There is something about the supernatural that pulls us towards it. A silent magnetism that sparks our natural curiosity. This is why we love seeing the supernatural in movies and of course, in anime. Add some mystery and romance to the narrative and we get the recipe for an engrossing and thrilling anime series.
There are many supernatural beings in Japanese folklore and seeing them portrayed as relatable main characters in anime makes the show pretty interesting. In/Spectre is one such anime featuring Yokai and other supernatural beings. Originally, it is a Japanese novel authored by Kyo Shirodaira and published by Kodansha. The anime adaptation of the novel is by Brain’s Base.
Here’s a short synopsis of the story. Kurou Sakuragawa is a university student living in Japan. Unfortunately, he has just gone through a bad breakup with his long-term girlfriend. In another part of the world, Kotoko Iwanaga is trying hard to maintain peace between the supernatural realm of the Yokai and the human realm.
She was kidnapped at age 11 by Yokai so that she could become their Goddess of Wisdom. Kotoko visits Kurou in the hospital as she has developed feelings for him from the moment they first met, that was two years ago when she saved his life. Kotoko also feels that there is more to Kurou than meets the eye.
She lets Kurou know of her true identity as the Goddess of Wisdom but he doubts her initially. It was when they fought a Yokai together in the library that they found that both had supernatural abilities. Kurou realized that Kotoko was indeed the Goddess of Wisdom. Kotoko’s suspicion was confirmed when Kurou told her that he had powers because he had consumed the meat of two Yokai.
Kotoko asks Korou to become her partner in dealing with Yokai and he agrees. Later, they hear of the case of a faceless woman who goes around killing people. Even though the case proves to be a complex and challenging one, the two partners set out to stop the evil being and restore peace in the world.
How In/Spectre season 1 ended
In season 1, we can see Kotoko declaring her love to Kurou and asking him to become her partner in maintaining the peace between the Yokai and human worlds. Soon after, they come across a case of the ghost of the deceased teen idol Karin Nanase. Sightings report that the ghost wanders around wielding massive steel beams mimicking the way she died.
Kurou and Kotoko along with Saki (Kurou’s ex-girlfriend) are caught up in the midst of many dangerous situations and come across several mysterious happenings which they plan to get to the bottom of. But the more they investigate, the more they realize that all the mysteries revolve around the ghost of the late teen idol.
As the season approaches its end, the trio discovers that it was Kurou’s cousin sister Rikka who created Nanase by using her powers. She too had consumed Yokai’s flesh and had turned immortal. She created Steel Lady Nanase so that she could become human once again. Season 1 sees Kotoko and Kurou together defeat Rikka’s evil creation, Nanase but Rikka herself manages to escape.
In/Spectre season 2 spoilers
Season 2 will see the development of Kotoko’s and Kurou’s relationship. Though initially, Kurou had little feelings for Kotoko, later on, it turns into something deeper as they solve supernatural murder crimes together. Also, Rikka is still on the run after her creation Nanase is defeated by Kurou and Kotoko.
The duo finds themselves solving a horde of new mysteries related to supernatural beings, for example, a large number of fish washing up on the shore of the beach of Totomizu because of an uncanny wooden doll. Meanwhile, Rikka’s whereabouts remain unknown but Kuro and Kotoko figure out that she is living in a cursed apartment where strange suicides begin to occur.
In/Spectre season 2 release date
The release date for In/Spectre season 2 episode 1 is January 8th, 2023. Here are the release timings for different time zones:
- Pacific Standard Time: 8:05 AM (January 8th, 2023)
- Greenwich Mean Time: 4:05 PM (January 8th, 2023)
- Indian Standard Time: 9:35 PM (January 8th, 2023)
- Japanese Standard Time: 1:05 AM (January 9th, 2023)
Where to watch In/Spectre season 2 episode 1
Just like season 1, season 2 will also have 12 episodes. In/Spectre season 2 is a Crunchyroll original as the streaming service giant is one of the direct producers of the series. Therefore, you can stream In/Spectre season 2 episode one right here on Crunchyroll.
