Demons Begone!

A relative asked this week when I'll stop watching anime. My answer? When I'm dead, lady. When I'm dead.

Stumbled onto another show this season which I think I'll be following. "Shounen Onmyouji" is the tale of Abe no Masahiro, the 13-year-old grandson of the famous Onmyouji, Abe no Seimei. I don't know much about onmyoujis except they sort of act like sorcerers/astrologers/exorcists to me. Yeah yeah, I looked them up online and I still don't quite understand the idea of it.

Abe no Seimei did live during the Heian Period in Japan and lots of legends and stories feature him. It's been said he was the offspring of a human father and a Fox Spirit mother.

In this anime, he's elderly and grooming his grandson to be his successor via manipulation, guilt and notes meant to drive the kid into a fury. Masahiro has potential but he's young and most of the spirit summons that aid his grandfather don't think much of him as the heir. Masahiro himself doesn't like being referred to as "Seimei's grandson" which is what a spirit summon named Guren/Touda keeps calling him.

Seimei sealed the boy's spiritual power at a young age so Masahiro couldn't see spirits until a devious ploy by grandad allows him access to his powers again. Guren first appears to Masahiro as a rabbit-like creature with long claws, red eyes and weird red tufts around the neck. The kid nicknames him Mokkun which is short for Mononoke-kun. As Guren/Touda, he appears as a shirtless man with a necklace who can hurl fire at enemies. He's not the love interest, I assure you. So back off, you rabid fangirls!

Masahiro has this crush on Princess Akiko, the daughter of the Minister of Left. She attracts spirits and demons so Seimei puts a barrier around her room and gives her charms.

The animation isn't that exceptional but the storyline seems interesting so far. And I like the rabbit Mokkun a lot, more so than his human form. I've seen up to episode eight and I'm not bored yet.