Monster Hunter Stories: Ride On

Monster Hunter Stories: Ride On is a Japanese anime television series based on Capcom's Monster Hunter action RPG series, specifically the spin-off entry Monster Hunter Stories. It premiered in 2016. The story is set in a world where humans and monsters coexist. Hunters are responsible for hunting monsters, while "Riders" bond with and coexist with monsters. Riders use "Kizuna Ishi" (Bonding Stones) to awaken the hidden power within monsters, and the monsters they form a bond with are called "Otomon." The protagonist, Lute, lives in the Rider village of Hakum and dreams of becoming the world's greatest Rider. In search of his own Otomon, Lute and his friends embark on an adventure, where they have a miraculous encounter with a Rathalos. As the story unfolds, a past threat called the Dark Blight remerges, infecting the nearby forest and leading to more aggressive monster attacks. The new generation of riders must find a way to stop the blighted monsters without having to destroy them outright. The anime tells the story of how Riders work with their monsters through the bonds they share to confront the looming threat.