Reviews for Kakuriyo -Bed & Breakfast for Spirits-

I had got the impression that Kakuriyo no Yadomeshi (Hidden realm: Bed & Breakfast for Spirits) was more or less a copy of Kamisama Hajimemashita (which I highly enjoyed). Both seemed to have the same premise; a Japanese folk lore setting, a mundane girl in her late teens who are involved with spirits (ayakashi) from the hidden realm, with the potential for a reverse harem and lots of shoujo romance stuff. Which sure can be a very good thing if done as in Kamisama Hajimemashita. I was both right and wrong. The premise was indeed similar, with our girl Aoi Tsubaki having her life changed drasticallyand are forced to a new life in the Hidden realm, the Japanese folk lore setting, and lots of cute ayakashi guys for a potential reverse harem. Aoi like Nanami looks like your average lead for this kind of show with mouse brown hair and plain features.

But the similarities only go so far. Because, the main theme of the KnY isn´t a reverse harem, or even romance. It´s mainly about food and the importance of food in our lives really. As this can be utterly disappointing for some, I actually grow to highly appreciate KnY for just this reason.

The narrative is mostly episodic with each episode address some kind of problem for Aoi to solve (mostly by cooking delicious food). There is a more overarching plot though, it´s just not the main focus the first half of the show. And those 1-episode stories actually contribute to the overarching plot in the end as well, so the feeling that I wasted my time on filler bs never occurred.

I mentioned that the show focused a lot on food and how it influences our lives. Well, cooking isn´t just a hobby for Aoi, it’s a way of survival. You see, Aoi has a strong spiritual energy and have always been able to see ayakashi. Said strong spiritual energy has attracted hungry ayakashi all her life, and to give her a tool to protect herself her grandfather taught her to cook delicious food that ayakashi like, so she could give them the food instead of getting eaten herself (this isn´t a spoiler, it is established very early in the show). When she gets spirited away by a handsome Ogre spirit and declared as his bride as payment for her grandfather’s debt, she refuses and want to work of the debt instead. And here is where her cooking skills really come to use.

I grow highly interested in the Japanese kitchen during this watch. It´s so different from where I come from, and I really do want to try some of the food she made. But the allure of the food and cooking extended further than just that it looked tasty, it also brought up the spiritual and mental emotions that food can create. Just imagine that you been gone from your home for a long time and then someone cooks a dish that you love from your home town. The nostalgia, the happiness and even safety one can feel at such a moment is really astonishing. Or that you are so bored with food that you pretty much lost your appetite, and then someone places a delightful home cooked meal that surprises all your senses (smell, texture, taste, vision etc.). Or that you just are hangry and get a lovely meal, and what it does for your state of mind. Or how it can connect us, shearing food together and rejoice in the flavours and how satisfied it can make us feel.

KnY brings up all these scenarios and then some. Of course, the show isn´t exclusively about food and cooking, but it is the topic in the spotlight and I aren´t complaining. There is definitely some romance going on but it´s heavily taking the backseat, so don´t expect a full-blown romance to develop fast, because then you only will get disappointed.

The reverse harem theme is also almost absent, even if there are a lot of cute ayakashi guys around. But they have more independent roles than being a harem member, which worked absolutely fine in this case. And there are almost as many female characters present, which many have funny personalities and important roles as well.

Aoi as the female lead does differ a bit from your copy and past persona for this kind of role. She is very ordinary yes, but in the most relatable way, because she has indeed a personality and background as well. She knows her limits and works with what she has – a bone hard determination, a genuine will to understand others and brilliant skills in cooking. She is kind, stubborn, positive and caring, a real goodie good girl but not the least mentally weak. Aoi gets a lot of mean shit thrown at her in the Hidden realm, and copes with it like a boss.

Oodanna (the handsome Ogre spirit) could´ve been portrayed as a real creep, but wasn´t. I have had problems with this type of set up before, the older mystical creature declares young female to be his bride (yes, looking at you The Ancient Magus' Bride). But besides calling Aoi his wife, he does no creepy things like bathing her as a first thing when she arrives to the Hidden realm. He looks after her from a non-intruding angle, gives her the tools and protection she needs, and lets her find her own way in this new strange situation.

Studio Gonzo has done a good job on the art and animation. Not perfect per say, but over my expectations. Vivid colours, detailed backgrounds and environments, and varied and distinct character designs. The food looks yummy, the ayakashi´s magic looks dramatic, and the atmosphere is spot on.

Honestly, I haven´t paid much attention to the soundtrack, but it´s for sure not bad. The 2 openings however are awesome, especially the second one. Certainly, the best in a long while. Recommend you look them up, even if you´re not going to watch the show itself. Voice acting is also top notch, with veterans such as Noa Touyama and Katsuyuki Konishi as the main leads.

This has been my “feel-good” show during it´s airing time, and I enjoyed it a lot, even if the reasons for said enjoyment originate from completely different sources then I first believed. Which is a bit odd since that I´m not even that into the SoL-genre. The setting is a familiar one in anime, but it´s has its own main themes and feeling. I can warmly recommend KnY to anyone that is looking for a Japanese folk lore setting, cosy atmosphere, and a wee bit of romance. And especially if you enjoy food in any way, eating it, cooking it, exploring new kitchens etc. It was a surprisingly stimulating main theme.

Please note this review is intended to be read by those that have finished watching Kakuriyo and while care has been taken to minimize story related spoilers there may still be spoilers within character analysis. You have been warned. A world where determination, great food, kindness and understanding of others can help promote friendship and understanding that transcends race and worlds. Based off the popular Light Novel of the same name Kakuriyo No Yadomeshi which is often shortened to just Kakuriyo is a supernatural and romance-themed anime that gives us the opportunity to see what will happen if a teenage girl from the realm ofman was to be whisked away and into a parallel world where both spirits and various types of mythical creatures such as Ogre’s, nine-tailed foxes and Yuki-Onna’s exist and most surprisingly be introduced to her future marriage partner that no one has told her about. The idea of being drawn from the human realm to another world is not something that is rare within the anime industry as we can see from the large amounts of anime that make use of the trapped in the game and traveling to another world ideas in the form of renowned series such as Sword Art Online and Log Horizon. However, I felt that Kakuriyo’s premise of being drawn into a parallel world where mythical creatures such as Ogre’s exist and being presented as a bride in order to pay off the debt of a relative was an interesting one as it allowed us as the viewer to see not just how the social standings of the various races work within the world but also allow us to see how a normal human girl like the main character Aoi would react as she enters this world and encounters the various rules and stigma that others view her with. The first episode of the series I felt was an excellent episode that did a great job of not just introducing us to the parallel world within the series but also introduce the two main characters of the series which was Aoi Tsubaki and Oodanna and their strong-willed and conflicting natures that clashed with each other. From this, I was impressed enough in that I decided to watch this series until the very end and I was glad that I did.

Taking place within the parallel world that is called the hidden realm by its inhabitants the hidden realm is a land that resembles a fusion of ancient Japan and a fantasy world. While having many concepts that are recognizable from ancient Japan such as ancient inns, ninja’s and clothing suitable for that era the realm also features many elements of fantasy such as magic, flying ships and of course the various races that inhabit the different realms that make up the hidden realm. It is in this world that is hidden from the realm of human kind that the inhabitants of the realm who call themselves the ayakashi live their lives in a manner that is almost identical to that of normal human beings while co-existing with their fellow ayakashi in an age where conflict is all but unknown and where encounters with beings other than them are rare indeed. The overall story of the series follows the life of Aoi Tsubaki a human college student who while on her way to college one day is kidnapped and brought to a new world called the hidden realm and told that due to her recently deceased grandfathers’ debt Aoi must marry the head of a well-known inn as per an ancient agreement that was agreed between the two of them. Despite the situation facing her the ever so defiant Aoi refuses to obey the contract and instead counters with a proposal of her own in which she would work off her grandfather’s debt by opening up and operating an eatery within the inn.

As Aoi opens up and begins operating her eatery the Moonflower she while overcoming the many hardships and stigma that she faces from the many races that make up the ayakashi would gradually start to realize that preparing delicious and beautiful food would not just allow her to pay off her debt but at the same time allow her to learn about not just the various races that inhabit the realm but also allow her to solve their various problems by listening to them, understanding them and try and devise solutions that will help them overcome such burdens and in the process not just forming strong friendships and bonds with each other but also allow her to come up with solutions to solve the many hidden problems that exist within the realm. Joining Aoi in her quest to use food to forge friendships and understanding between races are a host of characters that while mostly hostile to her at first soon become some of her best friends and most loyal allies. These include the intimidating but surprisingly kind Ogre inn master Oodanna, the kind, and loyal nine-tailed fox Ginji, the arrogant but surprisingly fair young hostess Oryo and the calm but surprisingly perceptive accounting chief Byakuya. Together with her allies Aoi would begin a fantastic adventure that will allow her to not just explore the many different regions that form the hidden realm but also allow her to create many beautiful and delicious food that will be used to not just form friendships but also solve the many problems that exist within the realm.

