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Sometimes the greatest distance is between people. Whether a man alienates himself from society with a façade of cheerfulness, or two friends fail to communicate their feelings of betrayal, invisible barriers plague mankind. Although love should bring people together, when a stoic renter and a dutiful monk choose to court a widow’s daughter, their mutual affections drive a bitter gap between them. During each encounter filled with mistrust and despair, the flaws of human nature slowly reveal themselves...
The dark and brooding Ayakashi is composed of three horror stories: the narration of a young woman named Oiwa who was abandoned and betrayed by the one she truly loved, leading her to curse all who stood in her way; a story of two star-crossed lovers – a human and a forgotten god – and their struggle to have a future together; and the tale of an evil and malicious demon who is haunting and murdering a family for unknown purposes. Though different in animation style and tone, each story shares a similar theme: the darkness of the human heart.
Ayakashi YCH and Aoi Bungaku are both collections of book adaptions from famous classic Japanese literature. Each adaption is done in a couple of episodes, and the feeling these stories have is a dark one. The visual style and tone of the different stories differs greatly, giving you something new every arc. If you enjoyed one of these series, most definitely do not miss out on the other, they are two of the same!
Keep in mind that Aoi Bungaku is a 2009 show with top notch production values, while JCH is from 2006 and looks, despite having good style, more dated.
Ayakashi and Aoi Bungaku are compilation series, where each portion was created by a different staff, and has a completely different flavor from the rest of the series. Both are beautifully animated, and more mature feeling than most anime. (Also sometimes there's gore)
While watching these two shows around the same time, I couldn't help but think they were perfect for each other. Each contain a number of classic Japanese stories and folklore which are mainly horror. If you like one, you should definitely check out the other.
Have you ever felt like the world would be a better place if certain people weren’t around? Such grim daydreams might occur when watching the dismal daily news, but on one fateful day, Yagami Light finds that these daydreams can become reality. By pure happenstance, he comes across a black notebook entitled "Death Note", whose text within states that whoever's name is written on its pages will die. With the aid of the death god Ryuk, Light takes it upon himself to rid the world of its corruption, ushering in a new era of purity one death at a time. But as Ryuk foretells, Light's actions will not go unchallenged...
This recommendation is for the first arc of Aoi Bungaku (No Longer Human, eps 1-4). The character designs were created by the same person as were Death Note's, and they're so distinctive, it's impossible not to be reminded of each other. Both center around an attractive, charismatic (though incapable of forming real relationaships for one reason or another) young man and his slipping sanity. No Longer Human and the more mellow parts of Death Note have very similar tones.
The rec. kind of works for a few other arcs, too. These are the only two series where I've ever seen the protagonist write so frantically, for instance.
For the first story arc of aoi bungaku.
Bouth sereies have a lot to do with morallity and phicology. THe main charecters of bouth have simmiler views on life pshycologeys and bouth have a very simmiler animation style and bouth bring up the question what is reallly murder.
You should like this ^_^
Same studio and similar feel. Aoi Bungaku is more of a horror though.
Another compilation of a bunch of stories from classical Japanese literature/poetry. Though the stories aren't particularly similar, the format is identical and not common, so if you liked that aspect of one, check out the other.
These two series tell stories based off of classic Japanese literature. Utakoi shares romantic tales while Aoi Bungaku's are dark and grim, but if you're interested in mature compilations of literature, you should definitely check both out.
In the year 360 BC, when Melos left Syracuse, all he was after was a ceremonial sword for his sister's wedding. Once there, however, he received much more than he bargained for: a charge of treason against the king, and an execution date in 3 days. Wanting only to return to the village to see the wedding, the aloof Melos thus accepted a deal: his friend Celine would take his place and be executed if Melos did not return in time. Now, with only 3 days and countless obstacles in his way, he must run with all his might to return and save the life of his noble friend before he is executed...
Aoi Bungaku also includes the Run Melos! story.
RM! fleshes out the myth more, including the entire story and scenes of everyday life in Ancient Greece. AB entertwines the myth with the story of a Japanese man adapting it for the theater.
Aoi Bungaku is definitely the more refined of the two, but focuses more on the authors back story than on the actual content of Run Melos. If you liked one you should check out the other.
Oboro, a naive, love-struck girl, is pledged to Gennosuke, an idealist. Both are successors to opposing ninja clans with a long history of hatred kept barely in check by a covenant of peace. Just as the two vow to reconcile the clans with their marriage, the shogun orders the feud to resume in order to resolve an internal struggle that threatens to tear the Tokugawa shogunate apart. Even worse, Oboro and Gennosuke themselves are forced to lead their clans in battle. Can the star-crossed lovers resist the brutal circumstances and remain true to their love as the death toll rises?
Both feature very human elements- of the lesser degree- and speaks volumes of the true nature of man. Much of the story focuses on love[[lust, maybe, but still the insatiable drive from one for another] and let's just say that tragedy is not an uncommon result[again, the anime keeps touch with reality].
Aoi Bungaku is not as action packed[though very violent at times] but it still ventures into the realms of the darker side of the human mind. Few several short stories it makes valuable comparisons between natural human emotion and severe psychosis, all the while maintaining a fast-paced story to keep the viewer interested.
If you like action, vice and violence mixed in with your intelligent observation of society, this is a show for you.
