-INTRODUCTION-
My love for ancient Japan and Japanese mythology got me into yet another great anime. Onmyouji is even in the title; obviously, I couldn't go past it.
-STORY- 10/10
"If that is your wish, then I will break my heart for the sake of that wish, and I will lend you my strength. This is why I am by your side."
The story is set in Heian period of ancient Japan. It follows Abe no Masahiro (Abe no Seimei's grandson), a young onmyouji in training. Accompanied by his guardian and partner Guren, a powerful shikigami, Masahiro faces off against different mononoke that disturb the peace of the city.
...
The anime is divided into two main stories, which are the adaptation of the first two arcs of the original light novel. The transition between the arcs, however, is done very smoothly, and there is no obvious 'break' point -- the story flows naturally throughout the entire twenty six episodes.
Though some may see it as a comedy at first glance, Shounen Onmyouji gradually develops into a serious drama with gentle romantic subplot that touches upon some of the very important points -- like understanding and acceptance of others, forgiveness, and the search for one's true place in the world. There is also enough comic relief, provided very cleverly and only at appropriate times, to give the partially light-hearted atmosphere and to help the story stay serious without crossing the line and becoming depressing.
While the anime only covers the first two arcs of the novel and obviously doesn't show the entire story, it definitely does not look cut off or unfinished. There is room for discussion after the final episode, but an overall feeling of completeness is present.
-CHARACTERS- 9/10
Shounen Onmyouji has a very diverse line-up of unique characters. Each of them has individuality and different ideals, and neither of them are stereotypical or boring. Their interactions with each other, as well as their inner struggles, are interesting to observe. They are all portrayed very realistically in their behavior; it's easy to relate to them and to see that all beings feel sorrow and happiness equally, be they human, youkai, or shikigami.
Most of the story is focused around Masahiro and Guren, as well as their bond with each other. Masahiro is constantly troubled with being compared to his grandfather, and strives to work his hardest to become a better or at least an equal onmyouji, so that people would see him as an individual named Masahiro and not just "Seimei's grandson". I was very impressed with Masahiro and his determination, and how far he was willing to push himself in order to achieve that place where he can belong while being himself.
The second main character is Guren, Masahiro's guardian who accompanies him everywhere. Although he will not easily admit it, Guren is very attached to Masahiro and is grateful for the 'light' that he brought to his heart. While appearing to be carefree in nature and acting rather silly most of the time (even taking on a form of a small white mononoke when his true powers are not needed), Guren is in a constant battle with himself and his tragic past. He is very strict with himself and takes a lot of responsibility for his actions, which makes it difficult for him to forgive himself and move on.
The two of them depend greatly on each other's support and their bond gets deeper as the series progresses. Masahiro helps to set Guren free from the burden of his past, while Guren always supports Masahiro on his way to becoming a successful onmyouji. Their story, their friendship is very heartwarming and touching.
The reason I had to take a point off is that even though there are many interesting characters, some of them remain in the shadows or only show up for a couple minutes in the entire series. I am talking specifically about the twelve shikigami. Some of them were explored in greater detail, but most of them were just 'there' and left me wondering about many things, especially their reasons for serving Seimei and staying loyal to him for so long. I understand that the anime only shows the first bit of the full story, but as a full-fledged complete TV series with no sequel in sight, they should have either given brief background information on each of the shikigami, or not have shown some of them at all. I was especially upset about the two shikigami (I can only logically guess that they were shikigami) appearing in the final episode, whose names were not even mentioned.
-ART/ANIMATION- 10/10
The art style is very different from the original novel illustrations, but that does not make it any less beautiful. I loved all the character designs, of both human and non-human characters. The contrast between Guren's mononoke and shikigami form was very distinct: Mokkun is small, cute, and childish, while Touda looks strong and mature, with a god-like aura around him; this portrayed his personality well. I especially liked the clothes designs for the twelve shikigami; it made them stand out among all the other characters. The little youkai that Masahiro kept interacting with were adorable and very expressive.
