No.6

No.6 was part of the first batch of anime I had acquired together with Noir, Kill la Kill, Attack on Titan and Another and was one that stayed unwatched for the longest but after watching it I realised waiting for this long was a grave mistake. Rarely do I come across something that manages to touch me as deeply as No.6 managed to, in its short runtime of eleven episodes. The story takes place in the future after wars have ravaged most of the earth’s surface and now people live in a few city-states which are built on the only habitable pieces of land left. We are introduced to Shion a gifted young boy who one night provides refuge for Nezumi, a boy about his age, who is on the run from the authorities. He saves Nezumi’s life and four years later when Shion is accused of conspiring against the state and is being disposed off, Nezumi helps him escape. Together they flee to outside the city limit where apparently people still live in the desolate environment. First off the site states that No.6 is a sci-fi and action anime and I have to say I could not disagree more with the later as there is little to no action during its runtime. The driving force behind No.6 are the characters and the relationships between them especially the relationship between Shion and Nezumi. Depth of the characters is amazing especially considering the extremely shortness of the anime. We can see one of the best portrayals of a society that is under complete surveillance, the most interesting thing is that most people are completely fine with the control as it allows for a leisurely life. The ending has to be one of the best I have seen in a while, the build-up in the final few episodes and the catharsis that comes in the end is just so well done and filled with emotion that I cried like a little bitch for the first time while watching anime. Well to sum it up the storytelling in No.6 is great. Our two main characters are great as well, they might lack a bit of backstory explanation especially in Nezumi’s case as his motives are not explained well enough, but I have to say they are still amazingly well developed. The relationship between Nezumi and Shion has to be the highlight of the anime and is in my honest opinion one of the best I have ever seen in an anime. The way they first meet, and later form deep emotional bonds even though they have strictly different life views, with Nezumi’s complete pessimism, lack of belief in humanity and the desire to destroy, while Shion wants change to come on the backs of the people in whom he believes are able to force the change. We have some other important characters that all bring something to the table and actually manage too help the story advance as well as deepen the bond between our two main characters. The art was a bit disappointing as the whole thing looked a bit dull, but there were the occasional moments of complete beauty. The soundtrack on the other side was unbelievable, the background music choices were perfect and the moments where Nezumi sings were exceptional. The opening and ending were fantastic and fit the anime perfectly. The opening song “Spell” by the band “Lama” sounds just otherworldly with some of the best this amazing instrumental introduction followed by some almost ethereal singing intertwined with great instrumental backing. The ending itself is also very close to perfect, with its soft vocals over some peaceful piano later evolving into this unbelievable uplifting song that manages to bring up the feelings felt throughout the anime. The end of the anime is where this all comes together to form one of the most stunning displays I have ever seen. Overall No.6 has to be one of the best anime have seen in quite a while and while there were a few minor problems I am still able to give it a very high score of 9. I am currently seriously considering tracking down the light novels an giving them a try. I do recommend this anime to everyone and I urge you to see it if you haven't already, as it is really fantastic. If you have something to say about my review fell free to give some feedback and you can also see my growing collection of reviews.

This is one of the few anime that have made my cry just because it's ended. One of my only major complaints is that this series isn't longer. The story is very interesting, and actually pretty realistic in a sense. The future very well could be like this, so it gets you thinking. The first episode really drew me in. It was magical, in a sense. While I was a bit disappointed that the rest of the series is different (meaning, not so "magical"), I can still call this a great anime. Let's start with the bad things first. This, of course, is just my opinion, so you may find what I choose to be "wrong." Anyway, this anime consists of a lot of dialogue. Now, the dialogue was fine and very informative, but a little more action would have been nice. I thought the pace was great, but a lot more have could have happened. Even though this series is only 11 episodes long, not very much seemed to happen. Still, I can't call this a boring anime. While there was some nice character development between the two main characters, we didn't get to really focus in on the others. Sure, every "important" character gets decent screen time, but we don't see much development with those characters. This, too, isn't a huge issue either, though. Now let's move on to the good things! To me, this isn't a boring anime because of the thought-provoking plot and the development of the two main characters. Shion and Nezumi are very different, and so it starts to become a bit predictable that they will argue about pretty much everything. Still, it's hard not to love these characters and see how they bounce off of each other. While there are some shonen-ai like scenes, there isn't a romance. Some might disagree with me, however. Even if you don't like shonen-ai, you shouldn't give up on this anime. Shion's and Nezumi's "moments" are short and not all that romantic. Eh, you'll have to decide for yourself. The soundtrack was pretty amazing. I, at first, didn't really like the opening theme, but it really grew on me. The ending theme is beautiful. The music used during the anime can be very powerful and is used pretty much perfectly. The art is pretty nice. I really have no complaints here, although there are a couple of times in the anime where the artists seem to get lazy. However, it doesn't happen much and can be easily overlooked. There are also times where the art is truly beautiful, too. The animation is give-and-take. There are some great action sequences, though most of the anime consists of the characters sitting around or standing still. This isn't bad, but you don't have a lot of movement. The animation is very smooth and nice, though, especially in the first and last episodes. I really enjoyed this anime and loved watching it. Some of the scenes are just so powerful. While I guess there is nothing too amazing about this anime, it provoked a lot of emotion from me, and I love it. I recommend this to anyone who is looking for a good and thought-provoking story.

