Ookami Kakushi - Episode 12 (Completed)

After finishing the series proper last episode, this final instalment of Ookami Kakushi was left free to cut loose and do whatever it likes, which almost inevitably leads us down the road of a light-hearted comical filler episode to close out the show.


This particular episode is split in two, each of which regales us with a pointless tale of the upmost stupidity, whether it's Nemuru's creation of some bizarre and dark rabbit world after getting the wrong end of the stick in a discussion with Mana about some cute mascot, or the story of a "phantom waiter" that is little more than an excuse to dress up some of the cast (yes, including Hiroshi) in waitress outfits. All in all, it tries way too hard to be funny throughout, and thus ends up falling flat on its face the vat majority of the time to the point of being downright irritating in places.

Overall then, this is a decidedly auspicious finish to a decidedly average series that promised much but delivered little aside from a generic mystery series that ran out of steam once most of its secrets were unveiled. As I've said before, it's most certainly no Higurashi, and when put up against its luminaries like that it simply pales in comparison.

Ookami Kakushi - Episode 11

With Sakaki having clearly gone completely bananas and deciding to flood Jouga village using the nearby dam, it's up "those pesky kids" to stop him. But can they reach him in time?

Needless to say, almost the entirety of this episode is first the race to reach Sakaki before he does some serious damage to Jouga and its residents, before the even more inevitable face-off between Sakaki and Nemuru, Hiro, Isuzu and company - A point in which our bananas villain suddenly becomes less of a cold-blooded killer and more of a luke warm, slightly fuzzy one, especially when it comes to despatching any of the major characters.


It's difficult to know what to say about this finale of the series proper (with the final episode looking like it was penned after an afternoon of recreational drug use judging by the preview), as it's simply so obvious in the way that it panned out that you could probably have guessed exactly what was going to happen last week. While it finished everything off nicely enough, there was nothing to really get excited about here, and the whole thing ended up turning into some kind of mushy morality tale on how we should accept people who are different to us - Not really something we need anime to teach us in parable form, I'd like to think.

This ending does however sum up Ookami Kakushi quite succinctly, as a series that never really pushed the boundaries of its characters, story or plot, preferring to plod along as a run-of-the-mill mystery that ran out of steam entirely once some of its secrets were revealed. It's certainly a far cry from the more shocking and complex world of Higurashi, to the point where it would be an offensive comparison to even call this effort Higurashi Lite. Come this final "proper" episode, it felt more like Scooby Doo with knobs on than anything truly noteworthy.

Ookami Kakushi - Episode 10

Although the previous episode of Ookami Kakushi almost felt like a natural place to end this particular series in some respects, there is still a fair amount of unfinished business to attend to in the show's final few episodes, with the Hassaku Festival about to start and Sakaki still at large despite the failure of his previous plan involving Nemuru and Hiro.


Needless to say, the Hassaku Festival is the next target in Sakaki's plan of action, as in the midst of all the enjoyment he unleashes a beserk "demon" that shows all and sundry attending the festival the truth of Jouga's old town, thus sowing the seeds of distrust and dissent between old residents and new and bringing the situation to the brink of a "civil war" of sorts. However, even that isn't quite evil enough for Sakaki, as he also reveals the next part of his plot that puts the entire town in dire jeopardy.

Unfortunately for Sakaki, his evil streak also tends him towards some of the bad habits that bad guys always seem to have, meaning that he reveals his plans to a dying man only to have them relayed to the entire town and somewhat putting the brakes on the distrust he'd managed to build up just moments before. Oops. In fact, speaking of Sakaki it's a bit difficult to get a proper grip on his motivations full stop, as they swing from vengeance on behalf of his dead girlfriend to the opportunity to make some money - I suppose having dual motives isn't a bad thing, but it does feel a little odd here somehow.

That aside, this was a reasonably solid episode of Ookami Kakushi that didn't really deliver any huge shocks, thrills or spills but still progressed its plot simply and effectively enough - The trouble is that now all of the mystery has gone from the series there isn't a great deal left to prop it up beyond some kind of old-fashioned race against time premise to stop the town from being flooded. Given the lack of truly distinctive characters within the series, turning it into some kind of poor man's Atlantis doesn't seem like such a terrible idea either, although it does leave me wondering why Ryukishi07 has such a bee in his bonnet about dam construction between this series and Higurashi. Maybe the guy's allergic to water or something?

