Otogizoushi: Episode 01

Frankly, the pilot of Otogizoushi is a tad confusing at first viewing. Thankfully, the subbers were kind enough to include a significant amount of translation notes for those audiences not familiar with the key terms.

The episode opens to two individuals in horseback chased by a group of some kind of ninja-like men (I don’t know what they are called. Actually, they look relatively normal except that they remind me of monkeys because of the way they move). The pair were thrown off their horses and competently fend off their attackers. Tsuna, the older one, is skilled in his swordsmanship, while the other is quite a dept in archery.

Tsuna calls his companion Raikou-sama. He is in-charge of protecting the young master in their search of the missing magatama. Magatama are jewels from Kofun period usually made out of jade and crystal that were used as magical charms. They also signify power. I’m not certain how this item plays in the situation but it certainly is very important to Raikou. Raikou seems to have taken her ill brother’s place.

Aside from the two travelers, we get a glimpse of other characters that may prove to be significant in future events. Among them includes a performer named Masairaku, an old doctor and his girl-child companion, and a mysterious caged individual.

To be honest, the movement was quite slow as if it were taking its time to build a story. However, the action sequences were impressive enough for me. The character designs complements well with the tone and the mood of the narrative. The background id carefully done and the animation is excellent. The red and black palette in the opening sequence where Tsuna and Raikou were being chased was simply stunning. Even the flow of movements of those monkey-ninjas (I don’t know what to call them) was better than average.

The selection of music is very fitting for the storyline. It’s very clean, traditional, and simple. I have to say that I enjoy their OP and ED themes, especially the latter. BTW, I have no idea who performed those tracks. I have to find not only the tv-size version of the ED but the full version as well. I can see myself playing this song over and over.

My overall impression on this series? My intuition tells me that there is something special awaiting for those who are patient enough to let the story unfold. I’ve been wrong many times before so it’s still a wait-and-see situation. For now, I’ll be sticking with this one. Hopefully, I won’t be terribly disappointed.

I’m a sucker for pieces set in historical periods.