Common Name: Otome Youkai Zakuro
Alternate Names: Girl Demon Zakuro
Score: 7/10, 5/5
Length: 13 episodes
Genre: Romance, Pseudo-historical, Military, Supernatural
Summary: During Japan's Meiji Era, the nation and it's people became heavily influenced by the west. During this era, Japan underwent rapid changes in terms of technology and the social practices. Because of this change from established tradition, particularly a movement away from the Shinto faith's worship of spirits, the spirits of the land known as youkai (demons) have become restless. To combat this, the Ministry of Spirits was created to try to mend relationships with the angry spirits of old, if that is even possible. This spiritual military is made up of both demons and humans who all have different ideas about how peace should be maintained.
Review: With an art style that is reminiscent of Ouran Host Club, this title is at the very least nice to look at. To be clear though, the art isn't the show's only good point. Though it relies on standard formulas to cover the bulk of the show, the characters and world interact with each other in a way not wholly new but none-the-less interesting. The characters also follow a similar system. While built on stereotypes and archetypes that haven't made much of an effort to change, the show pins them together through romance to make the pieces into a fairly engaging whole. The interactions between the characters, though trite, are engaging enough to keep the show's subpar plot chugging and make the experience worthwhile as it maintains a cohesive narrative about cross culture and cross species cooperation. I honestly can't tell if the show's strengthening of weak characters through shared interaction was intentional when this theme is brought up, or if it was just poor writing, but this happy union of the show's key parts make it all the more enjoyable.