(L) Tokko

[physics223]

Well, there's another romance brewing with Rokujou and Shindou, although it seemingly is one-sided (for now). I like this series, despite it having not really good animation.

[aixchel]

Originally Posted by physics223

Well, there's another romance brewing with Rokujou and Shindou, although it seemingly is one-sided (for now). I like this series, despite it having not really good animation.

I think the key word here is 'low budget' and not necessarily bad animation. Xenosaga had a huge budget and look at that animation :/ Seriously, there's only so much you can do when you have no money to spend on animators.

I too wish they would hurry up and get him involved or not in Tokko. It seems like they are dragging it out so the decision will be made at the end of the series (setting the stage for the next season)?

[SinsI]

I too wish they would hurry up and get him involved or not in Tokko. It seems like they are dragging it out so the decision will be made at the end of the series (setting the stage for the next season)?

What are you talking about? It's quite obvious from the preview of ep. 9 that

Spoiler:

he joins Tokko. Just look at his clothes! They match those of Sakura and Kureha.

[Eurys]

Originally Posted by TEKO425

I really hope the Phantom Hunter siblings return in the anime. After reading the Phantom Hunter manga, I find Araragi Itsuto (boy with swords growing from his back at end of ep 5) way more cool and interesting than Shindou Ranmaru.

Just wanted to say that I completely agree with you. Both siblings have a very interesting personnality and the way they deal with their "preys" shows their determination and add to the gloom atmosphere of the manga/anime. Tis a pity their story is on hiatus (permanent?) .

[Guido]

TOKKO is getting more interesting with each episode a revelation disclosed.

It seems there's a heated friction between Ryoko and the high echelions of Tokki regarding Ranmaru. The old geezers are pretty much opposed to Ryoko's initiatives, though her reasoning makes sense since there are at war with the Phantoms.

Spoiler:

And an added twist with a conspiracy plotting to make murder attempts on Ranmaru's life. Is it orchestrated by the top executives at Tokki or maybe the old-man mysteriously showing up along with the Phantoms?

This episode dealt about Ryoko's past. Unlike the hunters, she's an ordinary human but her cunning, expertise, self-reliance made her a high position in Tokki's ranks to pull out resources, media cover-up, and influences to sponsor Unit 02, Tokko.

Spoiler:

Apparently, five years ago her partner (could likely had been her husband) was killed by one of the Phantom bosses; I think was the twelfth.

The trauma gave her scar in her mind (not only the one above her ample bossom) and vow from that day to hunt each of the Phantoms.

Ranmaru exhibits unnatural abilities that the rest of the Hunters seem not to fully exude.

Spoiler:

His body underwent spams to alert of Phantom pressence and, in effect, Ryoko was ambushed at her home by the critters, but Ranmaru made in time to save her.

Then felt the pressence of the boss. He chopped it off and collect one more piece of the box. Was that Phantom the 13th or the 14th?

I lmao with another of Kureha's moments to Ranmaru. TOKKO's hideout doesn't seem to be of any special location or with added services; has what it takes for members.

And there's a clean, gratuitious fanservice shot of Ryoko showering.

[Guido]

Just a little startled that nobody commented on last week's episode.

Spoiler:

Sakura and Ranmaru had a tender moment together at top of the metropolitan building before Kureha untimely interrupted them.

For those who thought Yukino died in episode five she didn't. She delivered to Ranmaru the book her father was studying upon; the alchemical book possessing the engraved knowledge about the door and the keys to open the gate.

She also gives him a photo of one of the box pieces. Ranmaru afterwards becomes a bookworm to search for the police files of Machida from five years ago.

Deputy Muramasa comes in and requests to go with him, as he has a trail that might help Ranmaru.

Muramasa's trail leads Ranmaru to a mansion inhabited by an old man (unaware to him at that moment that the old guy is one of the alchemist and presumably the Phantom leader).
The old man might have clues that Ranmaru is looking for Machida. But he quickly makes the connection between the oldie and the phone calls he received in previous episodes.

Oldie taunts that the door is planning to open soon and letting the Phantoms in to devour upon the foolish humans and take over to stop their nonsense fighting.
Ranmaru, of course, is pissed off and being a blockhead tries to smack oldie, but oldie quickly makes work on him and infuses a shadow inside Ranmaru's mind.

