is a series of novels by Natsuhiko Kyogoku. It was made into a horror 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....

 series, licensed in English by Geneon Entertainment, and into a series of live action TV specials directed by Yukihiko Tsutsumi

Yukihiko Tsutsumi

is a Japanese television and film director. He began directing commercials and music promotion videos as an employee of Nihon Television. After spending time abroad, he returned and started his own production company, Crescendo, from which he works independently...

.

Plot

Taking place during the Bakumatsu age when the foundations of the Tokugawa government has began to sway, a young writer named Momosuke wishes to write a book of 100 ghost stories

Ghost story

A ghost story may be any piece of fiction, or drama, or an account of an experience, that includes a ghost, or simply takes as a premise the possibility of ghosts or characters' belief in them. Colloquially, the term can refer to any kind of scary story. In a narrower sense, the ghost story has...

 and his encounters with three spiritual beings.

While researching these old myths and legends, he comes across a mysterious trio who call themselves the Ongyou. They are detectives who are investigating the legends to reveal their truths, and bring those in the wrong to justice. Each time Momosuke meets the Ongyou, he must face horrible truths and battle with his morals, and he's seeing things he shouldn't be seeing....

Characters

• Momosuke Yamaoka

The main protagonist of the series. A young writer from Edo who got bored writing a riddle book for kids. He now aspires to write a book of 100 ghost stories. During his adventure to gather them, he encounters the Ongyou and witnesses their methods of imposing justice upon wrongdoers. He wishes to be one of the Ongyou, but each time he asks to join them they talk him out of it. He is called "Author" by the Ongyou. At the end of the series, Momosuke finishes his 100 ghost stories.

• Tsutaya

A small creature who is Momosuke's publisher.

• Heihachi

Heihachi is a co-worker of Momosuke.

• Kyogoku Tei

The principal antagonist of the series. Kyogoku Tei is a being who serves as the superior to the Ongyou as he provides them their targets and even commissioned Momosuke's death at first to cover their existence until he saw him to be of use to his scheme. Assuming the alias of feudal lord Danjo Kitabayashi, Kyogoku Tei commits many inhuman acts as part of an overall plan to cover the world in darkness with the Flame Lance cannon. He was ultimately defeated by the Ongyou devoured by the very darkness of everyone who he used and killed.

• Hermits

Black Hermit

White Hermit

Two strange hermit ladies that work for Kyogoku Tei, serving as his messengers. On occasion they will change themselves into to young girls to trick the Ongyou into doing what they want them to. They are accidentally destroyed by Kyogoku Tei in the last episode.

• Tatsuta

Burning her childhood friend Shiragaku to death in a jealous rage with her husband to be, Tatsuta assumes her friend's name and developed a reputation as a rumored Hi-No-Enma as she kills anyone who "loves Shiragaku." She has evaded the Ongyou for a long time. Though the Ongyou attempt to deliver judgement, the Hermits intervene and take Tatsuta to serve under Kyogoku Tei. Unaware of the full plan, she helps him by orchestrating a massacre at Seven Man Point and forcing prisoners into becoming murderous sadists for a reenactment while the Flame Lance was being rebuilt. When Kyogoku Tei is destroyed, Tatsuta is consumed in the resulting inferno.

Ongyou

The three spiritual beings are recurring characters in the show who function as a team that punishes sin

Sin

In religion, sin is the violation or deviation of an eternal divine law or standard. The term sin may also refer to the state of having committed such a violation. Christians believe the moral code of conduct is decreed by God In religion, sin (also called peccancy) is the violation or deviation...

ners who emit a dark aura about them, most frequently murderers. To that end, they use their talents to set their target up to face his/her crimes before being executed and committing them to the next world

Afterlife

The afterlife is the belief that a part of, or essence of, or soul of an individual, which carries with it and confers personal identity, survives the death of the body of this world and this lifetime, by natural or supernatural means, in contrast to the belief in eternal...

.

