The appeal and reviews of "Amatsuki": An anime experience that immerses you in a moving world

"Amatsuki" - A youth fantasy that lies between another world and reality

"Amatsuki" is a TV anime series based on the hugely popular comic by Takayama Shinobu, which aired from April 5 to June 28, 2008. The story begins with high school student Rokugo Tokitoki visiting the next-generation museum "Oedo Bakumatsu Traveling Exhibition" and suddenly being transported to another world called "Amatsuki." This work has captivated many fans as a coming-of-age fantasy that wavers between another world and reality.

■ Story

In the winter of his first year of high school, Tokito Rokugo visits the next-generation museum, the Great Edo Bakumatsu Traveling Exhibition, which uses cutting-edge technology. The theme park combines computer graphics and allows visitors to experience the end of the Edo period by wearing special goggles. However, during his walk, Tokito is suddenly attacked by a demon called Nue, and is transported to Amatsuki, a parallel world that resembles the end of the Edo period but where humans and demons coexist.

Tokito meets Kuchiba, the girl who saved him from the Nue, and his classmate Shinonome Kon, who, like Tokito, was visiting the Bakumatsu Traveling Exhibition but was sent back two years, and searches for a way to return to his original world. In the process, Tokito meets Ginshu, the princess shrine maiden who is on the side of the "humans," and Bonten, who is on the side of the "demons," and learns of his own mission. Will he become the destroyer of "Amatsuki" in order to return to his original world, "Higan," or will he become its master in order to protect it? What action will Tokito take?

■Explanation

The hugely popular comic by Shinobu Takayama has been made into an anime. It will be produced by a team of talented staff including director Kazuhiro Furuhashi, and the same super-star cast as the drama CD version! This work has a unique worldview that combines fantasy in another world with a youth drama, and has a charm that draws viewers in. While bringing out the charm of the original work to the fullest, it creates new emotions with the expressiveness that only anime can offer.

■Cast

・Rokugo Tokiji/Fukuyama Jun・Shinonome Kon/Yusa Koji・Kuchiba/Paku Romi・Bonten/Suwabe Junichi・Samon/Nakata Joji・Heihachi/Nojima Kenji・Tsukikusa/Morikubo Shoutarou・Sora Gobaiko/Kosugi Jurota・Ginshu/Suzumura Kenichi・Mashu/Matsuoka Yuki・Sasaki Tadajiro/Okawa Toru・Tsuruume/Inoue Marina・Kurokitobi/Kirii Daisuke・Kurenai Kite/Kobayashi Yu・Shirokuro/Narita Ken・Suou/Miyake Kenta・Inugami/Tanaka Atsuko・Imayo/Igarashi Rei・Musen/Miyamoto Mitsuru・Sumitake/Ishino Ryuzo・Ainozumi/Matsukaze Masaya

■ Main staff

・Original story, script supervision / Takayama Shinobu・Director / Furuhashi Kazuhiro・Series composition, script / Furuhashi Kazuhiro, Suzuki Chieko・Character design / Tagashira Shinobu・Chief animation director / Tagashira Shinobu, Ban Yukiko・Art director / Koyama Toshihisa・Color design / Kitazume Eiko・Director of photography / Kondo Shinobu・Editor / Matsumura Masahiro・Music / Fukuhara Mari・Sound director / Iida Satoki・Producers / Ima Yuko, Omori Hiroyuki, Okamura Takemasa・Animation producer / Urasaki Norimitsu・Animation production / Studio Deen・Production / Chitose Corporation