Ranmaru is brought to the hunter's hideout with a message for them from oldie, the cross-like talisman that the geezer is seen wearing has been placed on Ranmaru; Kureha retorts that it is must be a warning message to them.

Ranmaru suddenly starts to confront the hunters to kill them but is quickly phased out by Ibuki, who shot an incendiary bullet to his chest. Sakura plans to enter Ranmaru's psyche to fix him but is warned that would get pretty nasty and likely be absorbed.

Nonetheless, Sakura is resolved, as she hugs the unconscious Ranmaru around her and proceeds to stab Ranmaru along with herself with her sword.

Inside Ranmaru's soul the boy hears voices, and they materialize as his parents persuading him to come with them. Sakura tries to stop Ranmaru from doing so, but she's slashed by the sinister shadow that has assimilated Ranmaru's form.

At the outside world, Sakura feels the damage and is in danger of passing away. Both are confronted by Phantoms on the darkest regions of Ranmaru's mind. It is only when Ranmaru sees Sakura's critically wounded and fallen body that he snaps out of the trance and beats shit out of all the Phantoms along with the copycat.

Out from nowhere, both Ranmaru's and Sakura's Phantoms materialize. Back to reality, Ranmaru wakes up and sees he's holding hands with Sakura who is still unconscious but has averted death.

Ranmaru's Phantom finally appeared, though it didn't do anything except for watching.

[Psychodragon]

I've watched ep 10 myself. It's quite interesting how the anime is straying away from the manga.

3 episodes left. I'd like to see what they do with this story.

-PD

[SinsI]

Actually it becomes more and more interesting, now that we are not spoiled by manga anymore.

[orion]

But it doesn't look like humanity is going to be saved in 3 ep. Do you think that there will be a second season?

[ccardoso]

I guess we'll have a classic open ended final...

[SinsI]

Saved - no, but destroyed - easily...

[orion]

If they destroyed Tokyo in 3 ep. , wouldn't it still be rushig it a bit plotwise? They would really have to take a beating in the next 3 ep.

Spoiler:

If there are 12 symbiotes (5 Tokko including Kureha's dead brother, Sakura's brother, Saya, 2 Phantom hunters), then that leaves 3 unaccounted for, including Inuki's sis. I would hope for some closure here.
Also, the counter group is just getting introduced. (That man had a point that Shindou needs to face his inner demons.) And we still don't know what really happened at Machida.

[Shay]

Damn! I purposely try to stay away from this thread in fear of spoilers but now I find out its only thirteen eps. That sucks. I was expecting a nice long detailed series. There is no way they can wrap this up in three more eps. Either it's gonna start sucking bad, or there will be a second series. Here's hoping for the latter...

[Guido]

Progress was consistent throughout this episode, and the pace fared well though can't imagine how the staff will manage to close the story at only thirteen episodes.

There are only two episodes left, and still the plot leaves the scattered plotholes untreated.

Spoiler:

1. The baldy, old man who placed the curse in Ranmaru is identified as Taoshi. He's not a human being and wants to fullfill his desire of crossing over the realms of the undead with that of humans; seems he's pulling out his evil plan, BTW.

2. Turns out that Muramasa, inspector Kunikida's deputy, is a spy and setup Ranmaru's arrangement with Taoshi. At the police station, Ibuki unexpectedly confronts him and wage a small struggle, but Ibuki quickly succeeds on subduing him; Muramasa is a regular, average human after all.

3. Sakura and Ranmaru revisit the ruins at Machida. She tells the origins of her contract with her Phantom. The Machida killings of five years ago a prepubescent Sakura found her parents brutally murdered, and her brother, Hiroki, critically wounded. A Phantom appeared upon her and pushed her out from the balcony, falling straight below to the ominous hole that connects to the nether realm.
In there the Phantom that would take a possession of Sakura came to her and bestowed the girl with its supernatural powers, giving her the trademark tattoo.

4. Sakura and Ranmaru spend a brief moment hugging at each other but is quickly called off by Hiroki's appearance. Ranmaru can no longer feel anything human inside Hiroki, nonetheless, Sakura approaches him and uses the childhood memories of both to see through him.
However, Hiroki is both unfazed and untouched by those feelings. He gives a long speech to the hunter's couple that he's truly awakened into his true self, that of a Phantom.
Ranmaru barks that Phantoms kill humans, but Hiroki counters that it is both a minor sacrifice and not completely the case. Humans are getting reborned as higher, evolved beings; Hiroki proclaims that he and Sakura are the same; Sakura's devastated the sibling she once knew is no longer recognizes her.

