Ōkami Kakushi

Ōkami Kakushi
Ōkami Kakushi original visual novel cover.
おおかみかくし
Genre	Drama, Horror, Mystery, Psychological thriller
Game
Developer	Konami
Publisher	Konami
Genre	Action RPG, Visual novel
Rating	CERO: C
Platform	PlayStation Portable
Released	JP August 20, 2009
TV anime
Directed by	Nobuhiro Takamoto
Written by	Touko Machida
Music by	Takumi Ozawa
Studio	AIC
Network	TBS
Original run	January 7, 2010 – March 25, 2010
Episodes	12 (List of episodes)
Manga
Ōkami Kakushi: Fukahi no Shō
Written by	Konami
Illustrated by	Mirura Yano
Published by	ASCII Media Works
Demographic	Shōnen
Magazine	Dengeki Daioh
Original run	February 2010 – ongoing
Manga
Ōkami Kakushi: Metsushi no Shō
Written by	Konami
Illustrated by	Kuroko Yabuguchi
Published by	Kodansha
Demographic	Shōnen
Magazine	Monthly Shōnen Rival
Original run	February 2010 – ongoing
Light novel
Ōkami Kakushi Miyako Wasure-hen
Written by	Ryō Masaki
Illustrated by	Eri Natsume
Published by	Shogakukan
Demographic	Male
Imprint	Gagaga Bunko
Published	March 18, 2010
Anime and Manga Portal

Ōkami Kakushi (おおかみかくし, lit. Wolfed Away^?, the title is a play on the words 'ōkami (wolf)', and 'kamikakushi (spirited away)') is a Japanese visual novel developed and published by Konami for the PlayStation Portable, with Ryukishi07 of Higurashi no Naku Koro ni fame as game director and the manga author duo Peach-Pit as character designers.^[1] The game was released on August 20, 2009 in Japan.^[2] An anime adaptation produced by AIC began airing in Japan on January 8, 2010 on TBS.^[3]

Plot

A 15 year old boy, Hiroshi Kuzumi, has recently moved into a new town in the mountains. The town is separated into new and old streets by the river, and many mysterious local cultures still remain, and the townspeople are unusually friendly to him. Although confused and enjoying his new life, one person kept her distance from him: class committee member Kushinada Nemuru. In their few encounters she gave him a word of advice: "Stay away from the old streets."^[2]

As the story goes on, Hiroshi learns about the town's local traditions and legends—most prominently the ones about the local Wolf Spirits. However, something mysterious goes on in the background; people mysteriously "move away" and students suddenly "transfer schools" while none of the locals pay any attention. Hiroshi initially tries to ignore it, but he soon sees a girl with an enormous scythe along with people in strange masks kill someone that was written off to have "moved away" the next day. Hiroshi is soon drawn into the dark secrets long hidden by the townsfolk, and uncovers a plot to destroy the town.

Main characters

Hiroshi Kuzumi (九澄 博士, Kuzumi Hiroshi^?)

Voiced by: Yū Kobayashi^[4]

Hiroshi is a 15 year old boy and is the main character of the story. His family moved to the city of Jōga due to reasons relating to his father's line of work. The kanji for his name can also be read as "Professor", so many people call him Hakase (Professor) as a nickname. Hiroshi is not fond of this nickname, because it makes people believe that he is smarter than he is. Despite this, he still allows Kaname to call him by it. Hiroshi later learns from Nemuru that he is a 'Temptation', a rare human who emits a subtle scent so intoxicating to Jouga wolves that constant exposure will drive them insane. While all humans emit some faint trace of this scent, small enough that most can resist it without much difficulty, less than one in a million may exist whose scent has such volume and potency.

Nemuru Kushinada (櫛名田 眠, Kushinada Nemuru^?)

Voiced by: Mariya Ise^[4]

Nemuru is the 15 year old sole daughter of the Kushinada clan, the family with the most political power and presence in Jōga. Nemuru, as part of her role as the Hunter, patrols the city at night clad in an elaborate ceremonial outfit and wolf mask and wielding a scythe, hunting for Fallen, which she is charged with executing. She is the class president of Hiroshi's class. Nemuru is initially very cold to Hiroshi because she considers him to be an eyesore. Despite this, she eventually warms towards him and they become friends.

Isuzu Tsumuhana (摘花 五十鈴, Tsumuhana Isuzu^?)

Voiced by: Emiri Katō^[4]

Isuzu is a 15 year old girl who lives next door to Hiroshi. She is tomboyish and extremely affectionate towards Hiroshi, sometimes to his dismay. Kaname is Isuzu's best friend. She has a brother named Issei, who attended university before becoming a "Fallen" and is killed by Nemuru. She herself becomes a "Fallen" and attacks Hiroshi, but manages to stop herself and is spared her brother's fate.

