YMMV / Ushio and Tora

• Accidental Innuendo: The ending sequence wherein Shigure invites Sumako to have some tea only after their son Ushio went to school has been interpreted as an innuendo, specifically, Ready for Lovemaking. You can't blame the man, it's been a long time since he got separated from his wife!
• Adorkable: Tora. The childish and overly excited reactions to objects of the modern world that come out of this big tiger monster are surprisingly cute and funny to watch.
• Aluminum Christmas Trees: Baldanders is actually a Real Life shapeshifting monster from Germany.
• Awesome Music: The 2015 anime brings these songs:
  • The first opening theme, "Mazeru no Kiken", brings forth the feel of manliness and Japanese wailing rock metal of the 90's.
  • The first ending theme, "HERO" by Sonar Pocket, is surprisingly catchy with a thumping techno type beat.
• Complete Monster: Guren, second-in-command to Hakumen no Mono, was already a vicious mercenary and murderer in life before he found the Beast Spear. Enjoying nothing so much as killing others, he used the Beast Spear on human beings until it devoured his humanity, leaving him as the monstrous, black-furred Guren. Guren would spend the centuries hunting down and devouring humans: men, women and children alike. Finally, he devoured the family of a man who would take the name Hyou and the two inflicted wounds and scars on one another, earning a mutual hatred. Hyou would hunt down Guren, following the trail of his atrocities. In their final duel, Guren tried to gain the upper hand by holding a woman and her child hostage, knowing Hyou would remember his own family. Guren planned to kill Hyou when his guard was down, before devouring the humans as a post-victory treat.
• Cry for the Devil: The very last episode/arc created sympathizers for the series' Big Bad, Hakumen no Mono. He's just envious of how the humans and the youkai were born as creatures of light while he had to be created in the darkness. Hakumen's dying wish? To be reincarnated as a being of light, or a human baby, and that others would remember him by a name that he wants to be called. The finale showed that Hakumen isn't a villain, but a misunderstood antagonist backed by well-thought plans.
• Ensemble Dark Horse: During the manga's original run, Izuna became unexpectedly popular and ranked quite high on the popularity polls, which resulted in him appearing more often and joining the titular duo in some adventures.
• Fanfic Fuel: Near the ending, Hakumen no Mono, as he's about to die, wished that he'd reborn as a person, not a monster, and be called with a different name. Hakumen's last words, unfortunately got cut mid-sentence as he disappeared. There was no mention of whatever new name he wanted to have, leaving it open to fan interpretation. One popular theory suggests that "Towako" was actually Hakumen's real name, as it's the most human-like among his avatars, albeit appearing as a woman.
• Fan Nickname: Because of the main duo, this series is sometimes called "Calvin and Hobbes: The Anime".
• Genius Bonus: The legend that Giryou told Ushio before creating the spear, which he narrates a bell-maker sacrificing his daughter to create a magnificent bell? It's based from a folktale titled "The Soul of the Great Bell".
• I Knew It!: The ending wherein Tora dies is already expected by some viewers of the 2015 anime, because the moment when it's revealed that Hakumen is essentially the same as Tora because he came from the latter's human form, Shakagusha, has been interpreted as a foreshadowing. And naturally, just like any Shōnen anime series, the Big Bad would die in the end.
• It's Short, So It Sucks!: The decision to make the 2015 anime a Compressed Adaptation with various parts cut from the original manga didn't sit well with some fans of the source material.
• Narm: In some early panels, Tora's ears are visible. Giant, floppy, rabbit ears.
• Older Than They Think: Viewers of the 2015 adaptation wondered why Ushio and Tora felt like a new refreshing take and so out of place in a time where most Shōnen anime were about overpowered characters and/or isekai. The art style and demon slaying premise also seemed like a love letter to the 1990's-2000's Shōnen era , where stories about Japanese-specific fantasy like Inuyasha were more plentiful and the Monster of the Week trend was much more common in running anime. Thing is, Ushio and Tora dates way back to 1990-1996, so it makes sense why this series does use said "Monster of the Week" trend. Regarding the art style, MAPPA was just staying true to the source material.
• Paranoia Fuel: Episode 24 involves Nodoka and Tayura, a slug and snake pair of youkai. Tayura's Establishing Character Moment is nightmarish enough on its own as we see him suck out the brain of a victim using his long tongue. The episode's tension comes from Mayuko nearly having her brain sucked in two separate attempts by Nodoka, which would've resulted in a quick and nasty death. Worse, Nodoka also has a nasty habit of suddenly sneaking up to his victim, giving them little time to react. She would've died if not for Tayura interrupting Nodoka's first attempt, while Tora arrived in time before Nodoka could have his second.
• Slow-Paced Beginning: Most of the major reveals, plot points, meaningful Character Development, backstories and significant worldbuilding start from the middle story arcs, so for the 2015 anime, it's gonna take a while for things to really get serious. Those who aren't used to the Monster of the Week format of the 90's Shōnen era felt that the early episodes are self-contained "fillers" that slowly build up something. Case in point, it's only until Episode 19 and Episode 20 where Ushio learns the utmost importance of the Beast Spear, its origins, how fearsome Hakumen no Mono can be, the previous war against Hakumen, and the roles of the Oyakume. One conversation from Episode 19 lampshades the first point in the list:
  Ushio: Is this spear really so incredible?
  Tora: You're just figuring this out?!
• This is Your Premise on Drugs: One Anime UK magazine review of the OVAs described it as "Calvin and Hobbes on acid".
• The Woobie: So, SO many characters.
  • You will want to give Tora AKA Shagakusha a hug once you learn his Dark and Troubled Past of a backstory.
  • Same goes for Hyou, poor guy just loved his family so much.
  • Some of the bakemono enemies even, though it doesn't excuse their reaction of massacring all humans they meet.

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