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おとめ妖怪 ざくろ
13
TV
Finished Airing
Oct 5, 2010 to Dec 28, 2010
Second Lieutenant Kei Agemaki, the son of a famous general, has hidden his extreme fear of paranormal beings all his life. However, when he and two others are reassigned to live and work with youkai in the Ministry of Spirit Affairs, he is brought face-to-face with his worst nightmare. Now with the help of the fox spirit Kushimatsu, he and his fellow officers must learn to work alongside youkai maidens—Zakuro, Susukihotaru, Hoozuki, and Bonbori—to solve paranormal cases. Set in the midst of an alternate version of Japanese Westernization, Otome Youkai Zakuro explores the clashes and unions that can occur when east meets west, local meets foreign, and women meet men. The unusual alliance of the youkai maidens and human officers must learn to work together in a world that is changing around them. [Written by MAL Rewrite]
8.0/10
Average Review Score
85%
Recommend It
20
Reviews Worldwide
Cliches, stereotypes, formulas, and other such mass production "tools" that are involved in the creation of "original" anime are a common part of the industry these days. One only has to look at the shows released over the previous season, never mind the previous year, to see just how many titles are nothing more than variations on a given theme. That doesn't mean that they're all bad though. While an anime may be burdened with cliches, have a fomulaic plot and/or stereotypical characters, if these are used in an intelligent and innovative manner then it's possible to produce something decent at least. Sadly, many of showsmade this way (which unfortunately is the majority of anime these days), have more in common with the delusions of a hormone addled teenager (either male or female), than they do with quality entertainment. Thanks heavens for small favours. Otome Youkai Zakuro is based on the ongoing historical fantasy manga of the same name by Hoshino Lily. The story is set in an alternate Japan during the Meiji era's period of Westernisation, where the Ministry of Spirit Affairs deals with the common and uncommon issues that arise in a multi-vital society (i.e. youkai and humans trying to live side by side). The story is pretty decent for the most part, especially in terms of content, and there's a lot to keep the casual viewer watching the show. The plot is pitched at a specific audience though, and while it may flow quite well, although there are times when it's difficult to tell who that audience is. In addition to this, one can't help but think of Otome Youkai Zakuro as more than a little "folkish", and with good reason too as aside from the obvious allusions to Japanese folklore and mythology, there's actually a very subtle, and slightly bawdy, undercurrent to the show that seems to have bypassed just about everybody. Confused? Well, it's not that obvious as it has to do with soldiers, maidens, garter-belts and folk songs. Three soldiers are sent to join the Ministry of Spirit Affairs where they are to partner young half-youkai ladies (complete with animal ears), who are supposed to represent the yamato nadeshiko, but carry branches with pomegranate blossoms inside other spirits or their garter belts like they're some kind of hidden weapon. Seriously, if I showed that sentence to anyone interested in traditional ribaldry or the more coarse side of folk music they'd first applaud the subtlety, then laugh themselves silly. But I digress. The fact is that Hoshino Lily managed to insert some very sly inferences directly into the plot without anybody realising it, which should bode well for the series ... if it wasn't for one thing that is. While the story may be decent enough, certain key plot events can feel staged because the viewer is able to predict not only what is going to happen, but the outcome as well. This is one of the dangers of relying too heavily on cliches, stereotypes and formulas, as there is an inherent repetitiveness that arises from using these "tools". And boy, does this show use them. Otome Youkai Zakuro is one of those shows that looks as though it was made while someone was checking boxes in a "moe: how to ..." handbook. One look at the series and it's clear that while this may be labelled a seinen show (with some rather obvious shoujo influences), the target audience is mainly those who like "cute" young girls with animal ears. The "human" characters have been made to look as attractive as possible, even when they're being evil, and there's a certain generic quality to the design principle that can sometimes make the viewer wonder if they've seen the character before (I'm pretty sure I saw the elephant guy in India). The settings are nicely detailed, but while they're well suited to the time period, they seem a bit too clinical and sanitised. Everything and everyone are too clean and too "nice", even when