■ Main Characters

・Rokugo Tokiji A high school student with a laid-back personality. He is good at getting along with his surroundings and has excellent adaptability. He is terrible at Japanese history, and after failing it he has to take supplementary classes.
A classmate of Shinonome Kontoki. Although he has a sharp intellect, he is quick to fight and has been suspended from school. He participated in a supplementary class called "Visiting the Oedo Bakumatsu Traveling Exhibition" due to a lack of attendance days.
A resident of Amatsuki, she is a female swordsman who saved Tokitoki from the Nue.
Brahma: A powerful demon who can decipher the heavenly net that reveals the fate of Amatsuki. He is one of the Four Heavenly Beings.
・Samon: Officially he is the head priest of a temple, but in reality he makes a living by exterminating demons. He volunteers to look after Toki.
He is the gatekeeper for the tenement house where Heihachi Kon lives. Kon teases him, calling him "Hyota."
・A tree spirit that acts together with Tsuyukusa Bonten.
・A bird demon that acts in conjunction with Brahma.
She is the princess shrine maiden of Sakagami Shrine, the headquarters of demon extermination. She is also one of the Four Heavenly Kings.
・Mashu Ginshu's younger sister. She serves close to Ginshu.
Tadajiro Sasaki is a shogunate official who specializes in demon extermination. He is an old friend of Shamon.
Tsuruume is a shrine maiden who has served Ginshu since she was a child. She sometimes scolds Ginshu.
Kurotobi: On the surface, he is the young master of a medicine wholesaler, but in reality he is a member of the Onmyo-ryo, a group of supernatural powers created by Sasaki Tadajirou.
Benito is Kurotobi's younger sister and, like Kurotobi, is a member of the Onmyou-ryo. She is more reliable than her brother and often corrects his behavior.
Although he is a soot bamboo human, he is a member of the Tenza and calls Bonten "the head." He is well versed in the secrets of the situation.
A snake demon who cursed the four colors. He has a connection with Brahma and Tsuyukusa.
・Souhou is Tokito's older brother and an important member of the "family." He influenced Tokito when he was young.
A demon that possesses the dog god Kuchiha. He loves Kuchiha like his own child.
A modern fox demon. He hates the man who cut down his master and seeks revenge.
・The spirit of the main camphor tree. Kind-hearted and loving towards humans.
・"Kokuten" is the closest to Yakouteiten. An entity that drives both demons and humans crazy.
A demon that appears with the Nue Yako. It robbed Tokito of his left eye.
A doctor who was imprisoned on false charges of opium smuggling. He escapes with the help of Sutake.

■Subtitle

・First Night/Rainy Night Moon (2008/04/04)
・Second Night/The Voice Calling the Dog (2008/04/11)
・Third Night: Monster Journey (2008/04/18)
・Fourth Night: Inugami and Himegami (2008/04/25)
・The Fifth Night: Dawn and Awakening (2008/05/02)
・Sixth night/Miobei (2008/05/09)
・Seventh Night/Dawn Falls (2008/05/16)
・The Eighth Night: The Twilight Flower Sleeps (2008/05/23)
・Ninth Night/Spring Day (2008/05/30)
・The Tenth Night/And the Sun Sets (2008/06/06)
・The 11th Night / Dark Trees (2008/06/13)
・The 12th Night / The Two Sides of Kode Kashiwa (2008/06/20)
・The Thirteenth Night: The Tiger's Flute of the Takamine Wind (2008/06/27)

■ Theme songs and music

・OP1
・Casting Dice
Lyrics: Ryoji Sonoda; Composition: Masaki Suzuki; Arrangement: Jin Fujima (Elements Garden)
・Song: Yuuki Kanno

・ED1
・The Road Without a Name・Lyrics by Yuho Iwasato・Composition by Yuki Kajiura・Arrangement by Masayuki Sakamoto・Singer by Kaori Hikita

・IN1
・Toryanse・Lyrics: Unknown・Music: Nagayo Motoori・Arrangement: Mari Fukuhara・Singer: Lynne Hobday

■Broadcast information

A total of 13 episodes of "Amatsuki" were broadcast from April 5th to June 28th, 2008. It was broadcast on KBS Kyoto, UHF, AT-X, and Yahoo! Video, and the broadcast schedule for each station is as follows.

