Audience reviews
20 · Sample from the first available page, separate from the total number of ratings.
SaikatBairagi
Yatagarasu: The Raven Does Not Choose Its Master - The Most Underrated Court Drama of 2024*
Score: 9/10*
I finished Yatagarasu in two days and I’m still thinking about it. This is easily one of the most intelligent and underrated anime of 2024, and it’s a crime that more people aren’t talking about it.
STORY: 9/10*
The premise sounds simple: In the land of Yamauchi, ruled by the Yatagarasu clan who can shapeshift between human and three-legged crow form, the Crown Prince Wakamiya must choose a consort from four noble houses.
The first 6-7 episodes deliberately trick you. It feels like a slow-burn reverse-harem / palace selection story focusing on the four girls - Asebi, Hamayu, Masuho no Susuki, and Shiratama. But that’s just the surface. Underneath, it’s a tense political thriller ab…
Read at the sourceKranst
Having slow, methodical character introductions, intentional worldbuilding, and deliberate pacing can leave an audience with the time needed to digest complex ideas. Yatagarasu: The Raven Does Not Choose Its Master demonstrates this through the careful exploration of its cast, setting, and politics with the purpose of unfolding its storytelling into something greater. Many unsuspected reveals and twists are narratively baked into the world itself instead of mere shock value. Eventually, it becomes something much different than how it began. And honestly, this approach is quite fascinating. Reading only a vague synopsis is likely best before watching, because mystery and unpredictability will enhance your viewing experience.
Read at the source_Ukiyo
Yatagarasu is a well-written series that not only excels in natural plot development, but also character depth and world building. Every character has their own goal and motivation, allowing the story to speak for itself as characters interact and respond to their respective situations. Within the first few episodes, the author’s meticulous writing is already quite evident in the way that each scene plays out. Her deliberate choice of what to show the audience immerses them in the world of Yatagarasu, following the main characters as they navigate a palace steeped in danger and many other schemes. This series excels at twisting the narrative, leading the viewer to make misguided conclusions before having a grand reveal.
As someone who enjoys political intrigue and organically written cha…
Read at the sourceAdd-onis
This is similar to "Apothecary Diaries" but actually better in almost every way.
The setting has more integrity bcs not everything moves and bends to the will of the main character.
The roles of the different classes are taken more seriously and defined way clearer. No mystical lineage here that justifies you being special.
The overall mystery, intrigue and foreshadowing is done way better. Quite a few developments and story arcs come out of left field but never feel arbitrary, forced or self serving.
It takes time with developments that need the time to slowly boil over.
The one central thing that "Apothecar Diaries" does better is centering everything around the main character which also allows the viewer to experience the narrative close to the character they are supposed to care a…
Read at the sourcelinkucc
First, the opening and ending are absolutely stunning.
Second, the art, animation, and everything about the visuals — WOW!
It was truly masterfully done and just a pleasure to look at and take in, incredible.
Third, the characters, I’d rate them around 80%. Average in terms of performance and development overall, but there are some truly standout characters like Hamayu, the Lady of the West, Yukiya, Sumio, and Komi — they’re genuinely amazing.
Fourth, the plot is a bit unconventional but really entertaining and unpredictable. For example, at first they focused on the betrayals and internal conflicts around which wife would be chosen, then they shifted to a whole different arc about internal issues like addiction and outside intruders, and now by the end they’ve moved into this external…
Read at the sourcepetrichorbones
I forgot that just anyone can write reviews. Listen to me, especially if we are friends on this platform. LISTEN to me you MUST watch this its so good and it deserves way more praise than it gets. If you too care not for the whatever anime is most popular with men rn, watch this and be free.
Its just really good I will not take any criticism of this show or its manga or its light novels esp if you are a man. Its good. That is final.
