DESCRIPTION

CAST

MANGA SupernaturalKakuriyo no Yadomeshi: Ayakashi Oyado ni Yomeiri Shimasu.
NOVEL DramaKakuriyo no Yadomeshi
Not AvailableKakuriyo no Yadomeshi 2nd Season

REVIEWS

• 

  AdmiralNyan

  75/100
  A Supernatural Series that Explores the Psychological Role of Food

  Kakuriyo is about a young college student named Aoi who has the ability to see ayakashi (also known as yōkai; Japanese supernatural beings) just like her grandfather. Shortly following her grandfather’s death, an Oni demon appears before her at a local shrine and whisks her away to the realm of ayakashi. Upon arriving, he tells her that she must marry him in order to pay off her grandfather’s outrageous one-hundred-million-yen debt as per the contract the two individuals signed many years ago. Appalled by such a notion, Aoi refuses and offers instead to work in the ayakashi realm so that she can pay off the debt through hard work. A few plot steps later, she becomes a cook at the local inn owned by the Oni demon.

  Psychology relates to the emotional and mental state of a person. It can centre on many different things pertaining to internal characterisations. Some examples of this include insecurities and fears. These are two internal things that many people struggle with to some degree or another, and they impact the decisions that people make externally. For example, if I’m afraid of death, there is a very good chance I will avoid hospitals and any situation that will make me face my own mortality. Another example: if I’m lonely and far away from home, I will more than likely gravitate towards things that remind of the things that I am missing, such as Indian curries (my mom makes phenomenal curry). If we think about psychology in this sense and how food can be a major cursor in our mental associations with emotions, we have the substance of what makes Kakuriyo so great.
  Kakuriyo can be wholly unsuspecting, particularly with the beginning episodes, as they are quite humdrum to say the least. Nevertheless, in the first half of Kakuriyo, we learn a lot about Aoi and her upbringing. She was abandoned as a child and her grandfather raised her. Because they shared this connection via ayakashi, he also taught her to cook and helped her comprehend that most ayakashi can be peaceful beings, especially when good food is involved. Since their palettes tend to be more sensitive to a different sort of flavour style, he also taught her how to cook according to their tastes. After she gets situated in the inn, these seemingly irrelevant gastronomical lessons end up paying off in wonderful ways, both for Aoi and the inn’s business.

  This was extremely contemplative to me. I learned how to cook traditional Indian food from both my mother and my grandmother. These two women have complementary cooking styles, yet they also have enough differences to those styles that set them apart. They are/were brilliant cooks (my grandmother passed many years ago). Thinking about their methods and the time I spent learning from them and listening to their explanations while watching this anime, I started to appreciate that it was more about traditions, both familial and cultural, rather than the food itself. It was also about family togetherness and learning to be compassionate and giving. For my family, going hungry is a sign of sadness and bad fortune (literally and metaphorically). Additionally, so many of our cultural practises revolve around unique meals and meal preparation methods. I saw these same themes in Kakuriyo with each new mini-arc.

  The anime is pretty episodic for the most part. The overarching premise of Aoi paying back her debt does hang in the air and is referensed here and there, however, each episode or two focuses on her interactions with a specific set of characters or situations and how she goes about in resolving the issues presented therein. In this way, it creates a casual and kick-back atmosphere. This will appeal to some watchers and not to others. For me, as long as its done in a way that isn’t outrageously unbelievable or obnoxiously offensive, I can find ways to enjoy myself with it. Another thing this episodic quality allows for is that it concentrates on a specific sets of emotions associated with the people and the dishes that are shared, examining the psychological power that food has on people.

  Ritsuko is a human woman who is married to a member of the ayakashi royal family. She left the human realm behind a long time ago and chose to live her life quite distantly from all that she knew. In her story, Aoi cooks up food celebrating a special event and the meal she makes for Ritsuko and her husband are very similar to the dishes that the woman ate many years ago living in the human realm. The feelings that are evoked and drawn upon here consist of nostalgia, homeliness, a sense of longing, and bittersweet joy that comes from recalling beautiful memories. How many of you can recall a meal or a dish from when you were younger that reminds you of something precious or sentimental? For me, it’s my grandmother’s small squared fried potatoes cooked with gharam masala. I’d visit her every weekend and my grandma would feed this to me for lunch with homemade roti (Indian tortilla).

