Yatagarasu: The Raven Does Not Choose Its Master flew under the radar big time and deserves our much-needed attention.
A year where Isekai and Shonen anime have dominated, this historical retreat is a breath of fresh air. Let us take a closer look at what makes it a masterpiece.
ORIGIN
Yatagarasu is a Japanese novel series written by Chisato Abe which went on to be adapted into a manga and eventually an anime. To no one’s surprise, it was Crunchyroll who released the series by the name “Yatagarasu: The Raven Does Not Choose Its Master”. It started airing in April 2024 and the first season concluded with a total of 14 episodes.
YATAGARASU boasts one of the best plots in recent memory
Presenting Yamauchi, a kingdom where people possess the ability to shapeshift into three-legged crows called Yatagarasu. At the top of this mystical race is the Kin’u—a golden three-legged crow.
Two brothers locked in a battle for the throne, one was born to a concubine but is believed to be a true Kin’u, while the other has pure royal blood running through his veins. Find out who comes out on top.
Additionally, we see noblewoman from the four houses (South, North, East & West) gather at the Cherry Blossom Palace. A battle of wits between them to try and win the Kin’u’s favor for marriage.
An epic tale of political strife, watch it unfold and you won’t be disappointed.
Review and Breakdown
We should actually break the season down to see how well it has been crafted.
To begin with, let us talk about the plot of this anime. It is scary good. I have watched tons of anime but I don’t remember ever coming across a series that is based on the quest for the throne and is so intriguing without an actual battle being fought between armies.
The writing is impeccable, the hints to mysteries that unfold are really subtle and it keeps you hooked, guessing at every point, and the best part is you will never be sure.
It plays with your head and challenges you to find the truth beneath a web of lies. This truly is political drama at its very best. Maybe you will also learn a thing or two about defeating your enemies.
So, it starts with the ladies/ noblewoman from the four houses gathering at the Cherry Blossom Palace – a place where the Kin’u will choose one of them to marry. The women banter and exchange dialogues to establish their house’ superiority over the others.
At this point of time, I felt the pacing was going to be slow throughout the anime but boy was I so wrong.
The first episode indeed just sets the stage, gives a lot of insight, and masterfully provides information to build the world where we are going to witness everything unfold.
You will be surprised at how intense and thrilling it gets as you move from episode to episode.
The character development and portrayal are truly awe-inspiring.
At the heart of the story are Yukiya, the son of a northern lord and the Crown Prince Nazukihiko, who is rumored to be the real Kin’u.
Yukiya is a young Yatagarasu and a troublemaker in his family. He is eventually appointed as the personal attendant of the Crown Prince and is depicted as someone who is brave and witty.
There is an instance where we see him deal with a group of kids with high social status very cleverly. He does enough to get them reprimanded in the presence of the Northern house royalty.
Then we have the older half-brother of the Crown Prince, Natsuka. Despite being highly intelligent and possessing the necessary qualities to become a great ruler he chooses to be a monk. There are a lot of layers to his character and you are in for a treat.
One thing that should really be appreciated is the fact that despite everyone in the anime participating in complex mind games to suit their own self-interests, everything is really comprehensive. You are not going to get lost in all the mind games and political endeavors.
The animation is really unique and works magically with the beautiful art style. The setting of this mountain world – Yamauchi is already a treat for the eyes.
The characters’ sharp physical traits, such as their noses, eyes, and face shapes, resemble those of crows, subtly reinforcing the idea that people in this world can shapeshift into three-legged crows.
Latest Updates
The anime went through a continuous run of 14 episodes before the 15th was delayed due to the coverage of Olympics 2024 that was being held in Paris. It is scheduled to complete its course of 20 episodes for the first season.
Landscape of Anime Today and where “Yatagarasu” Stands
What I really wish to highlight here is, these days, as anime is becoming more and more mainstream the series’ we witness are too direct and lack real depth. Do not get me wrong, they are amazing in their own right and it is really great that anime is slowly but surely getting recognized and achieving popularity throughout the world. That said, gems like “YATAGARASU: The Raven Does Not Choose Its Master” are really few and far between.
My blog isn’t really popular right now, so I know this might not reach too many folks out there but even if a single one of you is reading this, it is a request to preserve anime like these. These deserve to be known as well, gems like these really get lost and are not highlighted enough.
We cannot let this finish after just a single season when the potential is clearly there. I really would just request you to give this a go and then decide. This deserves a chance to be judged at the very least.
Image & Video Source: Crunchyroll