5. Ranmaru has enough of the boy's bull****, and so Hiroki; madly staring at each other with rabid eyes, they charge at each other as hell hounds. The ruins are quickly overrun by Phantoms.
On another desperate attempt, Hiroki puts on an act to manipulate Sakura's childhood memories and persuade her to come closer, succeeding on his little scam. Just as Hiroki delivers the fatal blow, Inukai surprising everyone steps in to receive the blow.
Sakura snaps out, and he tells her he's going to handle Hiroki. Both Sakura and Ranmaru get their hands free to deal with the Phantoms while Inukai and Hiroki duke it out.
They clash swords and both go for the killing blow on a furious strike, ending cut at the same time. Sakura becomes traumatized witnessing the deaths of both while Ranmaru remains silent lamenting her grief.
Kureha and Ibuki arrive too late; what remains of both are two pieces of the magic box.

[SinsI]

Just one episode left...
What's with the sudden change of approach to nudity? Why did they start doing "hair cover"&"doll body"?

[Guido]

To make a long story short, bald-man Taoshi has been focusing its interests on waking up Ranmaru's true form.

Spoiler:

1. The Phantoms change their attack tactics by stealthily preying on the Hunters one by one and alone. Of course, the hunters' instincts saved them all in the nick of time to counter-attack.

2. Ranmaru falls into a trap, alone and outnumbered but is quickly saved by the siblings from episode five. Both revealed their names to be Agito and Miyu.

3. On Ibuki's suggestion, Ranmaru moves her sister, Saya, onto a safer place which is Ibuki's apartment building; looks like there some officials taking an interest on Saya.

4. At Saya's new apartment, TOKKO has its meeting with Ranmaru reporting on the siblings. Both Saya and Sakura exchange upset looks which makes Saya leave the scene undignified.

5. Poor inspector Kunikida is left to handle the paperwork but has epiphany what could help of with the recent wave of murder case; what needs is to check Muramasa's registry log.

6. The TOKKO hunters raid Taoshi's mansion, forcing their way through the welcome committe. Recklessly, Ranmaru falls into Taoshi's lair, and baldy proves Ranmaru to be too much of a piece for the lad.
Mimicking Emperor Palpatine, Taoshi provokes Ranmaru to release his inner Phantom. Ranmaru does so, as he breathes out purple mist from his mouth, but stops as soon as listening to Sakura's voice.

7. Taoshi plays with all the hunters with minimum ease and discloses that he's the birth of a new existence that surpasses both human and phantom. He's looking forward to a next meeting with Ranmaru, since he has a present ready for the boy.

8. After the mansion raid, Muramasa along with several government officials have inspector Ibuki arrested and stripped off her rank. Meanwhile, Ranmaru returns to the apartment finding out to be in utter mess with Saya gone.

[youknowme]

Is there supposed to be a second season or will it end just like that?

[radzor]

Hmm I just read one thing that might or might not make any difference what so ever. Ill type it anyway, the manga chapters are called:
#1. Devil's Awaken I
#2. Devil's Awaken II
#3. Phantom Hunter

And to the thing that catched my eye(maybe lots of you already is thinking the same or have found out its not possible) is that the anime sometimes is refered to as "Tokko: Devil's Awaken". So maybe they are planning to make it a 3 parter as the manga but as an adaption. As I have understood the anime isnt exactly as the manga, but maybe they will do it in the same way.

[jzmagic]

damn, how are they gonna cram everything into the last episode

[orion]

I think that it's going to end on a cliffhanger with another season being announced. You can't have resolution of everything in 1 episode.

Spoiler:

So, it took 12 alchemist sacrifices to open the portal. Does that mean it takes 12 alchemist sacrifices to close it? So where are the other alchemists? How come no one is looking for these guys and only fixating on Taishi?

There are still 3 Machida survivors unaccounted for. We had so far Sakura and her brother, Kureha and her brother, Shindu and his sister, Inuki, and Phantom hunter sibs. That leaves Inuki's sis and 2 others, prob another brother-sis combo.
Sheesh! We need another half season to sort this out and get us to mass destruction.

How come no one's searching for the last combo?