Yami No Matsuei (The Darker Descendants)
Aug. 11th, 2003 07:10 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
darth_stitch*snerk* I have just seen one of the most slash-subtext friendly anime series EVER. Yami no Matsuei (translated here as The Darker Descendants or Descendants of Darkness) pretty much has everything I could ask for in an anime. Pretty boys and kick-ass action sequences with magic and explosions and guardian creatures – heh, my day as an anime fangirl is complete.
Anyways, the story revolves around the Shinigami (Gods of Death) – agents of the Netherworld who generally investigate supernatural occurrences and keep order in both the mortal and nether realms. The main character is Tsuzuki – tall, dashing, adorable-lookin’ dude with a Matrix-y black trenchcoat. And then, there’s his partner, 16-year old green-eyed Hisoka. They both start out as mortals. However, they’re both supernaturally gifted – Tsuzuki’s one HELL of a spellcaster while Hisoka has incredible empathic gifts. While the series doesn’t explain how one becomes Shinigami, I guess we can assume that souls with their particular kind of talent can apply to become one and are accepted.
There’s something very Snarry-like about these two, except that the roles are somewhat reversed. Tsuzuki may be the older guy, dressing in black and all, but by nature, he’s very sweet and there’s this innocence about him that’s very appealing. He’s like an older, battle-worn Harry – incredibly powerful but also vulnerable. It’s the younger Hisoka who comes off more like Snape than anything else. He’s led a life of abuse and neglect, topped off with a serious illness. And as a mortal, he’d been raped, tortured and killed by one serious psycho. The life he’s led makes Hisoka the more cynical and antisocial character and like Snape, he’s very bitter, with some serious grudges. Tsuzuki initially adopts an older brother attitude with the younger guy, in the end, it’s Hisoka who looks after Tsuzuki.
And oh yes, let’s not forget the guy who killed Hisoka as a mortal and is now the arch nemesis of our two heroes. Muraki is the sickest, meanest, maddest, most fucked-up sonuvabitch (and I mean it) to EVER grace anime. He looks like what I’d imagine anime Draco Malfoy would look like – platinum silver hair, dressed all in white (counter to Tsuzuki, who’s usually in black). Also carries around a doll, for some strange reason. Don’t ask. Muraki is seriously obsessed with Tsuzuki and has propositioned the poor guy more than once. But while he professes to “adore” Tsuzuki, he has some truly twisted plans up his sleeve.
It’s a good watch, trust me. And definitely a slashers’ paradise. Heh. The end sequence artwork alone suggests that the series’ OTP would definitely be our two Heroes. Talk about subtext – this is frickin’ obvious!
Anyways, the story revolves around the Shinigami (Gods of Death) – agents of the Netherworld who generally investigate supernatural occurrences and keep order in both the mortal and nether realms. The main character is Tsuzuki – tall, dashing, adorable-lookin’ dude with a Matrix-y black trenchcoat. And then, there’s his partner, 16-year old green-eyed Hisoka. They both start out as mortals. However, they’re both supernaturally gifted – Tsuzuki’s one HELL of a spellcaster while Hisoka has incredible empathic gifts. While the series doesn’t explain how one becomes Shinigami, I guess we can assume that souls with their particular kind of talent can apply to become one and are accepted.
There’s something very Snarry-like about these two, except that the roles are somewhat reversed. Tsuzuki may be the older guy, dressing in black and all, but by nature, he’s very sweet and there’s this innocence about him that’s very appealing. He’s like an older, battle-worn Harry – incredibly powerful but also vulnerable. It’s the younger Hisoka who comes off more like Snape than anything else. He’s led a life of abuse and neglect, topped off with a serious illness. And as a mortal, he’d been raped, tortured and killed by one serious psycho. The life he’s led makes Hisoka the more cynical and antisocial character and like Snape, he’s very bitter, with some serious grudges. Tsuzuki initially adopts an older brother attitude with the younger guy, in the end, it’s Hisoka who looks after Tsuzuki.
And oh yes, let’s not forget the guy who killed Hisoka as a mortal and is now the arch nemesis of our two heroes. Muraki is the sickest, meanest, maddest, most fucked-up sonuvabitch (and I mean it) to EVER grace anime. He looks like what I’d imagine anime Draco Malfoy would look like – platinum silver hair, dressed all in white (counter to Tsuzuki, who’s usually in black). Also carries around a doll, for some strange reason. Don’t ask. Muraki is seriously obsessed with Tsuzuki and has propositioned the poor guy more than once. But while he professes to “adore” Tsuzuki, he has some truly twisted plans up his sleeve.
It’s a good watch, trust me. And definitely a slashers’ paradise. Heh. The end sequence artwork alone suggests that the series’ OTP would definitely be our two Heroes. Talk about subtext – this is frickin’ obvious!
