It’s only natural that parallels will be drawn with Spirited Away for this lacklustre but occasionally breathtaking anime. There’s a preoccupation with man’s damage to nature, a fantastical world inhabited by mythical—often scary—creatures, and a prepubescent heroine (what is it with the Japanese and schoolgirls?).
After an encounter with a mysterious young man who appears to have superhuman powers, young Asuna discovers the entrance to an underground world called Agartha. It’s guarded by the Quetzal Coatl, godlike beasts who at one time protected the humans who live there. But now an aggressive “topsider” who believes he can resurrect his wife in Agartha will stop at nothing to achieve his aim—including sacrificing Asuna herself.
