is a 2005 visual novel

Visual novel

A is an interactive fiction game featuring mostly static graphics, usually with anime-style art, or occasionally live-action stills or video footage...

 developed by Crossnet. An eroge

Eroge

An or Ero-ga is a Japanese video or computer game that features erotic content, usually in the form of anime-style artwork. Eroge originated from galge, but unlike galge, they feature erotic/pornographic content.-History:...

 sequel was later released in 2006 with the name Ayakashi H. A twelve-episode anime

Anime

is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....

 adaptation was aired in 2007. A bundle release of the game called Ayakashi Pack was released on December 14, 2007 to celebrate the release of the anime, containing both Ayakashi and Ayakashi H.

Plot

Ayakashi is a parasite life force that gives superpowers to its host, taking in return the host's entire life force. Yū Kusaka is a student that lost his will to live after the death of a dear childhood friend, until the day a mysterious girl, named Eim Yoake, appears. From that moment on, his life would never be the same again. Hunted by Ayakashi and their hosts, the power within Yū awakens and a never ending battle begins.

Characters

• The following voice actors are from the anime adaption.

The main character. He is a warm-hearted, caring Ayakashi handler fighting for the sake of a promise he made to Hime and Izumi two years before the main story. His promise was to protect them. Yu has the strongest Ayakashi, Ryuu. Ryuu is a dragon-like Ayakashi. He was in love with Izumi but changed after her death. He cares deeply for Hime and Eimu.

The main heroine. Eim first appears as a bodyguard forced to protect Yū. Later into the series, Yu and Eim develop a bond in which she later chooses for herself to protect him. Eim has two Ayakashis, Akuro-ou, a large, blue Ayakashi and Satori, a small blue and white Ayakashi with the ability to fight and read minds. After she killed Izumi, she took a part of her soul containing feelings and memories of Izumi and thus showing her own feelings for Yū.

Yū's childhood friend, she is very popular around the boys in school, but she always hangs around Yū, she is capable of seeing Ayakashi. She loves Yū but knew that Yū loved Izumi. Yū continues to protect her even though he acts cold around her sometimes.

A friend Yū and Eim meet later in the anime. She tends to like Yū. Her ayakashi is Tengu.

Yū's childhood friend. She was killed by Eim 2 years before the main story and transferred a part of her soul into Eim upon her death along with her memories and emotions. Satori was originally her Ayakashi. She and Yū had strong feelings for one another.

A girl who searches for something she doesn't know, when she change's her hairstyle she is identical to Izumi She is a cat Ayakashi. Her master and Bakeneko's handler, Natsuhara, were killed by Kare.

The main antagonist. His real name is unknown and he is sometimes referred to as "Him". His Ayakashi is Orochi, a snake-like being. He pushes Yuu to bring out his complete Ayakashi by sending his subordinates after him.

Eim's older sister. She's loyal to "Him"; and tends to be cold towards Eim and Yu. Not acknowledging Eim as her sister. Saying she lost her sister "two years ago" before the main story. The reason she says this, is because Eim chooses to protect Yu instead of joining her sisters side. Her ayakashi is Aterui. A red, smaller ayakashi version of Akuro-ou.

Yū's senior, he is also an Ayakashi user who was ordered by Kare to keep an eye on Yū. His Ayakashi is Nurikabe.

Ayakashi H Characters

Hime's cousin and successor of the Shirakami family, she has the ability to seal and control Ayakashi with a stamp handed over by her family, also she has a pair of short swords to fight Ayakashi, she believes that Ayakashi are evil and dangerous, but Yū shows her that not all Ayakashi are Evil, in the end she develops a crush on him.

One of Kikuri's bodyguards, she is shy and fears men but even so she has a crush on Katsumi, when she fights uses a pair of gauntlets, with these she can fight hand to hand with Ayakashis like Akuro-ou.

One of Kikuri's bodyguards, he is calm and collected and always gives advise to Yū on how to handle Kikuri, he uses a Katana to fight, later is revealed that he is an Ayakashi user and that he wants to kill all the Ayakashi users, so they don't have to suffer the pain that his dead wife had to go through, he combines sword techniques with his wife's fire Ayakashi "Shiranui"."amir"

Ayakashi

Yū's Ayakashi. It is the Ayakashi of destruction and rebirth.

Kajiwara's Ayakashi.

Episode list

1. Bloody Beginning

2. Awakening

3. Remuneration

4. Ayakashi User

5. Him

6. Izumi

7. Isolation

8. Eimu

9. Decision

10. The Two

11. Path of No Return

12. Symbiosis

External links

• Anime official website