- Genre : Comedy, Harem, Slice of Life; Supernatural
- Episodes: 12
- Studio: Creators in Pack
Kiitaro is a handsome boy who has been seeing strange things since he was a child. It seems he was born with the ability to see Yokai (spirits that live all around us but are normally not visible to humans) and this has caused him many problems and misunderstandings. Because of his unusual behavior, he is sent off to live by himself in a remote cabin where he meets a spirited Yokai named Suzu. As she is already living in the cabin with no intention of leaving, the two start their adventures together, as they get to know the various Yokai around. This reminds me of something but I just can’t put my finger on it….
Have any of you ever watched Red Dwarf? It’s great, you should! It’s also British, but they attempted an American remake that never got off the ground. I read an interview with one of the actors long ago that jokingly suggested that American audiences just couldn’t wrap their heads around the concept of a show called Red Dwarf that wasn’t particularly red and was distinctly lacking in dwarves. I snickered at those silly literal Americans.
During my entire watch of Kiitaro’ Yokai picture diary, I kept looking for the diary. I don’t think there’s anything resembling a book at all in the series. Maybe the diary was all of us?

Kiitaro is a show I put on my watch list for one reason and one reason alone, the title made it sound like a Natsume ripoff. You guys may not be aware of this but I’m a huge fan of Natsume’s book of friends. (My phone was desperately suggesting I change that to Natsume’s Book of Mormon). I hadn’t the slightest idea it was a short program until I hit play on the first episode and realized a bite sized distraction was exactly what I needed.
As far as production goes, this one is fairly decent. The artwork is pretty. A borderline Moe style with lots of Yokai allowing for varied designs and intricately detailed outfits. The colors are extremely saturated here which punctuates the energetic and offhand atmosphere. I also enjoyed voice acting across the board. Honestly, I just can’t find anything bad to say about the technical aspects.
So what about the more creative ones? This really isn’t a good way to split up my reviews. Music and voice acting are quite creative… And there’s a technical element to writing that shouldn’t be ignored.

But I digress. Can you believe this is the first time I’ve used this segue. It will NOT be the last!
Basically, Kiitaro is a comedic slice of life with some fanservice. Up skirt jokes and cleavage shots abound however these are fairly non-intrusive. There’s nothing particularly mean spirited or predatory in the presentation and I can guarantee you’ve seen worse and more risqué in the past few days. It’s just that when episodes are this short, including a set up and punch line of a mildly dirty joke takes up the entire time.
Don’t be fooled into thinking this is all there is to it though, I would say only about a quarter of the episodes go blue, the rest are a mix of absurdist humor, traditional sight gags and surprisingly touching moments. For the most part it’s very slightly pervy fluff with a touch of moe and a bit of humor but it does have a heart which is rather surprising.

I looked up the MAL rating and it’s quite low (under 7). I’m not sure why. I read 2 or 3 reviews that all had it at 4 or 5 and all of them basically said that there wasn’t much to this show, but it was fun to watch. I’m wondering what they were expecting as the entire season is roughly 36 minutes. No there isn’t any great character development, social commentary or deep analysis. Somehow that didn’t disappoint me too much.
It won’t make you think but it might make you smile which is a fantastic outcome if you ask me. The way I see it, this is a perfect little palate cleanser or picker upper. You can easily binge the entire thing over a day or two after a more emotionally charged series to reset your mind and get ready for something else but it’s also a great little tidbit to insert throughout your day.
Watching one of these on my lap top in the mornings as I went through my get ready routine allowed me to wake up and face the day lighthearted and carefree. Getting one in just before bedtime was perfect to unwind without filling your mind with complicated thoughts.

No, this isn’t my favorite short anime by any means, there are better out there, and I’ve already reviewed some of them. I did like this more than Love is Like a Cocktail for what that’s worth. However, as I sat down to write this review, I realized that while I may not be able to warmly praise it, I also couldn’t really find anything wrong with it at all. And I wager that if you’re in the mood for this type of story, you will find it very enjoyable.
I dunno, I guess it’s like yummy canned soup? You know. It’s not special, you can’t really find any way to sell it to your friends but there are some days where it really hits the spot. It’s easy, and tasty and it won’t ever give you a tummy ache. You’ll probably forget all about it the next day.
Favorite character: Yukihaha
What this anime taught me: Mirrors lie! I knew it!
I love water. Especially frozen into cubes and surrounded by vodka.
Suggested drink: Fox River
- Every time Kiitaro and Suzu bicker – take a sip
- Every time Kiitaro hisses – take a sip
- Every time we gat a fanservice joke – clutch your pearls
- Every time we only see he fox tail – take a sip
- Every time a *friend* of Suzu’s visits – take a sip
- Every time Yuki says onii-chan – take a sip
- Every time Kiitaro strips – raise your glass
- Every time anyone acts tsundere – take a sip
- Every time anyone says hentai – take a sip
- Every time Kiitaro is surprisingly thoughtful clap
This one has been sitting on my queue for a while. I’m not sure if I want to watch it or not. It seems to be pretty interesting.
I initially gave this show a pretty low score and a drop after one episode, mostly because I thought the war plot they introduced in episode 1 was going to be a big thing, but ever since I discovered Nobunaga no Shinobi (a short series which is based around a war plot) a few seasons afterwards, I’ve been meaning to get back to it. I’m not that crazy about fanservice, but at least the episode length should mitigate that somewhat…
It may not be for you. It’s not the only thing the show has to offer but both fan and manservice are quite present
First, A-Plus for referencing Red Dwarf.
Second, this show sounds fun. Might give this one a watch.
At least it’s a fairly small commitment! Yay I pass!
Cute show. You described it perfectly. I remember little, but I remember wishing the episodes were longer. The format worked perfectly for the sillier episodes (such as the header hamsters, who were hilarious), but the quieter moments could have used more time to let the atmosphere work its magic.
I kinda liked the drive by gentle moments. A little tidbit of tenderness whithout any weight to it. I guess they were a little shallow but that’s what I was in the mood for at the time.
It’s not about weight or depth. I love watching anime where nothing at all happens, and certain types of scenes work best if they don’t go by too slowly. It’s less scenes of emotional warmth and the like (these are often blink-and-you-miss-it moments and can occur right in middle of comedy scene); it’s more scenes that work based on mood. It’s like not wanting to be hurried on in a musuem, if you get what I mean.
I watched the first two episodes of red dwarf a year and a half ago. Don’t know why I stopped, though it was probably because I got more invested into watching “are you being served” another awesome British comedy. I actually haven’t watched much British comedy since i got into anime, need to rectify this. Thanks for reminding me!
I’m really digging this Red Dwarf side effect (yes are you being served was super fun as well!)
I. LOVE. RED. DWARF. Ha ha!! The episode where they go back to the grassy knoll is great… Now I need to watch that show again. It’s been too long.
If this post does nothing more than remind people to watch Red Dwarf it will be a great success
i will give a go
sweet! Let us know what you think
I hadn’t heard of this one! I’ll have to give it a watch, sounds like it’s got a lot of things I like…
Also Red Dwarf is great, been watching that show since I was a kid!
It’s fantastic