Mokke

*Re-write due to system crash* I admit to being a fan of folklore and mythology and, because of this, I'm always rather pleased when a series manages to incorporate the essence of such things into its plot to good effect. Its unfortunate that many series that make the attempt manage to fail in one way or another (Dark Myth being a prime example). Thankfully, Mokke doesn't fall into that category. Mokke started life as a manga series by Kamakura Takatoshi, and was first serialized by the seinen manga magazine "Afternoon Season Zoukan" in 2000. The manga was suspended after it's 14th issue however, and wasn't continued until March 2003, when it was serialized in Kodansha's "Afternoon" magazine (which is apparently a separate seinen magazine). The re-release proved to be far more popular, and spawned the anime adaptation which was directed by Nishida Masayoshi (Allison & Lillia, Eyeshield 21), and produced by MADHOUSE. The series began broadcasting in October 2007, however it was overshadowed by the major releases of the Autumn season that year, something which is truly a shame for this understated, and highly underrated story. The series follows the lives of the two Hibara sisters, and their various encounters with beings and phenomena of supernatural origins. The elder sister, Shizuru, is a high school student with an ability to see and converse with ghosts and other beings. The younger sister, Mizuki, is in elementary school, and whilst she can hear and speak to ghosts and such, she can't see them, and is often possesed by them. The story is essentially a supernatural slice-of-life tale which is told using an episodic format rather than having a "true" over-arching plot (very much like Mushishi, Natsume Yuujinchou, etc). This format allows one to jump in at any point with no real loss of enjoyment. Mokke incorporates many aspects of traditional Japanese myth and folklore that actually enhance the story to a great degree, especially given the differing perspectives that are on hand throughout the series (more on this in a bit). The title is also very appropriate for a supernatural tale such as this, Mokke (もっけ), being the Hiragana representation of the Kanji mokke (勿怪), which basically means "unexpected". The artwork for the series is extremely well done. The backgrounds roam freely between the picturesque rural setting, to the foreboding shadow infested nighttime forests. The detailed scenery adds a sense of depth and realism to the tale, especially when the characters are involved. In some parts the series may have a slightly surreal "Ghibli-esque" quality about the scenery, but given that much of this tale is set in the countryside that may only be natural. The characters themselves are well designed. Shizuru and Mizuki have a fresh-faced, innocent look about them, a contrast to their grandparents, who are suitably careworn and elderly. The character design takes a realistic approach in terms of clothing and apparel, however the faces are often very simplistic to heighten the effect of emotions the characters are feeling. The downside to this though, is that there are occasions when the characters have a distinct "cartoon" feeling, which can throw people off by adding a comedic element where none is intended. The sound is of a very high standard throughout the series. Kawasumi Ayako plays the role of Shizuru extremely well, whilst Mizuki Nana manages to capture the precociously playful persona of her namesake. The real star though, is Hori Katsunosuke, who provides a calm yet stern atmosphere to the grandfather. The music used throughout the series is generally very good. The OP is a pleasant ballad which adopts a slightly more traditional style, however the ED was a bit too J-pop for my tastes. The background scores used throughout the series were very well selected, however there are moments that feel a little off (but that may just be me). That said, my favourite bits of the score are most definitely the creepy, music-box type pieces, as they are very much in keeping with certain stories told within the series. The characters are one of the high points of the series. As is common with shows that use the epsiodic format, character development is often disjointed, or lacking entirely. Thankfully Mokke doesn't fall into this category either as both Shizuru and Mizuki are very real characters in terms of their thoughts, actions and perspectives. The most interesting part about the characters though, is how each views the various supernatural occurences in a different way. Shizuru is generally more able to handle some things on her own, and posseses a certain calming quality because of this. Mizuki, on the other hand, is all too aware of the fact that she is easily possesed, a fact which often impinges on her ability to do and say the things she wants. The most defined character in the series though, is actually the grandfather of the two girls. He works as the local priest and is very familiar with things of a supernatural bent. Most importantly, he knows how to deal with such