is a Japanese manga

Manga

Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...

 series written and illustrated by Lily Hoshino

Lily Hoshino

is a manga artist known for her boys love works, but she sometimes draws seinen and Dōjinshi. Her boys love style is known for the extremely feminine character design and clothing of her ukes, to the point where they look like girls. Her stories are regarded as humorous, but are also considered...

. It began serialization in November 2006 in the monthly seinen manga magazine Comic Birz

Comic Birz

is a Japanese seinen manga magazine published on a monthly basis by Gentosha.-Manga titles published in Birz:*888*Akaten Hero!*Arm of Kannon*Beast of East*Blood Sucker*Bushidō*Butterfly*Category: Freaks*Chalk...

. The first tankōbon

Tankobon

, with a literal meaning close to "independently appearing book", is the Japanese term for a book that is complete in itself and is not part of a series , though the manga industry uses it for volumes which may be in a series...

volume was released by Gentosha

Gentosha

is a Japanese publisher, headquartered in Shibuya, Tokyo. Gentosha publishes manga magazine Comic Birz, Web comic magazines GENZO, SPICA, Comic MAGNA, literary magazines Lynx, papyrus, as well as business magazine GOETHE.- Publications :...

 in January 2008; as of September 2010, five volumes have been released. An anime

Anime

is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....

 adaptation produced by J.C. Staff and directed by Chiaki Kon

Chiaki Kon

is a Japanese anime director who directed the anime adaptations of Higurashi no Naku Koro ni, Umineko no Naku Koro ni, and Nodame Cantabile: Paris Chapter. She also worked the storyboard and dramatization for the anime Midori Days and did the Opening Animation for Shōnen Onmyōji.-External links:...

 began airing in Japan in October 2010.

The series is set during the Westernization

Westernization

Westernization or Westernisation , also occidentalization or occidentalisation , is a process whereby societies come under or adopt Western culture in such matters as industry, technology, law, politics, economics, lifestyle, diet, language, alphabet,...

 of an alternate Japan, where humans and spirits (yōkai

Yōkai

are a class of supernatural monsters in Japanese folklore. The word yōkai is made up of the kanji for "otherworldly" and "weird". Yōkai range eclectically from the malevolent to the mischievous, or occasionally bring good fortune to those who encounter them...

) coexist. To solve the problems that arise between the two, human lieutenants Kei Agemaki, Riken Yoshinokazura, and Ganryu Hanakiri are partnered with half-spirit girls Zakuro, Susukihotaru, and twins Bonbori and Hozuki to form the Ministry of Spirit Affairs. However, Zakuro cannot stand humans who accept the Jesuit

Society of Jesus

The Society of Jesus is a Catholic male religious order that follows the teachings of the Catholic Church. The members are called Jesuits, and are also known colloquially as "God's Army" and as "The Company," these being references to founder Ignatius of Loyola's military background and a...

 customs and Agemaki has a severe fear of spirits.

Plot

During the Westernization

Westernization

Westernization or Westernisation , also occidentalization or occidentalisation , is a process whereby societies come under or adopt Western culture in such matters as industry, technology, law, politics, economics, lifestyle, diet, language, alphabet,...

 of an alternate Japan, humans and spirits coexist. To maintain harmony between the two, the Ministry of Spirits is established and humans and spirit representatives are chosen. Lieutenants Kei Agemaki, Riken Yoshinokazura, and Ganryu Hanakiri are chosen to be the human representatives and are partnered with Zakuro, Susukihotaru, and Bonbori and Hozuki, respectively. However, Zakuro cannot stand humans who accept Jesuit practices so easily and Agemaki has a severe fear of spirits.

Main Characters

Zakuro is an impulsive and assertive half-spirit girl who looks like a normal girl with fox ears atop her head. She is chosen to be a spirit representative in the Ministry of Spirit Affairs. However, she is opposed to the idea of forming the Ministry and believes that allowing humans and their Jesuit ideas into the manor is disgusting. Despite this, she becomes smitten with Agemaki Kei shortly after the two are partnered. Once she learns that he is afraid of spirits, her opinion of him is greatly diminished and she constantly calls him a coward. She dislikes how easily humans accept Westernization and hates the changes it brings, such as drinking milk, as a result. Zakuro is upset by how spirits are being driven out of their homes because of Westernization when humans had respected the spirits in the past. It is revealed that when pregnant human girls are spirited away

Kamikakushi

The expression to "spirit away" means to remove without anyone's noticing. means "spirited away". Kamikakushi, in Japanese folklore, is used to refer to the mysterious disappearance of a person that happens when an angered god takes a person away....

