Ayakashi Ep 5 - 8: Tenshu Monogatari

This story is a fictitious tale written by Izumi Kyoka centering on a forgotten god by the name of Tomihime and an eagle trainer Toushonosuke. Their paths would not have crossed until Toushonosuke's eagle by the name of Koujirou goes missing and he finds out that it has flown to the Shirosagi Castle. While searching for Koujirou which belongs to the general he serves, Toushonosuke happens to meet Tomihime while she is taking a bath where the two seem to be unable to take their eyes off each other. Although Toushonosuke already has a fiancee Oshizu, he keeps thinking of Tomihime who is also pining for him.

As a number of people have failed to retrieve Koujirou from the Shirosagi Castle, Toushonosuke is sent on this mission and finds out about Tomihime's identity as well as her need to eat living people to sustain her life. On the other hand, Tomihime is apprehensive about falling for a human being since her mother suffered badly as a result of being dumped by a man and subsequently became an eagle by the name of Aguri a.k.a. Koujirou. As such, Tomihime is determined not to follow in her mother's footsteps. Nevertheless, the feelings that both of them have for each other are so strong that they cannot resist the thought of being apart and Tomihime even hurts her servant to save Toushonosuke. They finally sleep together where Oshizu who has come looking for Toushonosuke, happens to see this and runs away without confronting him. The couple flees Shirosagi Castle where Tomihime gets a taste of how it feels like to be a human.

However, the happiness is short-lived as Tomihime's granny comes after them and reveals that the servant whom Tomihime hurt, is dying. This makes Tomihime realise that being with Toushonosuke will bring about unhappiness and she forces Toushonosuke to leave. Having no choice, he returns to his town and even marries Oshizu who pretends that nothing has happened.

All would have been peaceful if Oshizu's jealously didn't get the better of her. Even though she is married to Toushonosuke, she knows that he's still in love with Tomihime and goes to tell the general that the eagle is in Shirosagi Castle. As such, the general orders the troops to attack the castle which forces Toushonosuke to abandon Oshizu so as to protect Tomihime. After a bloody battle, this results in severe casualties on both sides. In the end, Tomihime and Toushonosuke transform into birds and fly off to be together.

On the whole, I like this story much better than the first which was quite confusing and a bit too long for my liking due to the limited content they could explore. In contrast, Tenshu Monogatari is relatively straightforward and due to it being fiction, it's easier to accept the developments which may seem far-fetched. Besides, the romance between Tomihime and Toushonosuke spices up the story because it gives it a more emotional and human touch as compared to the first instalment where hatred and revenge took centrestage.

I'm growing to like the ED by Hajime Chitose more which has that traditional feel and her vocals suit the atmosphere of the story. As for the OP, I just think that the rap doesn't blend well with the theme of the anime so I don't like it at all.

Although it was said that Ayakashi consists of horror stories, I guess this 2nd instalment ranks rather low on the horror index because the eerie scenes of people being eaten were largely restricted to Ep 5. Later, when Tomihime and Toushonosuke fell in love, that changed the mood to one of romance and the helplessness of separation. In this sense, I thought the first instalment fitted the description of a horror story better.