Tougen Anki episode 1 review: The next Blue Exorcist in the making?

Tougen Anki episode 1 premiered on Friday, July 11, 2025, at 11 pm JST. While Studio Hibari has produced several anime, it has only animated a few, possibly making Tougen Anki its biggest project up to date.

Needless to say, the new anime had an exciting premiere, one that left fans urging for more. That said, while one mustn't judge an entire anime based on its premiere, its premise seemed far from unique and based on several tropes that were too similar to those found in other anime, such as Blue Exorcist, and others.

So, let's take a look at Tougen Anki episode 1 to analyze its narrative, production, and cast to see what Studio Hibari did right in the premiere.

Tougen Anki episode 1 review: Does the narrative stick too close to Blue Exorcist?

Shiki Ichinose as seen in Tougen Anki episode 1 (Image via Studio Hibari)

When the Tougen Anki anime was first announced, fans started comparing it to Blue Exorcist. Needless to say, the two anime have several similarities, some of which fans learn about in Tougen Anki episode 1. Both series have a protagonist with demon blood within them. While their origins are different, both Rin Okumura and Shiki Ichinose inherited their powers from an "evil" heritage, but use them for good.

Both series feature a secret war between two factions. While the exorcists in Blue Exorcist fight demons, Tougen Anki features a battle between people who inherited Oni and Momotarou's blood. Lastly, both series feature an academy-based power training, as characters enroll in an academy to hone their powers. Therefore, fans can indeed say that Tougen Anki might be the next Blue Exorcist in the making. The good thing is that the two series follow very different stories.

Shiki and Tsuyoshi as seen in Tougen Anki episode 1 (Image via Studio Hibari)

That said, speaking of just Tougen Anki episode 1, the narrative was too similar to several other anime. The anime effectively shows protagonist Shiki Ichinose unlocking his Oni powers and fighting an enemy, only to be later taken in by Naito Mudano to be enrolled into Rakshasa Academy.

There are several other anime that follow a similar pattern, such as Jujutsu Kaisen, Bungo Stray Dogs, Chainsaw Man, Seraph of the End, and others. All these series show their protagonists either receive or unlock a new power in the first couple of episodes, and later get taken in by a school or organization to hone their powers for the greater good.

Considering the wide array of anime that follow a similar pattern, the same plot device also worked for the Tougen Anki anime. The question is, how will the anime proceed from here?

Production and cast

Samidare Momoya as seen in Tougen Anki episode 1 (Image via Studio Hibari)

As for the production, when it was first announced that Studio Hibari would be animating the series, several fans raised their eyebrows, wondering how the studio would pull off the action scenes. As evident from the anime's premiere, the studio planned to use CGI, and surprisingly, they did a good job at it.

While under normal circumstances, a CG animated anime can often be hit with heavy criticism. However, in the case of Tougen Anki, the use of CG looked good, especially so when Shiki turned into his Oni form. As for other parts of the episode, as expected from the first episode of any anime, the animation was decent.

As for the character designs, fans need not worry as Studio Hibari stuck close to the designs from the manga. While other designs looked decent, Shiki's Oni form looked marvellous.

Lastly, speaking of cast performances, Kazuki Ura, Tsuyoshi Koyoma, and Yasunori Masutani did a wonderful job in voicing Shiki Ichinose, Tsuyoshi Ichinose, and Samidare Momoya. Each cast member voiced their character in such a way that fans could feel their connection as family members and acquaintances. As for Hiroshi Kamiya as Naito Mudano, he only appeared at the end of the episode.

Final thoughts on Tougen Anki episode 1

Naito Mudano as seen in Tougen Anki episode 1 (Image via Studio Hibari)

Tougen Anki episode 1 was an exciting installment, one that used proven shonen tropes. While it wasn't unique by any means, the action and use of CG animation were tantalizing. Furthermore, fans often love a school-based setting and the protagonist being introduced to new characters. Hence, Tougen Anki episode 1 certainly had the charm that could have fans returning for more.