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2centsoframblings · 2 years

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Two cents of ramblings on: “Yami no Matsuei” (Anime)...

...and why I recommend it.

GENERAL DATA

Title: Yami no Matsuei (闇の末裔 ‘Descendants of Darkness’)

Media: Anime television series

Adaptation of: Yami no Matsuei (闇の末裔 ‘Descendants of Darkness’) Shōjo manga by Matsushita Yōko

Genre: Dark fantasy, mystery, supernatural

Directed by: Tokira Hiroko

Written by: Amiya Masaharu, Horii Akiko

Studio: J.C. Staff

Original run: October 2, 2000 – December 18, 2000

Episodes: 13

WARNINGS: There are gruesome murder, paedophilia, rape, human experimentation, demonic possession, humans turning into monsters, suicide…

The plot in short: In the world of the dead, Meifu, the Jūō-chō takes care to judge the sins of the deceased. A sub section of this institution is the shōkan-ka (summoning division), specialized in dealing with troubles in regards to the dead and whose employers are called shinigami. Among them there’s Tsuzuki Asato, in charge of the Kyūshū area who, along with his new partner, Kurosaki Hisoka, is called to investigate on some mysterious deaths happening in that area and that are all connected with surgeon Muraki Kazutaka.

HOW DID I STUMBLE INTO IT

Surprisingly enough, in a time in which everyone was watching the anime, I started with the manga instead, and since I loved it, I decided to watch the anime as well.

THINGS YOU MIGHT WHAT TO KNOW BEFORE TACKLING THIS

Most of the background of the story is a fantasy version of Japanese myths and beliefs so it’s probably funnier/easier to watch it if you’re aware of what’s the Meifu, who’s Enma, what are the Shinigami and Shikigami, onmyōdō, how Tsuzuki’s shikigami match the ones of Abe no Seimei and so on. You can still enjoy it though, taking those ideas just as a fantasy concept but you might go into overload at how many are introduced.

MY TWO CENTS ON IT

THE SHORT VERSION… or what I can tell you about this while trying to keep spoilers at the very bare minimum.

Opening & ending: The anime uses as opening “EDEN” by To destination and as ending “LOVE ME” by The Hong Kong Knife.

I love, love, love “EDEN”. The music is beautiful and the imagery is symbolic and well fitting the slow melody. I think it’s a bit of an odd choice to always open it with a voice giving ALWAYS the same explanation of what’s Meifu and so on but whatever, since not everyone might be familiar with those concepts it might help. “LOVE ME” is not bad though not something I would call my fave, as it plays we see illustration for the manga which are clearly beautiful but, overall, this montage doesn’t tell me much.

The plot: Since it’s solely 13 episodes, the anime decided to focus solely on 4 manga arcs which were, at the time, the most meaningful in the story. Even if the series ends with an open ending, the result is still a coherent enough story that focuses mostly on the main characters but manages to give them story arcs so that you can appreciate their evolution.

The characters: Due to the many arcs cut, some side characters were left out or received little developments. The main one though are well enough developed and interesting to watch as they go through their arcs. It’s easy to end up loving them.

The visual: In the manga the character design changed often as the author’s style evolved a lot, the anime went for one that made the characters slender but still pretty. The characters’ faces are expressive and there are some nice shoots. I like how, although colours aren’t generally bright, the eyes of the characters and magic effects always seem to be brighter.

Byakko for example, despite technically being just white with some black stripes, seems to shine.

Suzaku too...

The scenery isn’t impressive but accurate enough...

...and when it involves Sakura it can get very pretty.

The musical background:I love it! There is music which is extremely sweet and some which is pretty evocative. I especially love “Tozasareta Kokoro” and “Kaeru Basho” but also the version of “Akuma no Trill” (or, if you prefer, “Il trillo del diavolo” by Giuseppe Tartini) used is awesome or the song “Amethyst Remembrance”, oh, they’re really too many, really, kudos to Saitō Tsuneyoshi for creating them.

