Ranked #1776

Tenpou Ibun Ayakashi Ayashi

Ayakashi Ayashi is set in the Tenpou era in Edo, Japan. The events in the story occur before the arrival of Commodore Perry. The leads of the show are a band of warriors known as Ayashi, who are commissioned to fight beasts from the other world, known as Youi.

Story
The series starts out a little episodic (monster of the week, if you will). However, it comes off very well in blending fantasy into real history. The plot starts to pick up near the middle, but feels a little rushed near the end due to the fact that the series was originally planned for a 50 episode run. Being cut in half due to the unsatisfactory ratings required of a "primetime" show really hurt this area. It still is pretty enjoyable, though I felt it would have been much better given a few more episodes.

If you are interested in Japanese calligraphy/word study, this series will appeal even more to you. Ryuudou can draw "Ayagami" from people and youi, which are basically their names and depending on their meanings (current, and original meaning of the word), he is able to magically create weapons, armor and whatnot.

Art
The art style used is very aesthetically pleasing to the eyes and remains constant throughout the series. The action scenes are animated very well and the style blends really well with the mood of the series. It also gives off a very 'classy' Japanese feel. Very beautiful and one of my favorite parts of this show.

Sound
Personally, I found the OPs and EDs to be great. The ED animation might not be very flashy, but it fits well with the songs and the show in general. The OPs are quite fast paced and are animated quite well.

The soundtrack fits the show to a "T", and although not one of the best, still really helped enhance the mood of many scenes.

Character
Characters are generally likable and have quite a few focal episodes where they are well developed, including their pasts etc. Voice acting is also superb for most roles. I liked how the main character was a middle-aged man and not a young child like most shows in this slot (Gundam SEED, Blood+, Eureka Seven). However, the lack of a main where kids can relate too probably helped contribute to the lack of popularity for the show.


Overall
I found myself enjoying this show quite a bit. If you enjoy a little history or Japanese mixed into your anime, then you might wanna check this one out. But if the premise of the shows doesn't interest you, then you might want to save your time and watch something else.

I still feel it was a waste that it had to be cut though. Could've done much better with twice the showtime. Off to watch the OVAs now. read more