The Demon Prince of Momochi House (Japanese: 百千さん家のあやかし王子, Hepburn: Momochi-san Chi no Ayakashi Ouji) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Aya Shouoto. It was serialized in Kadokawa Shoten's shōjo manga magazine Monthly Asuka from February 2013 to August 2019. An anime television series adaptation produced by Drive aired from January to March 2024.
Plot
On her 16th birthday, the orphan Momochi Himari, unexpectedly receives the old Momochi family estate as inheritance. Despite the warnings she received about the house being haunted, having no other place to go, she decides to move there anyway. Upon her arrival she discovers that the house is occupied illegally by three handsome young men: Aoi, Yukari and Ise. The three immediately warn the unaware Himari that she must leave the house as soon as possible, using the story of the ghosts and curses as well, but she does not give up. Soon, she discovers that it is all true: her home appears to be on the border between the human and the spirit worlds, and she was destined to be the guardian between the two, but her role is already taken by Aoi.
It has been stated in the manga that Himari's parents passed away, most likely when she was very young and has been an orphan ever since. It is unclear if she has any siblings before the incident or how her parents passed on. By having the blood of the Momochi family running in her veins, she is supposed to be the next Omamori-sama or, 'Nue', the guardian of the Momochi House when she receives the will of her family when she turns 16. This would make her the guardian of the Momochi House which is located on the border of the human and spirit world, which would fall under the guardian's protection and monitoring, however, that role has been taken by Aoi and now, she only holds the power to expel anyone from the house if she wishes hard enough due to her bloodline.
He is human, but he became the Omamori-sama at the age of 10 while trying to run away from something, he broke the seal and entered in the Momochi house, this forced him to become its guardian. The house has erased all the traces of his existence in the human world, which is why it seems that neither his family nor friends remember him. In the Nue form, he is a spirit with cat ears, bird feathers and foxtail.
He is Aoi's first shikigami, a serving spirit, in his demonic form he has the appearance of a Mizuchi, a water snake. In his past life he was human, wrongly accused of being a demon, given as a sacrifice to the dragon god Ryujin, the god took pity on him and allowed him to be reborn as an Ayakashi of his own species. He is very kind and does all the houseworks.
Ise (伊勢)
Voiced by: Yūki Ono (drama CD, anime)[5] (Japanese); Van Barr Jr.[7] (English)
He is Aoi's second shikigami, in his demonic form he has the appearance of a Shōjō, an orangutan. He is the youngest of his species, for breaking the law by releasing his powers to the human world, the elders of his tribe fitted him with a cursed collar and warned him if he broke the law again, the curse would destroy his body. In order to save a friend, he ended up breaking the law so Aoi made Ise his shikigami to dissolve the curse and save him. Before arriving at the Momochi house, he enjoyed observing humans and sometimes playing pranks on them. Unlike Yukari, he is very grumpy.
He is one of the Lesser Yokais. He is an bird Ayakashi. He becomes third shikigami of Aoi as given "Zushi".
Hakka (八渦)
He is a gatekeeper in the spirit realm, he aspired to become the new Omamori-sama, but the Nue, to keep him at bay, forced him to become one of his shikigami. He too, in his past life, was human.
He is a powerful Ayakashi with super strength powers and sharp claws. He has a deep obsession towards the Nue, and is his biggest rival. To fight boredom, he enjoys annoying the members of the Momochi household, and his arrival usually announces big troubles.
A childhood friend of Aoi who still has some fragments of his memories with him. He is the descendant of a family that had the power to control the Kuda-gitsune, a fox-like spirit, although he demonstrated that he did not inherit this ability, he still has some connection with the spirit world.
Written and illustrated by Aya Shouoto, The Demon Prince of Momochi House was serialized in Kadokawa Shoten's Asuka manga magazine from February 23, 2013 to August 24, 2019.[9][10][11]
The manga has been licensed in North America by Viz Media in 2014.[12] It is also published in France by Soleil,[13] in Poland by Waneko,[14] and in Taiwan by Kadokawa Taiwan Corporation.[15]
A sequel manga began limited serialization in the same magazine on July 24, 2023.[16] The sequel is also licensed in North America by Viz Media.[17]
A stage play adaptation ran in the Hakuhinkan Theater in Ginza from June 10 to June 14, 2015.[51] It was directed by Satoru Takii, with Hinako Aoi writing the screenplay, and Tatsuya Kawachi in charge of choreography. It starred Haruka Shiraishi as Himari, Syuusuke Saito as Aoi, Ryosuke Haba as Yukari, Kōhei Murakami as Ise, Keisuke Aku as Onmoraki, and Kago Kasuya as Kasha.[52]
Anime
During Crunchyroll's Japan Expo 2023 panel, an anime television series adaptation was announced.[2] It is produced by Drive and directed by Bob Shirahata, with character designs provided by Mariko Oka, series composition by Yasuko Aoki, and music composed by Ayana Tsujita and Tomoyuki Kono.[2] The series aired from January 6 to March 23, 2024, on Tokyo MX and other networks.[5][a] The opening theme song is "Hōzuki" (鬼灯) by Yoh Kamiyama, while the ending theme song is "Aiyue" (愛故) by Muto.[8] Crunchyroll licensed the series.[2]Plus Media Networks Asia licensed the series in Southeast Asia.[54]
Himari is determined to settle into life at Momochi House, which won't be as easy as it sounds. The residents are still resistant to her, and her very presence seems to be taking a toll on Aoi...