Aoi

Aoi voiced by veteran seiyuu singer Nao Touyama of The World God Only Knows and Kancolle fame is one of the main characters of the series and is the main heroine of the series. A college student from the human realm that was brought to the hidden realm through somewhat forceful means Aoi in the beginning of the series while understandably upset at the turn of events was also shown to be a kind and caring person that while getting scared easily was also steadfast in her beliefs even when faced by the most intimidating of ayakashi. While easily scared Aoi was also an intelligent, curious and fast thinking person that thanks to her perceptive skills was not just able to identify sudden shifts to people’s behaviors but also act upon them by using this to further her understanding of both people and events within this new world. While a quiet person by nature Aoi was also someone that was friendly, good-natured and humble and while facing a lot of hostility in the beginning was able to convert these feelings of antagonism and use these to forge bonds and friendship with the staff of the inn something that was helped greatly by her fair and honest nature and her desire to do her best for all of her friends and customers. As a result of her friendly and honest nature Aoi was someone that always believed that one must act based on what their heart tells them and while this choice may not always be the best choice in some situations it can be seen that Aoi is someone that believes firmly in this belief even when the alternative might have been better. This is seen in her attempts to help those in need and her attempts to solve the problems that they are burdened with despite not getting anything back in return showing just how caring she is as a person. While a quiet and calm person by nature Aoi while often hard pressed in the beginning of the series also showed that rather than causing her undue pressure that would cause most normal people to mess up the extra pressure instead had the opposite effect in that it actually helped in allowing her to come up with not just solutions but also new dishes that can be used to handle situations no matter how sudden a trait that I felt took great advantage of Aoi’s ability to not just think outside of the box but also take advantage of her knowledge of dishes from the human realm as well. This trait of being able to use pressure from others as a source of motivation for Aoi to create new dishes I felt was one that suited her personality really well.

A key part of Aoi’s personality that stems from her friendly and caring nature was her skills as a listener that takes advantage of her perception skills which allows her to not just understand the surface problem that someone is burdened with but also the underlying issues that may not be immediately visible due to a need to hide that fact something that I felt matched her image as both a cook and an eatery owner perfectly. While a very capable cook Aoi while loving the opportunity to both discover new recipes and ingredients is someone that can be surprisingly open-minded and honest in that she is willing to take feedback from others regarding her dishes and work hard to improve them showing not just how hardworking she is but also how determined she is to make sure that her dishes are able to fulfill the many promises that she has been bestowed with.

As the series goes on and as Aoi, not just realizes just how vast the hidden realm was but also encounter many different people and situations Aoi’s personality gradually starts to change. From the onset, it can be seen that Aoi while having a great deal of respect for her grandfather didn’t particularly hold him in high regard due to his rather eccentric personality and actions and indeed seem to view him with some amount of dislike. After his passing and seeing the kind of bonds and effects that he had within the hidden realm however this instead is replaced by a sense of regret in that she did not seek to renew their strained bonds even as he neared his end. As a result of this sense of regret Aoi also developed a belief that regrets were something that was very sad and that no one should have any regrets which soon served to become one of Aoi’s most potent sources of motivation as she set about the task of running her eatery. This is shown in Aoi’s development as not just a capable cook but also a person as well as she will by improving her cooking skills also seek to understand her customers and the regrets and needs that they have and create the perfect dish for them that ensures that after having her dish both their physical hunger and their psychological burden has been dealt with. While having few friends at the beginning of the series this gradually changes as the series goes on as Aoi’s friendly and honest nature soon begins to change the views of the people around her. As a result of this Aoi becomes very protective of the bonds of friendship that’s been formed between them and becomes very loyal to her friends and will do her utmost to protect them from harm even if it meant that she must take some daring actions to do so. A trait that I felt was an interesting development since Aoi initially was someone that was used to being alone.

A prominent belief that arose within Aoi as the series progressed was the belief that with her cooking ability she will be able to bridge not just the gap that exists between the human realm and the hidden realm but also between fellow ayakashi whose contrasting ideas often causes disagreements to form between them. A belief that only grows much more important during the second arc of the series as a result of Aoi bonding with the many ayakashi that inhabit the southern lands and the dire situation that the land is in due to past failures of an important ceremony. This belief I felt was an important development for Aoi as it showed the fact that Aoi has not just realized the importance of having loyal and important friends but also that her cooking ability can also be used for a much larger and more important purpose of mending the rifts that result from strained bonds and in the process saving a land from its cruel fate.

The character of Aoi I felt was an interesting one that was both well designed and developed. Aoi’s development from someone that was lonely, scared and had a deep sense of regret to someone that was not just brave but also determined to help those with their own burdens by understanding the underlying issues that plague them and creating a dish that solves it and in the process forming bonds of friendship with them being especially well thought out. I felt that her seiyuu Nao Touyama really did an excellent job at portraying the character of Aoi.

Ginji

Ginji voiced by new voice actor Shunichi Toki is one of the main characters of the series and is one of Aoi’s allies within the series. An ayakashi that takes the form of a nine-tailed fox that’s silver in color Ginji is also a shapeshifter whose human form is the form that Aoi and the members of the inn encounter the most. The young master of the Tenjin ya inn and effectively part of that inn’s upper management Ginji from initial appearances was a kind, caring and positive being that despite his position was also an honest and modest being that had little ego and helped all those that he met in his duties. A responsible person by nature Ginji was someone that approached each situation in a calm and composed manner and will do his best in everything that he does which is shown in his attempts to help Aoi as her assistant despite the added duties that this entails. This however also means Ginji can be somewhat reluctant in letting others do his job as he feels that it's his responsibility given his role. Due to his personality its perhaps unsurprising that Ginji was one of Aoi’s first friends as unlike the rest of the inn he did not see Aoi as an enemy and indeed was somewhat intrigued that Aoi’s skills as a cook was that impressive and as a result as their bonds deepened Ginji grows very protective of Aoi and dislikes seeing her being used by others.

As the series goes on and more of Ginji’s character is revealed and expanded upon Ginji’s personality gradually starts to change. Despite his easy-going and friendly nature Ginji is someone that has a surprising lack of confidence in himself and while he has no shortage of acquaintances and fellow staffers that he can call upon it can be seen that Ginji tries to keep distance from them due to his low confidence and the fact that he feels that they do not trust him due his past. In fact, until Aoi’s appearance, Ginji’s best-known friendship was with the inn master Oodanna due to their long association in the past. Perhaps as a result of this Ginji was able to forge an immediate bond with Aoi due to her friendly and honest nature and in the process discover what its really like to have friends that he can count on. As a result of this, it can be seen that Ginji while valuing the fact that he can eat and have fun with his new friends is also very loyal to them and serious about their welfare and can become very distraught when he feels that he has failed them in some way.

The character of Ginji I felt was an interesting one that was both well designed and developed. In a way I felt that Ginji’s inner darkness which served as his development was very similar to how Aoi was in the past before her coming into the hidden realm in that both were lonely and had few people that they could trust and indeed it can be said that Aoi’s development as a character was what opened his heart to the many joys that friendship and trust can bring to someone and in the process liberate him from the darkness that held him back. This shared sense of development between the two of them I thought was pretty well done and illustrated the fact that friendships and bonds can also be used to liberate someone from the darkness that constrained their lives.

Oodanna

Oodanna voiced by veteran voice actor Katsuyuki Konishi of Bleach and Fairy Tail fame is one of the main characters of the series and is one of Aoi’s allies within the series. An ayakashi in the form of an ogre in human form and the master of the Tenjin Ya inn within the hidden realm Oodanna at the start of the series was a calm, composed and self-confident person that while quiet was also very professional and was highly regarded by both customers and his staff who viewed him with a high degree of respect. While appearing seemingly cold at first glance this was far from the truth as he was not just kind and caring but also intelligent and perceptive and treated everything and everyone fairly and is willing to place his trust in his staff something that his staff will do their utmost as to not betray. While a quiet person Oodanna was someone that was very loyal to his friends and while his usual self was normally polite and diplomatic this attitude can change dramatically if his friends are being treated harshly by others and will try to help them when needed. At the beginning of the series, Oodanna’s relationship with his bride Aoi was a tense one given the unique situation and though he is put off by her initial refusal to the proposal his impression of her gradually starts to change after seeing her determination to pay back her debt by working. In the beginning, while taking care to remain neutral to her work at the inn it can be seen that he also shows a great deal of concern for her and tries hard to dissuade her from any dangerous plans that she has thought off.

