OVA
Description
Atl is a young woman of Aztec descent who becomes a central figure in the struggles against supernatural forces. Her origins lie far from the closed-off shores of Japan, as she was born in Mexico and later orphaned while living with her family in Texas. Following a terrible tragedy in which armed men killed her family, Atl prayed to the Aztec god Quetzalcoatl. In response to her desperate plea, she summoned a Yoi, a type of otherworldly monster, which took the form of a massive horse that could also transform into a feathered serpent or dragon. This creature, which she named Yukiwa, became her sole companion.
Her motivation to travel to Japan came from a glimmer of hope. Having encountered Japanese samurai who were stranded in North America, Atl heard stories of their homeland as a place of natural beauty, gentleness, and justice. Dreaming of finding a peaceful home there, she incorporated herself and her horse into a traveling show troupe and made the long voyage across the ocean, with Yukiwa carrying her the final distance into Japan. Upon arrival, however, the reality was harsh. The Japan of the Tenpō era was deeply isolationist, with strict laws prohibiting foreigners from setting foot on its soil under penalty of death. Consequently, Atl was forced to disguise her true heritage. She artificially tinted her bronze skin with makeup to pass for a Japanese person and performed with Yukiwa in a circus, all while hiding her status as a foreigner. When her secret was eventually revealed, a Shinto priest named Edo Genbatsu arranged for her to live as a ward of geishas in the red light district, though she herself would not become one.
Within the story, Atl possesses a unique and significant ability: she can see and correctly identify a particular Yoi named Kumoshichi, who otherwise appears human to almost everyone else. This perception sets her apart and draws her into the orbit of the Ayashi, a group of individuals who hunt Yoi. Her relationship with the group's central figure, Ryuudou Yukiatsu, is particularly complex and forms the emotional core of her development. Atl is deeply disturbed by Yukiatsu's connection to Kumoshichi and believes that Yukiatsu should be punished for creating him, a view that creates significant tension between them. Over time, however, this conflict deepens into a profound bond. Both characters share a longing for the "Other World," a mysterious realm from which Yoi emerge, which can be interpreted as a form of yearning for an escape from suffering.
This shared feeling leads to a pivotal moment when Atl escapes into the Other World. Yukiatsu ventures in to retrieve her, and in a moment of vulnerability, confesses that he does not seek her return solely for her sake; rather, he desperately needs her to find the will to continue living his own life. This mutual recognition of pain and purpose solidifies their connection. Atl's development culminates in a revelation that redefines the entire narrative: she is the one who originally guided a young Yukiatsu out of the Other World after he was taken there as a child. Her actions create a closed time loop, as it is her future intervention that allows the past Yukiatsu to survive and set the story's events in motion.
Beyond her narrative role, Atl's notable abilities are intrinsically linked to her heritage and her companion. Her most prominent power is her bond with Yukiwa, the Yoi she summoned from Quetzalcoatl, which can shift between the form of a horse and a powerful dragon. She also possesses a unique sensitivity to the Other World and its inhabitants, demonstrated by her ability to see through Kumoshichi's human disguise and her deep, intuitive understanding of the Yoi's nature. Her journey is one of disillusionment, as the peaceful Japan she dreamed of does not exist, but ultimately she finds a purpose and a profound connection with another lost soul, transcending her initial identity as a lonely foreigner in a hostile land.
Her motivation to travel to Japan came from a glimmer of hope. Having encountered Japanese samurai who were stranded in North America, Atl heard stories of their homeland as a place of natural beauty, gentleness, and justice. Dreaming of finding a peaceful home there, she incorporated herself and her horse into a traveling show troupe and made the long voyage across the ocean, with Yukiwa carrying her the final distance into Japan. Upon arrival, however, the reality was harsh. The Japan of the Tenpō era was deeply isolationist, with strict laws prohibiting foreigners from setting foot on its soil under penalty of death. Consequently, Atl was forced to disguise her true heritage. She artificially tinted her bronze skin with makeup to pass for a Japanese person and performed with Yukiwa in a circus, all while hiding her status as a foreigner. When her secret was eventually revealed, a Shinto priest named Edo Genbatsu arranged for her to live as a ward of geishas in the red light district, though she herself would not become one.
Within the story, Atl possesses a unique and significant ability: she can see and correctly identify a particular Yoi named Kumoshichi, who otherwise appears human to almost everyone else. This perception sets her apart and draws her into the orbit of the Ayashi, a group of individuals who hunt Yoi. Her relationship with the group's central figure, Ryuudou Yukiatsu, is particularly complex and forms the emotional core of her development. Atl is deeply disturbed by Yukiatsu's connection to Kumoshichi and believes that Yukiatsu should be punished for creating him, a view that creates significant tension between them. Over time, however, this conflict deepens into a profound bond. Both characters share a longing for the "Other World," a mysterious realm from which Yoi emerge, which can be interpreted as a form of yearning for an escape from suffering.
This shared feeling leads to a pivotal moment when Atl escapes into the Other World. Yukiatsu ventures in to retrieve her, and in a moment of vulnerability, confesses that he does not seek her return solely for her sake; rather, he desperately needs her to find the will to continue living his own life. This mutual recognition of pain and purpose solidifies their connection. Atl's development culminates in a revelation that redefines the entire narrative: she is the one who originally guided a young Yukiatsu out of the Other World after he was taken there as a child. Her actions create a closed time loop, as it is her future intervention that allows the past Yukiatsu to survive and set the story's events in motion.
Beyond her narrative role, Atl's notable abilities are intrinsically linked to her heritage and her companion. Her most prominent power is her bond with Yukiwa, the Yoi she summoned from Quetzalcoatl, which can shift between the form of a horse and a powerful dragon. She also possesses a unique sensitivity to the Other World and its inhabitants, demonstrated by her ability to see through Kumoshichi's human disguise and her deep, intuitive understanding of the Yoi's nature. Her journey is one of disillusionment, as the peaceful Japan she dreamed of does not exist, but ultimately she finds a purpose and a profound connection with another lost soul, transcending her initial identity as a lonely foreigner in a hostile land.