3
"A Fourth Friend" Transliteration: "Yonin-me no Tomodachi" (Japanese: 四人目の友達)
Oyunamu
Hiroyuki Fukushima
January 20, 2024 (2024-01-20)
Himari brings a group of her new classmates home with her only to discover that something is very, very wrong with one of them.
4
"Crimson Burns the Dark" Transliteration: "Yami ni Moeshi Aka no" (Japanese: 闇に燃えし紅の)
Nobukage Kimura
Nobukage Kimura
January 27, 2024 (2024-01-27)
Kasha's visit has left Momochi House reeling in a way that will test Aoi, his power, and all of his friends. Can Ise in particular rise to the challenge?
Sacred springs in the spirit realm are being spoiled by dark, poisonous water. What is its source? Where is the dragon god who is said to protect these springs? And what is their connection to Yukari?
7
"The Looking Glass at Twilight" Transliteration: "Tasokare no, Nozoki Kagami" (Japanese: 誰そ彼の、のぞき鏡)
Masahiko Watanabe
Bob Shirahata
February 17, 2024 (2024-02-17)
Himari discovers that Nachi has a mirror said to reveal what its beholder wishes to see most. What will Himari see when she looks into it?
8
"A Cat and Wandering Child" Transliteration: "Neko to Mayoigo" (Japanese: 猫と迷い子)
Shunji Yoshida
Susumu Nishizawa
February 24, 2024 (2024-02-24)
Aoi seems to be in a slump. His seals aren't working well, meaning lesser yokai are now running amok at Momochi House. Good thing Granny Cat arrives to clean up... except it looks like she means to take Himari out with the trash!
9
"A Raven-Black Storm" Transliteration: "Nurebairo no Arashi" (Japanese: 濡れ羽色の嵐)
Yoshihisa Matsumoto
Yoshihisa Matsumoto
March 2, 2024 (2024-03-02)
Himari and her friends go to investigate the unsettling rumors about Kagome Park, but the horror strikes too close to home when an uninvited guest comes knocking at Momochi House.
10
"Shelf of Hearts" Transliteration: "Omohoyu no Tana" (Japanese: 思ほゆの棚)
Matsuo Asami
Shoen Park
March 9, 2024 (2024-03-09)
Aoi, Yukari, and Ise disappear in the raven-black storm that has fallen over Momochi House. Determined to find them, Himari scours the house and beyond for any clue of their whereabouts... and she may learn more than she's prepared for.
11
"The Blue Hollyhock Dawns" Transliteration: "Aoi Reimei" (Japanese: あおい黎明)
Manganji Senka
Nobukage Kimura
March 16, 2024 (2024-03-16)
Himari dives into Aoi's past to learn more about him and hopefully discover a way to save him. Can her connection to Aoi break him of the crow's curse?
12
"The Light That Crosses Seas" Transliteration: "Banri ni Wataru Tomoshibi" (Japanese: 万里に渡る灯火)
Masahiko Watanabe
Susumu Nishizawa
March 23, 2024 (2024-03-23)
Now that Aoi and the others are safely back in the house that sits between the human world and spiritual realm, Aoi has something to share with Himari about her rightful place there.
Reception
Rebecca Silverman from Anime News Network said that the artwork is similar to that of Kamisama Kiss and Natsume's Book of Friends, but admitted that Aya's art has become more refined compared to before. She pointed out that the manga is easy to read and the story development is interesting because it leaves some questions in readers' minds.[57] In a review of the first volume, Kate O'Neil of Fandom Post wrote that she didn't see anything new in the manga, but praised the author for its colour artwork. She also said that it looks to her like a blend of many shōjo manga.[58] The 6th volume ranked 6th in The New York Times manga best seller list in October 2016.[59]