• Mataichi

A small cloaked man wrapped in bandages who serves as the leader of the Ongyou. He is a spiritualist who is also referred to as a trickster while posing as a simple monk. He would usually be the one to kill the target sinner with Retributive justice

Retributive justice

Retributive justice is a theory of justice that considers that punishment, if proportionate, is a morally acceptable response to crime, with an eye to the satisfaction and psychological benefits it can bestow to the aggrieved party, its intimates and society....

 and leaves an Ofuda

Ofuda

Ofuda, is a gofu or a talisman issued by a Shinto shrine. It may also be called shinpu . It is made by inscribing the name of a kami and the name of the Shinto shrine or of a representative of the kami on a strip of paper, wood, cloth, or metal.It is to be renewed yearly, typically before the end...

 on the body so the departed can be "sent to the next world." Nagamimi commonly calls him "trickster". At the completion of his task, he uses the phrase "ongyō shitate matsuru (御行奉為、おんぎょうしたてまつる)." The beginning of every next episode preview, except the final episode when it's Momosuke's final line, he begins with the line, "Jyashin yashin wa yami ni chiri, nokoru wa chimata no ayashii uwasa (邪心野心は闇に散り、残るは巷の怪しい噂。)."

• Ogin

An attractive, voluptuous and large breasted female puppeteer

Puppeteer

A puppeteer is a person who manipulates an inanimate object, such as a puppet, in real time to create the illusion of life. The puppeteer may be visible to or hidden from the audience. A puppeteer can operate a puppet indirectly by the use of strings, rods, wires, electronics or directly by his or...

. She is often seen using a puppet in the form of a young girl with a white powdered face and red lipstick wearing a Japanese Kimono. Fifteen years prior, Ogin and her parents were murdered by Kinzo Sasamori, a corrupt official who posed as her father Giamon of Inarizika to force the homeless to work for him and created the rumor of Giamon as a Kowai to ensure it. As a spirit, she became a member of Ongyou to ensure that no other child suffers a fate like her own like saving her childhood friend Yae from Kichibe's madness. She often calls Momosuke a pervert due to him accidentally walking into her in a bathing room when they first met. Though she saw Momosuke to be weak for being naive, she eventually adapted his methods.

• Nagamimi

A large shape shifter and bird caller who is also extremely good at controlling animals. As the anime states, he is over 200 years old and was versed in Kabuki

Kabuki

is classical Japanese dance-drama. Kabuki theatre is known for the stylization of its drama and for the elaborate make-up worn by some of its performers.The individual kanji characters, from left to right, mean sing , dance , and skill...

. He would always be the one to try to keep Momosuke from intervening with the Ongyou's targets.

Episodes

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Theme Song

The opening song "The Flame" and the ending song "The Moment of Love" were both performed by Keiko Lee.

Principal Seiyu

• Sanae Kobayashi
  Sanae Kobayashi
  is a voice actress who was born in Shizuoka Prefecture. She is affiliated with Production Baobab.-Television Animation:*.hack//Liminality as Mai Minase*.hack//Roots as Ender*.hack//Roots as Pi...
  
   - Ogin
• Natsuhiko Kyogoku - Kyogoku Tei/Danjo Kitabayashi
• Ryusei Nakao
  Ryusei Nakao
  , known by his stage name , is a Japanese actor, singer, and voice actor from Tōkyō Metropolis, Japan. He is attached to 81 Produce. He has also worked under the name of ....
  
   - Mataichi
• Masako Nozawa
  Masako Nozawa
  is a Japanese voice actress and actress affiliated with Office Nozawa. Her pet name is Mako. Her husband, Masa'aki Tsukada is also a voice actor....
  
   - Black Hermit, White Hermit
• Hiroshi Otake - Tsutaya
• Toshihiko Seki
  Toshihiko Seki
  is a Japanese voice actor and member of 81 Produce. Apart from voice actor work, Seki sometimes does live action drama stage work. He is sometimes mistaken for another voice actor, Tomokazu Seki, sharing the same last name but are unrelated.-Person/Career:...
  
