Review of Tactics: Series 1 Part 2

Introduction

If you`ve been following Manga Entertainment`s fortunes with me over 2007, I`m sure you`re tired of my ranting by now. At the start of the year, the orders to cut costs came down from up high, and that has meant dubtitles (subtitles that correspond to the English dub, as opposed to subtitles translated from the Japanese track) ever since. For series like Naruto and Otogi Zoshi, it`s been especially infuriating, as they changed direction halfway through. But everything else released in 2007 has had dubtitles of varying quality. That is except Tactics, which debut bucked the trend this spring with a translated subtitle track for the first half of the series. Inconsistency, thy name is Manga, for the second half of the series is released with dubtitles. At this point I am reduced to hysterical laughter.

The supernatural is a fertile source of material for anime. Ghosts and goblins abound in the countless series and films that have been made over the years, the animated medium allows for the imagination of the storyteller to run riot. From long running shows like Yu Yu Hakusho, more versatile storytelling in Vampire Princess Miyu, comic shows like Ghost Sweeper Mikami, to darker, edgier stuff like Le Portrait De Petite Cossette, Requiem From The Darkness, and of course Urotsukidoji, there is a wealth of such anime to choose from. It helps that Japanese folklore is replete with spirits and demons, with countless manifestations of the same. There will always be a ghost story to tell. This year Manga Entertainment are taking two bites at the spooky cherry, with the edgier Tokko, and this lighter in tone series, Tactics. This is also one of those titles that get a wallet friendly release from Manga, with the series split into two half-season boxsets. Part 2 concludes the series with 12 episodes.

Tactics is set during the turn of the century (19th to 20th) in Japan. Kantaro Ichinomiya works as a writer by day, but his real vocation is confronting evil spirits and unworldly beings that terrorise the innocent. From an early age he has been able to see and converse with the various supernatural beings that co-exist with regular folk. A young girl named Yoko, who just happens to be a fox spirit, runs his household, and early on in his adventures he releases, and is served thereafter by a goblin named Haruka. He also helps the Edogawa family and their youngest daughter Suzu takes a shine to Haruka, then also accompanies them. The forest god Sugino, and his goblin wife Muuchan also help them from time to time, and also playing a part in the adventures is Kantaro`s editor Reiko.

Disc 1

14. The Woman Who Loved Books
Kantaro is hitting a deadline and his editor Reiko is getting insistent for the manuscript. She has work pressures of her own to contend with, an annoying boss and groping authors, and the only escape is in the archive room which houses some classic and forgotten works. But the old stories have a life of their own, and Reiko is soon trapped in the pages of a book, literally.

15. With The Summer`s End Cicada Comes The Rain
Suzu invites the others to a summer vacation in a mountain villa. The reflections in a mountain stream have an odd effect on her. When she was younger she used to come here with her family, and befriended the wife of the landlord. When she learns that Chikage died, she is grief-stricken, but then sees her in the gardens with a little child.

16. Alas! The Lament Of The Newlyweds
Sugino`s getting jealous as Muuchan is spending more time with Kantaro than with him. Kantaro is having trouble dealing with a vengeful spirit, and it gets worse when Sugino decides to prove how inferior Kantaro is by rescuing the wraith. The ghost sees a kindred spirit, and soon Sugino has bitten off more than he can chew.

17. British Beauty
Kantaro`s archrival Hasumi has returned from a trip to Britain, with a newly adopted daughter in tow. Still determined to prove science superior to the supernatural, he doesn`t realise that Rosalie shares Kantaro`s talent to see the spirit world. When Rosalie gets caught up in spooky occurrences at a local church, Kantaro investigates. There is a familiar face behind all of this.

Disc 2

18. The Mystery Society
The Paranormal Research Society has been set up by Hasumi to disprove the belief in the supernatural and provide a rational explanation for all the strange occurrences in Tokyo. Kantaro sees this as a chance to prove to his rival that spirits do actually exist. Hasumi is seriously outnumbered though, when even his assistant Ayame is thrilled with meeting a genuine `ghostbuster` in the form of Kantaro.

19. Maple-Coloured Love
Money is tight as usual for the Kantaro household, and when Yoko bumps into a cute guy when playing in the autumn leaves, it fortuitously leads to a part time job. White snakes are plaguing the owner of Fushimiya textiles, but odder things are happening under his roof, things that will mean heartbreak for Yoko.

20. Daughter`s Ballad, Oni`s Racket
Animal spirits are possessing random people, which means plenty of work for Kantaro. Even his rival Hasumi has taken on the more obvious aspects of a cat. Rosalie saw the start of the distressing affair, which leads Kantaro to a theatrical performance. But it is a play meant for an exclusive audience, and Haruka walks into a trap.

21. Gateway To Memory
Kantaro`s babysitting Rosalie, as she is being possessed by a succession of spirits. Haruka is still coming to terms with what is happening to him, the master plan to reawaken his full demon-eating nature is in full swing, and his actions are becoming more and more brutal. Then Suzu takes him on a day out.

Disc 3

22. Blue Eyes
The tension between Kantaro and Haruka is stretched to breaking point. Haruka`s memories are returning, and when they go to investigate a haunted house, Haruka`s true nature finally reasserts itself with deadly consequences.

23. Snow Scene Of Glass
Haruka has run off, having a hard time reconciling who he is now, with who he once used to be. Kantaro isn`t taking this at all well, and winds up recklessly chasing after him. He leads Yoko and himself into a trap, and the mastermind behind all this has no qualms in blackmailing Kantaro with Yoko`s imminent destruction, just to break the bond between him and Haruka.

