Ayaka: A Story of Bonds and Wounds

Ajaka covers quite a broad spectrum of viewers in my view, focusing on at least three main groups. Given that there are a few complicated bishōnen in the story who need to express their innermost feelings and make heroic sacrifices, the first group are young women. It also tells a tale about how even a solitary dragon requires companionship, from the perspective of an ordinary young boy, which could resonate with young guys of Yukito's age. For the rest of viewers like myself, the series offers an intriguing exploration of Japanese mysticism and Shintoism, providing insight into various aspects of these traditions. Despite my initial uncertainty about watching Ajaka after seeing the trailer, I ended up giving it a chance and found moments of enjoyment in it. While I felt that some of the character relationships and conflicts lacked depth, and I didn't really see the complexity attributed to Aka and Haruaki, Yukito's quest for friendship was endearing. The exploration of mysticism, along with the contrasting elements of dragons, water, and fire, akin to yin and yang, held my attention. The series was occasionally predictable and the ending felt overly optimistic for my taste. I didn't find the animation to be particularly impressive, with the combination of traditional drawing and CGI on all those Ara-Mitamas appearing relatively cheap. Surprisingly, though, I found myself somewhat drawn to this aesthetic. Despite its flaws, I found Ajaka to be more engaging than dull, leading me to rate it slightly above average at 5.5/10. (17/09/2023)