The opening animation was exceptionally well done, especially the scenes of shikigami introductions, as well as the scene where Masahiro and Guren reach out to take each other's hand during the line "I will not let go of that hand again" -- it was coordinated perfectly with the song. I also liked the idea of using colored illustrations from the novels as the insert images during the half-episode break points. Overall, the art and animation section gets full marks from me, for memorable designs and originality.
-SOUND- 10/10
The music accompaniment was perfect for this anime. The sad scenes, the happy scenes, the scenes of relief, the feeling and the overall effect were enhanced with background sound. I especially loved the opening song; it went very well with the animation, and the lyrics were suitable for the story. Using Masahiro's character song as the final ending was a nice choice as well.
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Shounen Onmyouji is apparently one of those stories that somehow adapt from a shoujo novel/manga into a shounen anime, at least according to some informational sites. I am not familiar with the light novel, but this anime is very difficult to categorize because it has a lot of elements from both shoujo and shounen.
Alternative Titles
Synonyms: The Young Spirit Master, Teenager Onmyoji, Shonen Onmyouji
Japanese: 少年陰陽師
More titlesInformation
Type:
TV
Episodes:
26
Status:
Finished Airing
Aired:
Oct 4, 2006 to Mar 28, 2007
Premiered:
Fall 2006
Broadcast:
Tuesdays at 02:30 (JST)
Studios:
Studio Deen
Source:
Light novel
Demographic:
Shoujo
Duration:
23 min. per ep.
Rating:
PG-13 - Teens 13 or older
Statistics
Ranked:
#17322
2
based on the top anime page. Please note that 'Not yet aired' and 'R18+' titles are excluded.
Popularity:
#2931
Members:
56,116
Favorites:
270
Available AtResources | Reviews
Filtered Results: 13 / 13
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Your Feelings Categories Jan 22, 2009
-INTRODUCTION-
My love for ancient Japan and Japanese mythology got me into yet another great anime. Onmyouji is even in the title; obviously, I couldn't go past it. -STORY- 10/10 "If that is your wish, then I will break my heart for the sake of that wish, and I will lend you my strength. This is why I am by your side." The story is set in Heian period of ancient Japan. It follows Abe no Masahiro (Abe no Seimei's grandson), a young onmyouji in training. Accompanied by his guardian and partner Guren, a powerful shikigami, Masahiro faces off against different mononoke that disturb the peace of the city. ... Jul 17, 2008
Shounen Onmyouji is a 26-episode series from Studio DEEN, the noted creators of many great anime features. However, Shounen Onmyouji proves to be the exception to the norm, and if you read this review, you'll know why.
First off, the story. The anime is set in the Heian period (794-1185) of ancient Japan. The Abe clan, long known as the most powerful spirit masters in the land, now have a new successor: Abe no Masahiro, a young boy who's destined to follow in the footsteps of his legendary grandfather, Abe no Seimei. But Masahiro wants to be more than just Seimei's grandson; he wants to make ... Feb 3, 2008
The story is entertaining, with the drama elements and some attempts at humour. There's the typical ayakashi hunting episodes, and cute relationships that develop between the characters. The series has the potential to be better, but in the end tends to disappoint on that end, and just screams for a second season.
The character developments are alright, but I'd say the most developed was Mokkun (my fave) which was the principal point of interest to the whole series. The songs weren't all that great, but somewhat tolerable in ... Dec 12, 2009
There's a pretty simple formula for knowing whether you will like this show or not. If you like shows like Inuyahsa or Tactics, then you will like Shounen Onmyouji. If you don't, well.....follow the train of though, here. So for me this show was 50/50 because I loved Tactics but I wasn't that crazy about Inuyasha. This show may not have Shikon Shards or a magical well to jump through but it basically takes place in the same era as Inuyahsa and there is a lot of talk about demons and demonic auras, miasma and also all the other aspects of Japanese mysticism and
...
May 29, 2010
Shounen Onmyouji is an interesting piece of work. Comprised lot of flashy effects, spirits, demons, the underworld, and gods. Lots of plot twists as well.
