Let me say first off that I have no idea how to translate the title, which is 天保異聞 妖奇士 in Japanese. Tenpo is a period in Japanese history; the show starts off in Tenpo 14, or 1843. As a prophetess(?) in the show remarks, that’s 10 years before Commodore Perry and his black ships.
Ibun means “strange tale”.
The kanji 妖 has the connotation of ghosts or monsters, but I can’t find an entry for it on the WWWJDIC with the pronunciation ayakashi.
Ayashi is what the group of main cast is called. They fight supernatural beings from another dimension. The first part of that kanji, 奇, has the connotation of ghostliness or otherworldliness. The second part, 士, can mean “officer” (or soldier, I would assume).
So maybe “The Strange Tale of Tenpo Period Supernatural Fighters”? I don’t know.
Regardless, I’m really enjoying the show so far. The historical references are great.
I also love that there’s a guy who wears a tall hat, like Sai. (That he dresses like a woman the rest of the time is none of my business ;P) There’s also a guy who looks like Gwendal.
The plot is really interesting. Somehow, fighting monsters from another dimension is the duty of people who have studied foreign countries. Because that’s going to give you a leg up against monsters. Up until recently they’ve been able to kill the monsters without letting the general populace know of their existence, but things seem to be rapidly changing.
They recently introduced a character who is a direct descendant of the destroyed Aztec culture, and her supernatural companion, Quetzalcotl. :D
I’ll leave you with a picture of my favorite not-quite-character, Kumoshichi.
