Ghost Slayers Ayashi (天保異聞 妖奇士) is a Japanese anime television series. The series was created and written by Shō Aikawa, produced by Bones, directed by Hiroshi Nishikiori, and featured character designs by Toshihiro Kawamoto. It was broadcast for twenty-five episodes on MBS and TBS from October 2006 to March 2007. A two-volume manga adaptation by Yaeko Ninagawa was published in Square Enix's manga magazine Young Gangan from September 2006 to July 2007. Both the anime series and the manga adaptation were licensed for English release in North America by Bandai Entertainment.
Plot
In 1843, the fourteenth year of the Tenpō Era, a decade before the arrival of Commodore Matthew Perry and the Black Ships, the city of Edo faces an unprecedented threat from monstrous entities known as Youi (妖夷), which emerge from the underworld. To combat these supernatural incursions, a specialized group within the Bansha Aratamesho, called the Ayashi (奇士), is tasked with confronting and repelling the Youi. Despite the growing frequency of attacks, the Ayashi persist in their mission, standing as the last line of defense against the encroaching darkness.