Hiiro no Kakera (緋色の欠片, literally Scarlet Fragment) is an anime television series adaptation of the Hiiro no Kakera Video Game. There have been two seasons.
Story
The protagonist is Tamaki Kasuga, a teenage girl who revisits the small village from her childhood and gets caught up in her family's history and the supernatural dangers surrounding it. While walking along the hillsides on her way to the village, Tamaki comes across a small white round object with sticks for limbs that can speak! It runs off startled, but Tamaki chases after it. Soon she finds herself in a place that feels like another world. She gets attacked by three slime creatures, but a young man named Takuma Onizaki comes out and saves her. Afterwards, he walks her to the village, where she meets with her grandmother and is told that she must continue the role of ancestor princess Tamayori Princess with help from the sword of Onikirimaru and her five guardians.
Characters
- Tamaki Kasuga - Tamaki is the main protagonist of the series. Her name is changeable in the PS2 and DS version. She is the next Tamayorihime (Tamayori Princess) after her grandmother, and for that position she receives five guardians. She gets a headache whenever something happens to the Onikimaru. Her hobby is visiting shrines & temples. She has feelings for Takuma in Season 2 (Dai Ni Shō).
Tamaki's Five Guardians
- Takuma Onizaki - He is the male lead character in the series and the first guardian who Tamaki meets and also her classmate. He has powerful strength, but is quite slow. His hobby is doing crosswords and he likes eating taiyaki. He is the descendant of the oni, whose power is very hard to control, especially when near the magical sword Onikirimaru.
- Suguru Oomi - Suguru is the unofficial leader of the guardians and a descendent of the giant snake. He is the tactician of the group, he can control water, and he has the power to create seals and barriers. Suguru is very polite and reliable, but also has a childish side. He Loves tea, teaches calligraphy, and is usually smiling.
- Mahiro Atori - An upperclassmen at Tamaki's school, Mahiro is the descendent of the raven and can control the wind. He is extremely self-conscious when it comes to his height. He is usually very loud and energetic and can act immature. When necessary, however, he can be serious and deep. Mahiro likes women with big breasts, motorbikes, meat & fried noodle buns.
- Yuuichi Komura - An upperclassmen, Yuuichi is the descendent of the nine-tailed fox and specializes in using illusions and spirit fire. He is very quiet and can be emotionless. He likes spacing out and has the ability to sleep anywhere at anytime. His hobby is just relaxing & laying on the grass in the sun.
- Inukai Shinji - Shinji is one grade below Tamaki and has the power of healing (kaifuku). He can also use the power of words to control things. He enjoys cooking and is a very skilled chef.
Logos
The Logos are an evil group on the move, trying to resurrect Onikirimaru and possibly destroy the world. They are the antagonists of the story, working against Tamaki and her guardians. All the Logos are aides to Aria, much like the guardians are aides to Tamaki.
- Aria Rosenburg - A young girl with long blonde hair and blue eyes. The Logos believes that she is the sacred maiden blessed by God. She can neutralise all magical attacks and bless spirits. Aria speaks in an adult-like manner but sometimes acts like a child (though she denies that she is one).
- Eins (One in German) - Eins is an aide to Aria with super strength who specializes in close range combat. He is very protective of Aria.
- Zwei (Two in German) - Zwei fights with a scythe and likes to eat his opponents' souls. Mahiro calls him "death-god".
- Drei (Three in German) - Drei is a magician who can summon dark spirits to fight. He is very interested in research and regards his opponents as potential research subjects. His loyalty to the Logos is unsure and a mystery.
- Vier (Four in German) - Vier is the only female aide to Aria, the one she trusts the most, and the only one chosen by Aria herself. She is a tactician who reminds Segumu of his mother, and she disguises herself as Fiona-sensei, the english teacher at the Tamaki's school. As the teacher, she has blonde hair and looks like she's from Hollywood and of German origin.
- Fünf (Five in German) - Fünf is another name for Shinji.
Others
- Ryou Kutani - Ryou is in the same year as Tamaki and Takuma, but he is actually one year older than them. He is a lone wolf and does as he pleases. He has a penchant for sniffing Tamaki which is due to his powers. It is later revealed that he is actually a member of the Inukai household who would have been the Inukai Guardian if it wasn't for his mother who hid his existance.
- Mitsuru Kotokura - A girl that works at the shrine. She is very polite and can appear emotionless and doll-like. She is a very good cook and is good at housework. She has the power to create invisible barriers. Tamaki, when caught in her barrier at one point, comments that it feels like mizu-ame (a kind of syrup).
- O-chan - A fox spirit belonging to Tamaki. In the video game, it can be named by the player. It travels in the main character's shadow and comes out at her calling. It likes curling up and sleeping in warm places.
- Kiyono Takara - A classmate of Tamaki that befriends her. She makes money from making straw voodoo dolls.
- Masataka Ashiya - A mysterious man the main character meets early on at the shrine and Kiyono's uncle. He says he is a businessman. He is interested in reading palms and faces and loves rice crackers.
Season 1 - Hiiro no Kakera
The 13-episode first season aired between April 1 and June 24, 2012. The series is directed by Bob Shirohata and produced by Studio Deen. The opening theme is "Nee" by Maiko Fujita. The ending theme is "Kono Te de Idaki Tomeru kara" by Shuhei Kita. Both themes were released as singles by Lantis in 2012.
Episodes
| # | Episode Title | Watch Episode* | Japanese Airdate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tamayori Princess | 
|
April 1, 2012 |
| 2 | A Step of Determination |
|
April 8, 2012 |
| 3 | The Five Guardians |
|
April 15, 2012 |
| 4 | Advent of the Saint |
|
April 22, 2012 |
| 5 | The Two Tasks |
|
April 29, 2012 |
| 6 | The Course of the Battle |
|
May 6, 2012 |
| 7 | The Breaking of Bonds |
|
May 13, 2012 |
| 8 | The Prediction of the Bureau of Medicine |
|
May 20, 2012 |
| 9 | The Rumbling of the Earth |
|
May 27, 2012 |
| 10 | The Guardian's Feelings |
|
June 3, 2012 |
| 11 | The Demon's Tradition |
|
June 10, 2012 |
| 12 | A Time for Battle |
|
June 17, 2012 |
| 13 | The Power of Onikirimaru |
|
June 24, 2012 |
Videos
Season 1 Trailer
Season 2 - Hiiro no Kakera: Dai Ni Shō
The second season, Hiiro no Kakera: Dai Ni Shō, aired between October 1 and December 9, 2012. The opening theme is "Takanaru" by Maiko Fujita and the ending theme is "Kimi Dake wo" by Shuhei Kita.
Episodes
| # | Episode Title | Watch Episode* | Japanese Airdate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Tamayori's Fate |
|
October 1, 2012 |
| 2 | Ominous Dark Clouds |
|
October 7, 2012 |
| 3 | The Traitor's Vow |
|
October 14, 2012 |
| 4 | The Destruction of the Five Houses |
|
October 21, 2012 |
| 5 | The Truth Behind the Tears |
|
October 28, 2012 |
| 6 | The Deceitful Heart |
|
November 4, 2012 |
| 7 | Memory of a Dream |
|
November 11, 2012 |
| 8 | Their Resolution |
|
November 18, 2012 |
| 9 | The Eternal Promise |
|
November 25, 2012 |
| 10 | The Power of the Gods |
|
December 2, 2012 |
| 11 | Scarlet Fragments | December 9, 2012 |
Videos
Season 2 Trailer
* Clicking the "Watch Episode" buttons will take you to a page on the Crunchyroll website where you can watch that episode, depending on your country.