Ookami Kakushi - Episode 9

After all of its machinations last time around, episode nine of Ookami Kakushi leaves Nemuru and Hiroshi in something of a tight spot, as they find themselves locked in together thanks to Sakaki's double-crossing efforts.

Why is leaving Nemuru and Hiro in the same room a bad idea? Of course, what we've witnessed previously from Isuzu and Issei tells us everything we need to know, but this episode finally takes the time to reveal the whole story about what is going on in Jouga, from Gods to "fallen" individuals through to the temptation which Hiro represents - A story which can basically be summed up simply by saying that Hiro should really consider changing his deodorant.


Aside from all of the major plot exposition, this episode is also a non-stop lesson in bad parenting, as Hiro's father shows little interest in his missing son until it's almost too late, while Nemuru's father also has little interest in his daughter's welfare until the treachery within his midst comes to light - Although even then he waits for the rain to stop until he actually sets out properly to find her. Never mind if your kid's life is in danger, there's nothing that can be done if your best anorak is at the dry cleaner....

Joking aside, this episode somehow felt like a bit of an anti-climax after all of the build up over the past eight instalments - It lacked any real sense of danger or urgency, and its most exciting sequence turned out to be a dream after all anyway. I had a nasty feeling all of the slow ramping up of the story would fall flat, and so it's proved - I'm now left wondering what (if anything) Ookami Kakushi has in its tank for the final triumvirate of episodes, as this almost felt like a finale in its own right. There are still loose ends to tie up, that's for sure, but they seem even less interesting than the big picture that we've now had cleared up.

Ookami Kakushi - Episode 8

Kana certainly paid the price for her deep interest in the supernatural, and more specifically Jouga wolves and just what those entities might be, during the last episode of Ookami Kakushi, and as the show's eighth instalment begins she remains incarcerated on account of her proclivities. Lucky for her then that Nemuru is on-hand to use her influence to see to it that Kana is released, under the promise that she does no more research on the subject.

However, even Nemuru's influence appears to be waning, largely on account of her interfering when it comes to those close to her, and the final straw comes when she helps first Mana and then Hiro avoid capture by the "pack of wolves" who are looking to move their nefarious plans (whatever they might be) forward. This sees Nemuru relegated from her position, while Kaori appears all set to take up her role and another "handyman" is also employed to do some of the dirty work, not least when it comes to capturing Hiro.


However, the handyman in question is none other than Shuuichirou Sakaki acting as something of a double agent, and thus he plans the various factions off against one another in order to wreak his own revenge against those who destroyed his life, or more specifically that of his loved one. What does this mean for Nemuru, and indeed for Hiro? Given Sakaki's maniacal laughter and behaviour, the forecast doesn't look particularly good for either party.

While there was plenty going on in this episode, there's something increasingly unsatisfying about the way this series is progressing its story that I can't quite put a finger on. Perhaps it's the fact that it's deliberately withholding information just to be mysterious, or perhaps it's simply that everything that is revealed seems a little trite and obvious, but as the weeks go by so the joy and curiosity of watching this series continues to dissipate. Now, that doesn't make Ookami Kakushi a bad anime by any stretch, but it does point to it being a little tired and unimaginative when its put up against other similar shows which have done a similar job rather better in terms of both plot and characterisation. There's still time for redemption for Ookami Kakushi, but it is beginning to run rather short.

Ookami Kakushi - Episode 7

After all the excitement of the last episode, Hiro is more than a little surprised to find himself waking up in his own bed come the start of this seventh instalment of Ookami Kakushi. Was it all a dream? When his father tells him he was found collapsed outside the front door, and the day at school brings no sign of either Nemuru or Isuzu, it soon becomes clear that everything that happened back there was very much reality.

Whilst trying his best to remain grounded in normality, it seems that Hiro's classmate Kana has been doing rather a lot of research on the Jouga wolves, compiling some important and seemingly accurate information about the legends and beliefs surrounding their town. Of course, getting too close to the truth in a situation such as this is never a good idea, especially if you're about to visit the local library to do some more investigating on your own...