As the series goes on and Oodanna’s relationship with Aoi improves and as they are confronted with one crisis after another Oodanna’s personality gradually starts to change. While initially not supportive of Aoi’s efforts to open up an eatery as the series goes on and as Oodanna saw with his own eyes just how much effort Aoi was putting in to prove herself this attitude of his eventually changes and Oodanna begins to slowly support her and be willing to come running when she calls. Despite his aloof nature, Oodanna is not someone that will let his station hold him back and indeed when things get busy Oodanna can also willingly let go of his role and work alongside his staff by taking care of guests and cooking for them a side of his character that I felt was surprising. A prominent part of Oodanna’s personality is, without doubt, his motivations both as a person and as an inn master. While having great faith in not just his friends but also in his staff as well Oodanna is someone that encourages them to not just do their best at their duties but also have ambition and dreams as Oodanna believes that without it the ayakashi would not be able to advance themselves. As a result of this Oodanna is someone that hates those that have neither which is one of the reasons why he pushed Aoi to work harder and why he let his staff do actions on their own free will. As a result of this the bonds that he shares with his staff and forges with Aoi can be seen to be a strong one and its easy to see just why Oodanna has so much faith in Aoi not just as a person but also as a cook since he knows that both are trying hard to achieve their dreams. The character of Oodanna I felt was an interesting one that was both well designed and developed with his contrasting personality and his way of motivating both Aoi and the members of his staff being one of the best things about his character. I felt that his voice actor Katsuyuki Konishi did an excellent job of portraying the character of Oodanna.

Byakuya

Byakuya voiced by veteran voice actor Atsushi Tamaru of Asterisk Wars and Seiren fame is one of the main support characters of the series and is one of Aoi’s many allies within the series. The head of Tenjin Ya’s accounting department and thus one of Aoi’s bosses within the series Byakuya on initial appearances is a calm, composed and efficient person by nature that comes off as someone that’s strict and unsociable. A fact that is reinforced by the manner in which he treats Aoi at first as he only saw her as being the owner of a business that was not making a profit. While calm and composed Byakuya is also an intelligent, rational and logical person that while very serious about his job is also someone that’s willing to give people chances if they display the determination to do so. As a result of these qualities, it's perhaps unsurprising that Byakuya acts as the second in command to Oodanna where both his intellect and rational nature can also be used to locate and deal with threats to both the inn and to his friends and allies including to Aoi herself.

As the series goes on however and Byakuya’s personality is expanded upon it can be seen that while certainly strict and stern at times beneath this Byakuya is actually someone that has a surprisingly caring side to him which is best shown in the fact that he takes care of stray ayakashi in his spare time rather than say hole up in a dark room somewhere crunching numbers as most accountants would. In this state, it can be seen that Byakuya’s alternate personality is one that’s positive, cheerful and caring traits that I felt contrasted greatly with his normal strict self. As a result of this interesting side to his personality, I felt that it was quite funny at seeing him panic when he realizes that his secret has been exposed. At the beginning of the series, Byakuya as a result of his role as the head accountant of the inn had a somewhat antagonist relationship with Aoi due to the fact that despite Moonflower not making any profits at first Aoi was determined to keep it open as she tries to come up with the perfect recipes. However, as the series goes on and Byakuya came to both understand Aoi as a person as well as see the effects that her food has had on her many customers this sense of antagonism gradually disappears and is replaced by a healthy amount of respect for Aoi as both a person and a cook and as a result Byakuya gradually began to see her as a member of the inn. An interesting trait of Byakuya is that despite his calm and composed nature he can still get angry and when that happens his demeanor can be quite menacing which when used in dealing with upstarts like Raiju can be quite entertaining to watch.

Oryou

Oryou voiced by veteran seiyuu Ai Kakuma of The Asterisk War and Brave Witches fame is one of the main support characters of the series and is one of Aoi’s allies within the series. An ayakashi in the form of a Yuki-onna that had taken on human form Oryou is the Tenjin Ya’s young hostess and as a result is the head of the hostesses that serve the many customers that come to Tenjin Ya. From the onset, it can be seen that Oryou is someone that while confident was also someone that was arrogant and rude to people and as a result while she was respected by the staff for her rank she had very few people that she can call her friends. This isn’t helped by the fact that in addition to being arrogant Oryou is also very rule-bound and would punish any infraction no matter how minor it is. As a result of this from the beginning of the series, Oryou actively viewed Aoi as a rival to her due to a combination of being the inn master’s fiancée and the fact that her hard work is earning her the respect of the staff while Oryou despite being here longer than her was getting nothing.

As the series goes on however and as Oryou gets to interact with Aoi more her personality gradually starts to change. While rule bound to a degree it can be seen that Oryou beneath her arrogant surface personality is actually someone that’s fair and honest with her feelings. Indeed, looking at her past it can be seen that Oryou when she first become a hostess was someone that was not just determined but also worked hard at everything that she did which is similar to how Aoi is within the anime. From this, it can be seen where her pride actually comes from as its obvious that she’s very proud of her status as the young hostess. Despite her confident nature, it can be seen that beneath this Oryou can be surprisingly fragile due in part to her lack of friends and to the fact that she distrusts outsiders to the inn which served to limit the interactions that she could have with Aoi. However, after being taken care off by Aoi after she had collapsed due to overwork Oryou’s attitude towards Aoi began to change after seeing how much effort Aoi put in to help her recover which caused her to realize just how foolish her own actions had been in trying to belittle her. As a result of this, the relationship between the two gradually thawed as Oryou becomes friendlier not just bonding with Aoi but also becoming not just fast friends but also one of Aoi’s most trusted allies. At the same time as a result of this change Oryou while still arrogant and distrustful of others become much friendlier and willing to help others with their problems a notable example being her attempts to help Nene her opposite number at the Orio Ya inn overcome her insecurity by covertly helping her with some tricky customers. While showing her skills as a hostess this I felt also did a great job of showing the kind of contacts that she has across the realm something that is pretty important to a hostess. The character of Oryou I felt was an interesting one that was both well designed and developed with her gradual evolution from an arrogant and condescending hostess to one that was both friendly, caring and willing to help her juniors improve their skills so that they can both help the inn and themselves being especially well done. The manner of how Oryou and Aoi bonded by having them share memories of how they were in the past I felt was pretty interesting. I felt that her seiyuu Ai Kakuma really did an excellent job of portraying the character of Oryou.

AMV

In terms of animation, I felt that the character designs for the series many characters were pretty well designed with the many species of ayakashi especially being so. This was helped greatly by the large variety of species that form the ayakashi that Aoi encounters within the series. I felt that the incorporation of species like Ogre’s, nine-tailed foxes, Yuki-Onna’s and the other races that feature prominently within Japanese mythology matched well with the fact that the world of the hidden realm is one that fuses ancient Japan with a fantasy world. The various settings and locations that Aoi and the cast visit I felt was pretty well designed and featured quite an impressive variety of terrain that made great use of the world’s lore. In particular, I felt that the areas around Tenjin Ya and the southern lands that housed Orio ya contrasted well with each other as the former while lacking in beauty and resources was stable and at peace while the southern lands while beautiful were also one plagued by misfortune. While Kakuriyo is a supernatural and romance-themed anime the few combat scenes within the series I felt while short was also well designed as while they showed the ayakashi’s desire to keep peace and avoid conflict with each other the scenes also showed how powerful the ayakashi can be if they were fighting to protect those dear to them.

The music within the series I felt was pretty well done with the OST, in particular, doing a great job of providing a great variety of music to the many kinds of situations that Aoi encounters while exploring the hidden realm. The series in total made use of two opening themes which was Tomoshibi No Manimani by Aoi’s seiyuu Nao Touyama and Utsushiyo no Yume that was sung by Nano. In total the series made use of 10 ending themes which was quite a lot even for a full season anime. I felt that the two opening themes both did a great job at conveying a sense of anticipation for the series with the first one doing a better job at this than the second one. The many ending themes for the series I felt did a great job at conveying the unique emotions and feelings that were attached to the events of each of the episodes in which they were featured in.

In terms of voice acting, I felt that the voice cast did an excellent job at portraying their assigned characters whether they were main ones or supporting ones. In particular, I felt that Nao Touyama, Shunichi Toki, Katsuyuki Konishi, Atsushi Tamaru and Ai Kakuma who portrayed the characters of Aoi, Ginji, Oodanna, Byakuya and Oryou respectively all did an excellent job at portraying their assigned characters. In addition, while I didn’t cover them I felt that Yuma Uchida, Maaya Uchida, Reina Ueda, Mitsuki Nakae, Aoi Yuki, Kaito Ishikawa and Sayaka Kaneko who portrayed the characters of Akatsuki, Suzuran, Shizuna, Kasuga, Ougon Douji, Ranmaru and Nene respectively all did an excellent job at voicing their assigned roles.

