As I have mentioned in previous posts, I love period anime and anime with a historical setting, and I came across this one while looking for another, but I liked what I saw in the first few minutes, so I stayed to watch it.
YATAGARASU: The Raven Does Not Choose Its Master
In a nation called Yamauchi, there live the Yatagarasu, a race of three-legged crows that transform into humans. This land is divided into four regions, like the cardinal points North, South, East, and West, each ruled by a nobleman. In the north, the young Yukiya, the second son of a northern leader, is suddenly sent to serve the crown prince. What he doesn't know is that he is about to face several challenges, including murders, mysteries, and palace intrigues, among others.
To begin with, I must say that this anime surprised me first because of the creativity surrounding this world; the people who inhabit it can transform into three-legged crows and recreate a feudal Japan in which, for example, some must pay their debts through services.
On the other hand, the way of finding a future wife for the crown prince by summoning the daughters of different houses to live in an area of the palace so that he could get to know them was interesting to see, since, from what I know of Japanese history, this type of thing was done to choose the emperor's wife.
Now, as for the plot, it is interesting, and the 20 episodes so far tell us about two moments within this kingdom or nation; in both, there are plenty of mysteries, intrigues, and discoveries of things we never suspected.
Within this plot, there are all kinds of characters: those who are completely evil, those who are evil and you didn't even imagine it until you suddenly discover it, those who are victims of the system and are affected because they deny themselves in order to meet expectations. I was surprised many times when I discovered the true nature of some characters, as I never imagined what was about to happen.
In short, this is an anime with deep, complex characters, whom we discover more about as the anime progresses; at times we even empathize with some of them and at others we detest them. There is a balance, as they are not presented as perfect; they are shown as people with virtues and flaws.
The animation of this feudal fantasy world is average; in fact, it looks a bit old for a recent anime; there are details that stand out at certain moments, but it still allows us to enjoy what we are seeing and feel ourselves in the midst of all the intrigues that unfold in this anime.
As for the music, the opening caught my attention; it has a magnificent rhythm that bears no relation to the historical moment in which we are placed, although we know that we are in a fantasy world; it is still nice to see how they incorporate this type of music into historical anime.
As the anime progresses, it reveals more about this world and introduces us to a connection with another; I can't say which one, as it would spoil the surprise for those who haven't seen it, but this anime is undoubtedly an excellent choice for those who enjoy fantasy and intrigue anime, as its plot and mystery advance and provide surprises. As I mentioned, there are only 20 episodes so far, which were broadcast in 2024. Let's hope it gets renewed, or we'll have to find out more in the series of novels that inspired it. I give this anime an 8/10.
Versión Español (pulse aquí)
Como ya he mencionado en anteriores publicaciones, los animes de época o con corte histórico me encantan, y me topé con este cuando buscaba otro, pero me gustó lo que observé en los primeros minutos, así que me quedé a verlo.
YATAGARASU: The Raven Does Not Choose Its Master
En una nación llamada Yamauchi, habitan los Yatagarasu, una raza de cuervos de tres patas que se transforman en humanos. Esta tierra está dividida en cuatro regiones, al igual que los puntos cardinales Norte, Sur, Este y Oeste, gobernada cada una por un noble; en el norte, el joven Yukiya, el segundo hijo de un líder del Norte, de pronto es enviado para atender al príncipe heredero; lo que él ignora es que está por enfrentarse a varios retos como asesinatos, misterios, intrigas palaciegas, entre otros.
Para comenzar, debo decir que este anime me sorprendió primero por la creatividad en torno a este mundo; las personas que habitan en él pueden transformarse en cuervos de tres patas y recrean un Japón feudal en el que, por ejemplo, algunos deben pagar sus deudas por medio de servicios.
Por otra parte, esa forma de buscar la futura esposa del príncipe heredero convocando a las hijas de las diferentes casas para que vivan en una zona del palacio, y así este las conozca, fue algo interesante de ver, ya que, por lo que conozco de algo de la historia japonesa, este tipo de cosas se hacían para elegir a la esposa del emperador.
Ahora bien, en cuanto a la trama, es interesante y los hasta ahora 20 capítulos nos narran dos momentos dentro de este reino o nación; en ambos sobran los misterios, las intrigas, los descubrimientos de cosas que ni sospechábamos.
Dentro de esta trama hay todo tipo de personajes: los que son malvados de lleno, los que son malvados y ni te lo imaginabas hasta que de pronto lo descubres, los que son víctimas del sistema y resultan afectados porque se niegan a sí mismos para cumplir expectativas, Yo quedé sorprendida en muchos momentos al descubrir la verdadera naturaleza de algunos personajes, pues nunca me imaginé lo que estaba por ocurrir.
Palabras más, palabras menos, estamos ante un anime con personajes profundos, complejos, de los que vamos descubriendo más cuando el anime avanza; incluso en algunos momentos llegamos a tener empatía con algunos y en otros a detestarlos. Hay un equilibrio, ya que no los presentan como perfectos; los hacen ver como personas con virtudes y defectos.
La animación de este mundo de fantasía feudal es media; de hecho, luce algo antigua para ser un anime reciente; hay detalles que resaltan en ciertos momentos, pero igual nos permite disfrutar lo que estamos viendo y sentirnos en medio de todas las intrigas que se desarrollan en este anime.
En cuanto a la música, su opening me atrapó; posee un ritmo magnífico que no guarda relación con el momento histórico en el que nos ubican, aunque sabemos que estamos ante un mundo de fantasía; igual es grato ver cómo incorporan este tipo de música en animes de corte histórico.
A medida que el anime avanza, nos da a conocer más de este mundo y nos presenta una conexión con otro; no puedo decir cuál, pues arruinaría la sorpresa para quienes no lo han visto, pero sin duda este anime es una excelente elección para quienes disfrutan de animes de fantasía e intriga, pues su trama y misterio avanzan y da sorpresas. Como mencioné, hasta ahora solo van 20 capítulos, los cuales fueron transmitidos en 2024; esperemos sea renovado o tendremos que ir a conocer más en la serie de novelas que la inspiró. Yo le doy a este anime un 8/10.
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Historical animes are fun to watch , aside from being fun , they have a good story line, this I haven't seen but then I would love to see it. Great review.
I'm sure you'll enjoy it if you see it.
es una novela jeje se ve interesante y la curiosidad por los personajes se ve bien, gracias por recomendar
It's a novel hehe, it looks interesting and the curiosity about the characters looks good, thanks for recommending
Es una novela llevada a anime
Hi! I hadn't heard of this anime at all, but it sounds like a really original mix of fantasy and historical drama. I'm really intrigued by what you said about the palace intrigues and, especially, the fact that the characters aren't what they seem; I love those plots where you don't know who to trust and you're surprised by who the real "bad guy" is. Even though the animation is just okay, as you say, if the story and the mystery are that captivating, I think it's worth giving it a try. Thanks for the tip, I'm adding it to my list!