Anime Review: Ayakashi Japanese Classic Horror

Review Ayakashi Japanese Classic HorrorWritten by WarpshadowRating good/ very good

While there is some discussion to be had about the difference between art and entertainment or if there is any Ayakashi is something that would be more on the art side of the spectrum as far as anime is concerned.

Ayakashi is not a show with a single plot but instead a collection of three stories that all take place in Edo era Japan. The first story is the Yotsuya Kaiden a story of a man that betrays his wife after she becomes disfigured. The second is Tenshu Monagatari, a story about an abandoned castle and the forgotten gods that live there. Finally there is the Bake Neko, a story of a wedding that is interrupted by a demon and the medicene seller that doubles as an exorcist.

As said before Ayakashi has three separate stories. They are different from each other almost to the point of being separate show as each one has a different director and distinctive art style. As such I would recommend watching this show all the way through since even if you don't particularly like a certain story arc the next one will be completely different. Although opinions will of course vary I found the second story to be the most interesting as a story of forbidden love; Although I do have to mention that the Bake Neko story sported a very unique animation style. Although this show is labled as a horror show I never felt scared by the show. On the other hand Ayakashi excells at being classically Japanese being adaptations of Edo and Taisho era plays. This is something to watch if you are looking for a bit more culture than your standard anime fare.