Yatagarasu || A 2024 Historical Fantasy Anime Must-Watch!

I was really feeling under the weather since the start of this week. My throat hurts and my nose seems to not cease from drying. It felt like hell, so I decided to take a break for a while. But of 'course I can't really control my cravings to watch new anime, so while I was constantly snivelling I watched this new anime I'm into. Unlike the previous ones, this somehow is more serious. It doesn't have that much comedy (or it doesn't have one at all), but what surprised me is that it didn't make me feel bored.

Its plot is something else because I was entertained by how well-written it was. This one isn't your typical historical fantasy anime because it really surpassed my expectations. So now join me as we dive into the captivating and mysterious world of three legged ravens in Yatagarasu: The Raven Does Not Choose Its Master.

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About the Anime

Yatagarasu: The Raven Does Not Choose Its Master (Karasu wa Aruji wo Erabanai) is an anime series that premiered in the spring of 2024. This aired from April 6, 2024, to September 21, 2024. This anime series was produced by NHK, NHK Enterprises and was animated by Pierrot. Its genres are fantasy and drama, while its main themes are historical and mythology. It has 20 episodes in total, which I thought at first would be dragging to watch, but it turns out when I finished it, it became in fact too short for me. This anime was based on the novel written by Chisato Abe.

So the story happened in the land of Yamauchi, where there live the three-legged ravens that took human form and they're called yatagarasu. The yatagarasu lived among the mountains, and there they built a kingdom ruled by Kin'u. A true Kin'u is a golden raven whose not only a ruler among the yatagarasu—but also both a mother and father to all of them. Unlike the previous Kin'u, the current ruling Kin'u isn't the firstborn son; rather, he's the second son born to a concubine. This caused quite a stir in the imperial courts, with the Queen enraged that her son, the eldest, wasn't chosen to be one.

Despite the fact that he's already hailed as the next Kin'u, this doesn't stop those who question and oppose him. He must, with all his strengths and wits, maintain the balance and peace in Yamauchi, and while doing this he also need to choose himself a wife among the four young women. But choosing among them isn't as easy as choosing the best clothes, for a wrong decision could tip off the subtle balance among the four nations. Will it be from the warriors of the North, artisans of the West, musicians of the East, or merchants of the South? Each of these women has motives and secrets—both potentially good and bad.

With the competition rising, Yukiya, the second son of a village chief of Taruhi, was sent to become the prince's attendant. Although he didn't want to be one, he was forced to do so since this position can potentially help his hometown. He thought it was just luck that brought him into the imperial courts, but it's no mere luck or coincidence. He will discover the reason behind it soon, with his life in grave danger.

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This anime is, I think, one of the most underrated anime this year. With its interesting fantasy story, intriguing characters, unexpected plot twists, and gripping action scenes, I'm surprised that it didn't get the amount of attention and appreciation it deserves. Watching it was definitely quite a change for me because, unlike other animes that I usually watch, this doesn't have much humor at all. It was probably a while since I watched a historical anime that doesn't focus on action scenes, for its plot is enough to keep me hooked onto it.

At first I thought it would be like those typical palace harems with the usual demure and subservient women, but it turns out to be different. The characters were really written well with both depths and motives, and that made the plot more intriguing because you can't easily predict them. Of 'course I noticed some subtle details, the very fine ones that most of the viewers usually overlook. These little details seem trivial, but I like how it became the foreshadowing of some major plot twists. The creator did really a good job in making characters that you will love and then hate later (ahahahha this one is probably a spoiler). I already suspected her, though, because I'm not really fond of characters such as her, but I guess she fooled a lot of viewers (lol).

I'm not particularly fond of its art style, but I don't dislike it either. The characters look gorgeous, especially the women. Its artstyle isn't that unique, but what really amazed me was how they depicted the sceneries all across the Yamauchi. It's really majestic, and even though they usually use long static shots to feature those sceneries, the beauty of how it's portrayed complements well with the lack of animation. It doesn't bother me at all because the details on those still shots were mesmerizing and enjoyable to watch. Further, I like how fluid the animation is on the transformation scene. It's just pleasing to see how nice those transitions are, from their raven form to human form and vice versa.

As for its soundtrack, I don't particularly find it that memorable, but I certainly like its catchy opening song. It's lyrics were certainly perfect for the anime. Also, its beat is really enjoyable to hear, I think it's kinda off for its historical genre. Nevertheless, it's a great way to start an anime because it does emanate an upbeat mood. On the other hand, its ending song was totally a fit for the feels of this anime because it really gives off a mood that matches with the historical genre. Overall, the soundtrack was fine, and I guess it managed to somehow enhance the emotions that this anime wanted the viewers to feel.

By and by, my personal rating for this anime is 9/10. For me, it was surprisingly engrossing for a historical anime. I know that not all can really appreciate the beauty of this anime, but I think this ought to be really recognized. It's a slowburn one, but trust me, it'll get more intriguing and gripping as the story progresses. Its plot is devoid of any forced humor that were usually there just to engage the audience; rather, it hooked me up to it because it really made me feel like I'm also there, thinking along with them. So if you're up for a historical fantasy anime that has interesting characters and a well-written plot, then you definitely need to watch Yatagarasu because it's certainly an anime you shouldn't sleep on this 2024!

Before I end this review, I gladly share with you its trailer, so—

Have you watched this anime? Or is this your first time encountering it? If it is, then this is definitely your sign to watch it. That's all for now, minna-san! I hoped you enjoyed reading my review.