MAO Episode 1 Review: A Spirited Premiere With Familiar Bones
The review highlights a persistent tension in shonen adaptations: whether a female lead introduced as an equal partner will remain active or be relegated to a supporting role, a question MAO's first episode raises but does not answer.
Reporting from 1 sources: Anime Feminist.
Anime Feminist reviewed the first episode of MAO, the anime adaptation of Rumiko Takahashi's ongoing shonen manga. The premiere follows Nanoka, a high school girl who, after investigating rumors of ghosts near the site of a car accident that killed her parents years earlier, finds herself transported to the Taisho era. There she meets Mao, a stoic mystic under a curse, who calls her an ayakashi (a malevolent ghost). The episode introduces mysteries about Nanoka's sudden supernatural abilities, her parents' deaths, and a demon cat (Byoki) that may have affected both protagonists. The review notes the series leans into horror imagery with gory fight scenes, but tempers it with Takahashi's character designs and a bright color palette. The reviewer praises Nanoka as a courageous and curious lead, though finds Mao a tougher sell in a single episode. The animation is described as pleasant but rationed, typical of long-running Takahashi adaptations. The reviewer's main concern is whether Nanoka will be sidelined in favor of the titular character as the series progresses.
Anime Feminist's review of MAO's first episode spends most of its length comparing the series to Takahashi's earlier work Inuyasha, noting the shared premise of a girl transported to the past who meets a mysterious man and awakens powers. The reviewer ultimately sets those comparisons aside to focus on the details that distinguish MAO, including its Shinto-inspired premise and the specific mysteries set up in the premiere: Nanoka's changing body, the true story of her parents' death, and Mao's curse, all potentially tied to a demon cat called Byoki.
The review describes the fight scenes as gorier than average shonen, with blood that melts ayakashi, but says the horror is tempered by Takahashi's character designs and a bright palette. The animation is called pleasant but rationed, a pattern the reviewer associates with long-running Takahashi adaptations. The reviewer expresses immediate fondness for Nanoka, calling her realistically freaked out but courageous and curious, while reserving judgment on Mao until more episodes. The review's central concern is whether Nanoka will be sidelined in favor of Mao, a worry based on the opening theme showing her mostly looking scared.
Synthesized by Yomimono from the 1 cited source below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.
Sources
- Anime Feminist MAO – Episode 1