Shonen Onmyouji: The Complete Series

In this handsomely conceived production that mixes a bit of Japanese history with entertaining slices of anime whimsy, Masahiro Abe no is the young grandson of the legendary Heian-era sorcerer Seimei Abe no. While grandfather was a great wizard, Masahiro finds relatively little need for his own magical powers, and unfortunately has not kept up practicing his spell-casting—resulting in the loss of one of his sorcery gifts: he can no longer see ghosts. Masahiro wouldn't mind hanging up his magic wand for good, but things change with the arrival of Mokkun, a bizarre rabbit-cat creature who encourages the young man to follow again in his grandfather's footsteps—not just to keep the family trade alive, but to prepare for possible challenges in the near future. The Masahiro/Mokkun relationship is invigorating, as the young man is a genuinely sympathetic protagonist and his furry sidekick is a memorable booster/mentor/critic who gets most of the funny lines. Although the wizardry sequences seem tame compared with other anime titles featuring sorcery and magic, Shonen Onmyouji has a sense of emotional depth often lacking in the genre. This dual-language six-disc set, suitable for 13-up, compiles all 26 episodes from 2006-07. Highly recommended. Aud: P. (P. Hall)