bad things are happening, and this can sometimes make it difficult to take the show seriously. The colour scheme also compounds the "nice" atmosphere, and Otome Youkai Zakuro is literally awash with "cute" pinks, blues, greens, yellows, etc. On the plus side, the animation is pretty good, with flowing character movements and some rather nice action set pieces. The problem is that the shadow of repetition raises its head once more. There are a few scenes that, aside from the backgrounds, are simply the same routine repeated over and over again (the most common one being Zakuro's transformation into "Mega-Zakuro" - which basically means she has a knife instead of a stick and her pupils change shape). Fortunately this doesn't really impede on one's enjoyment of the series, but it does make one wonder why more effort hasn't gone into the animation production, and also why a respected studio like J.C. Staff decided to cut some very obvious corners. Thankfully the acting is a definite step in the right direction, although it has to be said that some of the roles didn't really require anything special. Nakahara Mai is an enormously talented actress and has some surprising lead roles under her belt (Furukawa Nagisa from Clannad, Ryuuguu Rena from Higurashi, etc), but while she gives a decent performance in her role as Zakuro, she is ultimately limited by some mediocre scripting. The same is true for Sakurai Takahiro (who plays Agemaki Kei), and the rest of the cast, and while all of the sieyuu clearly have a great deal of ability, there are times when it feels like their skills aren't being fully utilised. On a different note, aside from some strange choices with the incidental music, the soundtrack is functional, but that's about the best one can say about it. There are some small issues with timing, and more importantly relevance, but these can be viewed as minor niggles that are quickly forgotten. The big issues are the opening theme and the three ending themes. The OP is well animated, but the timing is all over the place, and to further compound matters Moon Signal by Sphere doesn't fit in with the look, storyline, or atmosphere of the whole show. The song feels completely out of place, but that's just the tip of the iceberg. All of the EDs are sung by the seiyuu whose roles are partnered in the anime (for example, Nakahara Mai and Sakurai Takahiro sing the first one together), which is nice, and could have worked well as an additional reinforcement of the bond between the soldiers and the youkai maidens. Unfortunately it seems as though somebody has overestimated their musical ability (I look pointedly at you Sugimoto Masaru), as the first two EDs, Hatsukoi wa Zakuro-iro and Junjou Masquerade, are stereotypical efforts that don't work with the ending sequence's imagery, nor the main storyline itself. Strangely, the third ED, Futari Shizuka, is more in keeping with the feel of the show, so it's obvious that although somebody was paying attention, it wasn't enough or they were sinply overruled by the producers. Now while it may be true that the scripting wasn't up to spec, that doesn't mean that the characters were poorly envisioned. Granted there is a degree of formula to their personas (Zakuro being a tsundere is one example of this), and a number of cliches are on display with their development, but as a rule the characters aren't that bad. Each is able to grow because of their "partnership", and while there is a certain method and measure to this, the evolution of the characters is treated with a degree of diffidence that somewhat belies the open targeting of the moe market. Unfortunately, the developmental method is a bit too formulaic at times, and because of this the viewer can feel like certain obvious events are being force fed to them in an effort to elicit some sort of empathy. That said, the characters are charming in their own ways, and while they may appeal to a specific fan base, that doesn't mean that others won't find them interesting, or even cute. I will admit that Otome Youkai Zakuro surprised me, as while it's definitely cliched and formulaic, it's also pretty enjoyable in a charming, quirky sort of way. Yes, the story is predictable, but rather than make the characters completely stereotypical there has been some effort to give them a degree of individuality (which is one of the reasons why the poor scripting is so noticeable). The design may be aimed at the moe markets, but within that saccharine sweet exterior lies a story that tries to mix several genres to produce something ... at least a little different. Ultimately though, this is yet another example of the anime industry wasting the opportunity to produce something above average. It's a decent show, but it had the potential to be so much better than it is if the producers and director had tried that little bit harder to ditch the fomrulaic approach.