Overall: It’s a good series, that despite cutting so many parts of the manga manages to still stand up alone and deliver a story, something that can’t be always said for more recent works that cut a lot and end up losing the story they were meant to tell.

THE LONG VERSION… or what I loved and hated about this with, of course, TONS OF SPOILERS.

So… two more words about the opening which I really love. I said the imagery is symbolic, but you don’t get how much until you watch the whole series and realize IT’S ALL IN THE OPENING. Basically the opening tells you all that’s going to happen and you don’t even realize until you don’t watch the series and connect all the dots. It’s AWESOME.

Going on with the story. As I said this story is born as a Shōjo. The three main characters all had, at some point, a female love interest or so it seems. The anime instead preferred to be more Shōnen ai, focusing on and empathizing on the male relations, mostly cutting out the females one so that, back in 2000, this anime was considered a Shōnen ai one and fans would get furious is someone were to suggest the characters had female love interests.

It’s not a praise or a complain, it’s just a choice… and in insight not even a bad one as, even in the original story, the male relations were more interesting than the ones the male characters had with the females they met.

On the downside sometimes this ended up tying characters to the stereotypes of the Shōnen ai more than they were. For example Tsuzuki in the manga can be pretty feral and strong (with a punch he breaks bulletproof glass)… but in the anime he’s more ukefied, his strength lying in his Shikigami more than in himself. They also remark his cute/puppy/childish side even more as well as his propensity to cry. Still Tsuzuki remains a wonderful character and one of the most beloved, if not the most beloved.

On the other side Muraki comes out as even more of a pervert and sadistic (and that’s saying A LOT as Muraki is pretty terrible in the manga too), obsessed with Tsuzuki, with having his attention and his body and jealous of Hisoka.

I said they had cut arcs from the manga… but to make up for it they had, in some points expanded the ones they decided to use and, since the manga at the time was ongoing and hadn’t developed yet the relation between Saiki and Muraki, they gave Muraki a reason to hate Saiki so that the story would feel solid.

The emotions of the characters are well developed, the evolution of the relationship between Tsuzuki and Hisoka is very good… but also very good is how the respective traumas are handled.

The themes of the story are intriguing.

They play on the idea of immortality, if it’s a good or a terrible things...

Tatsumi: It’s like a small ship sailing off into the sunset. The cherry trees bloom here all year long. What a relazing place... Tsuzuki: You think so. I think it’s because we know blossoms die so soon that they’re beautiful.

... if it’s right or wrong to sacrifice others to survive...

Tsuzuki: What are you doing? Young Tsuzuki: Caring for the roses. The best way to make pretty roses is to cut off the extra buds. It’s something all gardeners do. Tsuzuki: But don’t you feel sorry for the buds? They’re trying their best to become flowers, too. Young Tsuzuki: You have no right to speak that way. Asato. You are a murderer! Like these roses, you have survived nipping people’s lives in the buds!! Tsuzuki: No, I just... Young Tsuzuki: Then how do you explain what’s behind you? Tsuzuki: No, I didn’t want to kill them!!

... the fact that the characters are rejected from society because they’re perceived as monsters...

Tsuzuki: Hey, Hisoka. Muraki said I’m not human. Then, what AM I? Hisoka: Tsuzuki... Tsuzuki: If I’m not a human, then I... What AM I, anyway? Hisoka: What do you mean? Tsuzuki: Now I remember, when I was a kid, everyone bullied me. I was different... different from everyone... They accused me of being a monster.

How they can find a place to call home where they’re accepted...

Hisoka: ...is this Tsuzuki’s past? Discrimination, persecution, loneliness... and hatred of his own existence... Tsuzuki: I knew just what it was that made me different... Hisoka: They treated you so horribly... Tsuzuki: But... I wanted to be with them... I wanted to be a human!! Hisoka: You ARE a human! I guarantee it! Tsuzuki: Hisoka... Hisoka: You've always been a human! So don’t cry anymore!

...and...

