Synopsis
This is a story set within the Fukagawa ward of old Edo (present-day Tokyo), an area prone to fire and flooding. Because of this, residents rent everyday items like pots, futons, and clothing from shops instead of purchasing them, so as not to impede them when they flee. One of these rental shops, Izumoya, is owned by Obeni and Seiji, an older sister and younger brother pair.
What makes their shop different? Mixed with their inventory are tsukumogami, objects that have turned into spirits after a hundred years of existence. Sometimes, the siblings, who are able to see and hear these spirits, lend them to customers to assist them.
The Good
It’s a series that gave a different tone than expected, that’s for sure. Given the premise, one would expect the episode to give a more light-hearted introduction before diving into things. Instead, it gave a fun little plot while introducing the characters and their roles in the story. From the way that the characters’ personalities were shown in throughout the episode to the small bit on the spirits not interacting with the humans, there were quite a bit of interesting points which the episode gave. In addition to this, the episode surprisingly pulled out the backstory card for one of the characters, an early move that is a rather unexpected move on the episode’s part. ]
The Bad
The only real thing that stood out as a possible negative for the series was that the story of the episode held some rather predictable points and the pacing was rather fast. While it did lead to interesting character and story points, it does seem like a lot to dump within the first episode of the series. Then there is the whole thing going between the siblings that could honestly turn the whole series a tad awkward if not handled right. On the other hand, it might just be this writer’s experience with weird sibling dynamics in anime that’s saying it. Either way, the episode basically set a bar for itself with future episodes. It’s not a large bar, but it’s there.
Conclusion
It gives a lot for a first episode but at the same time, there were interesting points to be found. The pacing could have been done better but the episode did give a surprise or two for the viewer in terms of how it handled its characters and the story presentation. The way that the concept unfolded throughout the episode was rather fascinating and gave just enough room to develop in future episodes. Overall it’s a series that’s got promise in introducing a new supernatural aspect.
Rating: 7/10