Overall conclusion

In overall Kakuriyo was an anime that I really enjoyed and was one of the few animes that I felt really deserves a full season. I felt that Kakuriyo’s greatest strengths were its interesting premise, excellent story, well designed and developed characters, creative emotional problems that require Aoi to solve, excellent voice acting and a lot of interesting life lessons.

The overall premise of the series which was the kidnapping of Aoi and being told that you have been promised to marry the ogre that you have been brought before and Aoi’s subsequent determination to not just refuse it but also display a desire to pay back the debt by working within the world I felt was an interesting one and certainly one that’s rare within the world of anime. However, while strong this premise won’t be enough if it doesn’t have a good enough story that it marries itself too and in this is another of Kakuriyo’s strengths. As a result of both the fact that Aoi is the fiancée to the inn’s popular master and also of the fact that Aoi is also a human it won’t be an understatement to say that Aoi’s journey to start to work off her debt by first opening her eatery was an easy one as the inn’s staff definitely tried their hardest to stop her. However while these actions were often petty these actions also allowed us to see how Aoi not just withstands these abuse but also start to gradually overcome the innate hatred and distrust that her detractors have for her via her actions that not only help the inn’s but also serve to prove to them that while human Aoi isn’t just a pretty face and has both a kind and caring personality and plenty of skills that easily make her an equal to her detractors. Watching Aoi gradually win over her detractors by not just showing her creativeness but also her excellent ability as both a cook and a listener I felt was something that was really well done and resonated well with the series main theme of forging bonds and friendships with the ayakashi and changing their opinion of humans.

While the story did a great job of showing how Aoi’s attempts to help others and solve their problems managed to win over plenty of ayakashi who formerly disliked her I felt that the reverse is also true as by interacting with the ayakashi and seeing their world Aoi not only realized how similar this world was to her own but gradually came to like it as well something that was the complete opposite of what she thought at first upon her arrival and a good indication that not just the ayakashi but Aoi herself is changing as they both interact with each other.

While the main plot was interesting I felt that the series also made great use of a number of subplots that not just took great advantage of the different lands and species that made up the realm by not just introducing the large variety of support characters that existed within the series but also expand upon them by allowing Aoi to interact with them and understand the issues that they are burdened with. While allowing Aoi to convert them from enemies to allies and friends these subplots also allowed us to see the many unique problems that bother each of the support characters which serve to expand upon their personalities something that I felt was well thought out. Overall Kakuriyo was an anime that I really enjoyed with its main strong points being its unique premise, story, characters, creative problems and excellent voice acting. As a final score I felt that Kakuriyo easily deserves a final score of 10/10.

After watching the first episode I had low expectations of this show. The whole Mary Sue in wonderland thing has been done to death at this point. Having the angle be a Japanese fantasy and it being a romance that attempts a reverse harem was not a bad idea so I kept watching. My tastes are simple, I see a cute guy in black or a fox dude and I'm in. Then the show's problems start to pile up. At first the story/plot line is really thin as they're not sure what to focus on. Should it be the character cast? The spirit world? Or thefood since it's a restaurant?

Out of confusion they threw their hands in the air and said NONE, we will focus on none and just create random situations to fill up each episode. Just make sure The leading lady comes out of it smelling like a rose and the lead Man as super awesome making them the perfect match.

I have to believe that there were budget restrains on this anime as it pads the running time with lingering shots (supposedly to showcase the artwork but really it's a normal shot nothing spectacular) a ton of looping animation and flashbacks.

This last point is why I'm rating this so low, The show has so little respect for it's viewers that it would flashback to something that happened minutes, literally minutes ago in the same episode. If a character looks angsty they'll tell you exactly why in the very next frame. If you saw something like say a yokai transforming for the first time then you get the jest . In the next scene you don't need them to tell you that they are the spirit of so or so... you just saw it!

This show is just sad. The artwork suffers and has an unfinished quality to it, The animation is really cheap, the storyline is paper thin, the Characters have no distinct personality and are only there to tell you how amazing the leads are... the leads who are Mary Sues so they have no personality either.

There are way better shows out there for this genre, This one stole elements from almost every show in the recommendation list under it yet did nothing with it. Things just happen then the people disappear, like a kid playing with his action toys where suddenly out of nowhere this happens and this happens and some unrelated person appears so hero will save the day. Lame...

Cast in a spirit world of mythology and supernatural entities, Kakuriyo no Yadomeshi (Bed & Breakfast for Spirits) came together as a 2-cour show of enchanting brilliance. It’s actually based on a light novel but the ideas behind it reminds me of reading fantasy literature where the author knows what the readers wants. As a show that people probably overlooked this year, this anime definitely sets the bar. Written by Midori Yuuma, some of the authors’ work all contain several genres mixed together. When I began watching this show, it gave me the impression of a mythical slice of life while blending in cooking elements. Then,you add some demonic entities in this show and volia, we have Kakuriyo no Yadomeshi. Make no mistake, Kakuriyo no Yadomeshi is relatively simple to understand but may be hard to truly embrace. From my first viewing, it felt like the series was aiming to please a certain demographic. Folks who enjoy slice of life with an easy pacing may find this more watchable than others. However, this anime does accomplish a variety of goals that I think needs to be recognized.

The plot focuses on a college student named Aoi Tsubaki who has the ability to see Ayakashi. These entities are spirits that we’ll see often throughout the show and she inherited this ability from her grandmother. It doesn’t take long for an Ayakashi to take her to a place known as the “Hidden Realm”. It’s a place where Ayakashi spends their lives. Aoi finds out the hard way as she realized her grandfather owed a debt. The collateral? It’s herself. It sets up for an arranged marriage as Aoi is forced to marry Oodanna to pay off the debt. However, she proposes to pay the debt by working at a restaurant there. What we get now is a human girl in this spirit world as her life changes forever. What does this all sound to you? If it reminds you of series like Kamisama Kiss or The Ancient Magus Bride, then you would be right. Both series involves a human girl getting involved with a not-so-normal entity while they adapt with a new lifestyle. From there on, they take on their role while surprising everyone at what they can really do. However, I would also say that this anime made a distinction of its own.

To put it into perspective, the sensation I got from this series blends slice of life with fantasy with also a bit of shoujo vibe. Aoi is a standard female protagonist and despite her unique talent, she still falls under traps of being a damsel in distress. She often gets herself caught in danger by being at the wrong place at the wrong time. This is especially shown early in the series when she gets lost around the Hidden Realm. However, Aoi is also a very kind and gentle person. She accepts others for who they are and sincerely cares about the well-being of others, especially those who she trusts. Throughout the series, others sees her as a reliable and honorable person rather than just a marriage candidate. I think this is particular true for Oodanna as the two begins to understand each other more. Of course, there’s some subtle romance elements between the two. However, the show doesn’t fully explore that territory as this isn’t a love story. Joining them also includes other bishounens like Ginj, Akatsuki, and Byakuya. Ginji is noticeable from this list as he’s the first Ayakashi to show kindness to Aoi. As a nine-tailed fox, he also has the unique ability to shapeshift. It didn’t take long for him to notice Aoi’s culinary talent either. On the other hand, Akatsuki comes off as one of the more unfriendly characters. It’s hard to get along with him and the show makes it clear through effective storytelling in the form of flashbacks. Indeed, be prepared for a lot of flashbacks in the show especially on Aoi. She is the most important character in the story and this show attempts its best at getting us to understand her more.

As Aoi meets and more characters, some will definitely find her as a nuisance and even sees the girl as a rival. Oryou is the most prominent example of this as she becomes jealous of her presence. It’s not exactly a love rivalry despite her obvious feelings towards Oodona. It’s more about Oryou trying to prove herself as being better. After a certain incident, she sees Aoi less as a rival and more as a friend. This sort of Aoi’s innate ability to change certain characters in the series is definitely something valuable. Initially, many characters in the series distrust her simply because she is human. However, Aoi can virtually make friends with just about anyone after proving herself. Other female characters in the series such as Kasuga and Shizuna also respects her as a person they can trust in.

With 26 episodes, you may be asking yourself how to really enjoy this series. To be honest, there isn’t an easy answer but treating this show as a fantasy slice of life feels like the best route to go. The plot isn’t complex and it’s easy to understand the story. It doesn’t try to mislead viewers or try be something it’s not. There’s also cooking elements in the show that enhances the experience for those who seek some decorative slice of life. I’ve seen plenty of slice of life series and this anime crafts its cooking content with creativity.

