If you’re into supernatural mysteries with a dash of Japanese poetry, I have the anime for you! Mysterious Disappearance, also known as Kaii to Otome to Kamikakushi Anime, just premiered, and it’s giving off very intriguing, confusing vibes from the get-go. Let me break it down for you.
Meet Sumireko Ogawa
The story focuses on Sumireko Ogawa, a 28-year-old bookstore clerk who won a writing award when she was just 15 but hasn’t been able to follow up on that early success. She’s struggling with writer’s block and lamenting how creativity doesn’t come as easily now that she’s older.
The Midnight Transformation
But then some really weird stuff starts happening on Sumireko’s birthday at midnight. She ends up reciting an old poem from a collection called Man’yoshu and suddenly her body transforms into that of a child! It’s not that she literally got younger, though – her adult mind is still there, just crammed into a tiny body.
This bizarre occurrence seems to reawaken Sumireko’s creative spark and she’s able to write again, like when she was a kid prodigy. So is this spell from the ancient poem book a good thing or a curse? Well, Sumireko starts to feel pain from having so much “adult” crammed into a little kid’s frame, so it’s not all good.
Enter the Enigmatic Ren
That’s where her snarky younger co-worker Ren Adashino comes in. This dude is clearly not what he seems – he has the ability to teleport, seems plugged into some sort of supernatural realm, and is the only one Sumireko ever sees him talk to. He realizes what’s happened with the poem’s magic and tries to coach her on reversing it before it’s too late.
But Sumireko, desperate to keep hold of her newfound creativity, refuses his help and runs off with the Man’yoshu book. She doesn’t want to go back to struggling as an uninspired adult writer. You can’t really blame her, but from Ren’s warnings, it seems like there are some scary consequences if she stays transformed.
The big mysteries are: What is Ren exactly in Kaii to Otome to Kamikakushi—is he human or something else? What’s the deal with the subway realm he seems connected to, where they sell tickets to the “underworld”? And are there other magic poems that can whisk people away to who knows where?
Style and Storytelling 
On top of the compelling urban fantasy/horror set-up, the show has a really stylized, theatrical vibe with very purposeful directing and camerawork. The dialogue especially has this arch, mannered delivery that’s a bit offputting at first but really grows on you.
There are some tonal missteps too, like awkwardly focusing on Sumireko’s body at times in a way that doesn’t really fit the vibe. But overall, the premiere amounts to an intriguing little self-contained mystery that’s successful as a hook for the series going forward.
Kaii to Otome to Kamikakushi: The Verdict
If supernatural urban legends, ancient Japanese poetry with legit magical powers, and flawed but ambitious creative types as protagonists pique your interest, Mysterious Disappearance, or Kaii to Otome to Kamikakushi Anime, is definitely worth checking out. Who knows where its eerily pretty visuals and mind-bending premise could go from here? Count me along for this potentially killer horror/fantasy ride.
