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.
First Impression
Given the premise, you would think it would have a more light-hearted tone, but the episode surprisingly gave a different type of tone than what was expected. There was a good amount of plot given while the characters were introduced and the way it presented their roles and personalities was interesting. Another interesting thing from the episode was the concept of the spirits and the humans not interacting with one another but rather eavesdropping on the other. A surprising point of the episode is that ti revealed a backstory of one of the characters, a rare move for a first episode.
General Impression
Again, the general tone of the series makes it stand out from what is expected especially when it mixes the mystery aspect with the concept of the humans and tsukumogami learning things through spying and gossip. This creates a rather different direction for the mystery genre and gives a unique touch to the series. Other than the concept giving something different, the characters also bring something fun to the series as well.
The way that different episode explores the past of the different characters does well in moving along the plot. The problem with this, however, is that the episodes tend to feel rather formulaic after a while. In addition, it takes a while for the plot to really kick in and even then there seems to be more focus on filter elements like the customers and their mysteries.
Conclusion
There’s a good concept going on and the characters are fun, but the series does have a few holes here and there. While there are a good mysteries going on, the plot does take a bit because of this and there seems to be a sort of a formula going on. What’s more, there are some predictable points to be found as well. Overall, it’s a different sort of supernatural mystery anime that is plain fun but could have some points that could have been done better.
Rating: 7.5/10