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Ever hear of the saying "try something new", well I'm glad I did. At the beginning of the season I wasn't expecting much from Otome Youkai Zakuro but boy did this series surprise me.Otome Youkai Zakuro is produced by J.C. Staff and the reason I wasn't expecting much from it was because they were already producing 2 other more hyped anime this season. However I think this might be the best one out of the three they put out this season. The series takes place in the Meiji Era (which is anywhere between 1868 and 1912). During this time 3 Soldiers are sentto the Spirit Affairs where they work with half spirits to resolve the issues between spirits and humans. But as they continue with their jobs a greater problem presents itself which is deeply related to Zakuro's past. As the story continues to unfold Zakuro's problem grows bigger and the Spirit Affairs are forced to resolve it. Otome Youkai Zakuro gave me a pleasent surprise because every episode was significant and contributed to the story. The story was well paced which a lot of anime series fail to do these days. A lot of new series I watch these days tend to leave off all plot until the final episodes which makes the series seem rushed. However Otome Youkai Zakuro advances the plot more with every episode that goes by which doesn't make the ending or any part of the series seemed rushed whatsoever. The actual plot was actually really well written and not overly complicated. The problem with a number of series these days is they try to be so creative that it just over complicates things. Otome Youkai Zakuro didn't try for too much which is why the story flowed so well. The plot of the series seemed pretty simple and straight forward and as it unfolds it becomes something beautiful. Also unlike a number of series out there, Otome Youkai Zakuro actually has a proper ending instead of leaving the series up in the air. The art and animation were beautiful. The animation was pretty smooth and the art was just astounding. The backgrounds had a lot of detail and it always caught my attention. Art isn't really something I usually pay attention to but this was so beautiful that it managed to catch my attention and enhanced the beauty of the series. The sound is also really well done. The opening was really good and one of the first openings which I actually remembered the rhythm to. The alternating endings were always a treat and well done too. I often found myself listening to the full ending which is something considering I'm a guy that likes to skip endings. The problem with tsunderes today is that anime series like to overdo it. Characters these days are so overly tsundere that they just seem unrealistic. However Zakuro is different, although she is a tsundere she isn't overly done, she can admit when she's wrong. This is what I like about Zakuro, her personality is not over-done which makes her feel so real. Our main protagonist Kei Agemaki is alright too. He starts off really afraid of spirits but as the series continues he fights his fears and by the end he has completely no fear of spirits. He also has other flaws too but that's what makes him a good character. Some anime these days have protagonists who are perfect in every way shape and form which isn't good because they don't develop. There is also romance between Zakuro and Kei and what makes it good is that they both have flaws and that they both help the other with it. The romance just wouldn't be the same if the other did not have flaws. The other characters also help this series too. The romance between Riken and Susukihatarou is really interesting. A lot of other series don't usually have romances between other characters which don't usually get you to think about them. However since this series had every character develop relationships, you never really forget any of them. There's nothing really bad to say about Otome Youkai Zakuro. I often found the episodes to be short and it never bored me. Everything about this series was great because it didn't try for too much and it didn't exaggerate things. It seems that a lot of anime series today are really poorly paced with lackluster plots because they focus too much on side stories of characters. Otome Youkai Zakuro just shows that with a well written and well paced plot, everything else will just fall into place.