things, and he has taken on the role of protector for his two grandchildren. The great thing about his character is the fact that he is almost fully developed from the start of the series, and because of this he projects an air of assurance and capability that is sometimes lacking in older characters. One of the most fascinating aspects of the series is the relationship between Shizuru, Mizuki and their grandfather. The various phenomena that occur can often be viewed from three very different perspectives, giving them a greater depth and impact. In addition to this, the grandfather may be viewed as callous and uncaring at times, however this is a gross misunderstanding. His role isn't simply that of a protector for the two girls, but also a teacher. He understands more than anyone that he has only so much time to teach the girls how to take care of themselves, and his attitude is highlighted well in the fourth episode (Waraiyami, or The Laughing Darkness). His stern nature is actually very important to the series as a whole, and the reason for his sometimes unforgiving method of teaching becomes very clear by the end of the series. Mokke is an unusual and highly enjoyable series that will appeal to any fan of Mushishi, Ghost Hound, Natsume Yuujinchou, etc. The show has a certain innocent yet adventurous quality that is appealing to those who like folklore and mythology, and whilst it may lack some of the darker elements of Mushishi and Ghost Hound, this is only because it takes a very different approach to the supernatural. On the whole, this is a very good series that I would recommend to any fan of slice-of-life shows. Fans of Aria would probably enjoy Mokke immensely, and any fan of supernatural shows will find this rewarding viewing. The detailed nature of the phenomena and how to deal with them sets it apart from most other supernatural series, making it more similar to Mushishi or Mononoke in certain respects. The characters are wonderfully realised though, and it is because of them that this show doesn't slide down the path of taking itself too seriously.

If theres one thing that anime can claim a rightfully deserved monopoly on, its the whimsical slice of life genre. No other media, that i know of, can produce so many shows with scenes of people eating breakfast and doing the laundry yet still manage to be interesting, (save perhaps some classic british series like Jeeves and Wooster), but it does it, and not only that but it often does it quite well, one only has to look at series' like Aria, Natsume Yujincho, Hibane renmei, to see this is true. But from here the trail follows that the best slice of life series' are those that successfully mix slice of life with the supernatural, and so be easily relatable but still mysterious, interesting but not ridiculous, and most important of all, require the audience to think a little to discover the meaning behind each episode… Mokke for me, took many of these principles to heart, but perhaps sliced off a little to much life and didn't leave enough room in its tummy for a developed plot or story, but more on that particular cake later… The series tells the story of two young girls who both have the ability to interact with ghosts, Shizuru, a high school student is even able to see them, while her younger sister, Mizuki can't, but is easily possessed by them. In order to find some peace they both move to the country to live with their grandparents, who have had some experience dealing with these spirits. Together they must both learn that they cannot simply avoid or destroy their ghostly apparitions all their lives, but instead must lean to coexist, and maybe even learn something about themselves and life along the way. In terms of actual plot theres not much beyond the original premise, and thats to be somewhat expected, even preferred in this genre. The story mostly involves episodic plots about one of the girls (rarely both unfortunately) interacting with these ghosts. With Shizuru usually dealing with the creatures affecting those close to her, having to deal with her helplessness and loneliness not being able to talk to or help her close friends. And Mizuki having to deal with the fact thats ghost see her body as a thief sees a stately home with its front door left open. All the while trying to hide her abilities from her close friends and enjoy her childhood as best she can. An upward struggle for both girls, but one that is characteristically rewarding... Rather than having a continuing story, each episode rather contains a theme, and is very like a parable, with some problem emerging that has to be overcome by our heroines and by the end they are stronger and wiser for the experience. Its makes for pleasant viewing, with some of the lessons being quite interesting and can strike very close to home at times, but it does get a little repetitive, as one sometimes resorts to playing guess the message of the week, as it where. Also one needs a high whimsy tolerance to be able stomach some of these episodes, fans of the gritty, brutal