Relationships between humans are wonderful things. Its gives us a chance to be humble, caring, and develop. Being in a relationship with someone, whether it be a romantic relationship, a friendship, or a sibling or family relationship, is something I believe every human holds dear. I mean, whose more important to you in the end? You or your dearest friends, sibling, spouse, or family member? If someone you held dear to your heart had a single wish or dream, would you risk everything for it? Even if you didn’t want them to do what they wished because you knew it would hurt you too much, would you still help them fulfill that wish?
Welcome to MAkagane’s anime review of Nabari no Ou, or in English, King of Nabari.
Our story surrounds a young apathetic and mischievous boy name Rokujou Miharu, who wants nothing more to live the rest of his days in the sleepy town of Banten. However, life never goes the way we want it, and Miharu is soon dragged into matters of the Nabari world by his teacher Kumohira Tobari and classmate Aizawa Kouichi. They explain that Miharu has a powerful hijutsu called the Shinrabanshou inside of him, a power to control or do anything, and a ninja clan known as the Kairoshuu (or Grey Wolves) is willing to do anything to get their hands on the power that Miharu has inside of him.
Miharu unwillingly gets dragged into matters of Nabari world, until he meets Yoite. Yoite, who is part of the Kairoshuu, comes to Miharu (more like takes Miharu as his prisoner), telling him that his wish needs to be fulfilled or those who stand by Miharu will be killed. Miharu agrees, even though it means that his friends will hate him.
Now, what is Yoite’s wish? It is to have never existed, each and every memory of him to fade from existence. Such a task cant be too hard for apathetic Miharu, correct? Well… (heh…you all wish…)
The characters of Nabari are all quite interesting. We have apathetic Miharu, who believes that he doesnt deserve kindness. He’s also very mischievous, leading to most of the comedy in Nabari no Ou. Yoite is a kira-user, someone that uses his own life force to kill. He’s silent, willing to kill and take risks, and he is also very apathetic, wanting only nothing but his wish to come true. He’s also weak and dying, has constant nightmares of his past, and believes that he deserves no kindness. These two develop quite a bit throughout the series, but more on that later. Our other characters include Tobari, a man who suffers from his past (and his fear of vehicles), and wishes only for Miharu to not use the Shirabanshou. Kouichi is a kind, wise, soft spoken character, who is willing to help Miharu. He is also a strong fighter and can be rather scary to watch at times….. (anyway….more on that later…) Other cast include Shimizu Raimei, a young samurai who will do anything to protect Miharu, even though she doesnt understand what he is planning, Shimizu Raikou, Raimei’s older brother and a samurai, and a man who suffers greatly from secrets of his past. Meguro Gau is Raikou’s best friend, and he wishes to be there for Raikou whenever Raikou needs a hand.
Each of the characters and many more develop a lot and they all learn something very interesting at the end of the series. (I’m going to talk about that more later, because each of the characters need to be talked about individually.)
The animation for this series is rather nice and gives the series a peaceful feeling to it. Action scenes are great to watch and are really well animated. The art for Nabari no Ou is also very unique, with most of the characters being thin and stick-like. (Which is fine, because my art style is like that.) Each of the characters have their own style, and despite this being a show about ninjas…no one actually dresses like a ninja.
The soundtracks are well composed, and even though its not your Sawano Hiroyki or Yuki Kajura, its still very good. None of it is major over-the-top, and most of it is peaceful and calming, consisting of piano, harps, violins, and several other instruments. The opening theme song gives Nabari no Ou a shounen anime feeling, and gets you hyped for what is to come. (Because, you know, this show isnt heart wrenching or anything…) The first ending of Nabari no Ou is very beautiful and I find it to be one of my favorite anime endings. The second song however…(it was good, but it makes the show seem like it was happy, and it wasn’t…) The dub is well done, with some of my favorite voice acting done by Joel McDonald (Yoite) and Brina Palencia (Miharu). The sub is good as well and…(both Miharu and Yoite’s voices are done by girls….XD)
Nabari no Ou is my favorite anime. Why? I have several reasons. (WARNING: SPOILERS)
I said earlier that each of the characters needed to be talked about individually. This is because each of them have something to teach or something special that needs to be discussed about them. So here I go. (In case you didn’t see earlier, SPOILERS AHEAD!!)
1. Kumohira Tobari (or Kumohira Durandal Tobari) Tobari suffers from things in his past, being the only to remember Miharu’s parents death, an event that happened ten years prior to the events of Nabari no Ou. Tobari is very loyal to his students, especially Miharu, and only does what is best for him, despite how Miharu feels. He only wants Miharu to be safe, to become the king of Nabari, but to never use the Shinrabanshou. At the end of the series, Tobari learns that trying to whats best for not only Miharu, but Kouichi and Raimei as well, is not his responsibility. The three are growing up, and have their own will, and even though what they do wont always be something that he agrees with, its their life, and they only want to do whats best for others. He also learns that letting go of the past is whats best for him, and its about time he did so.