Meanwhile, Kaori's condition continues to worsen to the point where she tells Hiro's sister she can no longer give any more violin lessons, while the mysterious man who met Kaori previously introduces himself to Hiro as Shuuichirou Sakaki, as they share what little they know of the murders and overall insanity bubbling underneath the town's surface. While all of this is going on, Hiro's name appears to be attached to some kind of important list, but what could it mean?

As per previous episodes, Ookami Kakushi just about manages to keep the sense of mystery ticking over here, throwing the occasional proverbial log onto the story-telling fire to keep things moving but never breaking into much more than a trot in terms of significantly moving the story forward. To be fair, now I've become used to that particular pacing and the obvious Higurashi no Naku Koro ni similarities I don't mind it too much, and although this series remains as unspectacular as ever my desire to know more about what's going on is still in place even at this point. Let's just hope it doesn't all end in abject disappointment a few weeks further down the line.

Ookami Kakushi - Episode 6

Following Issei's "disappearance" last episode, it seems that recent goings-on have unearthed a certain amount of panic in the midst of certain factions - Coupled with a poor Hassaku harvest due to the hot weather, demands are growing for even greater action to be taken against whatever ills are ailing the town. It appears that there's one individual at the centre of much of the perceived problems, and I get the feeling we can all guess who that is...

Meanwhile, Isuzu is understandably struggling to come to terms with the loss of her brother while trying to keep up her usual sunny exterior, and her inner turmoil also appears to be bubbling up from beneath the surface when it comes to her feelings for Hiro... and we all know what happens when feelings of affection become a little overbearing in this series.


So it goes that Isuzu ends up going a little bonkers as she declares her undying love for Hiro, a state of affairs which leads to her facing off against Nemuru in a rather impressive little physical battle that ramps up some further clues as to exactly what is going on in this town, although plenty of questions still remain - Not least with the town doctor, the medication he's been dishing out and his own part in proceedings.

I get the feeling that by this point most of you will have well and truly decided whether you love or hate Ookami Kakushi, as it's certainly well and truly set out its stall when it comes to very slowly revealing its many mysteries while traversing a path that already feels rather well worn by the likes of Higurashi no Naku Koro ni. Indeed, the crazed Isuzu we see this episode could easily have been Rena from that series without too much of a stretch; an odd juxtaposition of love so great it almost turns to hatred.

To be fair the deeper mysteries of this show are, once again, keeping me watching, but beyond that I have to confess that Ookami Kakushi is starting to look pretty run-of-the-mill in many ways - It doesn't have anything in particular that you can really get excited about, so if the secrets of Jouga haven't grabbed you then nothing else about the series will. Then again, those unravelling mysteries are kind of the point, so perhaps you could argue it's simply delivering exactly what it always intended to.

Finally, perhaps the biggest mystery of all this week should perhaps be the following - How did Hiro's bleeding arm manage to heal itself, and his bloodied shirt clean itself, within mere moments during this episode? Perhaps official Ookami Kakushi washing powder is just around the corner in terms of series merchandise...

Ookami Kakushi - Episode 5

The previous episode of Ookami Kakushi finally looked set to really get the ball rolling in terms of the mysterious goings-on in this series, with Hiro ending up as a witness to some of the insanity and bloodshed which seems to be running unbidden through his new hometown.

Of course, come the next morning there's no trace of what Hiro witnesses the night before, while his friend Kana tells him that she knows nothing of legends about a girl with a big scythe and listens to his tale only to assume that he's making the whole thing up. Little does Hiro know that Nemuru was listening in on his conversation, which probably hasn't done his future prospects too much good...


Almost equally odd to Hiro is the fact that Isuzu is absent from school, although of course we gain far more insight into the reason for this, with her brother increasingly suffering from whatever madness afflicts him while his family appear to be under threat by a group of unknown men on account on this. While the pieces of the puzzle regarding the pills we've seen Issei taking slot into place a little further, Issei himself manages to break out of the confinement of his own home and goes on the run, once again attacking Hiro before his activities gain the attention of others.