Do not be deceived by the "seinen" genre, 'Otome Youkai Zakuro' ('Girl Demon Zakuro') has everything that makes it a shoujo anime. The story is centered around newly formed Ministry of Spirit Affairs where Zakuro, along with other half-demon operatives and militants settle youkai-related problems around the city. Zakuro has a mysterious background, and slowly learns her own dark past through encounter with various antagonists. Hmm... the plot synopsis and setting sure sound like shounen. However, the story, character, and animation have such strong resemblance to typical shoujo material that it's hard to claim this is targeted toward the male demographics. Story: The story is set in 19thcentury alternate Japan, where Westernization had just begun. It actually looks like colonization because the army consists entirely of rich Caucasian-looking guys while half-demons and civilians are dressed in traditional Japanese attire, but it is not clear exactly how the government functions or how the civilians are reacting toward Westernization. This show is certainly not about politics or realism, and that's just fine. The central theme of 'Otome Youkai Zakuro' is romance. Members of Ministry of Spirit Affairs are separated into 3 pairs (I'm going to count the twins as one), and basically they instantly fall in love and overcome numerous romantic predicaments, forming stronger bond after each incident. The romance really kicks in through mid-latter part of the show. Now, most shoujo series are about romance, but that doesn't automatically make it one. What does make this a shoujo series is that the girls keep ending up in the arms of princes through most improbable circumstances, and the fact that 90% of the time it was the girl whose heart "skips a beat" after a guy spews out an incredibly corny line. Another major theme of this show is coexistence of youkai (demons) and human beings. This is also set up so that it's the girl who's in the receiving end of the discrimination, and the prince comes to the rescue. The story does have a very good flow, as we learn more about Zakuro's past in every episode, which piques our interest for new episodes without apparent cliffhangers. On the other hand, there are so many plot holes with the setting and turn of events that completely defies logic. The worst facepalm moment occurred when our heroes trapped in a cellar were struggling to keep the door closed because they'll get flooded if those doors break down. Such an unlikely circumstance, not to mention why would anyone trap someone in a place with such fragile doors? I can still somehow tolerate that, but then the heroines "save" them by smashing open the very door the prisoners were trying to keep closed... What?! And they didn't rip off their arms by keeping them from drowning? Water flow didn't even seem to be serious enough to drown... I give up. Character: Zakuro is by far the strongest operative in Ministry of Spirit Affairs, but being a shoujo anime that it is, she's mentally weak and constantly requires the big, tough prince to protect her, even though Agemaki is very weak and thus never putting up a real fight (he just offers moral support). Susukihotaru is a typical fragile chick who needs protection, and he gets it from the strongest and honorable human warrior Riken. Ganryuu is a shoujo-equivalent of a loli, and gets the twins Bonbori and Houzuki to constantly pamper him. I have to admit the characters did have very good backgrounds that made them interesting and contributed to the story, but this setup makes the show predictable as hell. The character abilities also do not make a good shounen show, because men are completely hopeless, and all girls other than Zakuro are nearly equally useless in battle, not even having any support ability other than singing (why does it even raise Zakuro's spirit level?). All their skills are for reconnaissance rather than actual fighting, and it's always Zakuro showing up and defeats the enemy in 1 hit to advance the plot. Animation: The style is decidedly targeted toward, and typical of shoujo series. All the guys look so feminine that I was surprised there was no BL. A lot of flowers blooming to express emotion (obviously done as a joke, but still...). The demons are rather friendly looking, 'Inu Yasha' types, and very little gore or blood. I personally hate this art style, but technically it was above average. Characters have high consistency in appearance, and detailed. Backgrounds set nice atmosphere, and it's usually clear sky or indoors with few objects, but detailed when it needs to be. Action sequences are short, but not as boring as it could've been. Sound: Everyone sounded like they should. Very emotional when needed to be. BGM was pretty ordinary and did not play a crucial part in the show. OP was somewhat catchy, but too intense for the mood of this series, and ED was outright horrible. Enjoyment: 'Otome Youkai Zakuro' is like a shoujo version of 'Inu Yasha'. It does have some shounen and seinen elements mixed in, but predominantly a shoujo anime. I have no idea what the author and producers were trying to do with this series. As it stands, it's a weird shoujo romance with demons, and unwatchable as a shounen/seinen adventure. Needless to say, I'm not in the primary target demographics, but I found the story to be more engaging than most shoujo series I've seen before despite its flaws. The ending was quite satisfying and summed up all the mysteries of Zakuro's past.
