Oh hi subtext.
This show is... Actually, I'm not really sure what it is, this first episode was very confusing. Hakkenden takes the in media res approach, starting in the middle of what looks like a story already in progress and doesn't bother to explain what exactly is going on. There's a church, yokai, a guy who's actually a dog, and a kid with a raven living in his arm that's apparently also a sword. Also, said kid used to look like a girl and wear kimonos. A group of foxes and/or the church want the kid for something, but I have no clue why, unless there's something that needs to be chopped in half by the magic yokai sword. This is all that I got out of the episode.
But even though I'm completely confused about who these characters are, what their story is, and why I should care, I'm still interested. That mostly has to do with the yokai, since the episode covers an interesting range of depictions that I've only seen in Natsume Yuujinchou. That's where the similarities between the two end though; Hakkenden is a very different show than Natsume, but it's clear that yokai play a huge role in this world. With that said, I also want to know more about the setting. There's a strange mix of influences in the episode, from the eastern yokai to the western trappings of religion. I was also confused about the time period, thanks to the town and the way characters dressed; the main characters have modern clothing, yet the town didn't feel like present day. Then again, I know nothing about rural Japan, so maybe this depiction is completely normal. My point is that Hakkenden seems to be juggling a lot with its world, and right now it could either be a completely realized fantasy universe or a complete mess.
But I'm willing to give Hakkenden a try, if only to hear what kind of story could bring about this much craziness. Strangely enough, I got the same vibe from this show that I had when I watched 07 Ghost, but maybe that's just the fact that the characters are getting refuge from a church. Also, the subtext in the OP. You know that Deen is going to exploit that.
Images from Crunchyroll.com.
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