Kakuriyo volumes 6-11 summary… and a reflection

Ōdanna & Aoi, art by Laruha

I've copied this post into my new Kakuriyo blog. Visit me there for more Kakuriyo articles, including chapter translations.

This post contains the summary of Kakuriyo no Yadomeshi volumes 6-11 (Vol 11 is the Gaiden) per Amazon Japan. SPOILERS of course, so don't read it if you don’t want to know how the Kakuriyo stories continue. The summary does spill the bean of a very important aspect of Ōdanna and Aoi. However, the descriptions don’t spoil you that deep, because you still won’t know some mundane and important things, e.g. Ōdanna’s favourite food, his real name, and the reason for the events that take place in Vol 7-10. Oh, and you won't know whether Ōdanna would kiss Aoi or not, and if he would, when.

Beforehand though, I’d like to make a short observation about some Kakuriyo haters. Perhaps “hate” is too strong a word, but I cannot help using that word whenever I come across some blogs/websites that consistently shred Kakuriyo to pieces. I won’t name the blogs here, but if you google “Kakuriyo no Yadomeshi”, it’s likely you’ll find 2-3 blogs that constantly pick Kakuriyo to the bones. 

Kakuriyo no Yadomeshi impressions

Ōdanna & Aoi, Kakuriyo second ending theme
(titled "Shiranai Kimochi" by Nakajima Megumi)

I've copied this post into my new Kakuriyo blog. Visit me there for more Kakuriyo articles, including chapter translations.

I stumbled over Kakuriyo no Yadomeshi ("Bed and Breakfast for Spirits", かくりよの宿飯) anime 2-3 weeks ago when I was looking for any jidaimono (period drama) anime on Anime Planet. It was recommended to me because I love Natsume’s Book of Friends. Out of curiosity (and because I like Kakuriyo’s visual & period-setting), I checked it out. SPOILERS AHEAD!

Kakuriyo isn't set in the Edo period despite the costumes. Instead, it's actually set in our current time. However, Kakuriyo is set in a parallel dimension called the Netherworld or Kakuriyo, a dimension where ayakashi live. We know the basic story: the girl Aoi was promised to be the bride of the Oni Hachiyo called Ōdanna (basically means "The Great Master") after Aoi's grandfather got drunk and got entangled in a big debt in Ōdanna's inn (called "Tenjin-ya"). However, instead of just marrying the oni to pay off her grandpa’s debt, Aoi decided to work off the debt, though the sum is quite massive (JPY 100 million, which is about AUD 1.3 million!). The rest of the anime shows the resilience of orphaned Aoi and her great way of winning friends through her food. As someone who loves and cooks Japanese cuisine (I'm not talking just sushi, I'm talking about the real washoku dishes), loves period-setting and love a nicely-paced anime (by “nice” I mean, the way Natsume Yūjinchō is paced), I truly appreciate this anime.