In/Spectre First Impressions

“Deep in the mountains where they took me, they implored me, the girl they kidnapped… ‘Please become our Goddess of Wisdom.’”

Kyokou Suiri, localized in the west as In/Spectre, is an interesting series with some peculiar strengths and flaws. It has a slightly old school quality which I believe is derived from some of the clunkier aspects of the narrative. From a conceptual standpoint, the premise resembles what you may end up with if you took Natsume Yuujinchou and blended it with A Certain Magical Index. It seems like it may follow a similar trajectory to Natsume, with the series focusing on various incidents involving spirits and our main characters serving as mediators, but the character dynamics, tone and perhaps quality all feel a bit more reminiscent of Index and other light novel titles in that vein (…I presume. It’s been a LONG time since I watched the two episodes of Index that I have seen). I’m curious to see whether this adaptation can adjust to a more smooth delivery and pacing, but, even if it doesn’t, In/Spectre seems like a reasonable enough distraction.

The plot of In/Spectre follows one Kotoko Iwanaga, a 17 year old high schooler who also acts as the “God of Wisdom” for yokai. As a young girl she was spirited away and agreed to become an intermediary between humans and spirits, but was required to give up an eye and a leg to do so. However, she has developed an interest in a peculiar human named Kuro Sakuragawa who is feared by the yokai, and ultimately asks him to aid her in her mediating duties. One of the most notable features of this show is its heavy handed exposition. It doesn’t kill the show, but it does lend to the sense that I’m watching an older title. Birdy had requested that I take a look at this series when it came out, as he had read some of the manga adaptation, and was curious as to how I would react. His primary criticism of the manga was that no real life human talks like the characters in the manga, and I can definitely see shades of that in this adaptation as well. When Kotoko encounters Kuro at the beginning of this episode, it practically turns into an exposition-off where both characters are attempting to see who can explain more backstory. This even involves Kotoko sharing a treasure trove of knowledge about Kuro that had been passed on to her by hospital nursing staff. It’s a game of exposition telephone. Fortunately, while the dialogue is a tad unwieldy and Kuro’s a bit too aloof, I don’t actually dislike either of the characters, and a version of the Natsume Yuujinchou storyline where someone not only volunteered for that responsibility, but even sacrificed parts of their body to do it, is a compelling hook for a narrative.

On the production side of things, the show looks fine, but it isn’t anything special. Brain’s Base is in charge of production here, and it avoids looking sub par, but there is very little that I could call eye-catching about the episode. There are a few comedic moments that land well though. My favorite was when a Kotoko explains to a ghost that, while spirits may be repulsed by Kuro, she finds him to be a looker… at which point the ghost asks her if both her eyes had been taken. It’s a nice moment that illustrates her quirky relationship with the spirits, so, as they become more prominent in the series, it may allow for the staff to flex more of their comedic talents. The action is fine, but I’m not keen on the visual filters used during the fight scene at the end. While it isn’t obnoxious, the purple gradient still triggers PTSD flashbacks of W’z, so a softer touch may prove more agreeable to the senses. When it’s all said and done, In/Spectre doesn’t offer anything exceptional in terms of production and narrative, but it currently has an amusingly balanced premise with both our male and female leads having intriguing backstories and overall there might be enough here to sustain interest.

Before I wrap up, a few Notes and Nitpicks:

• I mentioned that the animation wasn’t anything to write home about, but if there was one exception. There is a short clip where an arm reforms, and I’m a bit of a sucker for a scene of bone and muscle tissue reforming, like when Greed had his head knocked off in Fullmetal Alchemist.
• Is it just me or is the flashback image of Kotoko screaming into her hat shockingly reminiscent of Iney Miney’s freakout in Ace Attorney 2?
• Given the apparent emphasis on supernatural investigation and mediation, I kind of love that title. It’s cheesy, but that title alone might be my guilty pleasure of Winter 2020.