Right off the heels of Jigokuraku comes another stylish supernatural period piece, this time taking place during the Meiji era (1897 to be precise). Shinuchi Tsugaru (whose name means “headliner”) is a member of a supernatural troupe, where he fights monsters in cage matches under the name Oni Slayer. He’s feared in town as another one of the monsters, and by the same rabble who think a regular stray cat is an ayakashi.
One night, Shinichi is visited by a maid who happens to have a long rifle with a katana for a bayonet. The two dance under the moonless night in a very clever and kinetic little fight, until a voice that is not the maid’s is satisfied. The voice proceeds to demonstrate that she knows quite a bit about Shinichi: that he’s a half oni hybrid, but poorly made, such that one day his oni side will consume him.
The voice says she offers a way to extend his life, and all he has to do is kill her. The maid lifts the covered birdcage and the curtain around it opens to reveal the severed head of a beautiful young lady with piercing blue eyes. She introduces herself as Rindou Aya. She’s a 947-year old teenager who up until recently had a body, until a hybrid like Shinuchi absconded with her body and took it abroad.
Ever since his transformation, Shinuchi has treated life pretty much like a joke if not a complete inconvenience. He knows what’s coming, but he performs explicitly because he knows one day he’ll go berserk and take out as many lowlifes who patronize his line of work as possible.
But now that Rindou has offered to extend his life, he’s willing to change course to a less nihilistic end. But in exchange, he rejects Rindou’s desire to be killed. Instead, he offers to help her get her body back. She’ll be the brains, and he’ll be the brawn.
This isn’t just altruism, either: Shinuchi correctly surmises that the same foreign geezer in a top hat with a cane engraved with an “M” who took Rindou’s body is the one who took his humanity. He’ll be restoring Rindou’s body and getting some sweet revenge.
All in all, it sounds like a mutually beneficial deal. Rindou declares she’ll fulfill her end of the bargain and extend his life now to seal their deal. To do so, she’ll spare a bodily fluid, specifically her saliva, which she’ll transfer to him with a kiss. And boy howdy what a creepy, quirky, cool, and beautiful kiss it is!
Kurosawa Tomoyo’s Rindou blends Sakamoto Maaya’s ethereal Oshino Shinobu with Kitou Akari’s matter-of-fact Iwanaga Kotoko. Yashiro Taku does a fine variant of Tsuda Kenjirou’s apathetic velvety gravitas with Shunichi. There’s deft direction from Omata Shinichi (Kaguya-sama) and a compelling score from Yamaguchi Yama, and the OP and ED that totally whip ass.
Put it all together, and Undead Murder Farce fields a strong debut here. It’s a little talky, sure, but it also gives you plenty to look at and hear while the talking is happening, plus the information and characterization being conveyed is clear, concise, and intriguing. I’m definitely in!
RABUJOI - An Anime Blog 