The thirteenth episodes of ‘tactics’ ended on an ominous note as the sinister Raiko Minamoto revealed his plan to break the pact between exorcist and folklorist Kantaro and his companion Haruka and awaken Haruka’s true nature as the terrifying demon-eating tengu (or goblin in the US dub). So even though the first episodes of Box 2 return to the ‘ghostly manifestation of the week’ formula, it’s not long before the underlying threat begins to loom large again, stirring up conflict between Kantaro and his friends. The underlying theme of ‘tactics’ is that monsters and humans can never live together in harmony, a belief that Kantaro constantly challenges.

Light relief is provided by the return of Ryokan Hasumi, Kantaro’s rival in the folklore field. He still stubbornly refuses to believe in the existence of monsters, and is only to ready to explain their existence away, even when his hair is being possessed by a ‘kugutsu’ – or an animal spirit has made him meow and wash his whiskers like a cat. His adopted daughter, Rosalie, an English blonde goth-loli (who rarely smiles but conceals a mischievous sense of humour behind her pretty, porcelain doll-like face) is a natural spirit medium whose nascent abilities will play an important role in the conflict to come.

But Raiko Minamoto’s seductive female companion, Lady Ibaragi, is spinning a silken trap to ensnare Haruka. As her subtle enchantments restore fragments of Haruka’s memory, the tengu is driven to commit a terrible act. Half-crazed, he flees into the forest, tormented by the recollection of being sealed in stone – and of the exorcist who originally sealed him away. The last episodes, portraying Kantaro’s distress as he watches Haruka transform back into the ‘terrifying demon-eating goblin of Koshugon’ are the strongest in the whole series, with moments of genuine anguish. In the US dub, Blake Shepard manages to capture Kantaro’s vulnerability as well as the light-hearted façade he shows to the world, so that the scenes where Raiko Minamoto forces him to face up to breaking his pact with Haruka (the excellent Chris Patton) are very affecting.

There are often significant clues to be found to the deeper themes of a series as the credits roll in the final song and animation (‘Mr Déja-Vu’ from ‘Getbackers’ for example, anyone?). In ‘tactics’, the only two characters to appear in the closing sequence are Kantaro and Haruka, surrounded by exquisitely-drawn flowers. And in shojo manga, flowers mean… Yes, in spite of the many beautiful young women who are drawn to Haruka, at the heart of this series lies the complicated relationship between Kantaro and Haruka. Their relationship has become so much more than that of master and servant, and Raiko Minamoto is determined to force Kantaro to break their pact – by any means. “Pray that those you love will make it through this.” Lord Sugino’s ominous comment to Suzu sets the tone for the climax of the series.

Before my review copy of ‘tactics’ 2 arrived, I briefly scanned through a review in another magazine and saw, to my great disappointment, that the second set was summarily dismissed as being nothing more than the same charming yet inconsequential ‘monster of the week’ episodes, with no real development of the storylines established in the first discs. I’m happy to announce that I utterly disagree! I suspect that the reviewer writing so dismissively had not watched to the end of the twenty-five episodes. Because this set is a satisfying and moving conclusion to the series and contains a vital and surprising plot twist that I, for one, had not seen coming. The high quality of the animation, the attractive character designs and the evocative rural landscapes remain as appealing as before. Colour still plays a significant role: the rich colours of the backgrounds and exquisite artwork of the fabrics paint a vivid picture of the Meiji era, a time of transition in Japan. And the central characters (the animators are particularly good at facial expressions) grow and change as they face challenges that threaten to tear apart Kantaro’s little household.

‘tactics’ is hard to categorize and therein lies much of its appeal: combining elements of the supernatural and Japanese folklore with a period when Japan was changing rapidly, embracing outside influences and technology. Frustratingly, the end credits of the final episode show tantalising extracts from future adventures, implying that the clash between Raiko and Kantaro is far from over. I’d love to see a second season of ‘tactics’ but I can find no reference that one is likely to be made. So I’ll conclude with the heartening news that the manga is currently coming out from Tokyopop and will run to at least eight volumes!

In Summary

A surprising, yet satisfying conclusion to this unusual and visually appealing series which is steeped in Japanese folklore. And a real treat for fan girls too!