Ayakashi Triangle episode 1 - Matsuri encounters the King of Ayakashi, Suzu’s secret unveiled

Kentaro Yabuki’s most awaited fantasy rom-com anime, Ayakashi Triangle, has finally made a spectacular debut, successfully establishing the three main characters Matsuri Kazamaki (Shouya Chiba), Suzu Kanade (Kana Ichinose), and Shirogane (Tesshou Genda). Fans of the original manga series were relieved with the adaptation, as the anime remained loyal to the source material down to the tiniest details.

Besides introducing the three main characters of the series, episode one of Ayakashi Triangle, titled Matsuri, Suzu, and Ayakashi, also establishes who the Ayakashi are and how treacherous they can be. The episode also shows how Matsuri, the young exorcist ninja from the Kazamaki clan, managed to rival the legendary Ayakashi to a stalemate, who has lived for over 400 years.

Disclaimer: This article contains major spoilers from the Ayakashi Triangle anime and manga series.

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Highlights from Ayakashi Triangle episode 1: Suzu learns about her Ayakashi Medium status, Matsuri finds himself in a shocking gender-bender

Suzu saves Shirogane from Matsuri

The first episode of Ayakashi Triangle kicked off with Shirogane in his overweight cat form, observing a girl from the shadows with the intent of devouring her. However, before Shirogane made any move, a boy proclaiming himself as the exorcist ninja Matsuri from the Kazamaki clan grabbed him by his bib and decided to exorcize the Ayakashi for good.

Despite Shirogane’s claim of being a great entity that lived for around 400 years, Matsuri decided to exorcize him anyway. Arriving at the scene, Matsuri’s childhood friend, Suzu, took the cat from his possession. The latter despised the former for hurting the innocent cat. Suzu didn’t want to believe Matsuri’s words and decided to release the cat someplace safe.

While heading to her most favored spot, Suzu explained to Shirogane how she and Matsuri used to play with Ayakashi. However, after Matsuri decided to succeed in his grandfather’s line of work, he developed an immense hatred towards all Ayakashi.

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Shirogane reveals his true form

Shirogane reveals his true form, as seen in episode 1 of Ayakashi Triangle (Image via Connect)

Elsewhere, Matsuri engaged in a skirmish with an evil Ayakashi, who had the face of a hideous monster and the body of an enormous spider. Being a Kazamaki clan ninja specializing in wind style, Matsuri performed the Exorcist Ninja Art: Wind Kunai technique to restrain the movements of the Ayakashi, giving it a finishing blow with the Scattering Whirlwind Bloom technique.

Seigen Kazamaki, Matsuri’s grandfather, was shocked after his grandson casually talked about his recent encounter with the Ayakashi cat, who claimed to be the legendary Shirogane. Seigen told Matsuri that he should immediately look for Suzu’s whereabouts and save her life. According to Seigen, the cat named Shirogane was the King of Ayakashi, the master of countless evil arts, and the ruler of all Ayakashi.

While heading out to look for Suzu, Matsuri recalled a moment from the past when his grandfather unveiled that Suzu, being an Ayakashi Medium, could face a potential threat from monster-class Ayakashis in the near future.

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Matsuri’s God-sealing Barrier technique fails

Suzu decided to hang out with the Shirogane near the shrine, her most favored location, where she often hung out with other Ayakashis. Being a chatterbox, Suzu started talking about her feelings for Matsuri and things that were way too personal. Without wasting any more time, Shirogane transformed into his true gigantic feline form and attempted to devour Suzu.

However, Matsuri eventually made it in time and saved Suzu. The former tried to attack Shirogane with his katana, but the blade shattered like glass upon impact. Later, Matsuri used the Heavy Wind Blast technique to keep the beast afloat for a while and combined the ability with a specialized scroll that his grandfather infused with his powers for 30 years.

Matsuri transformed into a girl, as seen in episode 1 of Ayakashi Triangle (Image via Connect)

After the scroll wrapped Shirogane from all corners, Matsuri executed the God-Sealing Barrier to entrap the beast inside the scroll for eternity. However, the former managed to escape the barrier at the expense of his dominant powers and even exacted revenge on the latter by transforming him into a girl.

Suzu was thunderstruck after watching Matsuri turn into a well-endowed girl with long silver hair. As the technique was too complex to be dispelled, even a master exorcist like Seigen claimed he couldn’t undo Shirogane’s secret art. Meanwhile, Suzu tried to help Matsuri by forcing him to wear clothes from her wardrobe. Now that he had turned into a girl, Matsuri couldn’t casually walk around wearing his usual outfit.

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Final thoughts on Ayakashi Triangle episode 1

With the first episode of Ayakashi Triangle, Connect Studios has managed to live up to fans' expectations with its exquisite production quality. The production house beautifully captured the setting and didn’t overlook the minute details, ranging from the characters’ movements to transitions between the scenes, which didn’t feel rushed or underdeveloped.

The episode had some fun adult and situational humor, which fans and critics appreciated. Matsuri Kazamaki is an exceptional young exorcist ninja who didn’t let his age become a barrier to achieving his endeavors. However, he still has to learn many things that are currently beyond his understanding, starting with how to behave in certain situations.

Now that Matsuri has transformed into a girl, it would be challenging for him to adapt to this new situation. Suzu will try her best to help Matsuri learn to behave like an actual girl. Overall, it was a fun episode with adult-themed jokes being sprinkled throughout, and fans can’t wait to see what comes next for Matsuri and Suzu.