To be honest, Gonzo is an unusual choice for this show. From day one, I asked myself is they can make this show look like what it is and thankfully, there’s no worries. My first impression of the artwork is the shoujo-like character designs. Let’s face it, the bishounens in this series are pretty boys with handsome features. Even as Ayakashi, most of them look human. Then, there’s Aoi with her feminine and delicate character design. The show is also known for creating charming little critters like Chibi. In their mythical forms, most of the characters gives the impression of Japanese mythology. This is because the show is set in a spirit world and everything looks dream-like with a feeling of enchanting mystique. Similarly, this extends to the decorative theme songs of the show and character voices. Last but not least, I can also say with confidence that the food in the show look realistic enough to please. There’s a variety with carefully crafted texture and details for every dish no matter how simple or complicated.

Kakuriyo no Yadomeshi is a hidden gem from this year that most people may have overlooked. I have to admit that prior to watching this show, I had little interest in it either until realizing what it was really about. A fantasy slice of life anime like this doesn’t come by too often and can feel like a trick pony. But after finishing the series, it definitely convinced me to hope for more shows like this in the future.

This anime was very chill, relaxing and entertaining. However, there's a reason of why I put this anime on-hold for such a long time. For months in fact. Kakuriyo no Yadomeshi is an anime about a girl who had the isekai effect ( aka transported to another world ) and then instead of fighting monsters. She instead open a "human" food shop where she makes and sells "human" food. The story's quite simple and it's mostly about her helping other yokais as they come and go. And that's about it. The reason why I held this anime for so long is because of the factthat I see no progress at all in the romance factor. Okay, I actually already expected this because the anime isn't categorize as romance. However, I solely started this anime for three things. Food, Kamisama ( God ) and Romance. I got two, but not the last one in which disappointed me incredibly.

Although I am incredibly disappointed. Aside from the trash-ass-slow-paced-romance. The show itself does a pretty good job overall. The food looks delicious, the art style's good, there are many likable characters and the sounds are not so bad as well.

If I had to describe this anime then I would call it "A Disgrace As A Romance But At least It Has Good Food." Ah, there's literally nothing better that could describe this anime. Seriously, if this anime had more romance then I'd probably give it a 9 or so. Very disappointed.

I recommend this anime to anyone who's looking for something chill + some food. Oh yeah, if you've started watching this with the expectations of getting romance. Don't! Quit right now! You'll regret watching it!

Going through the intensive 6 months of this series, I have only but one word to describe this series: Decent. It's fine, it's meh, nothing good nor bad, both traits cancelled and equaled each other. And it's been a while since Gonzo has done a 2-cour series (since 2009), but the studio's quality of making anime has deteriorated overtime, and Kakuriyo no Yadomeshi is no different. Story: It's very easy to summarize the entirety of the show, not just because of the source material, but of how shallow the series the staff working on this show decided to place the various scenes around with coherent but inconsistentflow:

1st Cour:

- Girl gets summoned into the supernatural world (tempted to call it an Isekai, similarity sake) because of her predecssor's problems, then gets coerced into a "legal"-binding marriage with an ayakashi (or Spirit).

- To avoid this controversy of a major problem (pay off all debts of her deceased uncle), she sets up "shop" at the inn so that they can monitor her every action while she cooks up food from the apparent realm (the world humans live in) to appease and satisate all of the ayakashi's taste buds. Together with her companion Chibi (which is the small tortoise-looking kappa), the weird "love-romance" interest between Aoi and the Master (Oodanna) exists...? More likely as a source of protection.

Result: The first few episodes really got me intrigued...but somehow along the way it becomes repetitive. And also, you can throw the Isekai Shokudou reference out already, because this line is played consistently in EVERY episode, so much to the fact that it has gotten boring overtime.

2nd Cour:

- To make matters worse, she is caught in the fire of another inn, this time serving in the land of no return and acting as the rival inn to the one that she resides in.

- Adding the fuel to the fire, the rival inn ALSO knows of the travesty of the girl's deceased uncle, and aims to shoot everything at her feet while not giving her leeway to do as she pleases.

- The nail in the coffin: Some traditional festival to please the ayakashi god of that festival to maintain peace and prosperity, and the ayakashi in charge acts like some mean and demeanor villain to derail the rival inn and the girl's efforts...just to invoke some senseless and forced emotional "drama".

Result: A story that while handled by series composer, veteran Tomoko Konparu (Nodame Cantabile, NANA, Kimi no Todoke), is handled by someone whom has done a lot of Side-B directorials (key animation, character designs etc.) and this is her very first overall directorial work. But somehow, as good as how we perceived this series to be, the problems start showing up one after another, so much so when we needed the understanding link, it is nowhere to be found.

Characters:

Aoi Tsubaki is a firm and steady girl, and does not give in to peer pressure, and I applaud Nao Touyama for voicing as her because for all intensive purposes, she is the perfect character for Aoi. Amidst the travesty of having to bear her uncle's (Shiro) tainted footsteps, by redeeming herself to restore the dignity of her relative, can she ever find relief in doing the things she loves.

The spirits governing and managing both Tenjin-ya and Orio-ya...let's just say "one's a company, two's a crowd, three's a party". Throughout the course of the series, they appear at the key moments where the Master and Aoi were having problems of their own, and they were the catalyst to "keep things moving" and substantiate the relationship of Aoi and the other ayakashi.

I never thought I would say this, but the number of characters here were perhaps a bit overbearing, like "What's the point of them showing up only when (specific) things occur"? The initial focus on both the romance of Aoi and Oodanna (this ain't a reverse harem), along with the friendships of the closest aide Ginji and Chibi the annoying kappa (which only eats cucumber), that switch is always on and off, to the point that I was wondering what is the resolution of the characters if they were meant to serve that one-and-only purpose.

Art and animation:

No surprise here, it's Gonzo. Their works of recent are less than impressive with nothing noteworthy of mention, and it doesn't help that the artwork is seriously washed out, animation is cut-thin while being of decent quality, and the entirely has an incomplete sense of quality. And despite all that, I think this is the perfect series that compromises everything about the studio: decent to downright mediocre. Nothing more to say about this aspect.

Music:

This particular OST is rife with the usual 2-cour OPs but MANY EDs due to the fact that certain episodes encompass the main male ayakashi as the centrifugal position (majority of screentime) where the series storytelling lands into. I'd say this was a somewhat interesting mix, so let's break it down:

OP: Great with Nao Touyama's voice talents and absolutely brillant with nano.

ED: Main EDs are great, with the various male ayakashi's VAs being OK at best.

Easily the best part about the series. And then again, nothing more.

In the end, this series, while being a poor man's effort of every other series done right, be it subtle references of such, is sadly a chore to watch once you get to know what is happening, and that as is remains for the core foundation of everything. So much so that the boredom and tireness tells the story of one irrefutable destiny that is laid dormant and never focused again. What a shame this is, playing the lame game all the time.

I'll admit, I'm not an avid watcher of anime, but I'm a sucker for Shojo anime. Firstly, I'll state what I like and what I don't later. Okay, so I adored the traditional Japanese music used in the intro, and sometimes in the scenes themselves, it felt authentic and I loved the vibe. Some of the character designs are so cute, in fact, I like most of them, especially Suzuran and Ōdanna. Oh, and the story was promising at first as well (uh oh), and the exposition in the first episode made me excited. I guess that is all to it, I'll get into the nitty gritty details of it.Up to episode 3, I was satisfied. I, personally, like Odanna a lot and wouldn't mind seeing Aoi and him together. I was SO disappointed to see in the later episodes, NOTHING happened. The premise was dropped like a stone and the show just introduced more and more characters I don't care about.

None of the characters even breathed without saying "Oh Aoi, your grandpappy was a real (insert cliche line about him saving their life or messing with them)" It's so ANNOYING! And they keep eating food and talking about it all the time? Like, is it relevant or is this a cooking anime? BORING.

Also, I cannot seem to pinpoint if this is a romance or some kind of adventure? The stint about the business in the restaurant was so boring.

My biggest issue is the lack of plot. Okay so basically, Aoi wants to know more about her mysterious grandad and wants nothing to do with Ogre-boy. Right? There's a red herring about her grandad being alive and the demon who helped her.

Is the show going to talk about finding peace with demons and humans?

Will Aoi and Odanna fall in love and maintain the inn together? Will Aoi fail in her restaurant mission?

No.

Instead I'm sitting through filler and pointless nonsense about characters grunting happily while they eat some mediocre cooking and fawn over her grandad. Pointless. Stupid.

Still, I'm watching because of Odanna. Then again, the writing is so TERRIBLE he doesn't get much screentime :(. I hope to see more of him and Aoi and hopefully some world building too...

Overall, the show is meh but promising. I don't suggest watching it if you cannot stand filler and stupid boring characters with LOADS of cliche.