   - Momosuke Yamaoka
• Keiko Toda
  Keiko Toda
  is a Japanese actress and seiyū. Her most famous role is being the voice of the children's hero Anpanman on the long running anime Soreike! Anpanman...
  
   - Tatsuta
• Norio Wakamoto
  Norio Wakamoto
  is a veteran male seiyū and budō expert affiliated with Sigma Seven. He was born in Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi Prefecture, and was raised in Sakai, Osaka Prefecture. He graduated from Waseda University...
  
   - Nagamimi

Principal Voice Actors

• Dorothy Elias-Fahn
  Dorothy Elias-Fahn
  Dorothy Ann Elias-Fahn is an American voice actress who is the wife of Tom Fahn . She is also known as Dorothy Melendrez and Annie Pastrano...
  
   - White Hermit, Otoku (ep. 2), Osome (ep. 9), Suzu (ep. 12)
• Tom Fahn
  Tom Fahn
  Thomas "Tom" Fahn is an American voice actor. His sister and brother, Melissa Fahn and Jonathan Fahn respectively, and wife, Dorothy Elias-Fahn, are also voice actors. Tom Fahn is also sometimes credited as Tom Charles and Marvin Lee...
  
   - Heihachi
• Grant George - Momosuke Yamaoka
• Neil Kaplan
  Neil Kaplan
  Neil Kaplan is an American voice actor, entertainer and comedian.-Biography:Kaplan grew up in San Jose, California. He got his start as a comedian doing impressions of presidents such as Ronald Reagan and Richard Nixon. He also impersonated a little known journalist at the time, Dan Rather. He...
  
   - Kyogoku Tei/Danjo Kitabayashi
• Steve Kramer
  Steve Kramer (actor)
  Steven M. Kramer is an American voice actor for many anime titles. He has also done voice acting for various Power Rangers series in the past, with the best-known of those roles being the voice of Darkonda in Power Rangers in Space. His wife, Melora Harte, is a voice actress...
  
   - Mataichi, Yahei Anzai (ep. 4)
• Mona Marshall
  Mona Marshall
  Mona M. Ianotti is an American voice actress. She is often cast in the role of young boys. Her roles have included parts in not only Japanese anime, but also in American cartoons as well. Mona Marshall has recently lent her voice to the talking bear Koby the Study Buddy...
  
   - Black Hermit, Actress (ep. 6), Oriko (ep. 9), Innkeeper's Wife (ep. 11)
• Michael McConnohie
  Michael McConnohie
  Michael D. McConnohie is a voice actor and is the President of the Nevada-based Voxworks voice-acting corporation. He is known for his recognizable deep booming voice and is generally known for playing more charismatic characters...
  
   - Nagamimi, Izou (ep. 3), Ryojin (ep. 10)
• Philece Sampler
  Philece Sampler
  Philece P. Sampler is an American voice actress and television actress, whose credits include various characters in anime. She also goes by the aliases of Sue Beth Arden, Victoria Pryne, and Debra Cunningham...
  
   - Tatsuta, Shiragiku (ep. 10)
• Karen Strassman
  Karen Strassman
  Karen Strassman is an American voice actress and actress who is most known for her television and film appearances as well as voice acting. She voices many characters in many video games, animated series and anime series, including Zhalia Moon in Huntik: Secrets & Seekers, Fantine in IGPX, Kallen...
  
   - Ogin
• Tom Wyner
  Tom Wyner
  Thomas Halperin "Tom" Wyner is an English-born voice actor for anime series who usually gets tough guy or villain roles. He is also a producer, director, and writer...
  
   - Tsutaya

Additional Voices

• A.D. Adams - Shimazo (ep. 8)
• Jack Aubree - Kinzo Sasamori (ep. 9)
• Catherine Battistone
  Catherine Battistone
  Catherine Battistone is a voice actress who has provided voices for several anime titles and video games. She is also well-known for having done the voice of Alpha 6 in the 1997 Power Rangers series, Power Rangers: Turbo....
  