ghost story will find no macabre comfort here, best search elsewhere. This episodic nature may a defining feature of the slice of life genre, but perhaps Mokke took it a little to far, with the only plot point that has even the slightest effect on the story as a whole is when Mizuki joins a club, (in fact the biggest plot point of all happens in the last few minutes of the final episode!). Its true that the best slice of life series' usually are episodic, for example Natsume Yujincho, (which is probably the closest thing to this series) but Natsume excels where this series stumbles as it managed to include small story arcs and introduce characters that later go on to be an intricate part of the story. Mokke's biggest problem is that there is none of this, characters or plot points introduced in one episode cease to exist in later episodes, even if their problems or stories have not fully been fully resolved. Some may argue that this is how real life works, with not every problem wrapped up into a neat little bow by the end of day, and while this is true i would endeavour to remind them that this is a slice of life series, not a full course meal of life series. It simply make for generally better viewing when things that are set up come to interesting conclusion, my opinion but one i feel is very close to the truth. With all that said, the real pillars of the series are the characters, with each one of the three mains distinct and interesting. Mizuki the younger sister is energetic and playful, a product of her youth, this can give the impression that she if full of confidence and strong, but closer inspection reveals that quite the opposite is true. Constantly be possessed by spirits has led her to believe that she is weak and tends to laugh away her problems rather that face them, however as the series progresses she does try to rectify this problem, (not always with the intended consequences) and with the help of her sister, learn to find the balance between fighting and coexisting with these spirits. She is very much the heart of the series, providing much of the light hearted comedy and charm that characterises the series. Shizuru the elder sister, is really quite beautiful, not in some stupid moe sense, but rather she has a very subtle charm to her, the simple art hides the depth-fulness of her character, intelligent, caring, kind, but lonely from never being able to talk to her friends about her abilities. I would insert a vain attempt to compare her to some flower always out of reach, but truthfully, I would rather take a stroll in front of a firing squad… Anyway, while not an amazing character, she does stand out as interesting in a medium, that all to often likes to portray women as being about as intelligent and interesting, as a pile of bricks. However the star of the show for me at least was the grandfather, who acts as both their guardian and laissez-faire teacher. Rather than rushing in to save the girls anytime they get involved in the other world he prefers to stay back and let the girls fight their own battles. This may make him sound like a cold man but nothing could be further from the truth, as with many things in this series his actions are both subtle and meaningful. He knows all to well that he will not be around forever, and most importantly, he has learnt that one cannot live ones life in perpetual war with nature, but must rather find a way to coexist with what one can, avoid what one cannot and fight only those that seek to destroy us. Saying very little and always keeping his thoughts and emotions to himself, he seems to know exactly how things will play out, but at the end of the day its clear that he cares very deeply for his family, and would never let any harm come to them, nor would he unnecessarily hurt the ghosts and spirits that he has come to understand and respect. However the side characters are a little different, this ties in with what I was saying earlier about the little to episodic nature of the series, character such as Shizuru and Mizuki's friends, while somewhat prominent, as not given a great amount of that far to overused term "character development". This term has become the go to weapon of wanna-be critics, and i myself have been guilty of this in the past, but i digress. The point is that some of these side characters have interesting features and stories surrounding them, and while some are given quite a good bit of character and even arcs, there are others who are simply forgotten or just outright ignored. Such as the grandmother, who despite being in an incredibly interesting position, married to a man who exercises spirits for a living, and having two granddaughters who can interact with them, very little is ever revealed about her, or if she also has these abilities. All in all these are small complaints but still substantial enough to distract from the story, which is a real pity. Music wise everything was quite fitting, the opening i found to be quite en…