While Ookami Kakushi is certainly looking a million miles away from being any kind of classic series (I doubt it'll be placed into the same league as Higurashi either), in fairness it is at least starting to build up the pace of its plot and managing to keep things moving while also fostering enough of a much-needed sense of mystery to keep me suitably intrigued. Let's face it, this particular show would be nothing without its carefully guarded and slowly unveiled revelations in story-telling terms, so I have to give it some kudos for keeping its powder dry and not proving to be too obvious with the way it's progressing. If you like a bit of mystery from time to time, there are probably worse anime shows around to watch than Ookami Kakushi.

Ookami Kakushi - Episode 4

Episode four of Ookami Kakushi begins with what is a pretty typical scene of discussion between a dating couple (well, typical for anime anyway) - But, this series being what it is, there's more to this simple scene than meets the eye, as befitting an episode subtitled "foreboding".

To be honest, foreboding pretty much sums up Ookami Kakushi in its entirety thus far, and that doesn't change throughout this episode, starting out with Kana doing some research into local urban legends such as the supposed "red fireflies" through to (perhaps more importantly) Issei's continuing spree of bizarre behaviour, be it having another crack at seducing Hiro, his apparent concern at the lack of whatever medication he's taking at the local hospital, or his reaction when a girl he knows confesses that she likes him. Indeed, this latter point seems to be of particular importance when we consider what we saw at the very start (and later the end) of this episode, Nemuru's warnings to Isuzu earlier in the series, and now Issei's reaction to that just-mentioned confession.


Once again for this series, even normally every-day happenings are laced with a feeling of threat and fear, with Hiro and Mana's meeting with violinist Kaori and her subsequent meeting with a young man doing some research both hinted at none too subtly at having more to them than meets the idea. Come the end of the episode however, Hiro finally gets more directly involved in the bizarre goings-on around town at night, witnessing first hand whatever insanity is gripping the place in a rather grisly fashion.

It might have taken a while, but at least it finally seems as though Ookami Kakushi is getting into the swing of things, opening up its plot and story beyond simply suggesting that all is not well beneath the sweet exterior of all and sundry within the series. On the other hand, all of the plot exposition thus far seems pretty run of the mill for this kind of story-telling genre, but I suppose it remains to be seen how effectively it can continue to build up its story over the coming episodes. For now, let's just be grateful that things are finally moving forward and hopefully bringing some much-needed pace to the story.

Ookami Kakushi - Episode 3

It's time for a bit of a day trip in episode three of Ookami Kakushi, with Issei taking his sister, Hiro and his sister and Kana to enjoy some natural beauty and a barbecue off the beaten track.

All of this goes pretty much as you'd expect (including some swimsuits and fan service - yes, even this series manages to at squeeze at least something of a swimsuit episode out of its storyline), although some of Issei's behaviour seems a little odd at times.


While much fun was had on this day trip, poor old Hiro's plunge into some icy waters while still fully clothed doesn't do him much good in the long term, leaving him with a cold by the time he returns to school. Thus, at Isuzu's insistence he visits the local hospital, where he's checked up, given a prescription and has his blood taken. A blood test for a simple common cold? Something isn't right here either, and even Hiro is a little surprised at this particular insistence. Considering the doctor in question is related to Nemeru, he's probably right to be suspicious...

Things get even more bizarre as Hiro goes to leave the hospital, with Issei waiting outside to give him a lift in his car before attempting to molest him once they're in a suitably quiet spot - Only the smashing of his Hassaku air freshener puts an end to the ordeal, but is Issei a little boy crazy or is there something more sinister at work?

After a pretty dull opening couple of episodes, at least we're finally beginning to move towards something a little more interesting here - While Issei's behaviour seems to be simply his sexuality kicking into overdrive on the surface there's almost certainly more to it than that, while the goings-on at the hospital are equally disconcerting. Besides all of this, just what do these Hassaku fruit and their harvest have to do with anything, and what about the odd rivalry between the old and new parts of the town? There are still lots of unanswered questions, and while Ookami Kakushi is still hardly proving itself to be particularly stellar at present it's those questions that are certainly keeping me watching with interest. It isn't building up the suspense and mystery quite as well as I'm sure it would probably have liked, but for now it's doing a passable job. I do wish Hiro would stop gawking at surprising events like a wide-mouthed frog though.