24. Hearts In The Distance
If at first you don`t succeed… Lord Raiko makes things personal in his pursuit of Haruka, when he spirits Kantaro into another dimension. Haruka finally shows up, but he is no longer the friendly goblin of Kantaro`s acquaintance.

25. Strengths That Cannot Be Seen
Haruka has left, and this time for good. As time passes, Kantaro`s depression deepens, and events around his household become more melancholy. Then it transpires that the Edogawa`s need another exorcism, only this particular spirit will cut Kantaro and his friends to the quick.

Video

Tactics gets a typical anime transfer from Manga Entertainment. The 1.78:1 anamorphic image is clear and sharp throughout, and the only thing to really pick up on is a smidgen of aliasing. The character designs are well thought out and attractive, and the world has a bright, pastel feel to it that serves the stories well. It isn`t the biggest budget anime around though, and the limitations soon become apparent with some static scenes, and the constant reuse of Kantaro`s exorcism animation (although it is much rarer in this second half of the season).

Audio

It makes a change to see a Manga release without DTS, but it makes little difference as the available surround tracks, DD 5.1 English and Japanese give robust performance that suits the animation well. As usual my preference was for the Japanese track, but what I sampled of the English dub seemed well performed and natural. Tactics is really propelled by a couple of splendid theme tunes, and the incidental music suits the tone of the show. You will also find DD 2.0 Stereo English and Japanese tracks if you so require.

While I hate dubtitles on general principle, we strike it lucky with the dubtitles on these discs. They really are quite good. To this uneducated eye and ear, there are no obvious mistranslations, but a Japanese speaker would be a much more reliable authority. The timing is good, syncing well with the Japanese dialogue, there aren`t major instances of stray captions (until the final episode), or any un-translated dialogue, and watching the show this way was as pleasant an experience as the first half. There were odd annoyances though; especially some terrible Olde Englishe dialogue-e in the first episode on the discs, and of course on screen text goes by un-translated.

Features

Not a lot to see here. We get a play all option. There is a photo gallery, which amounts to a 2-minute slideshow of stills; there are two original music videos, and the ubiquitous Manga trailers.

Conclusion

Tactics finished off in just the same vein as it started. It`s a run of the mill, supernatural anime with clichéd characters, hackneyed storylines, and absolutely nothing new to offer. It makes up for this, barely, by sheer dint of energy and liveliness. It may be strictly average, but it is fun, which is an attribute that can make up for a multitude of sins.

The previous volume offered some hope of long-term interest, with the introduction of a set of villains with a distinct interest in Haruka. Raiko Minamoto and his coterie wanted to split off Haruka from his human partner to enact some centuries old revenge. Their actions in the various episodes in this volume all work to further that goal, leading to the series climax in episode 24. The trouble is, that they aren`t developed enough. Their motives remain obscured and their machinations without impact. They are stock villains of the sort that would have suited a show 20 years older. They just don`t cut it with today`s more demanding audiences, and for the most part; the main arc in this half falls flat.

The show may be imbalanced, but the weight given to developing the main characters, clichéd though they may be, makes up for the lack of decent villainy. Haruka and Kantaro`s relationship is at the heart of this, but the supporting cast get a good deal of development too, particularly Suzu and Yoko. Also introduced in this half of the series is a nice foil for Kantaro in the British expatriate Rosalie. She has been adopted by his sceptic rival Hasumi, but is just like Kantaro in that she can see and interact with the supernatural world. She also has a dry sense of humour that contrasts well with the zany outbursts of the other characters.

The stand-alone episodes work better than the main arc. The individual ghost stories stand and fall on their own merit. Whereas if you aren`t all that interested in the main story, then that`s half the episodes shot. There`s nothing all that special about the majority of the stories here, they work and they are entertaining, but there isn`t really a hook to them. That`s with the exception of episode 15, and the final episode. With The Summer`s End Cicada Comes The Rain, starts off with a rather simple vacation premise, and I was expecting another haunted house leading to inoffensive hi-jinks, but this episode veers off into very dark territory indeed. The tragedy of an early death, the desire for a child, guilt and sorrow all lead to one of the creepiest animations I have seen for quite a while, especially for Tactics` target audience.

Then along comes the final episode, and all the safe routine stories of the show`s run are forgotten as this one simply tears up the rule book, offering a story wholly unexpected, shocking and moving. I`ll avoid spoilers, but given how harmless and even dull the earlier stories were, I wasn`t expecting the emotional lump in the throat, the verge of welling up that I experienced here. If only Tactics had been more like the episodes that I have pointed out, I would have been reviewing a markedly different show, and the grades would have been significantly higher.

At this point in my Manga Entertainment reviews of late, I have been advising aficionados of the Japanese experience to import. With Tactics that would hit wallets harder than most, as opposed to the two volumes that we get, the US release has been over five volumes. Fortunately, the dubtitles with this particular release, while a step down from a more desirable translated subtitle track, aren`t the travesty I`ve seen on other Manga discs. Quite the opposite really, as I think that those wishing to enjoy the original language version will find little difference between these dubtitles and translated subs. Fans of the English dub needn`t worry of course. Tactics is an anime that just about peeks over mediocre. It`s fun, but it won`t radically rewrite the genre, break any boundaries, or provoke any thought. It is easy to watch though. The end credits hint at a potential second season, but I wouldn`t be holding my breath.