Okay, okay, the only criticism is that they made Yukiya less fluffy and baby faced, and don't have enough time for Wakamiya to play the clueless silly airhead for as long as he's supposed to. Manga Yukiya is so cute and fluffy and then they took my boy and gave him serious face. BUT it is a fitting choice for the pacing of the show and it's really well done y…
Read at the sourceMieko-chan
So,usually i dont write anything here ... but cant stay quiet while others wrote the opposite what i feel on this anime . The world is curious and characters have more than first they look , its an interesting and charismatic anime with some blogod and monster wannabes ,i absolutely recommend it to anyone who like these "edo" éra like anime with mystery and politics , so much pólót twist and a nice touch on the very end... i hope it will have more seasons but if not,its totally ok ... i just finished it in 2 days and wanna see again ^^" .. i would say,give it a try :)
Read at the sourcetoki1
All I have to say is the first 13 episodes are truly amazing. The way it had me hooked and would always make my jaw drop by the revelations that just kept coming. The story is unique and very interesting. You will keep wanting more as it goes. 10/10 for the first 13 episodes
Now the next 7 are not quite up to the first 13, but with that being said I would still give them a 7.5 or higher. I just hope a second season is going to be announced to make the second half feel more complete.
The art style was very fitting and I grew very fond of it as the episodes went on. This story gives several different human emotions and I loved watching how the characters react to the many twist and turns.
I will keep recommending this anime to others! Now go watch it :)
Read at the sourceBigDaddyTuesday
tl;dr Yatagarasu: The Raven Does not Choose its Master stands out incredibly as both a Historical Drama and as a series. The mythological flair combines with superb plot direction and character writing to form one of the best of the genre. Were this show given the recognition it deserves, it could easily stand tall among the other great hallmarks of both the historical genre and as a benchmark anime to watch. Sadly, for the time being, this show is criminally under-watched with a mere 14k people having completed the series in MAL statistics at the time of writing. I both pray for a continued adaptation of material and for more people to discover how wonderful this show truly is. Below is a more concise summation of my thoughts.
Setting - The world of Yamauchi, the fictional land in which…
Read at the sourceNemethBooshi
The show is separated by two arcs. If I were rating just the first, it would have been a 9/10.
The first arc takes a few episodes to establish itself but once it does, it's a story full of intrigue and unexpected twists and turns.
The second arc however, just isn't as strong as the previous. All the unanswered questions and political drama in the first arc were mostly ignored. Though I can appreciate the world building, if there isn't going to be a season 2 then they should have just cut this arc completely.
As a whole, I still think this show is worthy of praise even though it takes a minute to get into and the second arc not being as strong as the first.
Read at the sourceValentine07
(Spanish review below).
I liked the first part a lot more than the second. The conflicts in the palace and the mystery behind the emperor seem a thousand times more interesting to me than the monkeys. In fact, when they appeared in the story I was like: what is this?
The first part has a much bigger element of mystery than the second part. It reminded me a lot of ‘The Apothecary’s Diaries’. Also, the characters that are introduced in the second part didn’t manage to interest me either.
The animation is amazing and I really liked the drawing style. Also, I found the world of the Yatagarasu very interesting, with all its hierarchies and legends. At first I had a bit of trouble understanding the subject of hierarchies, but the story gradually introduces you to the details.
I really liked t…
Read at the sourcekemptea
This is a classic "stick with it" show. This is an in-depth world, and a lot of moving parts. You're going to feel a little confused and bogged-down by all the characters and intrigue at first, but oh, boy does it pay off in the long run.
The Good:
- The show takes its time to build characters, motivations, intrigue, subplots, and red herrings.
- The plot reveals reward a careful and patient audience.
- The visuals are wonderful, though some people may find the character design a little off-putting at first.
- The MC isn't a bland everyman. He's a clever, somewhat cynical kid who isn't afraid to dive into it.
- These are bird people. That's an unusual, fantastic setup.
The Not-Quite-Bad:
- I found it difficult to keep track of which families (north, south, east, west, etc.) were know…
Read at the sourceMewsicMagic
The Raven Does Not Choose It's Master is by far the most impressive hidden gem I've ever seen. An anime that despite it's masterfully produced story, plot and pacing still manages to stay at the bottom of the popularity barrel. That sad treatment is something it certainly doesn't deserve, If I said it was better than everything that released in the same anime seasons as it, I wouldn't take that as objectively true, however it wouldn't be that far off from the truth. The short recommendation at the start is if you enjoy political maze plots, mystery vibes or even just watched something like The Apothecary Diaries and liked it for the "political" or mystery type parts of it. There is no reason on this earth you shouldn't watch this.
Let's hit things off with the story and plot, the actual…
Read at the sourceConundrum_mine
Do you expect your anime to blow you away with every twist and turn, always exceeding what you expected out of it? If so then is the show you're looking for.
