Aaaah, I’ve been waiting for this to come out. Yotsuya Kaidan is finished, and now we continue with the second story of Ayakashi: Ten Shu Mono Gatari, and it suddenly looks like I’m watching a total different anime. The art style got a total retyle. The faces of the characters suddenly became to look much more like normal anime-style, and the clothes have changed from simple one-colored kimono’s into bright-colored, multi-layered cloths. This changed the overall style to be mush lighter. Overall, I have to say that I like this new art more than the previous. Especially the Forgotten Gods look beautiful (if you exclude the old lady, that is). Yotsuya Kaidan’s art wasn’t bad, or anything, but it just bothered me a bit too many times.
The story’s also so much different from Yotsuya Kaidan, which revolved around nothing but arrogant characters, only doing as they please and killing each other. Ten Shu Mono Gatari, however, seems to be a love-story, between a Forgotten God and a human. Yotsuya Kaidan had just one supernatural being involved (namely Oiwa). Ten Shu Mono Gatari has many, including different species. I have no idea whether this will be as succesful as Yotsuya Kaidan. I guess the only way to find out it to watch the next couple of episodes.
I think this will turn out to be one of those love stories where the Goddess sacrifice herself to save her human lover. Even with little chance of this story having a twist.. it’s still worth watching. Ayakashi has a nice traditional feel to it, plus, I like tragic love stories. 🙂