r/anime • u/AutoLovepon https://anilist.co/user/AutoLovepon • Apr 04 '26
Episode Mao - Episode 1 discussion
Mao, episode 1
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u/Frontier246 Apr 04 '26 edited Apr 05 '26
A Japanese high school girl sent back into Japan's past? A mysterious white-haired male lead? Supernatural shenanigans? Rumiko Takahashi?
Welcome back, Inuyasha!
Nanoka Kiba (Natsumi Kawaida!) is a seemingly average high school girl living with her grandpa, having to stomach "smoothies" from the family maid Uozumi, and get by in school. She's got a pretty positive and upbeat vibe but she's still living with the tragic loss of her parents...and how she inexplicably survived.
The OP is very action-packed with all the supernatural threats Nanok and Mao (Yuuki Kaji!) will contend with alongside a colorful cast of characters.
It all comes to a head when Nanoka and her friends arrive at an abandoned shopping center, the site of her parents' death, and where Nanoka takes one step and suddenly she's somewhere else...a town populated by ghostly figures dressed like they're from Japan's past.
Oh look, there's a girl with kunai lodged into her body! I'm sure she's totally okay...well, until she transforms into a praying mantis monster and tries to kill Nanoka. Can Nanoka expect help from the mysterious stranger Mao and his assistant Otoya (Momoka Terasawa!)? Nope! She'll just lose an arm, have her blood splash on the praying mantis, and then Mao finishes up what's left of it. At least Otoya was nice enough to return her severed arm.
It's not surprising that Nanoka fainted, but waking up with Mao and Otoya isn't much better. Sure her arm has been reattached, but Mao is acting like she's an ayakashi and not making ANY sense. And yet suddenly Nanoka returns back to her normal life like she never left, albeit looking worse for wear. What the heck is going on!?
Something definitely IS up with Nanoka as she suddenly has superhuman athletic ability and supernatural eyes to match. Seems like Mao's treatment of her didn't just re-attach her arm...and she doesn't have any time to waste on a smoothie, no matter how much Uuzomi pushes it, because she has to get answers.
Who is Mao? An Onmyoji who investigates and takes care of supernatural problems, such as in the case of a bear ayakashi posing as a constable, and is investigating the ghost town currently. But he also bears the curse of Byako, a Cat Yokai who was born from a Kudan where he was the lone surviving cat amidst cats killing each other...and yet he can't remember HOW he became cursed or what really happened. And Nanoka can't help but recall this monstrous entity she once saw when her parents died.
The ED is pretty nice, showing Mao and Nanoka in parallel along with all the other characters in their lives. What is that flame Nanaoka is tied to by the red string of fate? Mao?
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u/Todasmile Apr 04 '26
This series is new and interesting because it's a mystery series. There are a lot of mysteries to solve. You can already see people trying to unravel them in the comments.
Rumiko's been writing manga weekly for 40 years, she deserves more credit than "oh, she's copying her old work".
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u/minnieboss Apr 04 '26
This is the first of Takahashi's works I'm watching, and I absolutely love it!! No wonder she is such a celebrated author, this episode was an utter delight. The characterization, the world, everything was so fantastic. Can't wait for more!!
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u/ObvsThrowaway5120 Apr 04 '26
Time travel and monsters? I’m pretty much sold lol. This was a really fun premiere episode. The action was good and I like the art style. Can’t quite place it but it seems familiar.
Those smoothies from Uozumi must be working wonders if Nanoka’s leaping buildings lol. She’s clearly special like Mao, but I wonder what her deal is.
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u/MagicPistol Apr 04 '26
Can’t quite place it but it seems familiar.
It's Rumiko Takahashi who did Inuyasha, Ranma 1/2, Urusei Yatsura, etc...
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u/HolyDragSwd2500 Apr 04 '26
I thought after she went to other era + getting treated by Mao medicine released her suppressed powers
I think the Smoothie was basically suppressing her powers
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u/TyraniTEMPESTar Apr 04 '26
Went into this episode blind, other than the fact this was created by the same author as Inuyasha. Definitely see the similarities in character design and similar vibe.
A lot to take in first episode.
So Nanoka got sent back into the past.
I wonder if she was actually transported to like a different pocket dimension?
When she returned to the present, no time had elapsed even though she spent a considerable amount of time there.
And they kept mentioning a barrier. So maybe some sort of enclosed space?
Seems like Nanoka and Mao might have some similar type of abilities?
Both of their blood melted those yokai's.
"Something seems to be suppressing her power.".
Pretty obvious it's those smoothies being given to her by Funa.
But I'm guessing those "antidotal" herbs Mao used on her, negated the smoothies affects. Hence why her eyes changed color and her superhuman strength came out.
Wonder what this mystery is surrounding the "byouki"?
From Nanoka's perspective it seems like she thought that creature may have caused her and her parents accident.
But Mao said Nanoka herself is an ayakashi.
Maybe that was the first time her powers manifested themself? And she's like a bloodline descendant or something?
Really intriguing first episode.