This was a very masterfully crafted political drama, mixed with fantasy, lore and lots and lots of mystery and the ability of the author to keep you guessing how things are gonna get resolved but you won't be able to guess any. It starts out simply as a typical political drama, where you've got lots of plotting, power hungry characters and the cliche battle for the throne but the more time you'll give to this anime, the more you'll realise that this is much more than that and by the end of the series you'll literally be questioning what really was this anime. I don't want to spoil it for anyone but all I'm gonna say is that this thin…
Read at the sourceCookie111
This is an example of good drama and suspense. The mythology adds to the setting and creates lore that makes the main plot feel more important. It completes one and then moves on to another plot. The first I believe is somewhat predictable however the experience is not diminished tone, suspense is effectively built and this does mean that when there are 'expected' twists it is a better one especially as what has been set and up makes you take the information for granted. I found the 2nd plot to be the better part of the series all previous positives stated happen again but to an extreme. I found the fact the villain was not clear more interesting as you learn new things with the characters and I played along with that when it was being revealed, this was the part that gave me an experience…
Read at the sourceAechgal
Karasu wa Aruji wo Erabanai has been the greatest surprise of the year so far, as of October 20th. Not only is it the biggest surprise, but it's also the best anime I've watched this year.
It started off as a solid anime. The first episode threw a lot of information at me, but it still piqued my interest. As the episodes progressed, I found myself more and more engaged, increasingly intrigued, and eagerly anticipating the next one. Then came a couple of episodes—the climax of the first arc—that completely blew my mind.
The end of the first arc... HOLY F*CK! It was so AMAZING, so well-crafted. Everything started coming together, bit by bit, while I couldn’t believe how thoroughly I had been fooled. It all made perfect sense. I can't even describe my reaction—it could have easily served as…
Read at the sourceRamun_Flame
What started out as a foreign mythical world turned into an engaging political drama, then an intriguing mystery. I was really impressed with how cohesive the world was, and all the characters were believable. I kept wanting to know what would happen with each character, and even got invested in small things just due to how good the writing was.
I admit, I was a bit confused at times, especially the beginning, since I'm not good with names and a lot of characters looked similar. I got used to it though, and it wasn't much of an issue later. They explain things in this show, but a lot of the time you need to put some things together yourself, which I appreciated.
There were a few plot points in the last few episodes that bothered me, but the rest is so good I can give it a bit of a pass.…
Read at the sourceMoonboye
For the love of God, PLEASE give this a second season! This show has it all: brilliant writing, interesting characters, thoughtful worldbuilding, great plot twists and mystery...
Mystery series can suffer from "insufferable know-it-all syndrome" (The Apothecary Diaries suffers from this, for one), where the main character is somehow able to deduce the truth from basically nothing and explains it all to the viewer as if they could have drawn the same conclusion if they had just looked a little closer.
Yatagarasu is not guilty of this fault. The story is extremely well thought out. Subtle hints and clues are interlaced in the progressing plot. Nonetheless, the reveals are huge and very satisfying payoffs.
To call Yatagarasu only a mystery series would be a disservice, however. The charact…
Read at the sourceluxray978
Karasu Wa Aruji Wo Erabanai - Yagatasaru (The Raven Doesn’t Choose It’s Master)
Another in a series of multi-cour NHK produced anime that have soso production quality but stand above on their ideas Yagatasaru is a court drama set in the fictional land of Yamauchi. I debated my placement as I think it’s criminally underrated but still has significant flaws that hamper my ability to wholeheartedly praise it. It sits at an 8/10 on the anime scale as a show that is pleasant enough to watch, very exciting at points but often takes an unideal route.
A recent pleasure of mine has been the court drama genre, starting with 2022’s Koukyuu no Karasu (raven of the inner palace) which immediately sprung to mind when starting due to its similar name. Both series blend the supernatural with court poli…
Read at the sourceJhulyus
It's a very good anime and quite different in some aspects, I think the main thing is the seriousness. It's all "adult" and serious, there's no comic relief, usually a slapstick character being responsible for it, but that doesn't mean the anime isn't fun. The story is very good, the characters are well-built, the world and setting are consistent and convincing.
The protagonist duo has good chemistry and evolves well, going from "this prince is a pain" to "I will dedicate my life to him". The prince is very intelligent, which is required by the plot that the story delivers, bringing surprises and twists until the very last moment.
Read at the source
