Our Home's Fox Deity

Wagaya no Oinari-sama., which translates to Our Home's Fox Deity, is a Light Novel series by Jin Shibamura, with illustrations by Eizō Hōden. It was given the anime treatment by Zexces, which ran for 24 episodes in the Spring of 2008.

The titular character, Kuugen, is a Tenko - a fox that went past the nine tails of a kitsune and has gone full-circle back to one tail. Kuugen has been alive for so long that it has forgotten whether it was born male or female, and is so powerful that it can defy many kami. Kuugen is also so mischievous that it was sealed away to protect mankind. Eventually, one young priestess - Miyako - kept Kuugen company, and the two developed a close friendship. Then Miyako went away to college, and died ... and now a youkai is targeting the younger of her two sons to gain the power he inherited. This is the state of affairs when the series begins.

Kuugen is set free to deal with the youkai that is threatening Toru, and he and his brother Noboru decide that Kuugen needs a new job - family deity. "Kuu-chan" is certainly powerful enough for the role. Out of respect for Miyako, Kuugen returns with the brothers to their home. The clan's guardian, Ko, accompanies them to keep an eye on Kuugen. Since neither Kuu no Ko are familiar with modern life, Hilarity Ensues. But danger ensues as well - other youkai also want Toru's power.

Our Home's Fox Deity has a focus on the supernatural, but the likeable cast interacting in (or trying to get used to) today's world is a great source of fun as well.

The series is divided into four major arcs, with single-story episodes between the arcs.

• The first arc has Kuu and Ko learning how to live in both the mundane and supernatural worlds of modern Japan, and Kuugen coming to terms with Miyako's death.
• The second arc shows the interaction between Kuugen and the presiding kami of the land where Noboru's high school is located. Mubyo has lost something important and asks for Kuugen's help, but Kuugen does not like kami.
• The third arc introduces Kuugen's sibling Gyokuyou (who has trouble accepting Kuugen's willingness to work for the clan that sealed it away), and the local oni (who have lost something very precious to them). This arc explains why Kuugen dislikes kami, and shows that even kami cannot act exactly as they please.
• The fourth arc shows how Kuugen hunts werewolves.

NIS America licensed the series as one of their first anime titles.

Tropes used in Our Home's Fox Deity include:

• Attack of the 50-Foot Whatever: One of the post-episode trailers during the Byakki storyline showed Shiro-chan and Kuugen transforming into gigantic, Kaiju-esque forms and facing off against each other. This doesn't happen, however.
• Big Eater: Kuu, hands down. Do NOT take your eyes off your food when dining with her; it'll likely disappear in an instant!
• Chick Magnet: Noboru is quite a hit with the ladies, despite him being mostly clueless.
• Cuteness Proximity: Daigoro seems to have this effect on most people when they first meet him.
• Dancing Theme: "Shiawase no Kotodama", the second end, featuring the entire cast in a cute, Super-Deformed style.
• Dojikko: Ko drops so many plates, they stop keeping count. She also destroyed a pot by scrubbing it too hard, and broke a window when trying to scare away a housecat.
• Elemental Rock-Paper-Scissors: The relationship between the elements is a deciding factor in Kuu and Kou's battles, but a bit of magical Applied Phlebotinum, the Sakasaen, can reverse the way the relationships work.
• Evil Albino: Byakki is a being who insatiably absorbs the life-force of every living being she touches (even by accident) who is completely white with red eyes. This is somewhat inverted however in that she's unwaveringly loyal to Tooru after imprinting on him and even defends him from attack on several occasions.
• Eyes of Gold: Kuugen's eyes (which are normally blue when in human form) take on this shade when in quadruped form or when tapping into his/her power to deliver a royal ass-kicking. Kuugen's sibling Gyokuyou has these on a permanent basis.
• Fantastic Foxes: Kuugen and Gyokuyou, as discussed above.
• Fish Out of Water: Kuu and Kou are largely unfamiliar with the modern world, but as time goes on they catch onto it and combine modern tech with magic to help them solve what comes up.
• For Halloween I Am Going as Myself: In a town populated with spirits, it makes sense. Doesn't really work out very well for Ogami-san, though.
• Gainaxing: Berika, subverted in that they're not actually her breasts. Kuugen experiences this on a few occasions in her female human form as well.
• Gender Bender: Both Kuugen and Gyoukuyou can switch between male and female forms at will. Both also qualify for No Biological Sex, being spirits, and in Kuugen's case being too old to remember what sex he/she originally was.
• Girl in a Box: Byakki/Shiro-chan. (May also double as Sealed Evil in a Can)
• Hand Puppet: Mubyou. Kuugen also uses one against some hapless blue Oni in a couple of episodes.
• Hot Springs Episode: Two, the second with Very False Advertising.
• I Know Your True Name: Knowing a supernatural being's true name gives one power over the being. Kuugen voluntarily revealed his/her true name to Toru and Noboru; other beings have to be cajoled or forced to give up their names.
• Imagine Spot: Misaki Sakura, Noboru's secret admirer, frequently launches into fantasy sequences either mistaking Kuu and Kou for his girlfriends, or about Noboru and herself.
• Immortal Immaturity: Kuugen, while having many smart moments considering his/her age, also has a few...not so smart. She can also act incredibly childish when she doesn't get her way with Noboru.
• Kitsune: Kūgen and Gyokuyou, naturally. Ogami Itto and his son Daigoro as well.
• Little Black Dress: Kuugen dons one when she (quite literally) crashes Miyabe's Christmas party in episode 22. Even more impressive in that she doesn't get a scratch on it when going head to head with Miyabe's transformed state.
• Macross Missile Massacre: More like Macross syringe massacre, as Kuugen uses her abilities to launch a huge volley of syringes loaded with anti-lycanthrope vaccine at the other werewolves serving under Miyabe in episode 22.
• Miko: Kou
• Mundane Fantastic^[context?]
• Marshmallow Hell: Kuugen does this to Noboru in the third episode.
• Missing Mom: Noboru & Tooru's mother died shortly after Tooru was born. She's largely seen only in photos and flashbacks, though in episode 5, Kuugen performs a forbidden ritual that allows her ghost to appear and briefly visit with her and Tooru.
  • Miyabe is revealed to not have a mother either. Skirts perilously close to Parental Abandonment as her father is rarely around either, to the point that she grows resentful of his extended absences.
• Never Trust a Trailer: The Post Episode Trailers are trustworthy - except in the third story arc.
• Perpetual Poverty: Taking on two more people, plus Kou's tendency to break things, makes the family budget run very tight. In one case, Noboru skips badminton practice in order to take advantage of a supermarket special.
• Petting Zoo People: Of all sorts.
• Religion Is Magic: The whole series is practically bursting at the seams with this, drawing heavily on Shinto legend and mythology.
• Robotic Reveal: Mubyou, after being on the end of a reflected fire spell.
• School Festival^[context?]
• The Stinger: Every episode has one. Some are gags; others reveal major plot points. NIS America put the chapter stops after the stingers, so you'll miss them if you skip the credits.
• What Could Have Been: The next-episode trailers for the third arc show a completely different story than the actual episodes do.
• Wolf Man: Miyabe
• Youkai: so many different types ... and they all want to devour Toru to gain his power.