Requiem from the Darkness

About Requiem from the Darkness

Requiem from the Darkness (京極夏彦 巷説百物語) arrives as a horror anime by Tokyo Movie Shinsha and TMS Entertainment (2003), and the premise is easy to summarize. The setup: Tired of writing riddles for children, Yamaoka Momosuke plans on gathering spooky and gruesome stories and publishing them in an anthology called Hyakumonogatari ("One Hundred Tales"). While researching these old myths and legends he comes across a mysterious trio who call themselves the Ongyou.

From there, they are detectives who are investigating the legends to reveal their truths...and bring those in the wrong to justice. Each time Momosuke meets the Ongyou he must face horrible truths and fight with his morals, but he's seeing things he shouldn't be seeing...

As a horror title, atmosphere, sound and restraint do the heavy lifting. Momosuke Yamaoka (Toshihiko Seki) and Ogin (Sanae Kobayashi) are two of the characters you will meet early. Think of it as a pick for viewers comfortable with dark, unsettling material. At 13 episodes in total, it is easy to plan a viewing schedule.

Production & Appeal

Tokyo Movie Shinsha and TMS Entertainment is the studio behind Requiem from the Darkness, and its direction shapes everything from character design to motion. Within the horror category, atmosphere, sound and restraint do the heavy lifting. Its 6.7/10 score suggests opinions are split, so it suits viewers who already like the genre. On the casting side, Toshihiko Seki voicing Momosuke Yamaoka gives the lead role a recognizable voice. It aired in 2003, which makes it easy to place in the wider anime calendar.