  Ritsuko 01 Ritsuko 02 Another character we have is Ginji. We encounter Ginji relatively quickly in the beginning. He is a nine-tailed fox ayakashi who helped Aoi when she was much younger and is part of the main cast to an extent. One of the things that I love about Ginji is his eagerness to help other people and his passion for cooking. There are quite a few sporadically placed episodes that revolve around Ginji and each one is about compassion, empathy, and trust in various levels. One episode even follows along his history of anguish and loss, which further highlights his capacity to identify with another person’s suffering. Food for him isn’t about just having a good meal but it’s about providing comfort to the less fortunate, whether that entails dealing with grief or being unable to feed yourself due to dire circumstances. In Islam, we have a holiday dedicated entirely to giving meals to needy people and Ginji’s episodes reminded me a lot about those practises.
  Ginji Kakuriyo Eps. 01 f The last character I want to discuss is someone I’m going to refer to as Unnamed to avoid spoilers. Unnamed’s story was probably the one that I felt the most kindred of connections to. They were abandoned a long time ago and they are feared because of how unique they are and what they represent in the ayakashi realm. Because they were left and forgotten, their emotions are strong and intense, pertaining specifically to fear, sadness, and loneliness. When Aoi makes a meal for them, other familiar faces that sprout up through the series are come along and it creates this stunning portrait of a nurturing environment; of how monumental it can be to someone who’s lonely to feel accepted and loved. Friendships are taken for granted everyday in one way or another and I love that this story fixates on the importance of appreciating the little moments you have with people who can make you feel meaningful and less alone in the world. Even the food that is cooked are flavours that encompass umami, or a savouriness, that makes you want to take it in and make it last as long as possible (my favourite food flavours ever).

  All in all, as a food lover, and as someone who is addicted to narratives about interpersonal interactions and relationships, and also as an individual with the greatest appreciation and admiration for classical, traditional Japanese aesthetics—including food, attire, music, and history—I highly recommend Kakuriyo -Bed & Breakfast for Spirits- to anyone that is in the market for a feel-good series that will constantly make your mouth water.

  7.5 inari sushi 10!

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• 

  Kalladry

  81/100
  An engaging folkloric setting with a pragmatic protagonist

  _The ability to see spirits, or ayakashi, runs in Aoi Tsubaki’s family, and with her grandfather recently deceased, she’s aiming to avoid them and just finish her college degree. Plans change when she’s kidnapped to the supernatural Hidden Realm: told her grandfather used her as collateral on a debt, she’s to marry an ogre! Appalled, Aoi negotiates to work in the ogre’s inn to earn the money, pay off her grandfather’s debt, and earn her release._

  Sometimes I look at a show and go, that’s for me, and sometimes I am correct about that first impression. And here, I was correct.

  Supernatural. Bright colors. Action/activity, but not a fighting show. Mysterious and kind supernatural man. Opening themes that I need to acquire for permanent ownership.

  

  Aoi is a likeable protagonist: firm while kind. Thrown into another world both literally and figuratively, she has to deal with the disadvantage of being a human (weak, delicious-looking) among a variety of supernatural beings, most of which are strong and many of which think she’d make a good meal.

  No blushing schoolgirl, her standout trait is pragmatism: oh, I’ve been taken to the spirit realm? I can work with this. You expect me to marry you? Don’t be ridiculous, there are other ways to pay off a debt. You’re the master of the land and want to help me cook this big-deal meal? Sure, but you’re not allowed to touch anything until you trim those claws. You want to quit your job as an apology for something you did? Seems stupid, then we’d have to hire someone else.

  She’s not crotchety, and she’s very kind, but she’s also practical. It’s refreshing.

  

  The ability to see ayakashi runs in her family, and apparently being able to see them attracts them. To help, Aoi’s grandfather taught her how to cook food ayakashi like, giving her a valuable skill when dealing with the supernatural. And that’s the route Aoi takes at the inn: stumbling across an empty restaurant building and a friendly fox man, they partner up to open a restaurant, setting the stage for the rest of the series.

  

  There are a lot of delicious-looking food shots, which is to be expected, and a lot of the tone surrounding it will be familiar to anyone who’s watched a food-focused anime before: lots of care and thought going into food pairings, delight at finding a rare ingredient, food that helps bridge interpersonal divides, etc.

  (IDK, I guess that’s probably common in any media that revolves around food, but I watch a lot of anime, OK?)

  

  But it’s not solely a food-focused show. The food is a tool, Aoi’s way to survive and then thrive, as well as a way to connect with ayakashi. Food as medicine–like when a snow woman collapses and needs chilled food–and food as connection–like when a tengu searches for a replica of his mother’s cooking. (And food that plays a big part various Big Story Plot Things, but I try to avoid spoilers.)

  Aoi also gets to explore the world, taken on day trips by her fox friend or the mysterious master ogre, who quickly settled down into a friend and much less of a jerk than you’d expect from the initial abduction+marriage proposal.

  

  There’s the big story (Aoi in the Hidden Realm, Aoi’s growing relationships), the other big story (the second half of the series, leading up to a big magical ritual), and then the multiple little stories: bits of Aoi’s or her grandfather’s pasts, backstories of other characters, the lives of other Hidden Realm denizens, the weird and charming stuff that happens when an inn caters to the supernatural.

  Sure, sometimes an episode might have a fight with flaming arrows raining down on the flying boat where Aoi and company are, then other episodes will just be about Aoi making a new friend and having conversations. I hesitate to call something “slice of life” when that life involves giant spiders fighting in the hotel, or assassination attempts, but many episodes are less action-oriented, and there’s a kindness and domesticity that appears throughout.

  It was the kind of show I looked forward to watching, actively watching, not just having on while I did other stuff. Plus, the main characters are enjoyable.

