Otogizoushi

Watching Otogi Zoshi's two halves felt like I was watching two completely different titles of varying quality. The series is divided up into two different arcs with the first one taking place in Heian era Japan and the other set in Japan's modern era. The Heian arc was an enjoyable watch exploring the developments of Hikaru, under the guise of her brother Raikou, and her companions trying to gather up several magical magatama needed to halt the depraved conditions of many commoners throughout their kingdom. The arc offers solid developments on the challenges faced by Hikaru's group as they face life-threatening decisions, corruption involving thosewho task them with their adventure and Hikaru finding herself faced by the pressure to use her brother's identity to complete their adventure while also finding possible love with a traveling performer named Mansairaku. The final episodes to the arc feature some shocking developments that hooked me to see how events would turn out with Hikaru's group. The arc believably depicts the harsh conditions and cultural norms of the time period, as well as making use of notable legendary figures in Japanese folklore for this engaging story. If the series simply ended with the Heian arc, Otogi Zoshi would be a definite addition to my anime collection. But with the addition of the modern era arc for another 13 episodes, the quality of Otogi Zoshi's storytelling takes a big hit. This arc focuses on the modern reincarnations of the adventurers from the Heian arc as Hikaru is the landlady of an apartment complex where she and several of her tenants get caught up in mysterious phenomena affecting Tokyo as the girl seeks out the whereabouts of her missing brother, Raikou. The whole premise is poorly implemented and contrived as the arc tries to go for some poor excuses to connect the mysterious phenomena to the events that took place in the Heian arc and it leaves a number of glaring plot holes concerning the events that Hikaru and her apartment tenants get dragged into, especially with the focus of one major character who makes a return from the earlier Heian arc. The visual presentation for Otogi Zoshi is a bit of a mixed bag. On the plus side, the series features realistic-looking character designs and has its moments of fluid animation shown during battle scenes and the destruction of towns/ cities during key events in the series. On the other end though, it felt like the series was on a bit of a tight animation budget at points as there were some low-quality background shots on a number of occasions in both arcs and animation shortcuts were apparent with still shots being used on a number of occasions. The modern arc also mixes in some live-action shots of various Tokyo locales in place of animated shots of said locations whenever the plot moves to another location, clashing quite badly with the animated footage following a scene change. Overall, Otogi Zoshi was worthwhile only for its Heian arc thanks to its solid storytelling and implementation of elements of traditional Japanese folklore and spiritualist beliefs while the modern arc was a messy premise that seemed tacked on just to drag the show out for another 13 episodes. If you share similar feelings as I do on the series and wish to get it on DVD, just buy the first three volumes containing the Heian arc if you live in America and dream that the modern arc was never even made.

Story - This is one of the most unique anime I've ever encountered. Otogi Zoushi is actually split into two arcs - The Heian Arc and the Tokyo Arc. While the plot for the Heian arc is pretty simple to follow (to retrieve all 5 Magatama), it gets interesting towards the end. The last episode of the Heian arc does affect, or rather, create the Tokyo arc's storyline. While it does have some supernatural theme in it, don't expect tons of action. Though it's fun to watch the reincarnation of the characters and how they live in the present time. Art - Just knowingthat Production I.G. is behind the animation for this anime gives you the idea that the animation will be top-notch. The art style however is different from most anime. The characters look a bit realistic, but if you're used to watching different art styles in anime, it shouldn't be that much of a problem. Still, the art for the background looks damn nice with water-painted art as the surroundings. Sound - Not much to say about the sound except that the music for the Heian arc is great when you hear Hikaru play her flute. Totally matches well for the first arc. Character - All I can say is that Kintarou (little boy that teams up with Hikaru's team) seems like he was just placed there for one purpose: Just watch the anime and you'll see =p Enjoyment - If action is what you only want, then stay away from this because it's not always about fighting (typical shounen..). If you want a unique storyline, interesting characters, and some..yes, some nice action scenes, then Otogi Zoushi is the right anime for you. Overall - I think most people will say the Heian arc was the better arc than the Tokyo arc simply because the Tokyo arc deals with the character's modern life and some supernatural mystery involved. However, this anime is definitely original and interesting to watch.

