically what I'm saying is I honestly just have a high expectation for season two now since they delivered all these twice, all these characters, you know, say all these powers, the the dynamics, and they killed off so many. Well, I ain't gonna say so many, but in comparison to the cast, main cast, they killed off like three, like three Momotoro, you know what I'm saying? That was here for a couple of episodes and that played major parts in these episodes and all that. So you know, so we just gotta keep our eyes open for who might be next. But uh, I'm definitely looking forward to season two to see, you know. I hope they don't take the doctor out yet, hope we make another season.

SPEAKER_00 52:05

Uh I'm pretty sure we might like that's kind of making me mad to where I might think, like, damn, I'm kind of thinking the doctor gotta go at some point. I don't want him to go, but I might think it like plot-wise, it would make sense. And I'm like, damn, your your ability's kind of useful. You gotta go, bro.

SPEAKER_02 52:27

Think about it, but he's the most happiest one, like, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 52:32

It's like, oh, it's not a war until the happiest player is taken out.

SPEAKER_02 52:36

Yeah, like come on, man. Like, he's literally the most happiest shell one there. Like, you know what I mean. And they already tried to get him out of there. As soon as he got on the damn show, but we did a conversation.

SPEAKER_00 52:49

I can't remember who did this. Oh, damn. Like, you know what? That reminds me of a review that I'm gonna do. Uh is that? No, not that's not that um. It's it's gonna be in May. Uh are you familiar with Guilty Crown? Because I know our boy John will uh like kind of reference guilty crown, like maybe in the uh his his uh username sometimes. Like, are you familiar with Guilty Crown? Yeah, I've heard of it before. Okay, uh, check this out. Um basically, I'm just gonna tell you this much. You could say that the plot took place in the war, but with the main character and all that. Let's just say that there was this one girl that kind of like a uh Hinata type character where the girl liked him but didn't really confess his feelings. Maybe up until like the last minute. But that's the problem. Uh she finally stood up with it. It was something like that. I might remember better when I actually do the review, but the whole point being is that this one girl that the main character kind of ignored up until the last minute, she ends up dying, and ever since then, it's like kind of shipped his personality to where I'm like, damn, the only girl that liked me died. So I'm like, he he kind of becomes darker and more of an asshole by then. But like, yeah, like it's crazy how it took that one person who, and by the way, she was like one of the most uh optimistic characters out of everybody in the whole series. Like, she was the only one who had like hope. So as soon as they took her out, it was like, oh, shit got serious now. Because ever since then, he was like locking in, like he he wasn't taking shit for anybody. It was more like he was trying to be like a kind king, but after she died, it's more like he became more like a tyrant.

SPEAKER_02 54:53

It'd be like that because shit. I'd be the same way. Hell saucer bros. When saucer bros died, hell they the whole community, you know, still haven't gotten over that shit.

SPEAKER_00 55:05

I mean, look at ghetto from um Juju Sukai and all that shit happened ever since uh his girl got popped. I told you.

SPEAKER_02 55:13

Oh yeah, no, I told you fucking toji destroyed the whole plot of that shit.

SPEAKER_00 55:18

Yeah. So I'm like, sometimes that's all it takes. Like, that one bitch that you uh had uh a soft spot for, as soon as she dies, uh well, my heart went along with her. Um same thing with uh fucking Maki when uh Mae died in season three, where it's like, oh well, that's it. As soon as she died, like I ain't got no candy for y'all anymore.

SPEAKER_01 55:47

But yep, that is it for our review on Toge Anki. I am feeling confident about that nine out of ten.

SPEAKER_00 55:53

I am serious about one in season two coming out later this year, and I kind of hoping that Togethan Anki do give uh console port eventually. Like, it's okay if it's like PC at first, but like, come on, eventually can we like get something for the Xbox player and uh PlayStation players, you know? But uh, you know, kind of compete with Gachakuda because at this point, uh Togan Anti, Gachakuda, maybe Kagura Bachi, and maybe one more that I'm kind of forgetting about where I'm like right now. Y'all kind of leading as far as the new generation. So big shoes to feel, you know.

SPEAKER_01 56:40

But uh, Wlayboy, you sure you got any final things you want to add on?

SPEAKER_02 56:47

Nah, I am interested in the game now that you brought it up because I was out watching the show. I want us to know as a gamer, I'd just be looking at things like, oh, this could make a good game just by seeing the different characters in their different skills. I'd be like, all right, yeah, that'd probably be their move, you know, and it's a special skill. And it wasn't in the time. So I was watching, you know, different characters do different shit. I was definitely seeing the potential for games and some sort. So yeah, I'm looking forward to that. But usually it'll probably take a minute. It depends on if the game does good on PC well enough, you know, they'll bring the console. So I guess it does good when it comes out. Right another console.

SPEAKER_00 57:30

And that's kind of how I'm feeling about Mecha Break too, to where uh it was on PC and Xbox, and I'm hearing that as soon as they come out with a physical copy of the game, uh Break Edition, which is supposed to be coming out in July, that's when it comes out for PlayStation 2. So I'm like, can't wait for that. But at the same time, I'm like thinking, hold on, did they have to pay for that game for PC and Xbox? Did they have to pay? Because if they did, okay, that makes sense. If they didn't, then why are PlayStation players paying for the physical? I don't know. I don't know, like, but uh, I I feel that to where like it gotta do well enough on PC to warrant a console port. But uh honestly, I kind of wish it was like developed by Cyber Connect too, you know, same people who did uh Naruto Storm. Like, I can kind of see it too. Like it'll have that same kind of style in a way, to where uh you have supers, ultra, uh, ultra attacks and all that shit. I can kind of see it. But okay. That's it. That's enough be happening. Go ahead and have yourself a good morning, good afternoon, good evening, good night. But ultimately, stay nerdy and remember that great things are coming. Ultimately, take it easy, and uh we'll go ahead and get zone up out of here. I don't know why I keep fucking up these outros, like I haven't done these a thousand times. Like, well, not only a thousand, but like halfway there, like what you get like 500 of these shows. But uh, I keep fucking it up. I don't know why, but like take it easy, y'all.