  

  Verdict

  English Dub? Yes

  Visuals: Average, on average, but it avoids highlighting its issues by focusing on fantastic food shots, and by having a decent amount of movement/action and multiple characters in frame fairly frequently.

  Worth Watching? Yes. This was the perfect balance between “engaging with plot” and “cannot make me feel tense during a plague,” and I portioned the 26 episodes out as a reward for finishing work each day, completing the series in a month.

  I loved the world, based in folklore, and how we get to see more of it as the show progresses. I wish there was more, although what we have ends nicely. The light novels it’s based on are still ongoing (the 11th was published at the end of 2020, the anime apparently adapts the first 5), so Aoi’s story clearly hasn’t ended, but the main storyline’s events wrap up so you’re left wanting more without a cliffhanger.__

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• 

  Kurohime242

  85/100
  Another cozy anime about ayakashi and food which could make you hungrier than usual

  !! Please note that this review will contain some spoilers!!

  Kakuriyo no Yadomeshi is another cozy anime which could make your stomach growl. Literally. The synopsis of this anime is about a young girl, Tsubaki Aoi, being taken away into the ayakashi realm against her will. She later learned from the Master Orge, the owner of the renown Tenjin-ya Inn, that she was to submit herself to be his bride as collateral damage her late grandfather, Tsubaki Shiro, left behind. Not willing to become an ayakashi's bride, Aoi was determine to work in the inn and pay off her grandfather's debt.

  

  (Picture Source: PyraXadon's Anime Archive - WordPress.com thru' Google Image Search)

  Throughout the series, we see Aoi being subjected to mistreatment from the fellow ayakashi in the inn. Her only ally was Ginji, a fox spirit and also the young master of the inn (second in-charge from the Master Orge), who supported her all the way and tried to shield her from harm. It is not known if Ginji harbours any romantic feelings to Aoi in the series based on how much he frets around her, but he is the only ayakashi in the series who is openly caring and concerned for her well-being.

  

  (Picture Source: Bruna Marins on Pinterest thru' Google Image Search)

  However, we also see how Aoi manages to capture the hearts of the various ayakashi in the inn by being concerned and frequently cooking for them. It has been established in the show that Aoi, like her late grandfather Shiro, has high spiritual powers, which enables her to transfer a small part of her spiritual powers into the food she makes, which in turn grants strength to the ayakashi who eats her food and recovers quickly. One example would be Oryou, a yuki onna (snow woman), who caught a fever.

  

  (Picture Source: IMDb thru' Google Image Search)

  Aoi's food in the series has constantly made me crave for it countless times, from wanting to chew on a nata de coco, to savouring dumplings dipped in vinegar, and to also drooling over the stewed pork belly. Gosh... talking about this now is making me hungry again...

  

  (Picture Source: Tabitha Gro on Pinterest thru' Google Image Search)

  Basically, seeing the dishes is like watching Howl cooking breakfast in Howl's Moving Castle.

  (Video Source: Netflix Anime on YouTube)

  Ahem, ANYWAY....

  The series is technically split into two parts despite it being a 26 episode series. The first part covers her life in Tenjin-ya, while in the second part, she was taken away to Oriya. Her life at Oriya kind of mirrors what she experienced in Tenjin-ya, except that the ayakashi here are somewhat more stubborn and proud...

  But it is also in this second part where the lore started to get interesting. Firstly, Aoi has been adamant in paying off her debt and never becoming the Master Orge's bride. This is actually the most obvious one as we could see Aoi beginning to harbour romantic feelings for the Master Orge.

  

  (Picture Source: CBR thru' Google Image Search)

  Secondly, and I feel this should be covered in the upcoming new season, the Master Orge seems to have chosen Aoi to be his bride long before Shiro wrecked havoc and incurred a debt in Tenjin-ya. This has left a major cliff hanger in the series as it was never addressed, even towards the end of the show once Aoi found out the identity of the ayakashi who saved her a long time ago.

  

  (Picture Source: Moe Sucks thru' Google Image Search)

  To be honest, I have watched this anime a few times prior to finding Anilist, and this cliffhanger has always irritate me because there is no clear answer to why the Master Orge saved her a long time ago. I really hope the upcoming season in 2025 will give some answers to this mystery.

  And finally, there is one character's background I really want to learn more about and that is Byakuya, the finance chief of Tenjin-ya.

  

  (Picture Source: Shoujo Love thru' Google Image Search)

  As we all know, he was once a member of the royal court and resigned to become a finance chief in Tenjin-ya. It has also been established in the series that although he is no longer part of the royal court, he still maintains a good relationship with the others who remained. I mean... who doesn't?

  Still, what got me curious about him is how revered he was when he was still working at the palace. There have been scenes in the second part of the series where he could easily scare an old ayakashi just by standing there. And also the fact that he blatantly called the emperor a fool right in front of him... to which the emperor laughed it off.

  This really raises a lot of questions. Who exactly is he? What was his position in the royal court? What is his relationship to the royal family? ...and so many others...

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