Yatagarasu: The Raven Does Not Choose Its Master

Okay. I’m doing this.

Yatagarasu has sparked a desire in me to write, analyse and predict. So far, it has 11 episodes out and maybe 9 more to go. Prepare to be sick of me.

As I prepared the review, I pondered how to go about it. I planned to split the review into sections to make it easier to read and scan over. However, I had no idea what to name the sections.

I, therefore, ask for your understanding as I navigate this new writing endeavour.

(Source: Crunchyroll)

First episode and first impressions

Right from the start, Yatagarasu gave the impression of an anime that has a story to tell. From the beginning of the anime, we get a whiff of the intense plotting, rivalry, and intrigue that the characters are steeped in. The pacing is stable, forcing us to be patient even as we want the answers immediately. I cannot count how many times I have tried to search for spoilers on Reddit, Wikipedia and TikTok.

That’s how curious this anime makes me. I want to know what happens and I want to know now.

The first episode was good.

In the first scene, we are shown two boys, one carried by the other as they are being chased by something. The older boy loses his footing and stumbles, tossing himself and his brother into the bushes below.

Disoriented, the boy looks up and sees a massive raven perched on a nearby tree. He pleads with the raven to help his brother, even at his expense.

The raven spreads its wings and they glimmer, shimmering gold in the moonlight. “I will return you to your nests,” it assures as it takes off from the tree and lands next to the boys.

The scene soon ends and we are taken to another point in time. The narrator softly informs us of the history of the land and the people who live there. And the episode rolls on. 

Of course, leaning into the genre of fantasy, we expect the first episode to lay the groundwork for the rest of the season. So there was some info dumping but it was staggered so we weren’t overwhelmed. Truth be told, I had to pause at several points in the episode because there was onscreen text following the introduction of certain characters. Apart from that, the worldbuilding was smooth and I was able to follow the information pretty easily.

So what is Yatagarasu about?

Here’s the lowdown. 

The story is set in Yamauchi, a magical mountain, whose inhabitants can switch between human and raven (crow) forms. There is a ruler, the kin’u, who oversees the mountain and his rule is supported by four houses. The Northern, Southern, Western, and Eastern houses. 

The kin’u, meaning “golden raven”, was initially divinely appointed by the Mountain God and is characterised by a gilded body. However, as time went on, this “golden raven” became a position that was passed down from generation to generation.

Once in a while, however, a true “golden raven” would appear, replete with golden wings and feathers.

This current Prince, of course, is one. A true kin’u.

(Source: Crunchyroll)

The first episode explains the “Rite of Ascension”, a ceremony in which the Prince selects a wife from one of the four houses, marries her and ascends the throne. Becoming the kin’u in name and nature.

If only it were that simple.

The four houses have sent their daughters to represent them in this “proxy war” for the unending glory of being the Prince’s wife; each child bearing the future of their houses on their shoulders.

Another important character is introduced. Asebi, the daughter of the Eastern house, is an airheaded, naive child thrust into the conniving palace. She is well-mannered and simple, totally oblivious to the arrows flying in brief gazes and barbs hidden in polite words.

As she is not fully aware of her surroundings, she serves as a tool for the writer to advance the story. The history of the world is clarified through her and the position of each house in the ascension rite is defined.

The daughters of the Northern, Southern and Western houses are also introduced, as well as the Empress, who seems to be the clear antagonist.

So who is the protagonist?

Three minutes into the episode, I asked myself that question. There was no clear answer. As the episode progressed, however, I pushed that to the back of my mind and focused on enjoying the story.

Three minutes to the end of the episode, I asked again.

Was it the boy named Yukiya, who I recognised from the opening scene? Was it the Prince, who I think is the raven that saved him? Or one of the Ladies hoping to win the hearts of the Prince? Asebi?

There were some good options, truly, but after a brief consideration, there was only one real candidate.

While this series boasts a plethora of characters, each relevant to the complete narrative, the protagonist seems to be Yukiya Taruhi, the second-born son of the Taruhi clan.

Why is this important, you ask? Because I (and you) can predict the narrative arc of a story by how the main character is positioned or portrayed.

The official site provides this blurb:

“Yukiya, a young Yatagarasu, is appointed as the personal attendant of the eccentric Crown Prince Wakamiya. Soon, he is entangled in a web of conspiracies attempting to overthrow the heir to the Imperial throne.”

My love for unwilling heroes

Right from the start, we get the sense that our protagonist is going to be an unwilling hero. An unwilling hero is one of the best character archetypes for court and ruling intrigue (which if it isn’t evident, is what Yatagarasu is shaping up to be).

Our protagonist wants no part of the drama, yet is thrust right into the drama and has to gather his wits, courage and allies to survive, all the while growing and developing as a person.

I love unwilling heroes. I have never written one but I love the narrative because no matter what we as individuals may think, we are more likely to become unwilling heroes when thrust into strange circumstances.

Faced with an inevitable future while longing for the past and trying to survive the present. But we adapt, we grow and we thrive.

I can’t wait to see Yukiya’s journey throughout the series. I’ve been searching for the novels but I don’t think they have an English translation yet. Which is quite unfortunate. I might have to be content with just the manga.

I’ll do a more specific dive into the episodes. I think I’ll group them in threes or fives and review them like that.

Are you watching Yatagarasu? What do you think about the series so far?