Ayano is the heiress to the house of Kannagi, which ties to the spirit of fire and whose members are all fire users. All except for her cousin, Kazuma. After he was defeated by Ayano, his father banished him from the house in disgrace. Kazuma ran off and changed his surname to Yagami his only wish became to achieve great power. He formed a contract with the spirit of wind and becomes a powerful wind user. Four years later, he returns.
This is when the story starts. Kazuma made a name for himself as a demon-like wind mage, who does not hesitate to hurt others as long as it helps him to complete a task. However, his personality begins to turn for the good again after returning to Japan and meeting a now 16-year-old Ayano. Through a series of events - the different families are constantly fighting with each other and also it is Anyano's duty as a heiress to investigate supernatural happenings - they start to work together. However she is arrogant and irrational, usually taking action by herself. Despite her claims to hate Kazuma, Ayano develops a crush on him, but is often irritated when he makes a move on her and erupts in anger when he gets close to another woman. Kazuma is also the only person she sees as stronger in power and presence than the leader of the family clan, her own father, who always tries to hook them up with each other. He thinks Ayano's hot-temper needs someone as calm as Kazuma. Of course Kazuma sees right through this and doesn't seem too averse to this idea, however Ayano is absolutely oblivious of her father's attempts.
Yes I know. It has all been done before. The story is not groundbreakingly new, but what makes this anime work is that it is so character driven. You don't have endless stares and shots of nothing really happening. The 24 episodes are full of action, a good main story arc, fully developed and likable characters (girls will love Kazuma, the ultimate badass, while Ayano is entirely from another world). On top of that you get a lot of slapstick humor (I love Ayano ^^) and you get a small dose of romance. So Studio Gonzo definitely doesn't show us something we haven't seen before, but the anime is still very well done and enjoyable throughout. A respectable work, one might say. It maybe won't become you No. 1 favorite anime, but I assure you, you will nonetheless have enjoyed a fun ride.
It's definitely worth checking out and because of the likable and well rounded characters and the overall setting (great chemistry all around) it is worth adding it to your anime collection.
The genre is difficult to pin down. While the light novel series the show is based on is published in a seinen magazine (for adults), the anime is definitely not as dark and violent. However in Japan - although undeservingly IMO - it still was aired in a late night slot. So expect some violence but it is nowhere near let's say Elfenlied or Black Lagoon, more in the league of Darker than Black.
