Ancient legends and urban ones, and a beautiful love story
A while ago I told myself to stop buying so many things (read: anime) online, but I'm really glad I caved in and bought Otogi Zoshi. It's one of the best anime I've seen in a while, despite some flaws.
The story is divided into two arcs, the Heian arc and the modern day Tokyo arc. In the first arc the capital, Heian-kyo, faces hard times: there is famine and disease, and the politicians and rulers in general care more about their own power and the luxury it brings than anything else. A young samurai, Minamoto no Raikou (based on a real historical figure, as I've just found out, check wiki for Minamoto no Yorimitsu), is sent on the mission to find the stolen magatama, a strange...object, which is supposed to bring peace and prosperity, but he too has fallen victim to the disease. So his younger sister, Hikaru, has set out in his stead, pretending to be Raikou.
The Heian arc, I think, is my favorite. There might be some silly parts, and a bit of anime-style drama...
One of the best historical anime series
The Heian arc of this series is one of the best I've seen. If only it had been produced in the era of widescreen HD. Maybe one day we'll see a feature version, a la Evangelion, but in the meantime this is the anime series to see. It really looks great and has a powerful story and memorable characters. I didn't like the modern era portion as well, but it's interesting to see how the two sets of characters are paralleled. I give the Heian arc five stars and the Tokyo arc three.
BTW, this set DOES include 12 discs as stated in the Amazon description. Half the discs have extras, including somewhat academic discussions of the material. I found them interesting and well worth watching.
Half in the past, half in the present
Sometime in the early years of the Heian era of Japan (794 to 1185), Heian-kyou, the capitol city, is suffering from famine and widespread disease. Unable to contend with the deterioration of the city's condition, the Imperial Court decides to send Minamoto no Raiko, a famous samurai, to find the Magatama, a legendary gem said to hold the power to save the world. Unfortunately, Raiko himself has fallen to disease. Instead his younger sister Hikaru takes his place, dressing as a man and posing as her brother. The first 13 episodes cover this storyline, then the scene fast-forwards to modern day Tokyo where we meet the reincarnations of all our favorite characters.
The first arc is interesting in a historical aspect - several of the characters and legends are based on actual Japanese lore - but surprisingly (for me), I liked the second arc better. The first arc was entertaining enough, but it relied a little too much on its source material and failed to add much originality...
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