• KBS Kyoto: April 4, 2008 to June 27, 2008, every Friday from 26:30 to 27:00
• tvk: April 5, 2008 to June 28, 2008, every Saturday from 25:30 to 26:00
• Teletama: April 7, 2008 to June 30, 2008, every Monday from 25:30 to 26:00
• Chiba TV: April 7, 2008 to June 30, 2008, every Monday from 26:10 to 26:40
• Sun Television: April 7, 2008 to June 30, 2008, every Monday from 26:10 to 26:40
• Me-Tele: April 11, 2008 to July 11, 2008, every Friday from 27:20 to 27:50
• AT-X: May 9, 2008 to August 1, 2008, every Friday from 9:00 to 9:30
• Yahoo! Video: May 15, 2008 to August 7, 2008, updated every Thursday

■The appeal of the work

The greatest appeal of "Amatsuki" is its unique worldview and the growth of its characters. It depicts Tokito's feelings as he wavers between the other world "Amatsuki" and the real world "Higan," as well as his meetings and partings with various characters. In particular, Tokito's relationships with Kuchiba and Kon are at the heart of the story, and leave a deep impression on viewers. In addition, the story, which centers around the coexistence of spirits and humans, gives viewers a lot to think about.

Furthermore, the beautiful drawings by Studio Deen, the animation production company, and the music by Mari Fukuhara also add to the appeal of the work. The opening theme "Casting Dice" and the ending theme "Namae no Nai Michi" are important elements that enhance the atmosphere of the story.

■Charm of the characters

The characters in "Amatsuki" are all unique and charming. The protagonist, Rokugo Tokitoki, has a laid-back personality but strong will, and grows through his adventures in another world. Kuchiba is a strong female swordsman who saves Tokitoki, and her past and feelings are also important elements of the story. Shinono Onna is a classmate of Tokitoki, and while she has a sharp mind, she can also be quick to fight. Their relationships and growth enrich the story.

The main characters, such as Bonten and Ginshu, are also fascinating, and their backgrounds and actions add depth to the story. In particular, Bonten's great power and sense of mission, and Ginshu's sense of responsibility as a shrine maiden, leave a strong impression on viewers.

■ Behind the scenes

Many talented staff members were involved in the production of "Amatsuki." Director Kazuhiro Furuhashi paid close attention to detail to bring out the charm of the original work to the fullest, while character designer Shinobu Tagashira provided beautiful designs that accentuated the individuality of the characters. Additionally, music composer Mari Fukuhara plays an important role in enhancing the atmosphere of the story.

Furthermore, Shinobu Takayama, who supervised the script, faithfully reproduced the worldview of the original work in the anime while adding new developments to draw viewers in. Studio Deen, which was in charge of animation production, enhanced the appeal of the work with beautiful drawings and meticulous direction.

■ Viewer reactions

"Amatsuki" has been popular with many viewers since it was first broadcast. In particular, the fusion of fantasy set in another world and a coming-of-age drama was highly praised, and many viewers were moved by the character growth and story development. The beautiful drawings and music were also highly praised, and the quality of the work as a whole was praised.

Furthermore, fans of the original work had high expectations for the anime adaptation, and the fact that it was produced in a way that lived up to those expectations became a big topic of conversation. Even after the broadcast ended, sales of the DVD and Blu-ray have been brisk, and the support from fans continues.

■ Recommendation points

"Amatsuki" is a work with a unique worldview that combines fantasy set in another world with a coming-of-age drama. The story depicts the protagonist, Tokito Rokugo, interacting with and growing up with the characters he meets in the other world, "Amatsuki," and leaves viewers deeply moved. The beautiful artwork and music also add to the appeal of the work, making it a must-see for fans of fantasy and coming-of-age dramas.

In particular, the story of a high school student who is transported to another world and finds his or her mission gives viewers a lot to think about. The personalities and relationships of the characters are also fascinating, and you'll definitely be drawn into the story's development. Furthermore, it has been produced with a quality that will satisfy fans of the original work, making it a work that meets the expectations of an anime adaptation.

"Amatsuki" is recommended for those who want to enjoy the fusion of fantasy and coming-of-age drama in another world, those who want to enjoy beautiful artwork and music, and those who want to be moved by the growth and relationships of the characters. Please give it a watch and experience its charm.