, they return carrying half-spirit infants. The girls, said to be possessed by fox spirits, are shunned and are immediately taken away or killed at birth. Zakuro's mother, Tsukuhane, was spirited away twice, once before Zakuro was born and again when Zakuro was older. Zakuro's mother never returned the second time. Because of this, Zakuro passionately investigates cases where girls have been spirited away, hoping that she can learn something about her mother. In addition, Kushimatsu states that because Zakuro was shunned at birth, she is seeking acceptance from Agemaki, whom she trusts. When she fights spirits, Mamezo provides her with a branch of cherry blossoms

Cherry Blossoms

Cherry Blossoms is one of the oldest and largest international marriage agencies still in operation today. It was established in 1974 as a picture catalog, but has now switched entirely to a web-based format...

 that turns into a knife.

Agemaki is a second lieutenant in the imperial army. He is chosen to be a human representative in the Ministry of Spirit Affairs and is partnered with Zakuro. However, he has a severe fear of spirits and a fear of heights. He tries to hide the fact that he is afraid of spirits because of what his father might say about it. When Agemaki expressed his fear of spirits as a child, his father yelled at him. In addition, shortly after seeing a spirit, he learned that his cat Itsue disappeared, leading Agemaki to believe that the spirit caused Itsue's disappearance. It is also aluded to that his mother and sister have some kind of spiritual power (or possibly being spirits themselves) since they can see spirits that humans do not and Kei's mother knew that Zakuro was a half-spirit even though she hid her ears. At the start of the series, he panics upon seeing full-blooded spirits, such as Amaryōju and Mamezo, and becomes so afraid, he asks Zakuro, who is easier to accept because of her more human appearance, to accompany him to the outhouse

Outhouse

An outhouse is a small structure separate from a main building which often contained a simple toilet and may possibly also be used for housing animals and storage.- Terminology :...

. Afterward, he makes an effort to understand Zakuro and other spirits, although this causes him to make the wrong conclusions, like offering the half-fox spirit Zakuro a candle to eat when he does not realize fox spirits

Kitsune

is the Japanese word for fox. Foxes are a common subject of Japanese folklore; in English, kitsune refers to them in this context. Stories depict them as intelligent beings and as possessing magical abilities that increase with their age and wisdom. Foremost among these is the ability to assume...

 do not actually eat candles. He begins to accepts spirits and is later able to play with Sakura and Kiri even though they scared him at the beginning of the series.

Susukihotaru is a shy half-spirit girl who looks like a normal girl with fox ears atop her head. She is chosen to be a spirit representative in the Ministry of Spirit Affairs and is partnered with Yoshinokazura Riken. Initially, she wants to be partnered with someone else, as she thought Yoshinokazura is big and scary. Upon hearing this, he crouches down and asks her if he is still scary. After this, their relationship greatly improves. When Susukihotaru was first brought to the manor by Kushimatsu, Susukihotaru did not have the power to fight, but once she met Zakuro she realized the spiritual power she possessed. Because of this, Zakuro means the world to her. Susukihotaru is able to empathize

Empathy

Empathy is the capacity to recognize and, to some extent, share feelings that are being experienced by another sapient or semi-sapient being. Someone may need to have a certain amount of empathy before they are able to feel compassion. The English word was coined in 1909 by E.B...

 with objects and other people through physical contact. When she is possessed by a sword, she cuts Yoshinokazura's hand and can sense his concern for her. She feels that she is undeserving of this concern. When she learns that he appreciates her ability to know what he is feeling, she tells him that she hopes he knows what she is feeling too. She looks at the ground when surrounded by people because she is afraid to look humans in the eye, but she later says that she is no longer bothered by the people around her because she is with Yoshinokazura. When Zakuro fights, Susukihotaru assists her by singing and waving a branch of cherry blossoms provided by Sakura and Kiri.

