Nurarihyon no Mago

There are quite a few differences between the manga and the anime. I can't say I hate the differences but the differences did drag the anime quite a bit.

Personally, I prefer the manga more as it brings out the theme of Nurarihyon no Mago, which is 'Fear' ('Osore') much better. Also, the pacing and story telling are so much better.

Anyway, a second season of Nurarihyon no Mago has been confirmed and it will be shown some time this year. ^^ If it's gonna follow the manga (I certainly hope so!), I think the second season will cover a short arc and a long one. I enjoy reading both arcs but I especially love the long arc. I hope they will do a better job animating the second season.

Story: (8/10) – Good
Rikuo Nura appears to be an average middle-school kid. However, no one knows that he comes home everyday to a house full of youkai, nor the fact that at night, Rikuo transforms into the all powerful leader-to-be of these spirits. However, much to the disappointment of everyone, Rikuo is determined to live his life as a normal human.

I like stories on youkai and I think Nurarihyon no Mago did a great job in portraying the different youkai and their legends, and the human/youkai and youkai/youkai relationships.

Characters: (9/10) – Very Good
I love the youkai characters as they are mostly cool and interesting. However, I can't stand some of the human characters, in particular Kana. She's yet another typical 'damsel in distress' character. The only human characters I like are Yura and her onmyouji brothers (they will appear in season 2).

Here are the characters I like:

Night Rikuo - He looks so cool and mysterious!~

Nura Rihyon (past) - Well, Night Rikuo looks similar to his grandfather in his young days. This is very worrying. I wouldn't want to see Rikuo getting old =.=

young... and... old...

Zen/Kubinashi/Kurotabou - I like their character designs and personalities. Too bad, they didn't get much chance to shine in this season.

Yura - She's quite cool when she's performing her onmyouji spells.

Art/Animation: (8/10) – Good
I love the character designs of the youkai! Some are cute, some are cool, while others are ugly. The animation is also pretty good. I especially like the animation of the swaying sakura branches. I also like how the sakura petals appear whenever Night Rikuo appears.

Music: (6/10) – Fair
Frankly, both the opening and ending themes do not leave much impression. But I do think that the first opening theme 'Fast Forward' by Monkey Majik is pretty catchy.

Enjoyment: (9/10) – Very Good
I enjoy watching Night Rikuo and his youkai nakama in action. There will be more Night Rikuo in season 2 and I can't wait!

Overall: (8/10) – Good
I have been a fan of Nurarihyon no Mago since its serialization in JUMP. Though the anime pales in comparison, it's entertaining enough for me to finish it.