Inari Kon Kon is a Japanese anime series based upon the manga which was written and illustrated by Morohe Yoshida. The series revolves around a girl who is given the gift of transformation from a spirit god after she helps to rescue the life of a young fox spirit who almost drowned in a river.

The girl's name is Inari Fushimi. She is granted one wish from the god after saving the fox spirit. She wishes to become another girl in her class named Sumizome (a girl who she thinks is more popular with the boys, including her school crush Kōji). Inari quickly realizes that she doesn't want to appear as the girl and wants to just be herself.

However, the spirit god Uka-no-Mitama-no-Kami (called "Uka" for short) cannot reverse the wish that was granted to Inari. Instead, Uka can help Inari get back her normal appearance by giving her some of her powers. Inari is given divine powers from Uka which she can use while still remaining a human being. This allows Inari to transform into various people and animals at will. She can maintain her normal appearance while also being able to shift into her brother, classmates, and others by using her new powers.

Over the course of the series, Inari must learn how to control her powers and eventually how to return to her normal self. Inari also becomes close friends with spirit god Uka and with a small fox spirit who spends time with Inari. She becomes friends with her classmate Sumizome and continues to hang out with her other friends.

Inari Kon Kon largely becomes a slice-of-life anime which focuses on Inari's relationships with friends, classmate crush Kōji, spirit god Uka, and her older brother Tōka (who for some reason can see the spirit gods). The question remains: Can Inari return to being a normal human girl?

The series is a largely sweet natured one. The series characters and storyline is charming. The series has a nice energy to it and it's a nice slice-of-life style of storytelling which is much more focused on the characters and their journeys than on the concept. The series central idea actually isn't explored as much as one might expect based on the start of the series. Even so, the overall quality of the show is notable and the series is entertaining.

While the end of the series felt a bit rushed, the series did manage to be an entertaining and generally satisfying series from beginning to end. The additional OVA episode was also a charming side-story centered around Inari's fox spirit friend. The OVA episode takes place following the finale of the series and it is a highly enjoyable additional episode of the anime.

The series was adapted by anime studio Production IMS. This is an exceptionally well animated program. The animators involved in this production have crafted a beautiful anime with exceptional production qualities. The series has excellent background art, rich creativity, and strong character designs. The overall quality of the art is quite high. This is certainly a strong effort which shows a lot of promise for the art done by Production IMS.

Inari Kon Kon manages to be a solid production with good storytelling, animation, music, and direction. The series doesn't entirely excel at its original concept but it does excel at being a stronger than average slice-of-life genre production. Fans of anime series which are more character-focused and drama-based will appreciate this charming anime.

The Blu-ray:

Video:

Inari Kon Kon is presented in 1080p High Definition with a strong MPEG-4 AVC encoded presentation. The series is presented in the original 1.78:1 widescreen aspect ratio. This is certainly a beautifully animated series and the high-definition presentation looks excellent. Clarity is strong throughout and the art is colorful and vibrant.

Audio:

Inari Kon Kon is presented in Japanese 2.0 stereo Dolby TrueHD. The series did not receive an English dub so no English audio option is included on this release. This is a strong lossless audio presentation with excellent dialogue clarity. The music score by Takeshi Senoo sounds beautiful. The included English subtitles are excellent.

Extras:

This release is a Blu-ray + DVD Combo Pack.

Includes textless opening/closing themes, promotional videos, and trailers for other Funimation releases.

This release also includes several comedic mini-episodes (15 min.) done in a unique animation style and featuring the spirit fox characters.

The release also includes the OVA episode produced after the end of the series. It is a strong episode and one of the best inclusions on this release.

Final Thoughts:

Inari Kon Kon is a fun and enjoyable slice-of-life anime with a fun concept. The series isn't perfect but it has strong characters, storytelling, and animation. This is a worthwhile anime which fans of charming anime series creations will find entertaining. The Blu-ray release is strong with superb PQ/AQ and a nice selection of extras.

Recommended.

Neil Lumbard is a lifelong fan of cinema. He aspires to make movies and has written two screenplays on spec. He loves writing, and currently does in Texas.