Ayaka: A Story of Bonds and Wounds

The allure of magical worlds depicted in various forms of media, including anime, is a source of fascination for many. Whether it's the enchanting Pokémon universe, the spirit world in The Legend of Korra, or the wizarding world of Harry Potter, these imaginative settings often evoke a sense of wonder and captivate our hearts. Despite the familiarity of light and dark spirits storylines, they still manage to create a magical feeling within us. I believe one reason for this is the avenue for escapism they provide, into a world much more vibrant and different.

GoRA is the author and creator of the Japanese TV anime series "Ayaka: A Story of Bonds and Wounds." King Records and Studio Blanc produced it. The series is directed by Nobuyoshi Nagayama, with Kana Shibue composing the music and Ryō Tanaka directing the sound at Bit Grooove Promotion. Redjuice created the original character designs, and Misaki Kaneko modified those designs for the animation.

The series aired from the 2nd of July up until the 17th of September in the summer of 2023 on Tokyo MX and BS11. Crunchyroll has obtained the license for the series, and Medialink has licensed it in the Asia-Pacific region. This is an original series consisting of 12 episodes, each lasting 23 minutes. It falls under the fantasy genre with a key theme of mythology and is rated PG-13, suitable for viewers aged 13 and older.

A spin-off manga called Ayaka: Muzzle Flash Back, written by GoRA and illustrated by Ryo Kuroda, started being published in Ichijinsha's Monthly Comic Zero Sum magazine on July 28, 2023. An ONA series titled “Ayaka Mini Anime” ran for a total of 16 episodes from the 23rd of June up until the 3rd of October in 2023. Brought to life by Studio AQUA ARIS, it featured the dual genres of comedy and fantasy for its 2-minute episodes. The main anime was released on Blu-ray in two volumes from October 25th to November 22nd, 2023.

Ten years ago, a volcanic eruption nearly destroyed Japan's Ayaka Islands. Since then, a young boy named Yukito Yanagi has been living with different foster families on the mainland. However, he has become isolated from others due to a troubling incident, so following the wishes of his late father, Makoto, he is brought back to his birthplace on the day he graduated from middle school.

When he returns, he runs into Makoto's followers and learns that the area is in a supernatural state because mysterious life forms called Mitama live there and have the capacity to absorb human negative energy. However, if the Mitama are unable to control this energy, they transform into dangerous creatures known as Ara-Mitama, posing a threat to the lives of the islanders.

During his journey on the Ayaka Islands, he also learns that he possesses special abilities as a Ley Master, just like his father before him. Ley Masters are individuals with magical-like powers and are responsible for calming and subduing the dangerous Ara-Mitama creatures. The MC decides to overcome his own trauma and use his powers in honor of his father's legacy.

Determined to become a skilled Ley Master, he dedicates himself to protecting the peace and safety of Ayaka. Jingi Sagawa, another Ley Master who was a student of Makoto, takes on the role of mentor and older brother to Yukito, guiding him in his journey to become a Ley Master. Meanwhile, Haruaki Kurama, another senior disciple of Makoto, now serves as the head priest of the Kasen Shrine.

In all honesty, this series is pretty bad for a bunch of reasons, despite having an intriguing synopsis. While the premise and setting are both fascinating, the characters themselves come across as rather unremarkable. Even those with tragic pasts or unwavering dedication seem to fit into predictable archetypes without offering anything unique. Additionally, the plot lacks complexity to compensate for this; it follows a straightforward trajectory, making it easy to anticipate what will happen next.

The final plot twist or grand reveal of the show is disappointingly predictable too, as the connection between the main character and an important concept is heavily hinted at from the beginning itself. I won't spoil it here, but the show goes out of its way to make this connection apparent early on, diminishing the impact of the revelation.

The show's setting is the one aspect that I truly appreciated. It reminded me of the interconnected islands found in Pokémon Adventures of FireRed and LeafGreen. The Ayaka Islands in this anime are a collection of interconnected islands with a fascinating mythology surrounding supernatural beings known as "Mitama" and "Ara-Mitama," representing the forces of good and evil. I particularly found the presence of the charming and adorable blue Mitama blobs, which bring life to the islands, to be captivating.

The character development in the show could have been greatly improved, and they ought to have expended the effort to delve deeper into the connections and conflicts between the characters. Given more than one season, the series could have explored the characters more thoroughly, allowing for greater nuance and growth.

Other important characters in the story include Aka Ibuki, a Ley Master and the director of Ayaka Security, an organization dedicated to protecting Ayaka from Ara-Mitama threats. Chatarō Fukuwake, Yako Amano, Ibara Ichijō, and many more characters also play significant roles in the unfolding narrative. But no matter how interesting their roles seem on paper, their execution and growth fall flat.

In my opinion, the main character is pretty dull to watch due to the mistakes he made in the past. It is common knowledge that a poor MC can virtually destroy an entire anime by himself. His pessimistic and anti-social nature, as well as his reluctance to engage with others, make him uninteresting and bland. It seems that he is constantly trapped in the past without learning from it to become a better person in the future. It can be disappointing to follow the daily life of such a character, whose existence feels mundane, unlike other anime where the past is used to foster strength and prevent its repetition.

The animation quality in the show is average. It falls somewhere in the middle range, not being the best nor the worst I've seen. The portrayal of the Ara-Mitama could have been improved, as they feel somewhat out of place in terms of animation and design. It was particularly missing dynamics and fluidity in the final episodes, where those factors are very important; this one really felt static to me.

Other than that, there are no major gaping issues in this department: the character designs look cool, and the backgrounds aren’t bad either. But depending on what you’re used to watching, the art can be distracting at times. The first few episodes actually reminded me of Studio Ghibli movies a bit, but they are very far from the great Hayao Miyazaki’s masterpieces.

The voice actors, on the other hand, deliver solid performances. Kenjiro Tsuda, known for his excellent voice acting, does a great job portraying the character of Makoto Yanagi. Umehara Yuuichirou, who played the role of Weather Report in JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, delivers a good performance as well.

The soundtracks in the show are decent, although not particularly outstanding. The sound effects are well done, but they don't go beyond expectations. The opening theme song, "AYAKASHI," is performed by Angela, while the ending theme song, "Flashback," is performed by saji, both of which are decent at best.

The storyline of the show had the potential to be more compelling if given more time to develop. Exploring the past, present, and even the future beyond the end could have added depth to the narrative. However, the way the ending was presented made it seem like the story concluded with that season, which can be disappointing for viewers who were hoping for further exploration.

There’s really nothing great here other than whatever initial intrigue you had before going into this show. The main character is constantly whining and complaining about something, be it not being able to control his powers or his terrible mentor, a dude who’s just messing around instead of answering any valid questions. I actually felt tired watching this because it just drags on while being annoying. You can’t really focus on a story that doesn’t seem to want to tell the audience a tale, no matter how neat the founding ideas may be.

Overall, “Ayaka: A Story of Bonds and Wounds” is a show that didn't fully utilize its potential and is a missed opportunity. While I wouldn't strongly recommend it, I still suggest giving it a try if you're curious enough, as opinions on shows can vary as per preferences. But it’s best to drop it at the first disappointment you run into, because it’ll save your precious time, which is better spent on a different show or something else entirely.