Hello, dear readers!

That’s right, we’re back again for another installment of Anime Book Club, today I’ll be covering the first episode of In/Spectre, a supernatural mystery/detective anime that’s currently airing throughout the second half of the winter season.

What Is In/Spectre?

Also known as Invented Interference, the series was first published as a light novel in 2011 by Kodansha and is written by Kyo Shirodaira and illustrated by Hiro Kyohara. As mentioned above, the series focuses on events and conflicts surround the various yokai, spirits, and cryptids that inhabit Japan. Charged with dealing with these mysteries is 17-year-old Kotoko Iwanaga who advises the supernatural beings of Japan as their “God of Knowledge”. While undergoing treatment at a hospital, Kotoko is drawn to an older university student by the name of Kurō Sakuragawa, after he quite literally falls into her arms.

Two years pass and the pair find themselves reunited (although Kurō needs some reminding of who exactly Kotoko is, having forgotten all about her). Without spoiling too much from the first episode for you, I can say that the show sets up a fun and interesting premise that I hope they continue to expand on.

In case the byline for this article wasn’t enough of an indication, let it be known that I adore supernatural mystery shows, especially ones that have a good mix of detective work and action, shows like Bungo Stray Dogs, Blood Blockade Battlefront, and to a lesser extent Death Note, all come to mind. But for every good anime, there’s also a fair share of bad ones as well, for instance, last year’s Midnight Occult Civil Servants for example. From what I’ve seen so far, I’m hopeful that In/Spectre will join the former list rather than the latter.

While I’ve not read the manga/light novel (mainly due to there not being a decent digital version around), I’d like to think that the plot of In/Spectre will see our protagonists solving a different case every week, interacting with various yokai while also finding clues that feed into an overarching narrative. However, I’m also open to the show taking a different approach, as long as whatever form it takes still excites and entertains the audience.

So, Should You Watch It?

While it’s true, the first episode of the series does have a few rough edges and the male protagonist Kurō, does have a very generic design, the show has enough interesting elements to keep me hopeful that the second episode will smooth things out. If you’re like me and are a fan of the genre, then I’d perhaps wait for the next episode to air before watching, as at the end of the initial episode we’re left on something of a cliffhanger and it might be best to judge both episodes together before you decide to invest another 24 minutes out of your weekly anime watching schedule.

That’s it for my initial thoughts on In/Spectre, are you hyped enough to check out the show? If so, let me know your thoughts down in the comments or on Twitter @ReplayWire or @Wolfencreek, and I’ll see you back here on ReplayWire next time for another edition of Anime Book Club.