The picture of the world, the image of the country, cities and people is transmitted not only through movies and books, for example, such animated shows as Mushishi, Rurouni Kenshin, even Gintama can perfectly convey the spirit of Japanese culture, thanks to them, people around the world have an idea of the other people and they traditions. I must admit that I gravitate towards such shows and I always watch them with pleasure. Mokke in this case is no exception and confidently replenishes the list above. Initially Mokke is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by manga author Takatoshi Kumakura. Later, in October 2007, created by Madhouse and Tezuka Productions, begins broadcasting the anime adaptation. Mokke is a story about two sisters: the eldest Shizuru who can see the spirits and younger Mizuki, who in turn does not see them, but is very receptive to them. Mizuki is a big dreamer, always disappears somewhere and tells amazing stories that look more like fairy tales. Shizuru is serious, since childhood she is fond of herbalism and wants to assemble his collection of plants. Mokke has an episodic narrative format and the plot is based on the interaction of the two sisters, and more specifically in the influence of the spirits on Mizuki and some other characters. Usually, having an episodic format, the interrelation of the characters is often lost, but this is not the case, the sisters of Hibara are similar in thought, however the characters they meet refer to the supernatural in different ways, therefore so the characters turned out to be very real and alive, that does not turn off any of them during the series. Separate attention deserves the grandfather and his influence on the sisters. Shizuru and Mizuki are naive and young, so grandfather is always serious and strict with them. He is a kind of master in the case of supernatural things and their mentor, but the reason for his rigor becomes clear by the end of the series. The music for the series is chosen very well. All the compositions are pleasant and appropriate, the opening is worth a special praise. Everything else corresponds to the rhythm of a quiet and peaceful environment in the series. Music evokes pleasant sensations and perfectly complements certain episodes. The series is very interesting, in terms of production and mood, which is created when you watch it. Personally for me, Mokke served like a not bad source of inspiration, thanks to the beautiful views of the sunset from the hills, flowering trees and folklore in general. However, despite all the beauty of the environment, the characters faces are simplified to a simple style, which is noticeable in emotional scenes. In general, the series is very pleasant and unusual, the mood in it is quiet and calm, nothing impels depression, there is everything here so that you can say with a smile, "But life, in fact, is a wonderful thing." If you are a fan of such shows as Aria, you will enjoy Mokke immensely.

Story: The plot of this story may seem simple at first, but it's development is actually pretty interesting. Usually each episode focueses in one of the sisters (Chizuru or Mizuki) and how the deal with a supernatural creature they encounter (or supernatural event). The story was more funny and childish when Mizuki was the protagonist of the episode and more dramatic and serious when the protagonist was Chizuru. Personally, I found Chizuru's episodes more deep because they transmited her feelings of anxiousness, confusing and most importantly loneliness because of being able to see ghosts. Moreover the story is education as it shows elements about Japanese Literature (the supernatural events). Finally, the bond between the two sisters is shown continously during the show, how they help each other and how they compliment each other. It might be a supernatural anime but the feelings and thoughts in it are realistic and touching. Art: The character's design was simple, yet original in my point of view. The background and attire clearly showed how Japanese people in villages live like. Sound: The sound reminded me a bit of traditional Japanese music, it was deep especially at the end of the episodes when they playes the instrumental version of the opening. Though it is kind of susbjective whether one finds it likeable or not. Character: The two sisters are clearly the opposite of each other, but as I said before they compliment each other exactly due to that reason. Chizuru is kind of pesimistic, quiet and slighly introverted while Mizuki is energetic, extroverted and impulsive. The rest of the characters don't play an important role in the story but in some of the episodes which are focused on them we can see what kind of people they are. It's actually not the typical anime with some school girls making jokes and having fun. Enjoyment: I enjoyed this anime because I found it interesting, I wanted to see what creature would appear in the next episode, if it would be good or evil and how the sisters would deal with it. I believe this series are worth watching if someone is interested in Japanese literature or supernatural events.

