Ayaka A Story of Bonds and Wounds (AYAKA) tells the tale of a guy approached by a monk, a disciple of his father’s, and taken to another island that his father protected. The monk in question is deceptively pretty, and even I mistook this person for a girl. But no, it’s a guy. Anime. Anime never changes.
The monk Kurama will make you question yourself starting in July 2023. Until then, here’s a trailer where he uses a fan as part of his magic set.
Studio Blanc, the animators bringing this completely original series to life, has set up a promotional home page and an official Twitter page to inform potential viewers. It has released a key visual to entice people to its anime series.
Father’s Mission
Ayaka A Story of Bonds and Wounds follows Yukito Yanagi (voiced by Yuto Uemura), an orphan who grew up in mainland Japan. His time there ended when a disciple of his late father, Jingi Sagawa (voiced by Takuma Terashima), took him to Ayakajima. The place made up of seven islands happens to be the place of his birth. He meets his father’s other two disciples, Haruaki Kurama (voiced by Kousuke Toriumi) and Aka Ibuki (Yuuichirou Umehara), who don’t quite get along.
Ayakajima is home to legends of dragons who wield elemental powers and the mysterious “Miitama,” such beings that belong to the realm of myth. Yukito’s father, and his disciples, are sworn to protect the harmony of Ayakajima. Yukito’s arrival so happens to coincide with the breakdown of that harmony.
Ayaka A Story of Bonds and Wounds Origins
Ayaka A Story of Bonds and Wounds is an original anime series, one of the rare few that isn’t adapted from a light novel or manga series. Studio Blanc is working on the series, with Nobuyoshi Nagayama directing, GoRA writing the scripts, and redjuice working on original character designs. The stellar staff includes Misaki Kaneko on animation character designs, Ryo Tanaka as the sound director, Kana Shibue working on music, and Naoya Tanaka as the production designer.
Best of all, angela and Saji are working on theme songs.
For those who read the part about elemental dragons and suddenly felt the need for more dragon goodness, the J-List shop has you covered. The Tohru 1/4 B-STYLE Figure Bunny Ver. from Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid may not look 100% like a dragon, but in this instance, that’s a good thing.
Are you excited to see a new and original anime series? What do you think of the lore and worldbuilding? Did you mistake Haruaki Kurama for a girl at first, too? Let us know in the comments below.
You did. Admit it. Haruaki Kurama totally looks feminine.