Riken is a straight-faced and stoic second lieutenant in the imperial army. He is chosen to be a human representative in the Ministry of Spirit Affairs and is paired with Susukihotaru. When he overhears that she is afraid of him because of his height, he crouches down and asks her if he is still scary. After this, their relationship greatly improved. He cares for Susukihotaru greatly, and she senses this when she injures his hand while she is possessed by a sword. He describes himself as a man of few words and does not have a problem with Susukihotaru reading his emotions.

and

Bonbori and Hozuki are cheerful half-spirit girls who look like normal identical twin girls with fox ears atop their heads. They are chosen as spirit representatives in the Ministry of Spirit Affairs and are partnered with Hanakiri Ganryu. They think the idea of a Ministry of Spirit Affairs sounds like fun and are delighted to be working with humans. They immediately take a liking to Hanakiri and tease him about many things he says. They become extremely excited and happy when they learn Hanakiri can tell them apart despite the fact that they are exactly identical except for their voices. When Zakuro fights, they assist by singing and waving a branch of cherry blossoms provided by Sakura and Kiri.

Bonbori and Hozuki specialize in magic petals, which they attach to people and use to sense the presence of that person. However, the petals only work when one of the twins is singing. When a petal is destroyed, the singing twin is injured because they put part of their soul into the petals.

When they were children, the twins lived alone is a dark cave. From time to time, a woman would bring them food and clothing. She called them Bonbori and Hozuki and told them to stay in the cave during the day and to never approach any other humans. They obeyed and only went outside at night, playing and searching for fruit and roots to eat. One day, the woman stopped coming, and they searched for her every night. They did not find her, but they found something they never saw before. One of the humans the woman mentioned blamed Bonbori and Hozuki for his wife's death. In his rant, it's revealed that the woman visiting them was their mother, but they themselves do not seem to be aware of this. The pair tried to run away and soon found themselves on Kushimatsu's back.

Ganryu is a proud second lieutenant in the imperial army. He is chosen to be a human representative in the Ministry of Spirit Affairs and is partnered with Bonbori and Hozuki. He is able to tell the twins apart while they were trying to confuse him despite the fact that they are are exactly identical except for their voices. It's indicated that for his age, he is advanced in terms of intelligence and skill.

Zakuro's artifact spirit

Tsukumogami

Understood by many Western scholars as a type of Japanese yōkai, the Tsukumogami was a concept popular in Japanese folklore as far back as the tenth century, used in the spread of Shingon Buddhism...

 who appears as a sandy colored rabbit with fangs. He is able to talk. However, when Bonbori and Hozuki first arrived at the house, he only repeated everything he heard. When Zakuro refuses to work with Agemaki, Mamezo acts as Agemaki's partner instead. Mamezo provides Zakuro a branch of cherry blossoms which can be used as a knife by pulling one out of his mouth.

Kushimatsu is a full-blooded fox spirit

Kitsune

is the Japanese word for fox. Foxes are a common subject of Japanese folklore; in English, kitsune refers to them in this context. Stories depict them as intelligent beings and as possessing magical abilities that increase with their age and wisdom. Foremost among these is the ability to assume...

 that receives cases from those seeking aid from the Ministry of Spirit Affairs. She is also the one who brought Bonbori, Hozuki, Suskihotaru, and Zakuro from different regions to live together and takes care of them.

Amaryoju is a spirit who is similar to a baku

Baku (spirit)

are Japanese supernatural beings that devour dreams and nightmares. They have a long history in Japanese folklore and art, and more recently have appeared in Japanese anime and manga ....

. He chose Zakuro, Susukihotaru, Bonbori and Hozuki as representatives for the spirits because they are half-spirits who are neither human nor spirit.

and

Sakura and Kiri are playful pumpkin-headed spirits. They are extremely small in size. They provide Susukihotaru, Bonbori, and Hozuki branches of cherry blossoms which are used as weapons by pulling the branches out of their mouths.

Antagonists

Hanadate is a lieutenant. He assists the Ministry of Spirit Affairs on their first assignment by compromising between the client and the Ministry. Zakuro is smitten with him after, and she tries to make a good impression on him and appears to take a great interest in her appearance during times when he visits. It is revealed that his name Hanadate is a fake, with his real name being Omodaka, while using his real persona, he is seen wearing a yukata and a mask. He is manipulating the twins, Rangui as well as Ministry of Spirit Affairs for his own agenda, which involves Zakuro, whom he claims is perfect to "bear his child", for this reason he is obsessed with her to the point of harassing Byakuroku sexually after she was given some of Zakuro's powers, and eventually mistreats Rangui despite her crush on him.