   - Old Woman (ep. 2)
• Richard Cansino
  Richard Cansino
  Richard Cansino is an American voice actor. He is also known as Richard Hayworth because he is the nephew of Rita Hayworth, and occasionally goes by the name Steve Davis after the British snooker player of the same name...
  
   - Tanuki (ep. 6), Kawakubo Clan Member (ep. 11)
• Cam Clarke
  Cam Clarke
  Cameron Arthur "Cam" Clarke is a prolific American voice actor and singer, well known for his work in animation and video games. Clarke is well known for providing the voices of Leonardo in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Shotaro Kaneda in the 1989 original English-dub of Akira. He often voices...
  
   - Matashiro (ep. 8)
• Lara Cody
  Lara Cody
  Laura Ann Cody , better known as Lara Cody, is an American voice actress. She also goes under the name "Deanna Morris." She is best known for her role for playing "Rosemary" in Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty and Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of The Patriots.-Anime:*A Little Snow Fairy Sugar -...
  
   - Oyoshi (ep. 4)
• Barbara Goodson
  Barbara Goodson
  Barbara Goodson is an American actress known mostly for her versatility in voicing original and dubbed cartoons. She is voted one of the ten best women to do the voices for young males in cartoons...
  
   - Mrs. Ofaju, Otami (ep. 8), Young Shiragiku (ep. 10)
• Melora Harte
  Melora Harte
  Melora I. Harte is an American voice actress. In addition to voice acting in anime, she also adapted and directed several anime dubs...
  
   - Willow Woman (ep. 2), Chio (ep. 9)
• Jody Jaress - Old Woman
• David Lodge
  David Lodge (voice actor)
  David Lodge is a voice actor who is not to be confused with the British actor of the same name. He is active in the anime and video game voice acting community, but is also very well known for his voicework in the Power Rangers franchise...
  
   - Kichibe (ep. 2)
• Dave Mallow
  Dave Mallow
  Dave Mallow is an American voice actor. One of his known aliases is Colin Phillips.-Life and career:Mallow was born in Park Ridge, Illinois. His father worked in radio and television and was a thirty year on-air veteran at Chicago's WGN. He attained a BFA in Theater Arts from Drake University in...
  
   - Fushimiya (ep. 7)
• Lara Jill Miller
  Lara Jill Miller
  Lara Jill Miller is an American television, stage and voice actress.-Biography:Miller was born in Allentown, Pennsylvania on April 20, 1967. She graduated from Allentown's William Allen High School...
  
   - Osan (ep. 5), Tei (ep. 6)
• Jeff Nimoy
  Jeff Nimoy
  -Biography:Jeff Nimoy wrote, directed, and served as story editor for the English translation of the anime Digimon: Digital Monsters . He also served as an Executive Producer and writer on numerous other Fox Kids shows...
  
   - Kijirou Hamada (ep. 8), Lord Sekiyama, Hyogo (ep. 11)
• Joe Ochman
  Joe Ochman
  Joe Ochman is an American actor who has acted for stage, in commercials, film and television as well as animation. He is also credited by his alias Joey Lotsko...
  
   - Enkai (ep. 1)
• Joan-Carol O'Connell
  Joan-Carol O'Connell
  Joan-Carol O'Connell is an American voice actress and voice director who also goes under the names Joan Carol O'Connell, Joan Carrol O'Connell, Joan Carol, Carol O'Joan, Joan Carol Kent, and Jenny Haniver....
  
   - Towa (ep. 3)
• Bob Papenbrook
  Bob Papenbrook
  Robert DeWayne "Bob" Papenbrook was an American voice actor. Fellow voice actors often nicknamed him "Pappy". He was very well known in the worlds of anime and video game voice-overs for his voice acting of "gruff" characters...
  