Mana Kuzumi (九澄 マナ, Kuzumi Mana^?)

Voiced by: Saki Fujita^[4]

Mana is Hiroshi's 12 year old younger sister. Due to a car accident she is bound to a wheelchair. In spite of this, she strives to be independent, and becomes quite annoyed when her brother rushes to her side to help her with the smallest of tasks.

Kaname Asagiri (朝霧 かなめ, Asagiri Kaname^?)

Voiced by: Mai Fuchigami^[4]

Kaname is a 16 year old girl who moved to the Jōga with her family a few months before Hiroshi and she is Isuzu's best friend. Being the eldest of her, Hiroshi and Isuzu, she tends to act as the voice of the reason for the group. Kaname has somewhat of a dark personality, and does not hesitate to tease or trick her two friends. She is interested in the occult and loves city legends and folklore.

White Wolf Kannon (白狼観音, Hakurō Kannon^?)

She is a deity who prowls Jōga, carrying out the god of the lands's will to rid it of the fallen "wolves". She appears as a young girl wearing an elaborate white outfit and wolf-like mask. She is named after the bodhisattva Kannon. Her true form is later revealed to be Kaori, a lady Hiroshi and Mana meet while having a walk.

Adaptations

Internet radio show

An Internet radio show entitled JTTB Jōga-machi Kankō Kyōkai Hōsō (JTTB 嫦娥町観光協会放送^?) to promote the anime series started broadcasting on the Animate TV Internet radio service on December 18, 2009 and airs weekly on Fridays. The show is hosted by Yū Kobayashi and Yūko Gotō, who voice Hiroshi Kuzumi and Kaori Mana in the series, respectively.^[5]

Manga

A manga adaptation illustrated by Mirura Yano titled Ōkami Kakushi: Fukahi no Shō (おおかみかくし〜深緋の章〜^?) began serialization in the February 2010 issue of ASCII Media Works' Dengeki Daioh shōnen manga magazine.^[3] A second manga adaptation illustrated by Kuroko Yabuguchi titled Ōkami Kakushi: Metsushi no Shō (おおかみかくし〜滅紫の章〜^?) began serialization in the February 2010 issue of Kodansha's Monthly Shōnen Rival manga magazine.^[3]

Anime

See also: List of Ōkami Kakushi episodes

An anime television series adaptation produced by AIC and directed by Nobuhiro Takamoto began airing in Japan on January 8, 2010^[3] on the TBS television network.^[6] The anime will begin airing on other networks including Sun TV and BS-TBS at later dates. The anime's opening theme is "Toki no Mukō Maboroshi no Sora" (時の向こう 幻の空^?, "Across Time, Sky of Illusions") by FictionJunction, and the ending theme is "Tsukishirube" (月導^?, "Moon Guide") by Yuuka Nanri, who is also a member of FictionJunction.

References

1. ^ "Higurashi's Ryukishi07, Peach-Pit Create PSP Software". Anime News Network. April 18, 2009. http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2009-04-18/higurashi-ryukishi07-peach-pit-create-psp-software. Retrieved August 5, 2009. 
2. ^ ^{a b} "Official Website". Konami. http://www.konami.jp/products/okamikakushi_psp/index.html. Retrieved August 5, 2009. 
3. ^ ^{a b c d} "関連情報 [Related Information]" (in Japanese). http://www.konami.jp/products/okamikakushi_psp/other.html. Retrieved January 8, 2010. 
4. ^ ^{a b c d e} "TBSアニメーション・「おおかみかくし」公式ホームページ" (in Japanese). TBS. http://www.tbs.co.jp/anime/okami/staffcast/staffcast.html. Retrieved March 20, 2010. 
5. ^ "TVアニメ『おおかみかくし』WebRadio「JTTB 嫦娥町観光協会放送」 [TV Anime Ōkami Kakushi Web Radio JTTB Jōga-machi Kankō Kyōkai Hōsō]" (in Japanese). Animate TV. http://www.animate.tv/radio/details.php?id=jttb. Retrieved December 28, 2009. 
6. ^ "Ryukishi07, Peach-Pit's Ōkamikakushi Game Gets Anime". Anime News Network. August 22, 2009. http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2009-08-22/ryukishi07-peach-pit-okamikakushi-game-gets-anime. Retrieved December 28, 2009. 

External links

• Ōkami Kakushi at Konami (Japanese)
• Anime official website (Japanese)
• Ōkami Kakushi (anime) at Anime News Network's Encyclopedia