Anime featuring spirits and other cultural supernatural concepts are becoming increasingly common, allowing viewers in Japan and around the world to explore the world of yokai. The latest show to do so is the upcoming Malevolent Spirits: Mononogatari. Though its name might suggest an unrelated franchise entirely, Mononogatari showcases the good and bad side of its titular spirits in a slightly different way.
Debating the morality of mystical spirits in the human world, Mononogatari forces a human tasked with sealing them away to reconsider his feelings toward them. Highly anticipated for fans of spooky seinen, the show is sure to pack a punch in an already crowded early 2023 anime season. Here's what fans of the manga and newcomers alike should know about Malevolent Spirits: Mononogatari.
The Plot of Malevolent Spirits: Mononogatari
The world of Mononogatari is filled with numerous spirits collectively known as tsukumogami or marebito. These creatures can be both good or bad, especially due to their ability to possess inanimate objects. The protagonist is Hyouma Kunato, who is a member of the Saenome clan that's tasked with sending these spirits back to their own realm. Though he is meant to do so in a relatively peaceful manner, he's far from kind to the tsukumogami, as he harbors an intense grudge toward them due to his past.
Hyouma's hatred toward the spirits alarms his grandfather, who foresees potential catastrophe coming from it. Thus, he sends him away to live in Kyoto with Nagatsuki Botan. Whereas her new acquaintance has a grudge against marebito, she lives with them like family. Now encountering her six "friendly" tsukumogami, Hyouma may -- or may not -- change his mind about the creatures completely.
Trailer for Malevolent Spirits: Mononogatari
While the synopsis for Mononogatari might suggest a setup befitting a fantasy slice-of-life series, the trailer for the anime showcases how it's going to be a far more action-packed affair. The general premise is laid out, with Hyouma sent to live with Botan and her very human-looking tsukumogami. Of course, Hyouma doesn't seem to get along with any of them, prompting Botan to threaten him with expulsion. The action sequences and magic used evoke many shonen anime, with the series fitting in with the likes of Bleach and many of the darker shonen titles of today.
Production News for Malevolent Spirits: Mononogatari
Mononogatari originated as a manga by Onigunsou, which began publication in Miracle Jump in 2015 before moving to Ultra Jump in 2016. The latter is home to many seinen manga, most notably Crazy Diamond's Demonic Heartbreak, one of the sections of Jojo's Bizarre Adventure. The series is still running, with 14 volumes being collected so far (though the series is only now being localized in the West to coincide with the anime's release). The anime adaptation was announced in November 2021, with Bandai Namco Pictures producing the series. This animation studio subsidiary of the Japanese media giant has handled a few notable projects, with Welcome to Demon School! and the adaptations of the comedic Gintama being their biggest to date.
Ryuichi Kimura directs Malevolent Spirits: Mononogatari, while Keiichiro Ochi writes the scripts and Shiori Fujisawa does character designs and John Kanda and XELIK handle the music. "Koigoromo" and "Rebind" are the opening and ending themes, performed by Arcana Project and True respectively. Takeo Otsuka and Yuki Takada voice Hyouma and Botan, with the cast being rounded out by the tsukumogami Nagi, Yu, Kagami, Suzuri, Haori, Kai and Itsuki, who are voiced by Chikahiro Kobayashi, Reina Ueda, Aimi Tanaka, Yoshiki Nakajima, Miyuki Sawashiro, Taiten Kusunoki and Azusa Tadokoro. Other characters include Tsubaki Kadomori (Saori Onishi), Taiju Kadomori (Nobuaki Kanemitsu), Shota Kadomori (Shohei Tabuchi) and Umekichi Kadomori (Shinya Takahashi).
Release Date for Malevolent Spirits: Mononogatari
Mononogatari is about to be released in anime form, with those looking to see dark spirits tamed not having to wait much longer. The show airs in Japan on January 10th, 2023 on Tokyo MX, BS11 and other channels. The streaming service Crunchyroll has licensed the series for viewers outside Asia, though the lack of an announced English cast suggests that only the subtitled version will be available for the time being. The air times for the anime are as follows:
- Pacific Standard Time: 7.00 am (Sunday, Jan. 9)
- Central Standard Time: 9.00 am (Sunday, Jan. 9)
- Eastern Standard Time: 10.00 am (Sunday, Jan. 9)
- Greenwich Mean Time: 3.00 pm (Sunday, Jan. 9)
- Indian Standard Time: 8:30 pm (Sunday, Jan. 9)
- Central European Time: 4.00 pm (Sunday, Jan. 9)
- Australian Central Daylight Time: 1:30 am (Sunday, Jan. 10)
- Philippines Standard Time: 11.00 pm (Sunday, Jan. 9)