Nura: Rise of the Yokai Clan Set 1 (DVD)

Before I begin this review I want to say that it is for the Blu-ray set only, and not the DVD release. Not that it makes much a difference, except for the quality... it will also be a review of the product and dub voice actors/features too. Not a review of the actual series for the most part.When this series first released in Japan in the summer of 2010 I knew I wanted to try it out, but decided ahead of time that I'd rather see it dubbed. So finally, 3 years later, it is released here in the U.S. dubbed! It was well worth the wait for me.What you get with this box set is not much to say the least. As far as extras go all you receive is the creditless opening and ending themes, color production art and a trailer for Viz Media's Neon Alley service (still more extras than InuYasha The Final Act got though). The case is the usual Blu-ray disc casing with the cheap recyclable packaging. The only insert that it came with was an advertisement for Neon Alley (all Viz releases contain this now.) - As far as the cover art goes I'm personally not a fan of it. I wanted something with more action and characters on it, but it'll do until the series /hopefully/ gets a full set release, if it does that is. The disc art looks amazing though. It's so simple, but the illustrations of night Rikuo and Tsurara look great with the pink and blue colors behind them. For the quality of the Blu-ray release it is in the regular 1080i quality and looks fantastic. The colors look vibrant and very high quality on my flatscreen.The dub voice actors and voice actresses all fit pretty well I think. I specifically feel that Rikuo (night & human) got a perfect voice actor for him. - I would have liked his yokai side to sound a little bit older and darker/more mysterious though, but it definitely does fit and I can live with it. Other notable voice actors in this dub are Kana and Tsurara's voice actresses. Kana specifically sounds perfect for her character, and unlike most shonen anime series, her voice is not whiny and annoying which is really a plus. All of the other voices work good too though, none I've heard so far are unfitting.Even though this set does not contain many extras or added material it was still worth the $35 dollars that I paid for it. If you're hesitant to spend $30-$40 on a completely new series then you can head over to Viz Media's official YouTube and view a 2 minute clip of the dub for yourself. Hulu (U.S. citizens only) can view both seasons 1 and 2 of this series for free with English subtitles on there. Viz Media's new Neon Alley PS3 subscription service also broadcasts this series first and second season dubbed as well, if you have a PS3 and would be interested in the 1 week trial they've been giving out.Overall- the voices fit, dub is good, nice illustrations on the discs and the quality on the Blu-rays are absolutely amazing.

One of my favorite anime (a growing but selective list); I appreciate the attention and accuracy given the Japanese folklore used to imagine/develop the characters, both good and bad, my mythology craze largely bypassed Japan as I'd had little exposure despite being a longtime fantasy fan. While I admire all good art/animation, especially anime, Nura can be appreciated by fans of all age and shared with most anyone as it avoids 'fan service'. Anyone complaining about this being only half of 'season one' should realize, by now, that Amazon and other companies do not always utilize the same reference to 'season's' that other animation venders or manga might use, but always contain a list of the episodes with the price for each adjacent. It's always wise to look at what you are paying for what you are purchasing and silly to complain when no subterfuge was intended. Quite often they will have different seasons merely be the dubbed or remastered version of original seasons. This should be watched before the other two Nura anime 'seasons' as, despite some overlap, I feel that approach presents a more fluid chronology.

I like anime that is well drawn, has interesting characters and plot lines and is different and unusual. Nura fits the bill. It is not "Great Film" that will appeal to those who think that Citizen Kane is the height of cinema art. Some of the characters are purely and knowingly played for laughs, they are overblown to the point of absurdity but they fit into the story. The plots are fun and easy to watch - typical of Shonen Jump - they revolve around junior high school students coming of age and into responsibility and the battle between good and evil. Nura is fun because the "Good Guys" and the "Bad Guys" are Yokai - Japanese Demons. It adds a dimension to the battle between the factions because they aren't typical humans versus demons that we so often see in American stories. The addition of the "Paranormal Society" obsessed with finding and meeting Yokai, without any regard for possible danger to themselves, is a great touch of comic relief. I would highly recommend Nura: Rise of the Yokai Clan to anyone who likes anime or the Japanese supernatural.

I really like this series. It is one of the better ones I have come across in a few years. It is a little slow to get going, but becomes interesting. I will be purchasing the following sets for sure. It reminds me of the old 70's Japanese Yokai films. It makes me want to delve into the Japanese Mythology of various yokai/oni more. The more common ones like Cappa and Tengu are easy to find out about, But others are obscure and hard to find info about for an English speaker/reader. Whats up with that Yokai who is a wheel with a human head? The Lourousse Dictionary of Mythology touches on the Demon Parade a little bit, but I am afraid now I am obsessed to find out more.

As usual VIZ does it's best to pick your pocket. The only reason I'm buying is that I really like the series, am a collector of anime I like, and it incorporates all the Japanese folklore demons and shows us around a Japanese mansion and garden from back in the day. The plot is engaging and keeps you interested. There is slicing and dicing and blood (a VIZ specialty) but that is also in keeping with the violent past of the Japanese, even though this is anime is set in modern day. I truly enjoyed the whole series and will continue to collect, once I calm down about the prices VIZ charges.

I remember loving the manga when I read it a couple years ago so when I saw this available free for Prime I just had to check it out. Like most anime adaptations they changed the story around a bit. Unfortunately I feel this only detracted from the anime's story. In the manga the personalities and reasoning for each character are much more fleshed out and the story is just more polished overall.Worth a watch if you don't have access to the manga. If you can get to the manga, read that instead.

bought this set 1 because i really enjoyed it when i had it on dvd

This series and the second season are both excellent scifi-fantasy. A normal human boy in middle school has a secret: he is the reluctant heir of the region's dominant demon clan, and at night he sometimes turns into a powerful demon, but with no control over the transformation at first. s the series progresses, he gains some control and trains t become more powerful so he can protect his friends.The English dub is decent, but in both the official dub and subtitles, Viz persists in mistranslating "Third Commander" as "Third Heir." The First and Supreme Commander is the main character's grandfather. His son, Riko's father, was the Second Commander (Or Heir, if you insist in using that word). Riko is the Third Commander - the third generation of the Nura Clan, or the Second Heir if you must use "Heir. " In no way can he possibly be the Third Heir. This is a case of 100% WRONG translation.I found this and other subtitle errors to be very annoying and distracting. I know just enough Japanese to recognize careless translation, and this is what Viz gave us here. Video and audio quality is good, the the voice acting in both languages is good (Japanese is slightly better, I think), but the translations are lacking, and the price from amazon is high. I recommend you buy it elsewhere for half the price., as this is only half of season 1 (1/4 the series to date).

This is something that you should have in your anime library. It is a good beginning to the story of Rikuo Nura and his rise to take over the Nura Clan as the Third. It should not be watched until you have Set 2 because the story of Set 2 starts in this Set, and you should have that set or you will have 2 episodes that have nothing to do with the story in this set. It can be annoying this thing. Otherwise it is a wonderful story and something that everybody should see.

Great

Awesome story!!