Living life where the strange and supernatural exist side by side with the everyday - it's unsettling at times, sure, but also kind of fun and fascinating, like you've just accepted that weirdness is part of the normal routine. Like even within the boundaries of horror, there's warmth and coziness to be found, it is quite therapeutic. That's Mokke for you, a little known series from 2007. Mokke is like the long forgotten, younger sibling of Mushishi. Now I don't necessarily mean that as a diss towards Mokke, far from it actually. When even Mushishi and Natsume's Book of Friends are considered hidden or 'forgotten gems' among the general community these days, then that makes it all the more true for Mokke's case and especially how underappreciated it is. Synonymous with the anime itself, Takatoshi Kumakura isn't exactly a household name in the animanga industry. He published several manga in the past decade with modest success, but despite his track record he's mostly unknown to the majority of audiences. With a bit of detective work on the net, turns out Mokke was his only manga that was greenlit for a proper anime adaptation. If I was told to describe my experience with Mokke, its like a slow, boring, fun, enjoyable, captivating, nostalgic, relatable and hectic stroll through a quiet Japanese countryside. Admittedly, those terms are a bunch of oxymorons haphazardly brought together, but I can't explain it any better. Simply put, Mokke conveys the recurring themes found in various media such as the coming-of-age, existential crises, embracing failures, losing loved ones, facing your fears - all of which are just some of the stepping stones to maturity. However, it also acknowledges the existence of the metaphysical, accepting that there are things out there you can never fully fathom yet must coexist with. Importantly, it delivers these messages rather loosely, without sounding preachy or it being forced down your throat. The overall structure of Mokke tend to follow a formulaic style of "X happens at the start, trouble and/or hilarity ensues, resolved by the end of the episode". The progression from mystery to final twist varies in quality from one episode to the next. As a whole, if this pattern isn't your cup of tea then frankly you're better off dropping the idea of watching Mokke altogether. Similar to the aforementioned series, Mokke deals with supernatural entities, namely the youkai, which is just a broad term for it in Japanese folklore. These ethereal beings are generally morally black-and-white: there are good ones, bad ones and then everything in between. There are youkai who are helpful, ones who tease and troll others and lastly there are also malicious and vengeful youkai, the types that physically harm people. Just as a heads-up, Mokke does have its fair share of horror elements, but that's to be expected with a show that deals with the supernatural. Heck, few scenes straight-up give off creepy, Junji Ito vibes. But calling the whole show "horror" would be kinda disingenuous - plenty of Mokke is rather chill and sometimes downright lackadaisical. Mokke features a bunch of characters. Some of the supporting cast make reappearances throughout the show, while the rest just have single instance roles. But only three people truly mattered namely Shizuru, Mizuki and their grandfather. Unless if you count their kitty cat, Mike-san then that's four in total. I'll talk about them in more depth a bit later. Mokke's 'mostly' episodic nature routinely alternates between the two Hibara siblings, namely Shizuru and Mizuki. Either you have Shizuru-focused, then followed by a Mizuki-focused episode and sometimes both. However, there's subtle character growth that occurs in the background as the series progresses, but ultimately each one acts like an standalone arc. The girls deal with the various types of youkai that appears in each episode. While this approach run the risk of feeling repetitive but thankfully a 24 episode & 2 OVA runtime felt just about right, without overstaying its welcome. Now, here's where the experience kinda end up being rocky. The biggest issue is that the episodes not exactly made equally. By the time the show's concluded, my memory's already gone hazy regarding a majority of Shizuru's episodes. There were a few notable ones, such as a youkai that enchants people with feelings of lovey-dovey and a whimsical 'ghost musical thing' that stood out. Besides that, many of them are just straight up unmemorable. Contrary to that, a considerable amount of Mizuki's episodes had a lasting impact even months after I've completed the anime. Though I have to admit that I do have some personal bias towards Mizuki. Anyway, similar to Shizuru's episodes, many of Mizuki's episodes often involves her getting caught in precarious situations with the youkai which commonly leads to day-to-day mild inconveniences much to her chagrin, or sometimes worse, life-threatening. The laughing ghosts, Mountain witch, 'Teoimono' ("wounded animal"), just to name of few. The ending of the show was surprisingly bittersweet. Let's analyze the characters some more. Firstly is Shizuru, who in my opinion, is the more muted and bland of the sisters. She's usually reserved, quiet and passive - a reactive type character, who rarely draw attention to herself. The only distinctive trait that she possesses is an ability to see spirits. Her fashion choice strikes me as that of an senior office lady. Anyways, her experiences are not that relatable on a personal level, but beyond that she's just mostly mundane. Last but not least is the main highlight character, Mizuki Hibara. Compared to the older Hibara sibling, Mizuki is the more extroverted, colorful, energetic, and proactive type. In simpler terms, she's your typical tomboy. She's shown instances of being selfish, self-centered and