Hey look! Tons of pics of Kouichi! XD
2. Aizawa Kouichi Kouichi is a kind, soft-spoken, and rather wise 14 year old boy. (Or is he 14? Hmm….) However, he can be rather frightening to watch. Why? Because he can kill a man, without feeling contradiction and make another man think that he himself killed that man, not Kouichi. He can also be rather merciless as well… Kouichi harbors a secret that burdens him. He is immortal, due to the Shinrabanshou 200 years before Miharu. He wishes he could die, because he does not want to see those he holds dear die. At the end of the series, Kouichi doesnt ask Miharu to use to Shinrabanshou to make him mortal. Why? Because Kouichi learns that he has forever to make a difference, and he doesnt have to watch the would around him die. He feels indebted to the Aizawa clan for taking him in. He also learns that even though he is immortal, people care about what happens to him. All of us as humans do not have all of time to make a difference like Kouichi can, but what if we lived that way? What if we lived like we had forever to not stand by and watch things change, but rather, used our forever that we possess, use our every day to do something, rather than watch the sun rise and the sun set? To live life doing something instead of nothing. Thats living life like you have forever.
And Raimei!! 😀
3. Shimizu Raimei Raimei is tough, strong, and independent. She lives all on her own, or as she says, “without kith or kin”. In the beginning of the series, she is searching for her brother Raikou, saying that she is seeking to avenge her family that he slaughtered. She finds her brother, but unlike she was planning, she is defeated by her brother. She doesnt want to give up, believing her brother as a traitor for killing her family and joining the Kairoushuu. However, Gau tells her that she doesnt know the truth of what happened to her family and tells her all of what he knows. Things between the two Shimizu’s become less tense, but at a price. (A price that I will explain later.) Raimei through the series is willing to protect Miharu, no matter what. Unlike Tobari, she is willing to let Miharu make his own choices, even though she doesnt know what Miharu is planning. By the end of the series, she suffers greatly yet again, but she smiles through the sadness, being not the only one to suffer. Shes not like most of the characters, strong physically. However, when it comes to her emotions, she is very strong. She is willing to do anything to help Miharu, no matter what happens to her.
And Raikou….(fun fact, he dyes his hair pink…XD
4. Shimizu Raikou Raikou didn’t kill the Shimizu clan. However, he doesnt let anyone know that, until Gau asks. Raikou was caught in the middle of a fight between the Shimizu’s and he watched his family fall to ruins. Why did he keep the downfall of his family a secret? Raikou believes that he must suffer the past alone. He also doesnt care how his sister feels about him, just as long as she is safe from the past. Like I said before, Raimei soon finds out the past about the Shimizu clan, due to Gau telling her. In a attempt to silence Raimei, he takes up his katana a swings. Rather than wound Raimei, he wounds Gau. Gau goes into a coma due to his wound and wont wake up. Because of this, Raikou feels that Gau wont awaken because he hates Raikou. Raikou comes off as easy going, but inside, he is suffering, saying that he must suffer, because he absolutely doesnt want to lose Gau. By the end of the series….umm… *goes and cries in a corner* What Raikou learns is that he doesnt have to hold the past alone, and that when there are people that stand with you through anything, you are not a lone and you do not have to suffer alone. Its a great lesson for anyone. No one should ever have to live their life alone, and should at least have on person to trust, to lean on.
Gau!!
Daww…he reminds me of my little brother… :3
5. Meguro Gau Gau is the best friend of Raikou, and he is willing to die to help him. Gau only wants the best for Raikou, even if Raikou doesnt think it as best. When Gau learns of Raikou’s past, he is told to keep it a secret. But being a good friend, he tells Raimei of the truth, hoping that the two Shimizu’s can be the way they should be, siblings. When Gau is in a coma, he explains that he looks for his mother, who were killed by men that Raikou soon after killed. He says that he was unable to find her, and was awakened by Yoite, who used the kira to wake him up. Gau tells Raikou that he wants to stay by his side, being the best friend that he can. What Gau teaches in Nabari no Ou is that doing what is right, even when it hurts, is always the best thing to do. He constantly teaches this to watchers whether it be reuniting the Shimizu siblings, or helping Miharu and Yoite, even if it makes him a Kairoushuu rebel.
Yukimi…is just awesome!
