Filthy Casual for Life

I was browsing Netflix when this one caught my eye. From the intro, it looked like it had plenty of action, and possibly some gore? We’ll see!

Name: Tougen Anki
Where to watch: Netflix
Genre: Adventure, Dark Fantasy

Episode 1: Oni’s Blood

A man walks with an infant in his arms while his kouhai begs him to “get rid of it”.

Oni (demons) wandered the world devouring everything in sight. One man stood against them. Momotaro.

Present day. Shiki, our main protagonist, just got expelled from school. His foster father barges into the room and quickly doles out a fist to the head.

While lecturing Shiki, it is apparent there is tension between the father/son duo. We learn that his foster father runs a liquor store. While his father is out delivering beer, Shiki wishes that he was picked up by a rich family. As he was deep in thought, a wispy mist-like appendage grabs his leg and drags him down outside to the first floor. Before him stands an ominous figure. Before anything else can happen, Tsuyoshi (the foster father) hits the man with the car and reaches out to Shiki and tells him to get into the car. It is in the car that Tsuyoshi tells Shiki that he is a descendant of the Oni and the mysterious man is a descendant of Momotaro.

The mysterious man catches up with the car and covers it in a black mist. The car is disabled. As Shiki and Tsuyoshi watch the car explode, the black mist takes Shiki hostage into an abandoned warehouse.

It is in this warehouse that we learn that the mysterious man is none other than Tsuyoshi’s kouhai that begged him to get rid of the infant. Tsuyoshi draws a black mist sword and we learn that only descendants of Momotaro can wield mist. Then, just as quick as it started, it ended with Tsuyoshi losing. The death of his father triggered the emergence of the oni within.

An epic battle ensues. We learn that demon manipulate blood. They regenerate. They can summon blood weapons to include guns. Shiki attacks the man with multiple guns, but before he could kill him, he transforms back into a human. The man offers to kill him, but before he can, Tsuyoshi reappears and stabs the man. As people gathered at the aftermath, the man escapes and Tsuyoshi passes away.

As Shiki mourns, a man on roller blades sneaks up behind him and smacks him on the head. Shiki passes out.

THOUGHTS

YAS! Finally. I’ve been waiting for a dark show to appear for seasons now and I think I found it. I am glad they didn’t dwell too much on the rotten teenager aspect. It was apparent he was a jerk, but sometimes, the point goes too far. The message got across with a few scenes.

I want to know how Tsuyoshi came across a hybrid baby and why he felt he needed to turn his back on the Momotaro to protect it. I’m not sure that question will get answered. It is probably not important to the overall story.

The show was definitely bloody, but I wouldn’t call it gore. There was plenty of sliced limbs and blood-dripping demons but nothing too outlandish or gross.

I am definitely going to continue to watch this one.