Otogi Zoshi - Legend of Magatama (Vol. 1)

I first encountered this series by accident as a fansub, and was hooked immediately. Equal parts historical drama, love story, action/adventure, and visual masterpiece, this is a compelling and enthralling story of dedication, bravery, heroism, and the discovery of love. The soundtrack and the artwork are lush, the writing is strong, and the animation is superb.My DVD just arrived in the mail today, so I have yet to check out the English voice talent...but be brave! It's not that hard to read the subtitles, and the Japanese voice work is excellent.It's going on my shelf right next to the Miyazaki collection. An excellent anime for people who like animation but don't like giant robots, magical girls, or painfully cute fuzzy animals.

Production IG, the company behind Blood: The Last Vampire and Ghost in the Shell has done it again. Those already familiar with the studio have come to expect a great deal from them, although they do slip up on occasion. (Kai Doh Maru...though I suspect that was really a simple experimentation on the part of the animation staff) But it would appear that their techniques were honed to perfection just in time for Otogi Zoshi.Like all their productions, Otogi Zoshi has a very strong soundtrack, and their familiar 'RL' (Real Life) style of art manages to be luminous and jewel-toned even with a muted palette. Yet where Kai Doh Maru failed - lack of story and dialogue in spite of compelling subject material (The legend of the Kimiko) - Otogi Zoshi succeeds on every level. There's a little something for every kind of audience in this series: adventure, mystery, magic, action, romance...it's all present. The characters are extremely likeable and sympathetic: you can't help but NOT like them and empathise with their struggles. I am especially impressed by the strong and indomitable young heroine of the series, Lady Minamoto no Hikaru.Finally, for the geeks and lovers of Japanese history and culture, there's a second disk that includes lectures on Japan's Heian period. (This switches to lectures on things such as architecture in the Tokyo arc of the series) I watched every single one of these extras - they go a long way to enriching the individual episodes. It is subtle touches like these that make Otogi Zoshi a series well worth owning. (In fact, get your hands on the soundtrack, too!)

I first saw the box for Otogi Zoshi a while ago and thinking that it would just be an anime based on the popular Xbox game I kept blowing it off. When I finally decided to actually read what it was about I became intrigued and now I am borderline obsessed. It has action which I will equate to that of Samurai Champloo (one of my favorites) and they have done their research as it shows quite beautifully. Note: Otogi Zoshi are short prose fiction. The characters are so vivid and have such captivating personalities. I have to also say that this is the best depiction of Abe no Seimei that I have seen in anime. To top it off they include lectures from Tokyo U to explain it all. If you love Japan, its history, or just think you do, buy it. If you love beautiful artwork, buy it. And if you love a good story that doesn't always have a happy ending, buy it!

Otogi Zoshi is less one 26 episode series and more two 13 episode series. The first half takes place during Heian-era Japan and draws heavily from Japanese fairy tales. The second half transports the characters we have come to know and love into the modern era, but manages to utterly fail at retaining the charm of the first half of the series. Seriously, just buy the first half and pretend a second half was never made.

This is one of the most Japanese Animes I've seen in a long time. This sounds like an oxymoron and it is but Otogi Zoshi is based in Japan's historical past not a fantasy or science fiction past but the stuff of history texts.The events take place in the Heian perod; A time of great strife in Japan and a time when Japanese culture was starting to define itself from China. Otogi Zoshi has a historical sense of realism, the producers have really done their homework (A lecture by a Tokyo University Prof is included). Its plot is well developed and the charaters are well defined making Otogi Zoshi a great viewing experience.And ofcourse the animation and music are first rate.NOTE: You must watch this anime with it's original audio!

I own the first two volumes of this great series. I bumped into this hystorically based show in a store and looked at the box and thought I might like it. Having a Strong interest in hystorical anime I decided to bey it. And oh did I like it.The character design and directing are amazing. The story strongly advances every episode and character development is strong. Emphasis in historical accuracy is seen throughout, though certain licences were taken for dramatic effect. For those of us not too informed Japanese history, the box comes with special features that explain the historical contexts involved.As a fan of historically based Anime I am proud to have this in my collection.