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Friday, February 10, 2012

Posted by IceCreamNinja in News Articles February 18, 2010 at 09:51:09 AM

Okami Kakushi is a pun on the Japanese phrase kami kakushi, or literally “to be hidden by the Gods.” Generally its meaning translates to “spirited away” in English. However, by placing the honorable “O” in front of the Japanese word for God (kami), one, depending on how it’s written, gets the word for “wolf.” Thus the pun in the title: “Wolfed Away,” as opposed to “Spirited Away.” Isn’t language fun?

This is the most interesting thing about the entire series.



The plot follows first year high school student Hiroshi Kuzumi, who has recently moved to the isolated town of Jouga with his father and younger, wheelchair-bound sister. Literally after just stepping out of the car for the first time in front of his new apartment, he is immediately jumped by a girl named Isuzu, who instantly declares her undying affection for this short, bespectacled stranger in such a way that one can actually see in physical form made manifest the unrealistic, nightmarish fantasies of otakus everywhere.

Continuing this “Twilight”—like charade of retroactive wish-fulfillment on the part of the creator, Hiroshi attends his school for the first time the next day and is immediately loved by everyone in his class the very second he walks through the door. This behavior is viewed as somewhat odd by Hiroshi at the time, so we can rest assured that he at least understands to some extent the unrealistic nature of his situation. However, the fact that nothing comes of these observations and Hiroshi subsequently accepts without question what might only be described as the insane interest and advances of his classmates immediately disconnect him from the more rational, removed observer; who in his place would be freaked out and/or sprinting at full speed away from this cult-like group of madmen.

Backing up this ridiculous cast of characters is a vague legend about the Jouga wolves, which are variously sacred, evil, extinct, anthropomorphic and disguised, or all just some mass delusion concocted by a few angry villagers upset over the fact that the part of town on the other side of the river is so much nicer and more modern than their side. Perhaps it’s all just a result of the moon over Jouga always appearing to be full and blood red, no matter how much time has actually passed. That certainly would have a rather unsettling effect on some people, I’m sure. Nevertheless, the wolves and the legend that surrounds them apparently have some significant relation to the story unfolding at a snail’s pace in the show, but so far the series seems almost dead-set against making any sense out of the link between the wolves and the random strange people with the glowing red eyes being eviscerated for no reason by a tiny girl wielding a gigantic scythe at the end of each episode.

More on her in a moment.

Drama comes in many forms, but at its most fundamental level, it requires an investment on the part of the audience. Okami Kakushi however, doesn’t really elicit any real sort of investment. It’s form without substance, and relies more on cheap tricks to keep the viewer’s attention, wasting your time without anything really worthwhile to show for it. The scythe-wielding murder girl is a perfect example. Every episode without fail so far ends with her chasing a glowing-eyed person down the same (and it is always the same) back-alley corridor and sinking a large farming implement into them. There’s no real explanation behind the attacks, nor is there ever even an attempt to create any sort of attachment between the characters on screen and the viewers witnessing their final moments. It’s all just a random attack somehow meant to keep the audience interested in the show after forcing them to watch an entire episode of fluff and occasional ominous, overly-dramatic nonsense. Even when Hiroshi eventually stumbles across one of these back-alley murders in progress and seems to be in the midst of actually instigating some sort of actual plot progression, nothing really comes of it. He runs, returns, meets a strange man, and IN A MAJOR REVELATORY MOMENT FOR THE SHOW, is told “there’s a mysterious group murdering people in this town.”

Really?

Okay. Didn’t already realize that long before now or anything! What? Oh, so you’re not really too concerned or upset about it anyway? And you’re basically just going to ignore the fact that you saw a crazy demon murder now? Awesome! I love watching you brood quietly or read.

Ultimately, the show can best be likened to a hot summer day without air conditioning. You can’t escape the heat and humidity, so everything you do is tinged with the dual air of unpleasantness and sweaty underpants. There’s a sense that something large and ominous and beyond your control is bearing down on you, determined to destroy you in the detached, malicious manner of large, ominous, abstract things that don’t really care about you personally but nevertheless have at the core of their agenda your ultimate and irrevocable destruction. But nothing really gets accomplished! The characters are somewhat curious about the strange happenings, but, much like a muggy day, no one is really willing or able to think or move on their own without the apparent fear of making a bad situation worse. Of course, to make this metaphor truly complete, someone would also have to come along every twenty minutes to randomly punch you in the face. No real reason for it though, you know. Just wanted to make sure you’re still paying attention and anticipating the next twenty minutes. Perhaps once the series’ run is complete, it might be easier to stomach than watching it piecemeal one episode at a time, but as it is, there’s a lot better ways out there to waste twenty minutes of your day.

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