It is later shown that lieutenant Hanadate is, in fact, Zakuro's older half brother. He is indirectly the reason Zakuro's father is dead, since when looking for his mother he witnessed Enaga (Zakuro's father) and Tsukuhane kissing and told his father which made his father furious. He would not even allow his mother to speak his name when she called to him. He kept telling her that she had no right to use his name, for she was a disgrace in his eyes, and his father's eyes. However, this was due to his want for his mother's attention, his jealousy of Enaga, and his lonely upbringing.

and

Daidai and Byakuroku are sisters who serve under Rangui. At the military gala case they helped Rangui to stop the Ministry of Spirit Affairs members to interfere in her plans and in episode 8 they have captured Suskihotaru and Agemaki and locked them in an earthen cellar to lure Zakuro to a trap. They envy Zakuro for growing up in a happy home, they envy that Zakuro has people to love and protect, and they envy her freedom.

Byakuroku and Daidai work as servants in the Village of the Oracles, where Byakuroku makes great efforts and overworks her body's resistance so she can protect her younger sister Daidai, who is more ignorant of the fact that they are being used and harbors some jealousy of what she thinks is favoritism over her older sister.

Rangui is one of the main villains of the series who keeps targeting Zakuro and was the black widow at the military gala case. The sisters Daidai and Byakuroku serve her, Rangui thinks Daidai is just a dirty little half-spirit and a failure. But Rangui told Byakuroku that as long as Byakuroku continues to serve her then Daidai will be treated the same way Byakuroku is. Rangui is able to use sorcery through papers and capable of transforming into a large and hideous spider-like monster. It is shown that Rangui has feelings for lieutenant Hanadate, but she soon learns that Hanadate is only using her to get what he wants. He wants Zakuro to bear his child, when Rangui learns this she is furious and attacks Zakuro.

Manga

The Otome Yōkai Zakuro manga is written and illustrated by Lily Hoshino

Lily Hoshino

is a manga artist known for her boys love works, but she sometimes draws seinen and Dōjinshi. Her boys love style is known for the extremely feminine character design and clothing of her ukes, to the point where they look like girls. Her stories are regarded as humorous, but are also considered...

. It has been serialized in the seinen manga magazine Comic Birz

Comic Birz

is a Japanese seinen manga magazine published on a monthly basis by Gentosha.-Manga titles published in Birz:*888*Akaten Hero!*Arm of Kannon*Beast of East*Blood Sucker*Bushidō*Butterfly*Category: Freaks*Chalk...

since the January 2007 issue released on November 30, 2006, with publication ongoing. The chapters have been collected by Gentosha

Gentosha

is a Japanese publisher, headquartered in Shibuya, Tokyo. Gentosha publishes manga magazine Comic Birz, Web comic magazines GENZO, SPICA, Comic MAGNA, literary magazines Lynx, papyrus, as well as business magazine GOETHE.- Publications :...

 in tankōbon

Tankobon

, with a literal meaning close to "independently appearing book", is the Japanese term for a book that is complete in itself and is not part of a series , though the manga industry uses it for volumes which may be in a series...

volumes. The first volume was released on January 24, 2008; as of September 24, 2010, five volumes have been released.

Volume list

Anime

An anime

Anime

is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....

 adaptation produced by J.C. Staff and directed by Chiaki Kon

Chiaki Kon

is a Japanese anime director who directed the anime adaptations of Higurashi no Naku Koro ni, Umineko no Naku Koro ni, and Nodame Cantabile: Paris Chapter. She also worked the storyboard and dramatization for the anime Midori Days and did the Opening Animation for Shōnen Onmyōji.-External links:...

 began airing in Japan on October 4, 2010. The series is simulcast by Crunchyroll

Crunchyroll

Crunchyroll is an American website and international online community focused on streaming East Asian media including anime, manga, drama, music, electronic entertainment, and auto racing content...

, making the anime available in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Ireland, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland, Iceland, Netherlands, Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, and Portugal. In a press release, the Crunchyroll Vice President of Licensing Rob Pereyda stated: "These kind of unique adventure titles, full of intricate exposition and engaging plotlines, are just what Crunchyroll needs. What we love about Otome Yokai Zakuro is the very combination of intriguing concept, exciting story and fantastic animation the title has. We look forward to an overwhelmingly positive fan reaction forthcoming."
Opening theme song for Otome Yokai Zakuro is "Moon Signal" performed by Sphere.

Episode list

#	Title	Original air date

External links

• Official site of the manga
• Official site of the anime
• Otome Yokai Zakuro at TV Tokyo
  TV Tokyo
  is a television station headquartered in Toranomon, Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Also known as , a blend of "terebi" and "Tokyo", it is the key station of TX Network. It is one of the major Tokyo television stations, particularly specializing in anime...