Requiem from the Darkness (京極夏彦 巷説百物語) is an anime television series produced by TMS Entertainment based on the series of short stories written and collected under the title The Wicked and the Damned: A Hundred Tales of Karma (巷説百物語) by Natsuhiko Kyogoku. The series was initially licensed in English by Geneon USA and now licensed by Discotek Media, and into a series of live action TV specials directed by Yukihiko Tsutsumi.

Plot

Taking place during the Bakumatsu of the Edo period when the foundations of the Tokugawa shogunate have begun to sway, a young writer named Momosuke wishes to write a book of 100 ghost stories. While researching old myths and legends, he comes across a mysterious trio who call themselves the Ongyou. They are detectives who are investigating the legends to reveal their truths, and bring those in the wrong to justice. Each time Momosuke meets the Ongyou, he must face horrible truths and battle with his morals, and he's seeing things he shouldn't be seeing...

Characters

Ongyou

The Ongyou are three spiritual beings who are recurring characters in the show. They function as a team that punishes sinners who emit a dark aura about them, most frequently murderers. To that end, they use their talents to set their target up to face his/her crimes before being executed and committing them to the next world.

English translation

Anime

The series was animated by TMS Entertainment and directed by Hideki Tonokatsu with Hiromichi Ōishi, Yuichi Murata, and Takeyuki Okazaki as producers, Yoshinobu Fujioka handling series composition, and Kuniaki Haishima composing the music. It aired from October 4 to December 26, 2003. The opening song "The Flame" and the ending song "The Moment of Love" were both performed by Keiko Lee.