Am I the only person who is getting tired of collecting based anime? Pokemon seems to have started an immortal trend that continues with Yugioh. Whether its animals, cards, robots, etc. many new children’s series are lighter on the plot and heavy on the merchandising. When I first saw clips of Shaman King I thought the art style was interesting, but concluded it was just another series based on collecting. Great, I thought, now they have a series where people collect spirits instead of animals… opening limitless possibilities. Yet, after watching the series I realized my first impressions could not be farther off. What appears as a simple child’s show on the outside is actually a bit deeper than most others on the inside.
Shaman King is the story of a nerdy school boy named Manta who befriends a new student and shaman named Yoh. For those that don’t know, a shaman is someone that can communicate, see, and even utilize spirits. The viewer is put in the same position as Manta, an outsider in Yoh’s strange and interesting world. The show chronicles Yoh’s quest to win a tournament between shaman to become the next Shaman King, a title that gives unimaginable power and control of the Great Spirit. Along the way, Yoh and Manta make many friends and fight many tough battles.
Once again, the story sounds interesting, but still leaves the show open to be a simple children’s collecting show. I figured as Yoh won fights he would capture other’s spirits making his repertoire of weapons greater all the time. Instead, each character gets one spirit they are compatible with. The spirit must agree to join the shaman in his quest. As the user becomes a better shaman, he/she learns to use their spirit in different ways. For instance, a shaman can choose to become possessed by the spirit, gaining its fighting skills from a past life. Another technique allows the spirit posses a weapon, giving the weapon new qualities while increasing its power.
Although the shows action scene’s are good, they are not great. However, any short comings Shaman King has in this area is made up for by story and humor. While many characters hope to become Shaman King, each has their own reason why. Some desire power, others do it for loved ones, and some even do it for revenge. Whether these characters face each other or becomes friends, their reasons often complicate the story. For instance, one character hopes to revenge the death of his parents, but must choose between this and his friendship to Yoh. Bokken no Ryu competes in the contest wanting to find “the best place.” When he finds out where that is, he simply fights to help his friends. While these complications are simple enough for a children’s show, they often get more complicated and emotional than one would expect.
When not facing such dilemmas, Shaman King provides many laughs. The staple laugh maker is Bokken no Ryu who often provides comic relief. Yet, in many instances the show provides smart spoofs as well. For instance, one contestant in the match creates sprits that look like the characters from Sayuki: Journey West. Other contestants look like WWE’s Hardy Boys, Dudley Boys, and Edge and Christian. Their weapons, ladders, tables, and chairs of course!
Appearances can be deceiving. While still a children’s show on the outside, Shaman King offers unexpected depth, drama and humor. If you do choose to check this series out, don’t be turned off by the first few episodes. The show takes a little while to get going, but once it does it is hard to stop watching. Also, rest assured the series has a satisfying ending that makes Shaman King worth watching till the end.