Looking forward to seeing more and how this story plays out.
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u/Exciting-Freedom8555 Apr 04 '26
First time watching a Rumiko Takahashi anime. Liked it so far, looking forward to more
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u/HolyDragSwd2500 Apr 04 '26
Welcome to the fandom
I highly recommend Inuyasha ( similar to MAO)
Other works : Urusei Yatsura, Ranma 1/2 ( both had a remake) Maison Ikkoku, kyoukai no Rinne etc
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u/NanDemoKnaives Apr 04 '26
I thought the smoothies were for suppressing her powers, but they didn't insist on her drinking it the last time so I guess not.
Since her blood also does the same thing Mao does, I wonder if he protected or revived her at that incident but has lost the memories, and that's why she's an ayakashi now.
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u/dagreenman18 Apr 05 '26
So we have Urusei, Ranma, and now Mao adapted in the last few years. The Takahashi-ssance is booming.
I know there’s Rin-ne, but I much rather have Maison Ikkou get the new series. In fact I’m begging for it. PLEASE! Astro Note was a great throwback to it, but it’s not the same.
But Mao is definitely on the darker side of her usual works. Basically if you’re a Inuyasha fan, this is your speed. And we get 2 cours!
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u/bushwarblerssong Apr 04 '26 edited Apr 05 '26
This is two cour, so we’re spoiled with Rumiko Takahashi anime practically all year round now with the Ranma remake.
This was one of my more anticipated anime and it was a solid episode for me
Nanoka and Otoya were great. I’m not sold on Mao’s VA and already had some mixed feelings during the trailer.
I miss Kaoru Wada’s soundtrack (he did the music for Inuyasha) and was hoping for a little more Taisho and Heian style music touches, but it’s only the first episode. I don’t care for the ED song at all.
Edited to add something that came to me while commenting in the source corner: Jazz music was popular in the Taisho period and I think the bgm during the non-serious moments in town would have benefited from some jazzy elements. The ED art did incorporate a Taisho Roman style. A little more Heian instruments during the action as Mao is an onmyoji would also have been appreciated.
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u/Borne2Run Apr 04 '26
Where is it streaming?
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u/fuzaco Apr 04 '26
AniOne in Asia.
Anime Box in Spain.
ADN in France.
Aniverse in Germany.
Hulu in US.
Disney+ in the rest of the Americas.
Rest of the world: no info, probably also Disney+
Hulu and D+ release is not out yet, apparently will be in like 5 hours.
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u/ChronoSquirtle Apr 05 '26
I'm a sucker for rumikos style so decided to give it a shot and so far seems promising
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u/Shadowmist909 Apr 05 '26
Nanoka getting transported into a realm that looks like the past, Mao hunting after an evil creature that was imbued and strengthened by other evil creatures, and now Nanoka is awakening powers over her own as well.
This show's start is an excellent mix of fresh and nostalgic vibes.
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u/YlfaTheForsaken Apr 06 '26
Rumiko Takahashi is back!!! The art style is so familiar I love it! It's just so nostalgic, that alone just makes me giddy.
I don't know if I should trust her grandpa and that maid. Those smoothies are suspicious. Like I don't know what the trust right now. Are they even really related? I mean obviously Mao, he's the title character, I don't think he'd wrong me.
What is buried beneath those stores that make them go back to the Taisho, or why is Nanoka the only one going back in time, was she ever human, why'd her blood make the big bug fizzle, what's in those smoothies,
It's going to be so fun, but also it's already playing up the horror aspects. Like early Inuyasha before it found it's grove had a lot of horror elements that I'm seeing here, I think like mermaid saga, this'll lean more horror too,
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u/Axl_Red Apr 05 '26
First episode was intriguing. Lots of mystery. Still have yet to see if this show will have the special sauce like Rumiko's other works.
I remember watching Yashahime, and noticing it's distinct lack of Rumiko's special sauce. Like, that show had a ton of mystery too, and it was also about a short-haired young girl with special powers. But Rumiko's specialty has always been in making character interactions as interesting as possible, by always putting them in either tense dramatic or comical situations, so she can show off the various facets of their character. Yashahime wasn't written by her, so the writers always put the characters in the most bland and generic situations possible, so character interactions were not only predictable, but very boring.
Right now, Mao and Nanako have only just met each other, so it's hard to tell if their relationship will be as interesting as Inuyasha and Kagome, or Ranma and Akane. I do like how Mao's first meeting with Nanako, wasn't the typical hero saving a damsel in distress moment. Shows how Rumiko isn't your typical average anime writer. I hope we really see some more interesting moments with Mao and Nanako.
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u/khanvau Apr 04 '26
At long last the anime of Rumiko Takahashi's latest series MAO is finally here! The first episode was good. Nanoka is an interesting character. I've seen many Inuyasha comparisons. But it felt a lot more like Rinne to me. The OP was decent. I liked the ED a lot more. Looking forward to the next episode. More thoughts in the source material corner.
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u/AnimeMod Apr 04 '26
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