Kakuriyo -Bed & Breakfast for Spirits-

After her grandfather dies, Aoi, a young woman who can see ayakashi, is confronted by an ogre who insists her family must repay a debt. He demands an outrageous form of payment, marriage, which she refuses. Instead Aoi chooses to earn the debt herself by working at Tenjin-ya, a hidden bed and breakfast catering to spirits. She learns to cook for unusual tastes, keeps guests calm, and handles the daily chores of an inn where human rules don’t always apply. The show follows her steady adjustment to life split between the human world and the spirit realm, and how she gains respect and friendship through patience and skill.

Released in 2018 and credited to creator Tomoko Konparu, the series aired as a TV adaptation and features voice talent including Yuma Uchida as Akatsuki, among others, bringing the characters from page-style storytelling to animated form.

The series didn’t sweep major industry awards, but it found a warm reception among viewers, reflected in an audience rating around 8.3 out of 10 on voter platforms. While it wasn’t widely decorated, fans praised its consistent character work and many episodes maintained solid viewer engagement.

Kakuriyo helped spotlight a specific blend of food-focused storytelling and yokai folklore in anime, encouraging fan art, cosplay, and online discussions about the series’ recipes and inn-life scenes. Its depiction of hospitality toward spirits prompted social media posts recreating meals and sharing illustrated impressions of Tenjin-ya’s cozy interiors.

Critics tended to note the show’s calm, deliberate pacing, and quiet worldbuilding, emphasizing themes of service, respect, and cross-cultural understanding between humans and ayakashi. The series centers on practical skills, community ties, and the dignity of work, though some viewers wished for quicker plot development. Overall it rewards those who enjoy character-driven episodes and atmospheric settings.