bratty, but at her age many kids act the same. She also takes on the role as the comic relief character, or is just there to lighten the mood to ease out the tense moments. Historically speaking, characters that exhibits these qualities typically might come out as intolerable, but her character is handled believably well. Unlike Shizuru though, Mizuki doesn't have the ability her sister has. Instead, like moths to a flame, she attracts all manners of youkai, so more often than not Mizuki becomes a prime target for possession. This conundrum leads to all kinds of shenanigans throughout the show, some lighthearted and funny, while others quite unsettling. Now from the sound of it, Mizuki doesn't exactly scream "bright". Nevertheless for someone her age, it is completely plausible that she'll now and again act impulsively and fall into her own whimsical desires or youthful curiosity. Both studio Madhouse and Tezuka productions done a remarkable job at visuals. The visuals still look great, the fact that this show is almost two decades old. Artstyle is a bit unique - to loosely put it - it does stand out among the crowd. There's few occasional hiccups such as low-quality looking scenes but for the most part it remained consistent throughout the show and these are simply nitpicks. I'm no audiophile but both Opening and Ending themes were also solid. OP "Kokoro no Ato" and ED "Panorama" are nice, though the OP does have the edge here. Kokoro no Ato leans towards sentimental rock beats, aiming to evoke feelings of nostalgia and deals with the pain of separation in its lyrics. While Panorama went for a more easygoing, chill vibe with lots of J-Pop tunes. When it comes to discussing seiyuu roles, they also have several well-known talents such as Nana Mizuki, who voices...Mizuki (I see what you did there...), Ayako Kawasumi who plays Shizuru, and Aya Hirano with a support role just to name few. The amount of seiyuu star power and polished production values indicates that this had relatively decent financial backing behind it. There's nothing much to say here, but all in all Mokke has do…

General view and expectations: Mokke is a show centered on two girls, Mizuki and Shizuru, with Shizuru being the older sister. These girls can interact with spiritual creatures (ayakashis), unlike other people. The plot unfolds in a slice-of-life format, where the two girls engage in daily activities like normal students, while these creatures also appear. Each episode has its own plot separated from the others, with different contexts. Most of the time, it presents itself as a calm atmosphere with a focus on a serious plot, similar to Serial Experiments Lain and others, but obviously without all the tension or nonsensical plots. My expectations for this show were either a mediocre anime, or a darker anime style, or perhaps something aligned with the themes of Studio Ghibli. However, I was surprised. The messages in each episode made me think about various aspects of life. I noticed that the demographic was intended for all audiences, but it's really filled with concepts that teens or adults can understand and appreciate. Development and work out of plot: In the development, there are episodes without links. However, there is a chronological progression, and also a growth in Mizuki and Shizuru. For example, I can't give any spoilers here, but Mizuki had an egocentric personality, and her peers were forced to follow her in some arbitrary decisions. After certain situations, she changed and realized what happened. This also occurred with the presence of Yokais, who participated similarly to other humans. The ayakashis can be hostile or friendlier, depending on their personality. People's problems are always subject to their expectations, personality, and other situations. However, the plot is free for all different demographics; ideas and reflections presented here are only understandable to seinen, the target audience for this show. Every episode follows the same pattern: Mizuki or Shizure are engaged in their activities and somebody finds themselves in a situation. Then, other situations happen, leading to a climax with a good or satisfactory ending and many reflections. I particularly liked these reflections. Conclusion: In conclusion, I really recommend this show. Mokke is a true hidden gem of anime. Many anime actually don’t have the same vibe; it was forgotten long ago in the industry. My final score is 8.

Such a hidden gem! This show is really under the radar. You know, I've watched a lot slice of life supernatural genre but this one hooked me. So the story is about Hibara sisters, Shizuru and Mizuki. Their usual daily lives that is actually unusual. Shizuru, the elder, can clearly see spirits/ghosts while Mizuki, her younger sis, is prone to spirits and easily possessed by them and can sense spirit's presence as well although she cannot see as clear as her big sis. Due to this supernatural phenomenon, they live in their grandparents' house because their grandpa and grandma can also sense and see spirits so they understand the situation of their grandchildren. This is also why their parents trust them. Don't forget their little cat, Mike, also recurring character and has its own episode. From this anime, you will know several japanese yokai/ghost. Each episode title refers to the yokai name so the show is episodic, one episode is not related to another episode. Visual: decent. Probably because it's from 2007. Music: surprisingly great for slice of life genre. OP slaps, ED soothing. Most importantly, I really like the atmosphere, because the setting is in the small village where the background is still natural, like ricefield, pond, river, forest, etc. I also think this anime is family friendly, however the very first episode kinda DARK but the rest is just fine and barely I found fanservice.