Sep 18, 2024
Let’s talk about the work of the acclaimed Satoshi Mizukami, which, in my opinion, is his best manga. I found it very interesting that White Fox took on this project, especially considering the context of “Lucifer and the Biscuit Hammer.”
Sengoku Youko, like all of Mizukami’s works, has something unusual and subversive in its story and plot. Mizukami always liked to take shounen tropes and subvert them in a more interesting way. In Sengoku Youko, the subversion happens after an important event in the plot, which in the anime was used to divide the series into two arcs.
The plot follows the story of the yokai fox
...
Tama and her brother Jinka, who aim to make the relationship between humans and katawaras more friendly. The aspiring samurai Shinsuke follows them to develop his skills and, in the future, build an important bond with the two. From this, they discover that a group of monks has been conducting experiments between humans and katawaras, creating a conflict between our protagonists and the antagonists of this arc.
This first arc serves as a contextualization for the future construction that Mizukami would develop in the next arc of the story. What seems to be a story focused on racial themes and the power of friendship typical of a shounen battle, later reveals itself to be something more elaborate and well-connected. The plot develops in a much more interconnected way, encompassing the points of each character. The greatest merit of the first season of the anime is the contextualization for what will be built in the future, from the characterization of the main characters to the plot itself.
As for the production of the work, I see a great effort from the team to do something well-done in important episodes. Overall, the quality varies, but there are good peaks of direction and production. I think the anime has more value in some points than the manga, mainly because of the medium it is in and the source material. The production of Mizukami’s mangas is weak, especially in Hoshi no Samidare. Although it has aesthetic value in terms of its art style, it is very simple and lacks more adequate layout. Still, the manga has great moments, especially the double-page spreads. The anime production, at specific moments, managed to adapt these aspects well. The direction often managed to convey the appropriate feelings and visual appreciation. The voice acting is good, and the soundtrack is quite memorable.
I am eagerly awaiting the end of this adaptation to see if White Fox managed to adapt Satoshi Mizukami’s best-written story adequately. So far, the first season has adapted several parts well and had a suitable pace. The direction works at key moments, and the story has contributed well to the value that will follow.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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