Intoduction

Tokyo Underground (not to be confused with Underground Tokyo) is a new anime series by Studio Pierrot, based on the manga series of the same name by Akinobu Uraku. Unsurprisingly, the main plot idea is that of a seperate, secret world beneath Tokyo, ruled by a monolithic entity called Company (just Company) and populated by people who have elemental powers (water, fire, electricity etc.). Two girls Ruri Sarasa, the Shrine Maiden of Life, and Chelsea Rourke, her bodyguard escape from Company and reach the surface, where they emerge in the garden of Rumina Asagi. Rumina, an aggressive but secretly romantic boy, and his geeky friend Ginosuke decide to protect the girls from the enemies who persue the girls from the underground.

Spoilers

Unfortunately Rumina's first attempt to protect Ruri goes disasterously wrong: After Chelsea, a gravity user, is defeated by fire user Seki, Rumina challenges him, and is immediately impaled upon Seki's wrist blades, killing him. Ruri reveals the extent of her life power by resurrecting Rumina, at the same time unlocking Rumina's latent wind power, a power that is unique to him. Soon after Ruri is kidnapped and returned to the underground, where Company plans to use her life power to wake a dragon, which they will use to attack the surface. Unsurprisingly Rumina, Chelsea and Ginosuke enter the underground to rescue her.

Review

Tokyo underground is a moderately good anime based around a very interesting concept (although it would have been much better if it had been the Underground Tokyo anime). The animation is OK (although quite simple at times), with some nice CGI effects for some of the elemental powers. Characterisation is good, and the plot seems to move along at a good rate, without getting to slow or repetitive. I'd reccomend Tokyo Underground if you're looking for a good shounen anime in an unusual setting.

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