Out of ten, I give it a 5 1/2.

If you’re thinking about watching Kakuriyo no Yadomeshi, there are two possible reasons: either you’re in the mood to switch your brain off and let the story carry you wherever it pleases, or you’re scraping the bottom of the anime barrel and this happens to have romance, fantasy, and food—so why not, right? Spoiler: you'll soon regret it. Let's start with the good stuff, or what's left of it. The opening and ending music? Pretty solid. Some character backstories? Not awful, just nothing to write home about. Is it a romance? A cooking show? A mystery? A thriller? Who knows! The show itself can’t decide, andthe result is a tangled mess of plotlines that don’t blend well. The lore is hurriedly crammed in through long, snooze-worthy scenes where characters explain the world to a protagonist who seems more clueless than curious. And don’t even get me started on the "big mystery" about the masked ayakashi. The whole thing could’ve been solved with two simple questions, but no—we get dragged along.

Speaking of being dragged, the animation quality is just as lifeless as the plot. It’s like the animators were trying to win a "least movement possible" contest. There were moments where I thought my TV had frozen, only to realize the characters just weren't moving. The protagonist, Aoi, must have some kind of irresistible invisible charm, because everyone she meets—despite initially disliking her—comes around and loves her after an episode or two. Aoi, is your classic damsel in distress, constantly leaning on her one defining trait: that one time she ate food given to her by an ayakashi as a child. Each episode just serves to show how "caring" she is, but after a while, it feels like the show is yelling, "Look! She’s nice! Please care about her!" Overkill much?

Her supposed husband, Odanna, who’s an ogre (though he acts more like her grandpa, whose name you’ll never know unless you Google it because he’s always just called "Ogre God"), barely interacts with her. They go from mild distaste to being... friendly acquaintances, at best. He brings zero romantic energy to the table. There’s absolutely no development between them. They have the same boring conversations episode after episode, which gets old real fast. And then there's Odanna's face. He’s got one expression—a blank, unblinking smile—and that's all you’re gonna get. It’s like the animators were as tired of him as we are. I mean, how can you root for the main couple when the love interest looks like a badly drawn emoji?

Honestly, I found myself shipping Aoi with pretty much anyone else on the show. There's more spark between her and the kitchen utensils than there is with her supposed soulmate. The romance subplot feels like it’s being crammed down your throat, but it never actually goes anywhere.

Character development? What’s that? Everyone is either "nice" or "mean," and that’s it. Aoi, despite being deceived, mistreated, and literally imprisoned multiple times, forgives everyone faster than you can blink. It's laughable. And Odanna? He’s about as emotional as a block of wood with a glued-on smile.

It’s boring. I never knew where it was going, and frankly, I didn’t care. Each episode felt like filler, with no meaningful progression. The moments that were supposed to tug on your heartstrings felt as flat as day-old soda. By the end, I couldn’t recall a single significant plot point. Honestly, this show might’ve been better off staying a manga.

In the end, the plot just drifts aimlessly, like a boat with no oars, and after a few episodes, you'll probably wish it would sink already. Kakuriyo no Yadomeshi is an anime that’s easy to forget, and frankly, it should stay that way.

Yikes. Embarrassing that this show has such a high rating when better anime like Kamisama Kiss exist with a similar feel. The animation for this show is straight up lazy. At first the premise sounded cool and I enjoyed the first episode, but the whole anime feels like filler--pointless episodes going absolutely nowhere. The characters weren't even good enough to make it worth while; MC is a mary-sue, and everyone else is so flaccid. Where's the flavour? Theyre all just caricatures of certain personality types. At least their character designs were cute I wanted to see more of a relationship form between the ogre andMC but they get random odd scenes together (mainly when he's rescuing her because she's constantly a "damsel"). In fact, it seemed sometimes that Ginji and the MC had a possible thing going on more than the ogre.

I would never watch this again lol

As soon as I read the summary of this, it got me really interested (since I'm into fantasy genre). The story is good, I love the characters, mostly everything but NOT ENTIRELY everything (gets?) ^^ In a story, there should be a climax, but for me, I can't find which parts or episode/s is/are the climax. I even asked myself, "am I watching a cooking anime?" xD Don't get me wrong, I also like watching cooking anime but in this anime, I wasn't prepared for it to be like that. I also think that the lesson you'll get in this anime is, cooking for someone orto others (especially if the food is delicious) gives you and them happiness, and will also bring you energy and move forward in your day to day life (ayakashi or not :D)

Overall, I like the anime but it just didn't give me too much excitement. To others, this might be a boring anime, but I suggest you guys to give this anime a try.

I have two major gripes with this show that won’t let me comfortably watch any more of this: the animation is terrible, and I can’t be bothered to care about the “story” at the moment. I hate to put a show down for animation quality; the industry is attempting to make insane amounts of (underpaid) output happen. This seems to be the way things are going, so I don’t want to be too critical of shows for this reason, but time and time again I found myself uncomfortable with how this looked. Faces are void of the emotion their voice actors attempt to put on.There are sometimes long and awkward pauses on unimportant images. Heck, the flashbacks people complain so much about probably aren't a shortcoming of the story, but of the animation budget, scrambling to fill up as much of the 20-minute block as they can. It’s a shame, too; the story isn’t absolutely terrible, but when it’s this hard to look at, it’s not worth continuing.

The story isn’t bad, but it’s certainly not great. The main issue with it is that there are so many mini-plots going on at a time, and I can't bring myself to care about any of them. I’ve waited six episodes for one solid anchor to pop up, but instead I get a ton of different trains of thought (mild spoilers):

- Aoi almost starved to death once, and her grandfather taught her how to cook, so she appreciates food. When she gets whisked away to the spirit realm, maybe she can work off this surprise debt by running the restaurant, and I oop-

- But no one wants her to cook? They say “women don’t belong in the kitchen,” but they never explain that one to me, at least from a western perspective.

- Oh, and she’s that smelly grandpa’s daughter. You know, that guy that everyone spontaneously loves and hates at the same time. AKA, the guy with more characterization going on for him than the lead character. And we can’t even decide how she feels about him because a.) he’s treated her like gold and like dirt, teaching her how to cook but also giving her away in advance to some demon dude, and…

- b.) the lead barely has any emotions of her own, it seems. She just likes to unconditionally take part in the lives of the…

- ...other characters along the way, which seem to pop in and out of episodes like nothing as if they’re already known to me but they’re really not. (In the case of spider brother/sister, Sasuke, snow woman, etc.)

In short, this series hasn’t given me a solid reason to care about what’s going on. It’s a shame because the world seems lush with creative ideas milling about in the background, but I can't get through its main presentation.

I honestly love this show, I don't really like a cliche romance or cliches in general. I think this did fall into some cliches considering there were tengu and a nine-tailed fox, but I did learn more about the folktale compared to an anime like Kamisama Kiss. This show isn't focused on romance too much, it is the main premise and I feel like Odanna doesn't get enough show time and the chemistry between them feels rushed. He's still a great and kind character and I think the manga goes into their romance more. I was also a bit hesitant at first to watch thisbecause of the food, and I still don't really care too much about it, but I love the dialogue and plot.

The main character is not weak and docile, she will speak up when she feels so and she can be kind, but teasing and playful as well. She constantly helps people with her food even though people talk ill of her, but she will not back down. She is forced into the marriage but doesn't plan to accept it. Even though she doesn't hate Odanna, she still continues to work her hardest.

Byakuya and Ranmaru are also very entertaining characters, in my opinion. But I won't say too much.

There are times where I've cried and I just love everyone in the anime because it's very wholesome and cute. I hope others will watch it too <3

The only word to describe this series is 'BORING'. This series was a complete meh, but what makes me frustrated is that it had SO MUCH potential - with the interesting spirit world backdrop, the restaurant and food trope, the romance between a human girl and a seemingly powerful demon. Everything that makes me drool about an anime, and they managed to get every bit wrong. This will be more of a rant that a review so here we go: Let's start with the setting of the spirit world. The world could've easily had a rich lore and history & I can think of a billion legends/myths ofwhich to base this off of. It could've had a rich tapestry of places and wacky spirits/creatures filling the place with colour and mystique (think Spirited Away). NOPE - The inn felt empty and cold. We didn't see a single guest stay at the inn (apart from one or two sides characters who appeared, finished their arc, then left). We didn't get introduced to any location in the spirit world other than the stupid fake-inn that noone seemed to stay at. The plain and sparse art only added to this 'empty' feeling, where the studio either: didn't have the budget to draw any furniture in the rooms, or were just cutting corners.

NEXT - The romance : It was so emotionless and vanilla. They spent so much time setting up the male lead to be this scary, dark, tsundere demon but he was SO VANILLA, servile and there was no explanation for why he liked the female lead.

