duchessliz

A modern fantasy based on Japanese Shinto legends. Suzuhara Izumiko is a 15-year-old girl, who has been raised and protected in a shrine deep in the Kumano mountains. She is quite shy and destroys all the electric devices she touches. When she begins to think about going out of the mountains and moving to the city, her guardian Sagara Yukimasa recommends her to enter a high school in Tokyo and forces his son Miyuki to serve Izumiko for life. Miyuki and Izumiko repel each other but their relationship begins to change when a terrifying accident occurs on the school excursion. Izumiko learns her fate as the last representative (yorishiro) of a Himegami goddess and Miyuki learns of his duty as a guardian Yamabushi of Izumiko.

The plot was actually really interesting, if slightly confusing at times. Since it's a PA Works production it goes without saying that the animation is gorgeous! It was so lovely at times that I simply had to pause it to admire the beauty. The soundtrack was also wonderful and I didn't have a single complaint in that respect. The characters, on the other hand, were somewhat iffy. It was a struggle for me to like Miyuki and Izumiko in the beginning. Izumiko was just wayyy too meek and just let everyone around her control what she could and couldn't do. Even down to her hair style. She didn't question things when she should have, and she shyed away from people who attempted to pull her out of her shell. Eventually she started to change and she grew on me (I quite liked her by the end). Miyuki didn't leave a good first impression, at all. He was this bratty prick that you wanted to smack the crap out of, but he begins to change the more he hangs around Izumiko. She made him more human, and far more approachable. I actually began to like him around halfway through. The triplets were interesting as well. The puzzle on how their relationship worked was fascinating. I particularly liked Masumi, he was such a fascinating character and while in the end I wanted Izumiko to end up with Miyuki, for a while there I almost rooted for Masumi xD However, I did not like Miyuki's father, at all. The guy was an even bigger prick than Miyuki originally came off as! The way he bullied his own son and talked down to him ... urgh! >.< I also hated how he was always 'Himegami' this and 'Himegami' that and completely pushed aside Izumiko. It really pissed me off! >.< Anyway, I disagree with the AP rating for this anime. It's far more entertaining than I was led to believe. I gave it a shot 'cause I'm a big fan of PA Works and I'm really glad I gave it a go! I enjoyed myself!