6. Kazuhiko Yukimi I didn’t talk about Yukimi earlier, and if I didn’t in this review, then the review would be incomplete. Yukimi is the guardian of Yoite, but doesnt act like it. You see, Yukimi is a brash, gun-wielding, can’t-beat-’em-join-’em sort of guy, and as long as Yoite doesnt get him into trouble, then everything is all good. He is the exact opposite of Tobari, but at the same time, he isnt. Sure, he can kill if he needs to, but he cant kill children. He says that he hates children, but really, is that true? Through the series, he shows that he cares for Yoite’s well being, and even risks his life for Yoite. He was the person that even gave Yoite his name. By the end of the series, Yukimi believes that he should not see Yoite again, feeling that to two meeting again would bring bad memories of what happened throughout the series. Yukimi is a character that made even more unique than it already is. He is brash and comes off as somewhat lazy, but he has a great relationship with his sister, and is like a father to Yoite. He does care, but he just doesnt want to show it.
Aww…Miharu needs to smile more…
7. Rokujou Miharu As I said before, Miharu is apathetic and mischievous, wanting nothing to do with the Nabari world. However, when Yoite comes to him, things change. Miharu changes. The two start off as acquaintances, but Miharu, a boy who doesnt care about anything…begins to care for Yoite. He wants Yoite to be happy, never existing, but Miharu doesn’t want to forget Yoite. Miharu says many times throughout the series that Yoite is just like himself, same in apathy and loneliness. Yoite has become someone that Miharu wants to protect, someone that he will do anything for, even if Miharu gets hurt. By the end of the series, Miharu’s apathy, caused by the death of his parents, dissapears. Miharu is an interesting character for a shounen anime. He’s not like Naruto or any characters like him. Miharu is apathetic due to his parents’ death as I said before, but he also believes that he doesnt deserve kindness, and that kindness towards him is unnecessary. What Miharu learns is that there will always be people who will care about him, no matter what he does or says, and those people in his, life are true friends.
YOITE!!!
He needs to smile more….he has such a beautiful smile. XD
8.Yoite Yoite is a depressed, dark, cold, powerful, and reckless character. He uses the kira, a power that uses his own life force to kill his enemies. He doesnt believe that he is alive, and in the beginning of the series, says that he is not afraid of death. Midway through the series, he shows that he is afraid of death, despite being so close to death and even being nicknamed a burdensome angel of death. Yoite is my favorite character. Why? Despite all of his strength and independence, Yoite is weak and his feelings are easily hurt. Yoite is a beautiful mess of emotions. He’s like a sorrowful child, rather than a dark angel of death. He believes that there is no way to escape his abusive childhood, and that he can never come down the mountain of corpses he has created. He doesnt want to exist, feeling that he is only a burden to those around him. He has only a limited amount of time for his existence to be erased, and throughout Nabari no Ou he is constantly trying to rush Miharu to erase him. Yoite develops quite a bit through the series, even if he didn’t know it. Miharu becomes a good friend of his, even if he doesn’t know it. By the end of the series, Yoite learns that even though he has caused harm around him, even though many have reasons to hate him, he is not hated, especially by those who surround him. In the end, he doesnt get erased from existence, and he lives the rest of his days with Miharu and the others.
The characters of Nabari no Ou are the greatest part of the series, and their development is the most beautiful part. Though this is a shounen show about ninjas, its more about relationships and how beautiful and important they truly are. In fact, the villain of Nabari no Ou wanted to use the Shinrabanshou to erase human relationships, emotions, and history. Nabari no Ou is about a boy being changed forever, throwing away his past life, and risking it all to help someone who becomes not just a friend, but a brother. Nabari no Ou is about saving and changing a life before it disappears, even if saving and changing that life hurts. Nabari no Ou broke my heart, and made me cry so many times, but it taught me a lot as well. Each of the episodes brought something new for me to learn, whether it be the heart wrenching Christmas episode or not even midway though the series.
As a Christian, I found this series inspiring. We all have relationships that are important to us. We all have a close friend that we would do anything for. We even have a friend that we hope to change and to save. Some of us have friends that have any a matter of time until they leave this life, and we only have a matter of time to do whats right for them. Some of them may not know Christ, and only have a short time left. As Christians, relationships should be something that we hold as important. Its only a matter of time until our time runs out, and we only have this life to make a difference. With all that said, why wait to make our relationships strong? John 15:13 says, “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.” This verse reminds me very much of what Nabari no Ou’s characters learned and taught, and as a Christian, its a verse that I hold onto dearly.
Nabari no Ou is highly recommended, and I hope that you all enjoy it as much as I did.
(Rated PG-14. Manga, 16+. No fanservice, thank you Jesus! Mild language, Yukimi needs soap for his mouth. Blood violence, but the series doesn’t get super gory or dark. This series gets super sad though….. *goes and cries in a corner*)
More relatable anime and manga are Naruto (manga rated 13+, anime…Im not sure), since Nabari no Ou has to do with ninjas. I dont know of any other anime or manga I could recommend that is similar, however, if you like anime that’s sad, but good, I recommend Clannad (Anime, PG)
Nabari no Ou can be found on Hulu and Crunchyroll for legal streaming.
Okay, last pic.
I couldnt help but share this pic…Yoite is smiling!! Yoite is so kawaii when he smiles…XD
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