In this article, I will write about and review the episode 1 of “Daemons of the Shadow Realm”, the latest work by Hiromu Arakawa, the creator of “Fullmetal Alchemist” and other famous manga.
Synopsis of “Daemons of the Shadow Realm” Episode 1.
Yuru, a boy living in the “East Village” deep in the mountains, lives a humble life as a hunter.
On the other hand, his twin sister Asa, who is fulfilling her ” task,” for some reason, spends her days in a prison cell.
The East Village is peaceful and tranquil, but somehow unnatural.
What is the secret of this village?
And what is the identity of the mysterious group that suddenly attacked the East Village?
The story of Yuru and Asa, the “twin siblings,” and the “Tsugai-users” who follow the deformed creatures, begins.
Characters in “Daemons of the Shadow Realm”.
Yuru
The main character is a 17 year old boy.
He lives and hunts in the East Village and is very protective of Asa (Zashiki).
He became a Tsugai master after breaking the seal of Tsugai’s “Left and Right Sama”.
When the East Village is attacked, he is taken by Dera and escapes to the lower world.
Left and Right
They are called “gods” or “counterparts” who were worshipped in the East Village.
When Yuru broke the seal, they appeared in the human world for the first time in about 400 years.
The Left and Right pair are “Left,” a female figure with a single horn, and “Right,” a male figure with two horns.
Asa (eye patch)
A woman about Yuru’s age who attacked the East Village.
She wears an eye patch over her right eye, and her mysterious power has shattered the prison cell and people.
She says, “I have come for my brother (Yuru)”.
Gabu-chan
A girl who attacked the East Village with military-like people and Asa (eye patch).
She is accompanied by Tsugai, who has distinctive teeth.
While she shows no mercy to the adults living in the East Village, she shows kindness to the children.
Asa (sitting room)
Yuru’s twin sister, who fulfills her “duty” of staying in the tatami room instead of going outside.
She was Yuru’s twin sister…but she is attacked by Asa (eye patch), who says that she is his real sister.
Ha-neAs of the first episode, there is still some mystery about the asa (sitting room).
I will write about it later.
Dera
A person who occasionally comes from the “lower world” to the East Village where Yuru lives to peddle his wares.
He used to be a peddler…but that was only a temporary appearance.
He seems to be in a position to know many secrets about the village and Yuru.
When the East Village is attacked, he takes Yuru out to the lower world with a power of action that is hard to believe for an amateur.
Episode 1 Comments and Thoughts
I will write about what I found interesting in the episode 1.
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What is the conspiracy surrounding Yuru and Asa?
As of the first episode, the storyline is “a peaceful, tranquil East Village is suddenly attacked by bad guys”.
However, there are a few points of concern.
- People who go to work ” lower world” hardly ever come back.
- What is the secret of “Grandma Yamaha?”
- How will the survivors in the East Village be involved in future stories?
The elders, such as ” Grandma Yamaha,” and the peddler “Della-san,” seem to be in a position to be involved in the East Village’s secrets.
They are described as keeping the “lower world” hidden from the other villagers and preventing Yuru from going to the lower world.
This makes many readers feel that they do not seem to be completely good people.
While the world and the story move along at a good pace, it is not clear whether East Village or the attackers are the “good guys” or the “bad guys”….
I thought this point made the story of this manga interesting.
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Who is Asa (sitting room)?
In the first episode, “Asa of the Sitting Room” was attacked by “Asa with an eye patch” who claimed that he was the real Asa.
At first glance, her survival seems hopeless, but there is still a possibility that she will appear in future episodes.
As of the first episode, the mysteries concerning Asa are as follows.
- Japanese doll dropped by Asa (sitting room) when he was attacked by Asa (eye patch).
- Both Asa (sitting room) and Asa (eye patch) have a mole on the mouth.
In the scene where Yuru and Asa of the Sitting Room were talking before the attack on the East Village, there was a kokeshi doll as well as a Japanese doll.
These two items may be just toys.
However, it is also possible that they are key items of some kind.
Asa of the Sitting Room, like Granma Yamaha, seems to be in a position to know the secret of East Village.
I am surely thinking that they are not just substitutes.
I look forward to the episode 2 and beyond.
