Sadly, the most fanservice you're going to be getting out of this show.

Just as how I've accepted that Kanokon isn't going to be anything more than a foxgirl in heat trying to copulate with a little boy, this series looks set on treading down the slice of life path with some mystical elements thrown in for good measure. Admittedly, I have trouble summarizing shows of this genre, which was I why I didn't do so the previous week. Still, this episode was decent enough to make me want to write on it, with a few notable highlights:

Wanting to do more for her masters than just warding off evil spirits, Kou tries serving dinner for the Takagami household, but alas, as someone still trying to adjust to contempary living, Kou adds the dojikko moe to her stoic miko archetype, though I'd imagine someone as clumsy as Kou would honestly be a nuisance in any household, breaking all that ceramic ware and causing a mess in general.

Not wanting to undermine Kou's efforts and at the same time avoid having to tell a white lie, you can also always count on Mr Takagami to come up with cryptic remarks that brings out his sarcastic nature.

The lulz turn poignant, as the late Miyako is brought into discussion. Voiced by the adorably affable Yui Horie, Miyako has a penchant for all things fluffy which led to her fateful encounter with Kuugen and the extremely lucky Mr Takagami, who turned out the way he is today after being influenced by his better half's eccentric behavior.

More cuteness abound, with Kuugen going into a temporary tsundere mode, after being thanked by Mr Takagami for looking after Miyako. Oho, not even the fox deity finds it difficult to resist his charms. Also, cravings for gourmet food leads to Kuugen taking matters into her own hands, and mouth.

Obligatory fight scene, as Takagami Junior once again attracts the attention of a demon who lusts for his lifeforce. Honestly, what's with the affinity for shoutas this season?

Taking centrestage this episode, Kou shows everyone why she's so awesome; that sad pout that makes you just pat her on the head, as you can almost hear her go "Uguu". Displaying her absolute devotion to her master, Kou makes it clear she's not one to mess with, revealing her true potential as a sentinel. Also, she wears pink panties.

Still waiting on that award winning storytelling to rear its head. For now, Wagaya no Oinari-sama seems to be churning similar plots for the past few weeks. Either way, I'm going to give it a benefit of a doubt and count on it to deliver in future episodes, as I assume we're still in the introductory stages. That aside, I've got nothing to watch during weekends anyway ^^;

There is no spoon.

To suddenly have new additions to his household, Mr Takagami took it pretty well and was quite laidback when it comes to having extra mouths to feed, never mind the fact one of them is shrine maiden while the other's a specter. In hindsight, he probably got used to all the supernatural occurrences and various oddities when he was still dating Miyako.

And you thought you had trouble keeping that stray cat.

Why are anime mums so good looking?

Speaking of Kuugen and Kou, they surprisingly adapted pretty quick to the modern lifestyle with relative ease too. There were of course some awkward moments like the perennial "What is that person doing in a box" reference to the television and the fact Kou would prefer sleeping in the yard rather than having a room to her own, made all the more funnier by the sarcastic comments by the dad regarding the quirks of his new guests.

Male Kuugen makes me sad; I've got nothing against guys, that is, if they look like girls of course, though Kuugen-kun was a little too ikemen for my tastes.

No real explanation as to why Kuugen would switched genders, but at least he's version is voiced by Okazaki, which is fitting consider the wry nature of the fox deity.

Apparently if you live long enough among humans, you pick up some of their traits as well, proven by the devious Ebisu-shin, who's the god of merchants. Having permanently(?) taken a human form, this 24 hour convenience store owner manages to coax Kuugen into damaging the shrine he is in charge in, just to spur a growth of business, as the workers that will repair the entire joint will no doubt have to drop by at his shop for provisions. This anime is more grounded to reality than I thought!

Pre-order your copy of Grand Theft Auto IV today!

The token fight scene itself was funny more than anything else, as Kuugen attempts to distract the two stone guardians brought to life by Ebisu-shin by reverting to female. By virtue of being inanimate objects made out of rock, they didn't fall for some foxy sex appeal, as they couldn't possibly get harder than they already were. Kou also makes herself useful by pointing out the elemental weakness of the opponent like a walking Pokédex. Just as Kuugen seeks his blessings after the impromptu battle, Ebisu tells her about Miyako's lingering soul, leaving the latter speechless.

A decent episode with the bulk of lulz coming from Kuugen and Kou as they try to fit in, adjusting to their life in the suburbs, surrounded by modern technology. Ebisu's identity was surprising to say the least, and with his revelation and concerns over it, our profit minded deity looks set to be more than just a one shot character and may be pivotal to the overall plot.