Ookami Kakushi - Episode 2

Ookami Kakushi's second episode opens with Hiro's father relating an old legend about the "Jouga wolves" which are said to reside on Jouga mountain - It's clearly a story which Hiro and his sister have heard many a time before so they pay it little heed, but it's a tale which is clearly going to be of increasing importance as the series continues.


Away from all that, Hiro find himself to be as ridiculously popular at school as ever, with everybody crowding around him and Isuzu continuing to cling to him like some kind of limpet. As ever, it's only the quietly threatening Nemuru who pays him no heed, although she does seem to have some important things to say to Isuzu, leading to an argument which we see but don't hear which ends with the latter vowing to protect Hiro. But protect him from what?

Meanwhile, Hiro finally finds someone else who is apparently concerned by Ogasawara's sudden disappearance last episode in Isuzu's friend Kana, although to be honest she seems more interested in talking to Hiro's father on account of her burgeoning interest in the occult. It's while Hiro is set to take Kana to see his father that they, along with Isuzu, bump into Isuzu's brother Issei, whoe tags along with the visit and eventually proves to be quite knowledgeable about the Jouga wolves himself. While all of this seems sedate and ordinary enough, we're reminded that there's more than meets the eye to this town as we see what appears to be a flashback another woman mercilessly killed after being accused that she is a "fallen wolf".

Seeing as I'm currently playing through the first chapters of Higurashi no Naku Koro ni (if you can call it "playing"), the Ryukishi07 (who also created the game around which this series is based) is becoming increasingly obvious, bringing us what appear to be pretty mundane activities but somehow leaving it with enough of a feeling of threat and danger beneath the surface to make even the most innocent statements and gestures questionable. In all fairness, that atmosphere actually works reasonably well here when it comes to fostering a constant feeling of suspicion... or maybe I'm just the paranoid sort who trusts no-one anyway, who knows? While I'm still not convinced that this aura alone is enough to carry the series when it doesn't appear to have anything else outstanding to offer, it does at least continue to hold my interest as I wait to see what developments it has in store as the story is slowly unravelled piece by piece.

Ookami Kakushi - Episode 1

Considering that this new season anime is based upon a PSP game penned by Ryukishi07 (of Higurashi and Umineko fame), it probably isn't too much of a secret what to expect of Ookami Kakushi, and the opening episode of the series certainly isn't afraid to lay its cards on the table from the outset, kicking off with a young couple and an odd blend of declarations of love and something rather more sinister. Oh, and someone wielding a massive scythe.

However, for now it appears that such horrors are merely a flash forward, as we soon return to what appears to be normality. It's here that we're probably introduced to the show's protagonist, Hiroshi Kuzumi, who is moving to a new town along with his father and his wheelchair-bound sister Mana. No sooner has he arrived at the new family apartment does Hiro find himself leapt upon (quite literally) by Isuzu Tsumuhana, a girl who seems to take an instant liking to him, and much of this episode seems to be spent with Isuzu clinging to Hiroshi be it at school or on the way to and from it.


In fact, it isn't just Isuzu who has taken a shine to Hiro, as the entire class at his new school seem almost addicted to him despite his decidedly average looks and personality - Everyone that is except Nemuru Kushinada, a quiet girl who everybody seems to be avoiding, and who has no problem in telling Hiro that he annoys her. While all of this seems straightforward enough, there's plenty of foreboding built up throughout the episode even if you ignore that opening scene to the series, from the crackling car stereo through to Nemuru's effect on her fellow pupils and the story of how the new and old town where Hiro now lives are deeply divided. Oh, and there's that girl with the scythe again, which I suppose goes a little beyond foreboding and into the realms of "err, Dad, can we move again please?".

If there's one thing that has to be said about Ookami Kakushi from its opening episoide, it's that its visual novel roots show through very strongly throughout - The characters, the plot development and even the music all scream "visual novel" with every ounce of their being. Of course, this in itself is no bad thing necessarily, and I'm still suitably intrigued by whatever is going on within the show's machinations, but it could make for turning Ookami Kakushi into a bit of a Marmite show that you'll either love or hate as time goes on. At the moment I'm on the fence until I get a few more episodes under my belt, but the potential is certainly there for something that can at least be entertaining provided it doesn't forget itself and manages to focus on its key story without being distracted by fripperies.