The Thrasher's Word
Otogi Zoshi
Format: Series (26 episodes of 25 minutes each)
Genre: Historical, Samurai, Fantasy, Drama, Mystery
Studio: Production I.G.
Director: Mizuho Nishikubo
“Otogi Zoshi” is a very interesting and curious series for one very specific reason. Its 26-episode run is split into two halves, the first being a historical adventure story set in feudal Japan, the second a supernatural mystery set in modern day Tokyo. Needless to say, the prospect of such a radical shift sounded enticing to me, and seeing just how Production I.G. pulled it would be fascinating; it seemed like a genuinely unique and dynamic storytelling device which, if applied correctly, could potentially give rise to a masterpiece. So I checked it out. Let me just say that what “Otogi Zoshi” isn’t is a masterpiece; what it is is a very interesting and curious series, which deserves to be seen as a case study if for no other reason.
The series begins with our introduction to Hikaru, a young member of the Japanese warrior class who is forced to secretly fill in for her brother Raiko in a quest to retrieve the three lost MacGuffins of the hour, the Magatamas. The idea is that by reuniting these three Magatamas with the two already in the capital, it will bring an end to the famine and disease which is blighting the nation, although there are hints that a more insidious political ploy may be involved. The journey also has a personal dimension for Hikaru, who hopes that by reclaiming the Magatamas, she can save her ailing brother. And so she sets out with her bodyguard, Tsuna, on a journey to be lined with deceit and bloodshed.
What the first act of “Otogi Zoshi” amounts to is an OK samurai action show which plays out like a kind of middle ground between “Naruto” and “Kai Doh Maru.” The premise is a solid one, but the story we get is pretty standard fare which allows itself a generous number of flaws, among which are frequently heavy-handed melodrama, some abrasively annoying characters (in particular, the inexplicably strong, perpetually hungry feral child Kintaro, who puts me in mind of Bam-Bam from “The Flintstones” more than anything else), and an apparent presumption that the best, and indeed only, way of introducing a new plot element is via an action sequence. Cue a lot of contrived action sequences. That’s not to say that it doesn’t have some marks in its favour though. Said action sequences are generally a cut above those in most series of its ilk, and in its climatic few episodes it really manages to ratchet up the drama and tension, particularly with one well-conceived plot twist you definitely won’t see coming. All told, it’s alright, I suppose, but nothing you can’t get better elsewhere.
But of course, it’s only after its thirteenth episode that “Otogi Zoshi” really gets interesting. In the conclusion of its first arc, most of the cast die (and before the spoiler police burn me alive in a giant wicker man, I’m not really giving anything away here) and we’re reintroduced to them, reincarnated a thousand years later in modern Tokyo, and the action shifts from a swords-and-sorcery action show to a supernatural drama. In this setting, Hikaru is the landlady of an apartment building, and is being looked after by Tsuna since her brother Raiko disappeared a year prior.
Tsuna is now a freelance journalist, and has been witnessing some bizarre occurrences throughout the districts of Tokyo; occurrences which seem to be linked in some way with the Magatamas and with Raiko.
I’ll just come out and say that I preferred the second batch of episodes over the first massively. The transposition of the characters to a setting which allows for a slower pace and a lighter tone works wonders for their development, and where they felt kind of rushed by in the first act, here we have the opportunity to really get to know them and care for them. For example, in the first act, Mansairaku’s role is defined as that of a proto-Malthusian misanthrope and left at that, whereas in the second, we get more of an idea of his feelings of remorse for his actions, and that he might have a shot at redemption. Moreover, the mystery of the strange supernatural happenings does provoke a sense of genuine intrigue, a desire to see where it’s all heading and how it’s all connected to Hikaru and the Magatamas.
But let’s stop skirting the main issue, shall we? The real important issue at work in “Otogi Zoshi,” the crux of its success or failure, lies in how well the transition between the two settings is managed. Can Production I.G. reconcile these two disparate plot arcs and elevate the idea from an interesting gimmick into a valid storytelling technique? Well, the most charitable answer I can give is a lackadaisical “kind of.” In terms of character development, it’s actually a great idea. By taking the cast of characters and putting them in two completely different settings, it allows the audience two different frames of reference for those characters, their actions in one era subtly mirroring those in the other and providing a fuller portrait of their personalities. But the series lets itself down in equal measure by featuring only the most tenuous of narrative links between the two arcs; the events in Heian Japan and those in modern Tokyo don’t relate to each other in any really substantial way, and the issue of reincarnation itself is only glossed over. Couple that with the drastic change in tone, and you may as well be watching two different series as far as plot is concerned. The structure of this review itself should speak volumes: it’s impossible not to think of the two parts in isolation from one another. As a result, when the series ends and the mystery f the Magatamas is resolved, it’s hard not to feel underwhelmed. It feels like it’s just the end of another arc, as opposed to the conclusion of everything that’s happened thus far.
“Otogi Zoshi” is, in essence, an experiment which yields mixed results. It succeeds in creating a cast of likeable characters in a dynamic and exciting way. But where it fails is in trying to offer its narrative a greater sense of scope and scale by splitting it over two time periods; the chasm between the two halves is simply too broad to bridge. What we get instead is effectively two 13-episode series, one fairly mediocre, the other pretty good. If you watch “Otogi Zoshi” n those terms you won’t be disappointed, but it’s hard not to think that it could have been so much more.
-Thrash Til’ Death
LAA Rating: **1/2
Rating System:
* - Horrible
*1/2 – Very Bad
** - Bad
**1/2 – Good
*** - Very Good
***1/2 – Excellent
**** - Masterpiece
If you have any feedback, criticism or questions relating to this review or any other, please e-mail me at The_Thrashers_Word@hotmail.com
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