THE CHARACTERS had no dimension to them at all. They were flat and boring because there was no area of interest, flaw or conflict in their personalities. Side characters had little screentime and low quality arcs relying on story-telling via cheap flashbacks. The dialogue was detached, formal and polite.

I can't believe I wasted my time on this but atleast I watched it so now you don't have to.

As the new anime season rolled in, I began to look for series that I thought would fit my interest and would be enjoyable to watch at my own pace. Kakyriyo no Yadomeshi appeared to be a good mix of what I wanted with a bit of action, a focus on supernatural, and a light-hearted romance on the side. As I continued to watch on it quickly dawned on me that the plot, story, and characters were getting nowhere fast. After the 12th episode aired I decided I had given this show enough of my attention and it was time to drop it in favorof another seasonal show.

The premise of Kakyriyo no Yadomeshi is rather a cut-and-dry love story that takes place in a parallel world filled with Japanese spirits. The art style is very generic for the romance genre with many episodes have mediocre or even laughable quality control on the character’s ratios or movements. Every 2-3 episodes consist of a still image, with generic traditional Japanese music being played, that is meant to highlight the beauty of the art style where it really just shows the mediocrities.

As far as characters go, they are all rather stereotypical and can be extremely predictable at times. The main character, Tsubaki Aoi, comes off as very Mary Sue since she has no family left living, can see spirits, and can cook up just about anything from tofu ice cream to homemade mayonnaise. The show explains that her grandfather took her under his wing and, seemly, transformed her into a character out of Shokugeki no Souma. Aoi is then warned to never truly trust a ‘Ayakashi’ as they have fowl intentions for those with supernatural abilities.

Naturally, one of the first true impressions we receive is Aoi taking a present with no regards to her own safety and gets spirited away. The main love interest, Odanna, is a typical rich boy attitude that somehow is able to charm our main girl even when she is simply there to act as collateral for her grandfather’s debt. The cast of characters are seen every episode or so with most only getting 1-2 episodes of growth before resorting to their old personalities.

The music in the show is nothing that is really majestic or something I would go back and listen too, however, it does fit the theme of traditional Japan since most of the characters are seen wearing traditional dress and traditional food options. Since this show was originally a light novel series adapted to a manga serialization then created into a 26-part anime, I believe the show must have lost a good portion of its natural charm.

For those that want a show that’s not serious about itself, uninspired on its themes, and full of predictable side characters this would be the best. As horrible as it is, it might not be a bad start for people just getting into anime or for a rather easy to follow plot for new comers. Is it a ground-breaking master piece or might it ever be considered a classic? Not by a long shot.

I gave Kakuriyo no Yadomeshi a solid 7/10 because while it wasn’t a thrill a minute type of show, it definitely warmed my heart and kept me interested throughout. If you’re into anime with a gentle pace, charming yokai, and a strong female lead who finds her place through food and kindness, this one’s for you. The story centers around Aoi, who ends up in the spirit world to pay off her grandfather’s debt. Instead of accepting a forced marriage, she takes control of her fate by opening a restaurant and winning people over with delicious cooking. The atmosphere is cozy, the yokai world is beautifullydesigned, and there’s a quiet strength in how Aoi chooses compassion over conflict.

It’s not action packed or overly romantic, but the emotional growth, subtle relationships, and calming tone made it a genuinely enjoyable watch. It’s the kind of anime you watch when you want to feel at peace, and maybe crave some rice balls after.

Oh where should I start? I love animes about the spirit world and the supernatural in general. I am a sucker for romance, especially the ones revolving around cute, girls with big eyes, that grow stronger and more capable, and cool, powerful men (with smaller eyes), who are mean and/or cold at first but reveal a loving side buried deep within. The usual romance stuff. So this is anime is right up my alley, so I thought. Oh, what a disappointment! After unwarranted hours of hoping that the story will pick up, this anime became part of the very short list of animes I could not sit through.I really, really tried! I was left with a feeling of having wasted hours of my life that I will never get back.

While the art style looks great, the animation itself is stiff and the characters are completely void of expression and emotion. The anime has a very weak story to start with, no focus, and no development. Every situation the female protagonist stumbles on to gets resolved immediately, mostly without much participation on her part.

The "problems" that come up seem artificial, they are not properly set-up, and nothing has a satisfying payoff (emotional or otherwise). Everything is pure exposition (telling instead of showing). They don't even try to make you feel anything.

There is no conflict that is not immediately resolved, no real emotion and zero chemistry between any of the characters. This is especially true for the main character and her love interest. Everything that happens in the story and between them is meh and only exists because – the plot tells you it does.

I do not want to discuss the story, as I have forgotten most of it already. I do want to use a couple of early scenes, to underline my point:

1) There is one situation where she (the protagonist) sees him (love interest) walking in the rain. Next thing we know, she catches up to him. There is no reason why she does it. She literally tells him, that she wanted to know where he is going. But why? At this point in the story, she is not interested in him, he wasn't doing anything suspicious, we weren't told anything about a mystery that needed to be solved, and it is raining for crying out loud!

I would need a hefty reason to run after someone while it pours down like that. Instead, it seems that the anime just needed an excuse to make them walk close to each other... Because, as we know: walking close means that they are getting close... Yes, she had nothing to do when she saw him and was probably incredibly bored (not unlike me), but not even this was established as her reasons to follow him. The worst part is that the anime doesn't even use this artificially created situation for anything. She could have spied on him while he was doing something endearing and/or secret, which then could have been used to establish a bond between them or balance-out a personality flaw to show that he is worthy of her love... or something along those lines. Oh well, for that to be possible he actually would have to have a personality, to begin with.

2) And then there is this "storyline" that introduces a character that is some sort of bookkeeper. He is established as a (very weak) antagonist that tells her "either you start making a profit or I will shut you down" - this obviously gets resolved quickly, via this show's favorite plot device: Deus ex Machina.... and he (the bookkeeper) is friendly again. The next time she sees him, however, she is still scared of him. Why? What did he do? Was he unfair? Was he hostile for unresolved reasons? Was he cruel, threaten her with violence, murder an innocent? Nope! He snapped a paper fan...

To sum up, this anime is just incredibly boring. I would have been better off spending my time counting dust specks on the TV screen.

I did have fun writing this, so there is that.

This review contain several spoilers of Kakuriyo no Yadomeshi, but honestly, if I were you, I'd just delete this show from the plan to watch, it doesn't worth your time. You still want to know what I think of this crappy show? Ok. So, you don't care 'bout spoilers. I'm assuming that. If you watched like, four romances and one supernatural show, you know exactly what is going to happen in Kakuriyo. It is predictable as that. They took the laziness in a whole new level while writing the script for this show. Basically, Kakuriyo is about Tsubaki Aoi, a girl that can see spirits named Ayakashi,and one beautiful day, a handsome ogre (it would be better if it was good ol' Shrek) stepped onto her and asked "do you wanna come with me to my world?" and Aoi, as a woman full of obligations, full of bills to pay, of work to do, said: "sure, why not?" and then discovered that his grandpa lost to the ogre in a bet, and that she was the prize. But she refuses to marry the ogre! As the independent woman that she is (at this point, there someone who still believe in this?), she starts a restaurant to pay her debt with the handsome ogre, and so the story begins.

Story: 3/10

This anime treats the audience like complete idiots. They do flashbacks of things that happened 1 episode before, or even in the SAME EPISODE! Another thing, is that they don't know how to foreshadowing a thing. In episode 3 or 4 they introduced a blond children in the story, but in episode 15, they revealed that in fact, the blonde children was the Ougon-douji, the master of the Hachiko Council and superior to the Odanna and all the other Hachiko, but why is her so powerful? Why is her so important? How did she became the woman that she is now, respected and feared by all the eight kingdons? The anime simply don't tell any of that to you. And I'm just started.

There's a character named Ginji and another named Ranmaru in this series. I'll talk more about them in the Characters section, but for now, just know that they can transform into, respectively, a dog and a fox. In episode 24, they went to this place that were inside a painting on a parchment that represented a river in a sunny day, with a forest on one side and a mountain on the other, and by that, you presume that this world will be in stasis, right? To represent the image that was painted on, the world will be in stasis, always day, always sun, no rain and all of that, right? But the anime just says "fuck you and your logic" and creates and entire and a functional ecosystem... INSIDE A PAINTING! There's night and day cycle, there's rain and fog! AND THAT MADE NO FUCKING SENSE AT ALL!!! And to top it off, in the end, Ranmaru and Ginji arrive on the place they were trying to arrive (with Aoi, because fuck logic, she's the protagonist), and for no reason, they turn into puppies and rub their heads. By the direction of the scene, it was supposed to be an emotional scene, the two brothers reconciling and all, but I was just laughing. There were NO REASON fort them to turn into puppies. I think they did this just to please the furry fandom (and they did it, search for "Ranmaru" on Rule34).

