The title is a play on the words o-kami ("god"), ookami ("wolf"), and kamikakushi ("spirited away"). The original Visual Novel came out on PSP in 2009, and the twelve episode anime adaptation, produced by AIC began airing in Japan on January 8, 2010 on Tokyo Broadcasting System (TBS).
The character design is by the mangaka duo Peach-Pit and the original scenario is by Ryukishi07.
Currently has a half-filled out Character Sheet.
This series exhibits the following tropes:
- 2D Visuals, 3D Effects: All over the place in the anime, but the most conspicuous is Mana in her wheelchair.
- The '80s: When the visual novel and anime are set.
- Animal Motifs: Wolves are featured prevalently in Jouga, which is fitting...
- The Anime of the Game: A 12-episode anime was produced in 2009.
- Attractive Bent-Gender: Hiroshi in
episode 12. - Bad Moon Rising: Jouga seems to have a permanent blood-red moon overhead, and Nemuru even informs Isuzu that the "bad moon" is behind her lust for Hiroshi.
- Bait-and-Switch Credits: Nemuru and her wolf pack flying, like they do in the credits, never happens in the show proper.
- Better by a Different Name: I liked it better when it was called Higurashi: When They Cry.
- Clingy Jealous Girl: Isuzu is very possessive of Hiroshi.
- Compressed Adaptation: The main reason the anime is hard to follow is because it is essentially made up of all the different arcs from the original VN, and then each arc is compressed and tied together to create one, singular storyline. This leads to a bit of confusion.
- Cosplay: Usaeru Nemuru, and Isuzu and Kaname's maid/waitress uniforms in episode 12.
- Diabolus ex Machina: More than a few of the Bad Ends in the Visual Novel are downright cruel. Some can be achieved by simply making the wrong choice, but even when you appear to make the right choice, or combination of choices, that will lead you to a good end, expect those hopes to be ruthlessly dashed the second you hear the music that plays over the "bad end" credits.
- Dream Melody: The Jouga Counting Song, first heard in each week's next episode trailer, gradually begins to enter the story for real. You'd better believe it's plot-important.
- Dude Looks Like a Lady: Hiroshi, especially when crossdressed.
- Earn Your Happy Ending: In order to unlock the story's true end, you need to play through all the endings in the other arcs—including the bad ends.
- Eerie Pale-Skinned Brunette: Mana Kuzumi. Nemuru comes off as aloof and sinister as well.
- Elegant Gothic Lolita: When we finally see Nemuru dressed in something other than her school uniform or Karibito outfit in episode 12, she's wearing in EGL fashion.
- Even the Guys Want Him: Hiroshi, of course. His scent makes Godmen go insane, regardless of their gender.
- Expy:
- Sakaki wants to be Lelouch Lamperouge and Light Yagami so very badly.
- When he has his Stoic Spectacles on, he more closely resembles Teru Mikami.
- Facefault: Nemuru gets her turn around this trope in episode 12.
- Fanservice: Every time a female Kamibito tries to seduce Hiroshi.
- Fan Disservice: The maid in the second half of episode 12 advances on Hiroshi while simultaneously unbuttoning her uniform top and flashing her best Slasher Smile.
- Fantastic Racism: Half the town's residents, the "divine", against the "fallen" other half. Or, as the Visual Novel refers to them, the "Kamibito" and the "Ochibito". The anime doesn't make the distinction between them.
- This is expanded on further in the Visual Novel. The tension between them rises to the point where there's serious talk of eliminating the Ochibito, and, in the final arc, there's even a town war between the two groups. Also see Fantastic Slurs below.
- Fantastic Slurs: Sakaki coins the term "Kyujin" in reference to the Kamibito, because of how they act like "dogs" towards certain smells. It doesn't take long for the Fridge Horror to set in as to why this is so horribly racist in that context.
- Funny Background Event: After Nemuru's hooded assistants appear to change her into her Karibito garb in episode 12, we later see them sitting at booths in the cafe in the background. One is drinking a soda while watching Hiroshi being molested by the yakuza. They're also later seen randomly holding up Japanese-flag fans behind Nemuru's grandfather.
- Gory Discretion Shot: Used often whenever someone gets killed. Particularly surprising when you consider Ryukishi's other works.
- Gratuitous English: Yahoo! Barbecue paradise!
- Kiss of the Vampire: Getting kissed by a Godman apparently turns you into one. Weird, since they claim to be a different species.
- Kudzu Plot: The anime suffers heavily from this, due to the aforementioned Compressed Adaptation.
- Meido: Hiroshi, Isuzu and Kaname in the last episode.
- Miko: Miko with frilly cloth cat - err, wolf ears, even.
- Our Werewolves Are Different: The Reveal in the anime is that many of Jouga's residents are in fact the Jouga wolves in human form, referred to as "Kamibito". If a Kamibito succumbs to their instincts and kisses a human, that human will become a Kamibito themselves, but this is taboo and punishable via execution. They can suppress their instincts with the scent of Jouga's hassaku oranges, but certain humans called Temptations emit a scent they find irresistible.
- Put Them All Out of My Misery: Type 4 with Sakaki losing his girlfriend.
- Red Eyes, Take Warning: All over the place. The wolf masks with glowing red eyes are bad enough, but when human eyes start turning red as well, you know bad things are about to go down.
- Riddle for the Ages: For the anime, at least: Why and how does Nemuru's hair change color only when she's wearing her "hunting" gear? Made more inexplicable by having her change clothes on-camera, with no attention to her hair.
- School Swimsuit: In episode 3, Isuzu and Kaname wear them.
- Sinister Scythe: At night, Nemuru patrols the city hunting down fallen Kamibito and executing them with an ornate scythe.
- Sneeze Cut: Hiroshi's father and the creepy maid, both in episode 12.
- Spit Take: Hiroshi in episode 12 when he hears that the TV station is coming to town.
- Star-Crossed Lovers: Poor Hiroshi and Isuzu in their arc together in the Visual Novel. When the good end of that arc is Isuzu committing suicide and dying in a grief-stricken Hiroshi's arms you know this trope has struck with a vengeance.
- Stoic Spectacles: Sakaki.
- Sugar-and-Ice Personality: Nemuru Kushinada. Aka the girl with the scythe.
- Supernaturally Delicious and Nutritious: Hiroshi produces a scent that drives Kamibito berserk with lust.
- Town with a Dark Secret: Jouga's secret is dark indeed...
- Tsundere: Mana Kuzumi, towards her brother in particular.
- 12-Episode Anime: Well, the story is 11-episode long, the 12th being a nonsensical epilogue.