   - Kaburagi (ep. 12-13)
• Allan Peters - Ukon Shinonome (ep. 12-13)
• Simon Prescott
  Simon Prescott
  Simon Prescott Born in Brooklyn,New York 26 May 1936;has many Stage,TV & Film credits...also has many V.O. credits including Japanese Anime Cartoon Series and Video games; He has also voice-matched and dubbed many Foreign & Domestic films.-Anime:...
  
   - Tokuemon (ep. 1), Shibaemon (ep. 6), Jihei (ep. 8), Kyoemon (ep. 10), Innkeeper (ep. 12)
• Stephanie Sheh
  Stephanie Sheh
  Stephanie Ru-Phan Sheh is a Chinese-American voice actress, a writer, and a story editor who has worked for Geneon Entertainment, Bang Zoom! Entertainment, Bandai Entertainment, Media Blasters, NYAV Post, FUNimation Entertainment, and Viz Media...
  
   - Otama (ep. 4), Yae (ep. 2)
• Peter Spellos
  Peter Spellos
  Peter Spellos is a voice actor who is also known as G. Gordon Baer, Gordon Baer, G. Gordon Bear, David Conrad, and Orville Ketchum.-Anime:* Black Jack - Mr. Brane* Bleach - Koganehiko, Dordonii...
  
   - Tagamimi (ep. 8), Kawakubo Clan Member (ep. 11)
• Skip Stellrecht
  Skip Stellrecht
  Skip Stellrecht is a voice actor who is also known as Henry Douglas Grey.- Anime Roles :* .hack//Liminality .... Guard B...
  
   - Genba Sasayama (ep. 7)
• Doug Stone
  Doug Stone (voice actor)
  Douglas David Stone is a voice actor who is most notable for his representation of the character Psycho Mantis from the popular video game Metal Gear Solid, as well as the voice of Matt Trakker and several other characters in M.A.S.K., and Dragonborg in Beetleborgs Metallix...
  
   - Yasaku (ep. 3)
• Terrence Stone
  Terrence Stone
  Terrence Stone is an Irish-American voice actor who is also known as Terry Stone.-Anime Roles:* Ah! My Goddess as Photographer* Apocalypse Zero as Kagenari...
  
   - Sajiro Ogata (ep. 7)
• Kim Strauss
  Kim Strauss
  Kim Strauss is an American singer, songwriter, actor, voiceover artist, and Amazon.com Bestselling author with his children's book Kalan the Mighty Warrior: Book One - Braxus the Owl: Guardian of the Forest.-History:...
  
   - Gunhachiro Yamaoka (ep. 8)
• Jim Taggert
  Jim Taggert
  Jim Taggert is a voice actor. He debuted in the movie Akira in 1988. Famous roles include Fushigi Yugi as Chichiri, and Cyborg 009 as Albert Heinrich. Taggert has also starred in Street Fighter II V, where he voiced Fei Long, and in Pilot Candidate as Clay Cliff Fortran...
  
   - Servant (ep. 5), Player (ep. 6), Jester (ep. 7)
• Kirk Thornton
  Kirk Thornton
  Kirk Thornton is an American voice actor.-Bio:He is known for playing tough or grouchy men in English-dubbed anime and video games. His career includes Hotohori in Fushigi Yūgi and Jin in Samurai Champloo...
  
   - Chojiro (ep. 5), Hyakkimaru (ep. 5)
• Dan Woren
  Dan Woren
  Daniel E. Woren is an American voice actor who is also known as Jackson Daniels, Warren Daniels, Dan Warren, Daniel Woren, and Dan Worren...
  
   - Matajiro Ishikawa (ep. 4), Taromaru (ep. 11)

External links

• Requiem from the Darkness at Internet Movie Database
  Internet Movie Database
  Internet Movie Database is an online database of information related to movies, television shows, actors, production crew personnel, video games and fictional characters featured in visual entertainment media. It is one of the most popular online entertainment destinations, with over 100 million...