As children, some people invent imaginary friends to fill a void of loneliness. But for Kantarou Ichinomiya, the unseen companions of his childhood are not a product of imagination; they are monsters that only he can see. While the term "monster" might inspire visions of something sinister hiding under the bed or in a closet, in the world of Tactics, these creatures are generally benign. Unfortunately, Ichinomiya's interaction with these being results in his ostracism by other children, and the monsters become his only friends.

Sickly, and branded by a scar on his chest, the young Ichinomiya dreams of becoming more powerful so that he can protect the things he loves. Sensing his longing, his spectral friends recount the tale of a demon-eating goblin, who despite being the strongest monster in the world, has been imprisoned in stone. Hearing this, Ichinomiya resolves to find the demon-eating goblin, bind him by giving him a name, and thus become stronger himself.

As the narrative shifts to Ichinomiya's life as an early adult, the audience finds him tenuously employed as a folklorist and moonlighting as an exorcist. But rather than kill monsters that have become an invisible nuisance to his employers, Ichinomiya uses the opportunity to help both sides reach an understanding to solve the conflicts.

During one of his cases, Ichinomiya finally manages to locate and free the demon-eating goblin, whom he names Haruka. Stripped of his memories and much of his power, Haruka joins Ichinomiya, the fox demon Youko and his young admirer Suzu, as the four work together on supernatural assignments.

Of course not all monsters are easily dealt with, and some have become demons corrupted by their experience. It was these creatures Haruka famously consumed before his imprisonment, but Ichinomiya forbids the practice, preferring to free them from their malevolence instead.

As Haruka's memories begin to resurface, the bond between him and Ichinomiya falters, and a clash rages between the killer he once was and the gentler soul he has become. Making things worse, a monster hunter seeking to prove his skill by resurrecting the goblin of legend, does all he can to speed Haruka's transformation to the dark side.

At its core, Tactics is an examination of the relationship between master and servant. The series emphasizes that while authority can be abused, showing subordinates kindness often results in greater rewards for both parties. The concept of using empathy to understand the source of adversity, rather than just forcefully overcoming it, is also pervasive throughout.

Tactics is not a series recommended to viewers making tough choices on what to buy with a limited budget. While it has no glaring faults, it also lacks the compelling storytelling and memorable characters that make better shows shine.