次回 The boys return to school after a short break to start the new semester, and sure enough Kuugen and Kou decide to tag along, so expect hilarity and chaos to ensue.

KAZE NO KIZU!

A pair of same faced brothers are called back to their mother's shrine home when the younger sibling, Tooru, experiences a peculiar dream where a woman calls out to him, asking for his name. Like the perverted shouta that he is, Tooru responds and gives out the one detail that will allow her total control over him. As the two boys are oblivious to that fact, they are rickrolled by their uncle, who managed to convince them to drop by under the pretense that their grandmother passed away. Well, at least they got to meet a really cute, but stoic miko who goes by the name of Kou.

At the shrine, Tooru and Noboru are informed of their mother's past as a shrine maiden who had the ability to control the water element and that the youkai who presented herself in Tooru's wetdream fed on this power. Kou then goes into a detailed explanation on the usual RPG mechanics involving elemental strengths and weaknesses, to which the only way to defeat this demon was through the assistance of a spirit of the Metal Ki. Only one name comes into to mind, and the desperate humans decide to enlist the help of an old friend.

As they make their way to the hilltop, the old hag tells the Takagami brothers about Tenko Kuugen, who has been sealed away for hundreds of years though she does not mention why. Once they arrived at the huge rock that stands in their way of obtaining their guardian force, Noboru recites the enchantment that will break the seal placed on it, being the head of the Mizuchi family. Within the cavern, lies a mystical being that epitomizes the very definition of majestic and grandeur. Kinda wished it was this Tenko, but a fox deity is fine too. Unwilling to help out at first due to the fact it was imprisoned by the very same people it helped long ago, Tenko Kuugen finally decides to lend them its powers after learning that the little boy in danger is actually the late Miyako's son. It is also revealed that Tengo Kuugen was banished in the first place due to the mischief it had caused. Come on, can't a powerful spirit have some lulz to ease the tension of being worshiped and relied on? Stupid uptight humans.

Back at base, Noboru and Tooru meet Kuugen once again, although this time around, it has taken the form of a beautiful blonde woman in a shrine maiden getup. Just like the two brothers, I sort of lost my boner when Kuugen mentions that it has forgotten its gender and can switch to male if it bothered them. No thanks. Shit gets serious and everyone sets up their defenses in anticipation of the demon raid. It was all for nought as Tooru stupidly answers the demon's call. Just as he was about to submit himself to the snake lady, Kuugen orders Tooru to stop in his tracks, as he immediately snaps out of the enchantment placed on him. As Kuugen was on the home turf, she(for now at least) had the advantage, and exploits the elements to gain an upper hand over the demon who was a lightning user. Kuugen basically tells Kou, a water elemental user to conjure some liquid from the earth as the former reflects the electrically charged substance back at the youkai. Nifty.

FUCK NO!

Now that her task is complete, Kuugen no longer has any purpose left to be hanging around, with being resealed the only remaining option . As reminded by his uncle, Noboru called the shots, and decides to let Kuugen free of her bounds. As she was no longer the guardian spirit of the Mizuchi clan, Kuugen then suggest that the boys take her in as their own. Only a retard would decline in that situation, and thankfully, the Takagami brothers agree to it, where they are whispered Kuugen's real name. Somewhat still worried, the grandmother tells Kou to follow the boys and the fox deity back to their home, to support as well as keep an eye on Kuugen.

Heh, I don't actually prefer this over Inuyasha, but it did have certain similarities that I just had to point out. The show was pretty much how I expected it to be, a slice of life kinda show with lulz and magical combat peppered here and there to spice things up. You can expect most of the comedy to be derived from how Kuugen and Kou, from the looks of it, adapts to life in the city, and perhaps some awkward moments regarding its gender bending abilities, although I don't see it having the same kinds of fanservice levels of that other fox girl show. The two central male characters seem to be void of any real personality whatsoever, and since Chizuru is just a bimbo, between Horo and Kuugen, I'm still leaning towards the latter, as she had wittier and more sarcastic lines enhanced by a sexy, antiquated accent. Sorry Pizza Butt. Still, Kuugen has the potential to match her in that respects as they share a resemblance in personality; bored, nonchalant playful supreme beings that become a fearsome force to be reckoned with when they do get serious. Add Kou to the mix as she complements Kuu-chan with her quiet personal with exudes rationality and you've a by-the-book lineup of characters, which may seem somewhat of a cliché at first but keep in mind; the source material for this show did win awards, so the series must have done something to compensate its seemingly generic cast. We'll see.