As usual,  the final OVA for a series I like is a rather bittersweet experience.  While there’s always the possibility that a show like Mayonaka no Occult Koumuin could get another season (who expected that for Fukigien no Mononokean, for example?) realistically it seems pretty unlikely.  All you can do (especially with no manga translations in sight) is appreciate the fact that a series like Mayonaka got 16 episodes in the first place when it was never likely to be commercially successful, and wait for the next one and done hidden gem to make its appearance.

These OVA episodes have been rather good, and very consistent in both tone and quality with the TV eps (which is by no means a given).   Fukurokouji to Ano Ko to Ore to was certainly not as weighty as Hitoribocchi no Kyuuketsuki, which amounted to one of the series’ most emotionally powerful stories, but it was a good one nonetheless.  It’s interesting that both OVAs have focused on Theo – with Arata being in a supporting role – though the difference this time was that Senda had a rare turn in the spotlight too.  Certainly this was by far the most plot-critical he’s been in any storyline thus far.

For starters, we have Arata (supporting again) on a shiruko (azuki bean and kochi porridge) run for Theo.  It’s not surprising that my old neighborhood of Kagurazaka would have the best shiruko seller, as it’s chock-a-block with traditional Japanese shops.  On the way back Arata is waylaid by some clever kitsune anxious to experience the taste of shiruko, which he relates to the others once he gets to the office.  This prompts Senda to relate the tale of a time when he too ran afoul of a kitsune, back when he was home for the summer from college to help out his friend at the family shrine.  This also happened to be the time he met Theo (who’s older than I thought he was), which would prove to be the beginning of a long working friendship.

Probably the most important piece of new information we get here (unless you count the fact that Theo used to be blonde) is that Senda is a “catalyst” – as in, his presence magnifies the spiritual powers of those nearby.  That certainly explains how he ended up in the job he did.  He and Theo find themselves trapped on the youkai side of reality when a servant of the shrine Kami effectively kidnaps them to get them to remove a kodoku pot – a type of curse we’ve seen in anime before, from time to time.  What’s really striking about all this is how calm Senda and Theo are in the face of all the strange things happening to them, which is really proof that they’re compatible above and beyond simply in the paranormal sense.

There’s something of Mayonaka’s overall appeal in that – the way it takes such a straightforward approach to matters of myth and magic in the modern world.  We’ve seen a number of shows in this broad genre category in the last few years, but I think this one is one of the very best at getting the tone just right.  It was never going to be popular (the manga does pretty well, but that’s a different audience) and it was never going to be the flashiest show in any given week, but it was always smart and emotionally accurate.  Mayonaka is a very good series indeed, and I’m more than a little sad to see it come to an end.