Ok this is going to be a long review as this anime contains 2 very different volumes so I feel they need to be addressed separately. Volume 1: Volume 1 is the Heian Chapter and it is set in the Heian period of and it is by far the strongest of the volumes. Focusing on the story of Hikaru and her quest to retrieve the stolen Magatama beads to save the capital of this volume focuses heavily on action and suspense and contains a huge plot twist that I did not see coming and was one of the best plot twists that I haveseen in a long time. These days plot-twists can be seen coming a mile away but this one totally hit me for six and I love when a show/movie succeeds in doing that. Anyway the focus of the plot is the five Magatama beads which represent the 5 elements of earth, fire, wind, water, and metal (not Heart, lol) and it is believed that when the Magatamas are together and arranged in the order of Affinity that the capital will prosper. Currently 3 of the beads are missing and the capital is suffering with famine and death and the task to retrieve them falls on the Minamoto clan. The head of the clan Minamoto no Raiko is gravely ill and so his sister Hikaru impersonates him and takes his place on the quest. What I loved about this volume is that straight away it is apparent that there is more to the Magatamas and that Hikarus quest is about more than saving the capital. While Hikaru and her party believe in the quest to save the capital, we see the scheming politicians the Ministers of the left and right clearly have an agenda, as does the onmyoji Abe no Seimei. And the mysterious warrior Mansairaku clearly has a big role to play somewhere. Everyone seems to have an agenda so it was great to see the story unfold. As the Magatamas are retrieved we see them regarded as cursed objects that bring suffering to those around them so their destiny to save the capital comes into question. As for the characters I love how a new character came into Hikarus group every few episodes as it keeps things interesting. All the characters are fun to watch even if they do seem to fit the same classic staples. Watanabe no Tsuna is the proud warrior who would give his life to protect Hikaru. Usui Sadamitsu is the cocky warrior with an eye for the ladies. Kintaro is the energetic kid with a huge appetite. You get the picture but the characters do have some depth to them. Tsuna hides feelings for Hikaru and Sasamitsu is looking for redemption. The Animation and character designs are top-notch but my one complaint was how they drew the characters eyes. For the most part it looks fine but up close they just looked weird. The battles look great and being set in feudal you get what you expect but they are directed and animated well. As for sound the music is great and I really liked the opening for volume 1. Voice work is all around great and as usual I watched the dub. My one complaint on the voices is that Kintaro is voiced by Mona Marshall who has done a crapload of voiceovers in anime and video games and I felt Kintaro sounded too similar to other characters she has voiced. But overall the first volume of this anime is excellent. Great story with a quick pace so you are never bored. Great animation and sound and a killer plot twist at the end. I was all pumped up for a great second volume but alas I was let down. Volume 2 Volume 2 is the chapter and it is set in modern day Tokyo and it features the descendants of the characters from the Heian chapter or to be more exact their reincarnations. So while all the characters are here they are very different people yet maintain some traits of their ancestors so they are believable reincarnations. Hikaru is now a landlady of an apartment building and all of her party from the previous volume are residents there. While everyone is different from their ancestors some of their traits are still present. Tsuna is still a very proud man and still wants to protect Hikaru, Sadamitsu still likes the ladies and Kintaro still eats anything in sight etc… The story here revolves around the disappearance of Hikarus brother Raiko a year ago and it does eventually tie into the events from the capital from the end of volume 1. My problem with this volume is that the story moves at a much slower pace and there is not really much action to speak of. The story evolves very slowly and how it all ties into volume 1 does not become clear until the very end. All of the episodes follow the same pattern. Hikaru and Tsuna investigate reports of paranormal activity mostly because Tsuna is a reporter/photographer and these are his assignments and other times it’s related to some photos that Raiko took before he vanished and Hikaru believes these are clues to finding him. Each time Hikaru witnesses some paranormal event like seeing a ghost train with her brother on board, or in another episode Hikaru and Sadamitsu witness Sadamitsus fathers’ last fight as a boxer on the night his mother died. Along the way Hikaru meets a strange man who turns out the Mansairaku and while it his clear he knows what is going on he just talks in riddles and warnings. My problem with this volume stems from the fact that all these paranormal events and the stories around them were just not interesting and while you always sensed it had something to do with the events at the end of volume 1 none of this becomes apparent until the last 2 episodes. Now it does all tie up nicely and at the end and we understand the significance of the paranormal activity and the plot from volumes 1 and 2 come together nicely. But the problem was that you knew this was inevitable and they just took too long to get there and what happened in between was just not interesting enough and was plain boring in parts. There are about 4-5 episodes in the middle that do nothing to move on the main story and while the story ends nicely I felt they could have stretched the finale over more episodes or at least developed the main story better along the way. The most interesting thing for me in this volume was trying to figure out how Mansairaku was connected to the paranormal activity and was he the cause or was he trying to stop them. My other main complaint was the Hikarus ing cast had very little to do in the second volume and compared to their ancestors in Volume 1 they came across as downright dull. Animation and voice acting is at the same high level as volume 1 and the opening and closing themes are different and they fit the less serious tone of Volume 2 quite well. Ok so overall this is an enjoyable show but I would be on the fence about recommending it on the basis that Volume 2 is nowhere near as strong as the first. But I think Volume 1 was just that good that I would suggest you check it out.

Character: Out of all the series I've seen, Otogizoshi probably had the most potential. Right from the start, we're immersed in the plot and enthralled by the main character Hikaru, who must struggle to pose as her brother and fulfill a quest he cannot. While the dialogue is spare, each character's personality comes across clearly, and you come to like Hikaru and Tsuna, even while you wonder about the mysterious character of Mansairaku. They are real and subtle people, so we are more interested in their plight. Hikaru is clearly a noblewoman in every aspect, but she is not squeaky or shrill like most heroinesin anime today. Even while disguised as a man, she has an admirable, quiet dignity. If you're familiar with the Heian period, it's interesting to see it here, and if you're not, the story's easy enough to follow and it's fascinating to learn. Art: In fact, that describes this anime as a whole. Quiet, elegant, and dignified, the art follows suit. Subdued realism meets Heian backgrounds. The care taken to keep this anime historically accurate (in setting rather than events) is amazing. It's worthwhile to watch the extras, if you have the DVD, and listen to the producers explain the detail that went into this work. Sound: While the opening rock song is nice, it is not altogether suited to the series. All the same, the sound was not a detractor during the series. It didn't interfere with the story and it was atmospheric. Story: I left the story for last because I found that most disappointing. While the first 13 episodes were fascinating as we followed Hikaru on her journey, the second arc in the series, where we're transported into a modern setting, left a lot to be desired. This half of the series is very slow and vague and at times I even got the feeling the producers didn't know where to go with it. They seemed out of their element in moving to a modern story. Overall: While the second arc was disappointing, I would say that it's worth it to watch this series for part one of the story if you enjoy historical settings, subtle storylines, and realistic art.

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