The story centers around Masahiro no Abe, a young boy of only 13 years old. Yet everyone expects great things of him due to being the grandson and pronounced heir to Seimei no Abe, an extremely powerful Onmyouji (priest) of ancient Japan. Masahiro quickly runs into a number of other characters including his new partner Mokkun. Together they begin to work out problems with marauding demons and other spiritual creatures. The plot eventually unfolds around them but by that time if you ... Jan 1, 2015
I always love stories with ayakashi and supernatural genre.. I finally finish watching it after several years of on-hold since I last watched Animax and I'm really satisfied. This anime was quite old, released 8-9 years ago. It's so good, however I'm kinda upset not many people know this show!!
Set in Heian period, Shounen Onmyouji is about Abe no Masahiro, the third grandson of the notable onmyouji Abe no Seimei. So, the title is very straightforward and self-explanatory. The anime is adapted from the light novels, but only covers 2 arcs. This decision is good, we have enough time for character introduction, development, and ... May 5, 2009
The series, set in the Heian era, Abe no Masahiro is the grandson of the great onmyōji, Abe no Seimei. Seimei, who passed his teachings on to his grandson, Masahiro who has lost his sixth sense and the ability to see spirits. Masahiro constantly feels resentful for being in his grandfather's shadow.
Even so, one day, Masahiro meets a fox-like creature which he names Mokkun (もっくん ?) who shows him his true potential powers after fighting a demon. Mokkun is actually Tōda (騰蛇 ?), see Teng (mythology), who prefers to be called Guren. He is one of the twelve shikigami called the Shinshō (神将 ?), who ... Apr 10, 2020
My personal score is a bit skewed here, as I'm REALLY into the supernatural in general, and Onmyoudo in particular, so take this from that perspective - if you don't really go nuts for that kind of stuff, I'd say this show is more objectively closer to the 6 - 7 range. If paper talismans, a broad representation of traditional youkai and ayakashi, and buddhist mantra with hand signs get your blood pumping though, I think you'll definitely agree with me on a solid 8 for this one.
Honestly? If you liked Kekkaishi, you'll like this. If you liked Kekkaishi but thought you'd have liked it better ... Mar 21, 2009
the thing i liked most about this show was that the main protagonist, mashahiro, did not act like your typical shounen character. he was more mature (at least he tried to be), did not go screaming head first in battle, and tried his best to keep his composure, and was very obedient
however I feel as if the story could have been grander, and the ending was rather bittersweet almost as if it wasn't an ending. Jun 6, 2009
It's a cool supernatural-historical anime...plus there are some major twists in cliffhangers in the story. The protagonist portrays what typical real life boys are, so I sort of liked his arrogant yet kind attitude.
But over all, it's an enjoyable anime, a little short though for my tastes but ground breaking and pule racing in some episodes. I only hoped it could have been scarier, but at least the handsome spirits and the long haired hot guys (I have a fetish for long haired anime guys, haha) makes up for it. Feb 21, 2013
Right.... this anime is my all time favorite! Have seen this anime over 8 times and will watch it over and over again in the future without getting bored of it.
I will try my best to not contain any spoilers since I want you guys to watch it ^_^ Story 10: I would not say that the story is "common" as it's taken place at quite some time to the point that i don't know when it is haha. It's about a 13 years old boy, Abe no Masahiro, that is the grandson of the mighty 'Abe no Seimei' (an onmyouji that were looked up by ... Jun 27, 2012
Okay! First review, so please be kind.
Overall I loved this anime! It was amazing and I wish there were more than 26 episodes. I first started watching the dubbed version because I generally prefer them over subs (please no haters, everyone has the right to voice their own oppinion). But after around 4 episodes I couldnt take it anymore!!! The dub version is horrible, so I switched to subs and it was much better. Anyway... Story: The story was good, I enjoyed it a lot. There were some things I didnt care for but overall I enjoyed it. It made me laugh, cry and everything in between. Art: ... Dec 13, 2012
This is the first time that I have to say this anime is the best and the whole overall anime score could easily score up to 10/10!!!!
First of all, for this story, there are basically 2 basic arcs that is pretty well paced and full of suspense that manage to keep you watching, but I feel like the story has not yet ended... There are still lots of things to be developed. This is also one of the reason why though I give the plot of story 10/10, the character development is only 7/10. Pretty straight forward, but I wish more could be elaborated like ... |