But, let's move on, you already know why the story is crap and cliché, let's move on to the Art. Oh boy...

Art: 3/10

This is by far, one of the most poorly executed animations of Gonzo Studio. There were so many proportion errors, so many bad animation, so many repeated frames that I could pass the entire month writing about each one of them, but let's just focus on the thing that made me most upset about this: The use of CGI.

I would not care if they started the anime with some elements already in CGI and carry that for the rest of the anime, really, the CGI isn't bad at all. My issue is that around episode 16, they stopped doing the flying boats in 2D like in the beginning of the anime and started doing in CGI. Why not use CGI from the beginning? Why change it midway? This is laziness at it's best. All the other art errors falls to this point: laziness. This entire anime were lazily made.

Sound: 8/10

Let's talk about the only thing that this anime did right: the soundtrack. Man, it is awesome. They did with traditional instruments from Japan, and it fits really well with the scenes, with the setting of the show, is really good. And the openings are very good too, the first is more traditional japan, had this emotional feeling, and the second is more heavy, representing the flow of the plot, that started to get more politically complex (although in episode 19 they forget all that they built) and the song is more fast and catchy than the first one, it suits more my musical taste. But both openings are good in their way.

Characters: 2/10

I hate all the characters of this show except of Ginji. Aoi is more dumb than a door, she always do the same mistakes and always have to be rescued; Odanna is really boring and the way that he always insists in marry Aoi, even though she clearly don't want to, really pisses me off; Ranmaru is... someone please kill him, he's A DICK; Byakuya is omnipresent apparently, he always appears when Aoi needs help and is really boring to see the covenience that the plot made him be, because he had potential when he first appeared, and the rest of the cast just isn't worth to mention because NOBODY CARES. Besides Ginji, all of the characters of this anime are boring as hell. And the thing that made me hate this anime even more: the mysterious ayakashi.

The anime presents in the beginning this mysterious ayakashi that helped Aoi when her mother abandoned her, and this was the only bit of mystery that the show was working on. Later, in episode 14 I guess, the show revealed to us that this mysterious ayakashi that helped Aoi was in fact, Ginji, and Aoi started to feel something about Ginji, and so on, the anime worked to develop that feeling by taking Odanna out of place and putting Aoi with Ginji all of the time. And 10 eps later, Ginji reveals that he only helped the mysterious ayakashi. HE WASN'T THE MYSTERIOUS AYAKASHI! AND THE OPENING JUST SHOWS YOU THAT HE IS THE MYSTERIOUS AYAKASHI! WHY?! WHY THROW ON THE TRASH CAN THE ONLY MYSTERY THAT THIS PLOT WAS DEVELOPING?!

Enjoyment: 1/10

I barely had any enjoyment while watching this show. The episodes were really really boring, it was like I watched 100 episodes after finishing just one episode. In a moment, I just asked why I picked this anime to watch, and I was almost dropping when episode 24 came. THIS EPISODE IS ONE OF THE WORST EPISODES THAT I''VE WATCHED IN MY ENTIRE LIFE! After this episode I swore to myself that I was going to finish the anime and I was going to write this review. I had the same feeling with Darling In The FranXX, I just have to explain my thoughts of why this anime sucks.

Overall: 2/10

Kakuriyo no Yadomeshi is a bad anime. But it isn't like the bad animes out there: it offends you. It so bad that you get offended by watching it. It's so bad that you pause the episode and yell to the PC "WHAT THE FUCK? DID THIS REALLY HAPPENED? WHY? IT MAKES NO FUCKING SENSE!". Kakuriyo no Yadomeshi is one of the worst anime that I watched in my entire life. I suffered watching 26 episodes of this shit so you there won't have to suffer. Stay away of this anime. STAY AWAY!

Kakuriyo no Yadomeshi is boring, confused, poorly made, and all around one of the worst anime I have ever seen. This is my first review so sorry if it's not really good. When I read the summary for Kakuriyo Bed and Breakfast for spirits, I thought it was the average, lighthearted shoujo with a slight supernatural twist. What I got was radically different and extremely disappointing. This anime, in short, can't decide what is wants to be. There are basically four main story lines, each more unnecessary than the last. On one hand, the protagonist is learning to love a man that she was forced into anarranged marriage with while also managing a restaurant since the food she cooks apparently has strange rejuvenating powers in this other world. On the other hand, she is trying to find the ayakashi that helped her as a child in the midst of assassination attempts of unknown origin.

Is it a romance, a cooking anime, a mystery, or a thriller? I sincerely feel like this anime could have been half decent if they had focused on one or two things. Instead, it turned out to be a horrible, awkward story made of stitched-together story lines that hardly made sense. The lore is hastily explained, often through long, boring scenes of characters explaining how the world works to a clueless protagonist over an unanimated, unengaging slideshow of mediocre images. The entire story danced around this mystery of the "masked ayakashi" who gave her food as child when it really could have just been found out by asking a couple simple questions. The climax was the opposite of thrilling. And the worst part is that even with everything going on, the story managed to be incredibly boring.

Don't get me wrong, I don't need jaw-dropping scenes and seamless animation painstakingly drawn frame-by-frame. However, I have some standards, and Kakuriyo no Yadomeshi definitely did not mean those. The anime ran in 2018, which is fairly recent. In all honestly, the style of the anime was fine. The animation and the quality overall is horrible. There were scenes where I thought my TV was frozen because there was almost no movement except for maybe one character's mouth. It seemed like every character moved as little a possible in order to limit the amount of animation that needed to be done. I wouldn't be surprised if someone told me it was made in Microsoft Paint.

I've never seen a show with less character development. Every character's defining trait was either "nice" or "mean" and no one ever deviated from the character type established in episode one. Despite being deceived multiple times and receiving ill-treatment from multiple characters, the protagonist exhibits a nonsensical amount of naivete and believes every single word anyone says. Despite the situation, (ie. and attempt made on her life MULTIPLE TIMES, being imprisoned, fooled, discriminated against, etc.) she seems to automatically forgive and care for anyone in a way that is so unrealistic it's laughable. Moreover, it seems like no one can resist Aoi's nonexistent charms and every character who begins disliking her somehow comes to begrudgingly love her in an episode or two.

The relationship between the female protagonist, Aoi, and the main love interest, Odanna (who is almost exclusively referred to as "Ogre God" throughout the anime, so much so that I had to look up his name because I realized I never really learned it) never develops. Their relationship morphs from general distaste to friendly acquaintances at best. Apart from a small arc at the end of the anime, she hardly has an interaction with him as he makes an appearance for roughly 6 minutes an episode if any.

It was boring. I never once had a feel for where the anime was going and I never felt compelled to watch another episode when one ended. It never felt like the story was progressing and instead was just a documentary of a clueless girl wandering around in a world she knows nothing about. The moments that were supposed to tug on the heartstrings were devoid of emotion with no strong story to back it up. The moments that were supposed to be heartwarming felt cold because it never felt like you really knew any of the characters beyond surface level.

I cannot think of a less memorable anime. I finished it without being able to recall a single significant plot point. It seemed to be poorly made and honestly might have been better if it just remained a manga. The story was bad and confusing, the characters were boring and predictable, and every episode felt like filler because there was no substantial story. I have no idea why this was so well-received by viewers or why it has even a single rating above a 6 (and that's pushing it).

TLDR;

Please, don't waste your time. Don't watch Kakuriyo no Yadomeshi.

The last episode was so good, I wish that the whole series had been that good. There were a lot of underwhelming moments throughout the series but the events culminated nicely at the end, the backstory of the main character definitely served to advance the plot and not to enrich the character herself. Pretty much all she does is cook; she can cook and it solves all the problem in the story. For me the characters are all pretty one dimensional The lack of any sort of animation really made the production of the anime feel sloppy. I am sure that the additional level of detailin the manga is what is lacking in the anime and has caused this show to lose some of its depth. Nothing was fleshed out enough and there are several other similar anime that handled this type of supernatural josei much better.

This is a lighthearted series with a little bit of mystery. The story itself I think is very interesting and it gets better with more episodes. I do appreciate these ongoing series because MC is not too generic. She makes the story interesting by giving her best although it seems to be impossible to repay her grandfather’s debt. Her grandpa is a mysterious man to begin with and the more episodes passes the more information we get about him. The only minus thing is that between the episodes (at least to me) it felt like somethings missing. Like a better transition. (those gaps are executed betterin the manga)

It's a simple yet charming series. I didn't expect much at first, but now I found myself waiting for more episodes. Kakuriyo no Yadomeshi has a lot of potential and hopefully by the end of the series my given score will go up.