Story- The plot wasn't confusing at all. It wasn't cliche, and very original. It did have a few things that were predictable, but only a few. I think that this was a very unique and different anime. The ended was surprisingly different then how I though it would end. There was only one thing I didn't like at the end. Art- The art really shined in this anime. The character and setting art was average, it was the fighting. The visuals were stunning during a fight scene. There were vivid colors and it flowed nicely. The cherry blossom petals that occasionally showed look beautiful. Theart in the opening rely captured the show. It showed the action part as you see Zakuro fighting, the cherry blossoms in the wind. The colors they used either represented the darkness of the show, with reds and blacks, or the lightness and love, the flowers and bright colors. Sound- the music itself was slightly memorable. I like the opening theme song. It really captured the show. The voice acting was spot on; It really reflected the characters. There is no dub. Characters- I think that some of the characters could have been given more dept, such as Riken and Susuki. Other than that I thought that each character was extremely either well presented or average. Zakuro look at acted a lot like Hikari from Special A, I'm not getting over that. Enjoyment- I really loved this shoe. I love hoe original it was. The girls singing as the other kills a spirit, perfect. The powers they had, pure genus. The only problem I had was what I stated.
If there is something that i learned over the years that i watched anime is that it doesn't matter what genre is the show , shounen , shoujo , seinen or jousei , if it has a good story i will watch it and with that in mind i tried Otome Youkai Zakuro . Story 7 It wasn't the best story that is for sure , but it wasn't the worst either , it had ups and downs as all other animes . As some of you know cuz' you've read the plot line this anime is about 3 soldiers Agemaki ,Ganryuu and Riken ,who have been assinged to the Ministry of Spirit Affairs , there they met our other protagonists , in other words Zakuro , Bonbori , Hoozuki and Susukihotaru . From here on some of you will know how it will develop , romance between characters , drama and lets not forget about the action . What made me give this anime a 7 for the story was the ending , i don't really like the whole concept of ' I am your enemy , but now that a stronger guy makes his appearance i will fight alongside you ' , that is a clear no , if you are the bad dude of the show stay that way till the end . All in all , the story could've been handled a lot better , but beggars can't be choosers . Characters 7 Lets see , here we have a wide range of them the tsundere Zakuro , the ' wuss ' Agemaki , the shy-able to read minds Susukihotaru , the stone faced Riken , the chearfull twins Bonbori and Hoozuki and the last child looking Ganryuu . Of course there are support characters but they do almost anything all the anime , in other words they are not important . As for the enemy we have another pair of twins that are weak as hell plus one of them is the avearange idiot who is envious of her older sister , the Black Widow who was supposed to be strong but was taken down in matter of seconds , twice i might add and lets not forget the ' party-changing ' main villan who only showed his true colours at the end of the anime . If it weren't for the so called bad guys of the show this part of the review would get a better grade . Sound 8 Even if the OST was not something that i am particularly attracted to in anime there are times when it stays with you even after you finished it . I don't really know if the girls singing when they are fighting is called OST but , i found it really cute and catchy , for that sole reason i will give it an 8 . Art / Animation 9 Here we have a winner , if the story and characters were not something out of the ordanary , this made the anime a lot better . It is very shoujo-esque , but who cares ? The colours are lively and the art is surprisingly good . The battles were well drawn , every other scene was well made , you could feel that this isn't a low budget show . Enjoyment 8 Even if this anime is not the masterpiece we are all searching for , in the same degree this isn't the moe filled piece of garbage some are looking for either , yes as a matter of fact i forgot to add this : This anime has no panty shots , no se through clothes and other things that i don't really care for in my anime . Anyway all i can say is that i enjoyed this anime to its fullest . Overall 7.8 / 8 In my book this is something that can be watched once when you have time and the mood to see some romance with a bit of action and singing mixed together . Nothing else to say here , thx for reading this .