Hisoka: Up until now... Tsuzuki has rescued me other and over... When I was unable to trust and open myself up to others even after death... he gently held me in his warm arms. He always watched over me with a smile!! Now that Tsuzuki... is in trouble... I want to rescue him!! This time... I WANT TO BE THE ONE TO CONFORT HIM!!!

...and...

Hisoka: The first time I found a place to call “home”... Watari-san... Tatsumi-san... the members of the shōkan-ka... You are all family to me... And it was Tsuzuki who lead me to accept all of you... Because he was near, I had a place with everyone else. I fight... to rescue Tsuzuki!

... the inescapability of fate...

Muraki: Tsuzuki-san... Even if you kill me you will not be freed from your deep sadness. Those born in the chaos of darkness are doomed to wander eternally through the darkness. There is no escape. Neither for me, nor for you. For we are both descendants of darkness!!

... suicidal thoughts and what helps you to cling to life...

Hisoka: Tsuzuki! Let’s go! Tsuzuki... Tsuzuki: Let me die, Hisoka. I’ve already lived more than my share... I... I’m just tired. I can’t exist anymore. So, godb... Hisoka? Hisoka: THEN STAY AT LEAST FOR MY SAKE!! I don’t want to be alone anymore!! Where I belong... is by your side!! I... I need you!! Tsuzuki: Can I... stay with you?

I love the way they handled Hisoka’s problems at connecting with people due to his sad past and his empathy (since he can perceive other people’s feelings he has been labeled as a monster by his family and kept imprisoned by them) but also how they handled Tsuzuki’s sense of guilt and fear of being a monster due to the unnatural colour of his eyes.

The series make a good work at capturing the contrast between the two, so that were Hisoka is withdrawn, standoffish and finds hard to make friends, Tsuzuki is extrovert and friendly and extremely caring and warm… but also where Hisoka manages to stay psychologically strong despite being weak physically, it’s were Tsuzuki instead break despite being on the outward extremely strong (only magically in the anime, although in the manga he was also strong physically).

And then there’s Muraki, the bad guy you love to hate.

Muraki is a sadistic killer who rapes a teenager and then kills him slowly, after making him live in pain for three years, murders left and right, manipulates young women and even turn one of them into a monster, obsesses and sexually harass Tsuzuki and might have raped him as well.

But Muraki is a surgeon who’s supposed to save people and also depicted as charming and looking like an angel, he’s basically all white with white hair and silver eyes and white clothes, and all this contrast with Tsuzuki, who’s a Shinigami and therefore supposed to kill people and dresses all in black, with dark brown hair and unnaturally purple eyes (which are associated with demons) but who’s also genuinely a good person, who wants to help others and is tormented due to the nature of his work.

The visual plays a lot on those two, on how they’re basically yin and yang and it’s great.

And Muraki and Tsuzuki aren’t the only two on which the anime plays on contrast, there’s also Hijiri and Hisoka, Hijiri being open about his feelings while Hisoka guarding them or Hisoka and Tsubaki, Hisoka hating Muraki for what he has done to him while Tsubaki can’t help but love him despite how he used her.

Should I also mention how the mystery and the drama in the story are excellent but the funny moments too are overall very nice?

And yeah, I said there are gruesome murders but the anime, differently from other animes, present them in a tasteful manner, the gory scenes are implied not shown for the sake to gross us out. You get the horror of the deaths… but you don’t get the stomach turning visual.

And what about the use of the music? The music is beautiful and it’s really well used to underline the mood of each scene. Here too they did a great work.

Really, it’s an old anime and not as good as the manga (despite the manga being still unfinished) but it’s still a good transposition of the manga and a story that can stand on its own.

If you can stomach what a horrible person Muraki is I wholeheartedly recommend it.

And now let’s end this with an AMV about this series I recommend watching: Possession

youtube

#Yami no Matsuei #Descendants of Darkness #J.C. Staff #dark fantasy #mystery #supernatural #anime television series #Shoujo #Recommended #2000

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