A masterpiece of sci-fi. An intelligent bromance. A suspenseful dystopian story. Or so it could have been. Unfortunately, it's waterlogged with confusing and improbable assumptions, and the thing it does best is the angst. But having two teen boys bicker like a bitter middle-aged couple gets tiring after a while. I have a sneaking suspicion that the writer (of either the original novel, or of the anime script) is a 16-year-old who thinks bromance angst is the coolest thing, and added some random sci-fi and fantasy and a few tropes to make it look cool, because that's just…….cool. Who cares if it makes any sense. We start off in a utopian society, known as "Number 6." Our main character, Sion, is just a young kid, but is on the fast-track for a great future. But then he smashes that when he decides to tend the wounds of a boy named Nezumi, who stumbles into his house one night. Nezumi is an escaped convict. But Sion, in the goodness of his heart, treats him anyway. (The amazingly smart kid "knows the theory" of stitching wounds, fortunately.) As punishment, Sion and his mother are kicked out of the smarty-pants district, and into the area of No. 6 that is for common people. And now they both have to work for a living. Then comes the insect infestation! A few people start to suddenly age, drop dead, and have bee-like insects crawl out of their age spots. Yuck. This happens to Sion's co-worker. And since everyone in this story assumes the obvious, Sion is arrested for murder. But, lucky him, Nezumi comes to the rescue of our damsel (er, lad) in distress and takes him to the land outside of No. 6, which is a giant garbage dump, and which lots of people call home. Including Nezumi. Sion wants to go back to No. 6 and help find a cure for the carnivorous bees. But Nezumi doesn't want him to. Because he hates No. 6. That's about as far as the plot makes sense. I know animes often don't explain everything. Many of the "art house" series make it a point to be vague. But this one isn't trying to be artistic. Rather, it seems like someone tried to follow a template for success. Lots of stories try to do that. Like a harem anime has certain kinds of characters (the loli, the little sister, the peppy girl, the nerdy girl, the lusty girl, the tsundere girl, etc.) and certain kinds of situations (a visit to the beach, guy tripping and landing on top of a girl with a hand on her……you-know-what). This one tries to do something like that too. Having two main characters who are polar opposites is cool? Let's do that. Having them argue, wrestle, shove each other around, and kiss a couple times will excite a certain segment of fangirls? Let's do that. Tragic past? Check. Leader of an underground resistance movement? Check. Terrible plague/infestation that the main character nobly wishes to remedy? Check. Kidnapped childhood friend? Check. Mysterious goddess-spirit of nature? Check. Grand climactic ending? Check. Partner in misery? Check. Bad guys in suits? Check. Evil laboratory? Check. Noble death? Check. White hair? Check. Body scars? Check. Blood? Check. Action? Check. Animals? Check. Now, none of these things are bad. If you know how to use them; if they work together to make a cohesive, compelling story. But here they don't. They're all tossed together like a salad, and even if you liked the original ingredients, somehow they don't taste good together. Like I said before, it seems immature. Notice I gave this a rating of 7, which is still fairly high. The OP and animation are nice. The sci-fi slightly-in-the-future setting is interesting, and the characters are generally non-stereotypical. It feels unusual. Dystopian series seem mostly reserved for mature audiences, and girl-appealing sci-fis are not common. It's OK for a light weekend splurge if you don't know what else to watch, and you want to see if you are the one who will finally crack the puzzle of this anime. And maybe there is a good solution and resolution, and it can be understood by the brilliant. I will give it the benefit of the doubt. Like with Moby Dick, rumor has it there are people who "get it." But I think the people who will still love the series by the time they get to the end will be hardcore yaoi fangirls. Because yaoi animes are scarce, and they have to take what they can get. (No, this isn't a yaoi, but certain scenes will make them say it's close enough.) Oh, it starts out good. Nice animation, interesting setting. It had all the makings of an interesting story. But it doesn't maintain it. It just keeps throwing things at you, trying to convince you that it's intelligent and cool. It keeps adding more and more things to thicken the plot. And I kept waiting for them to pan out or be explained. Finally, I got to the last episode, and figured everything would finally be explained. But the most it did was throw even more confusing stuff at me. Sorry folks, that's not cool.

No.6. An interesting name for a series; the air of ambiguity to it definitely sparked my interest. The series, a lot like the name, works with a palpable shroud of uncanniness, and it is something, of which, I have enjoyed about No.6. The series takes place in a modernistic and seemly ideal society with futuristic technology. Protagonist Sion, grows up in the newly built, ideal city of No.6. All citizens wear ID wristbands that holds functionalities like that of cellphone, and the government tracks the movements of all inhabitants. Through-out the series, this "big brother"like world shows it's darker qualities. Shion, age 12, grew up as a privileged young boy, and is among the smartest of his age group, even so to be allowed to live in the elite area of "Cronos"; it is shown he has a bright future ahead of him.This all changes when he gives shelter to a strange boy, Nezumi, who later reveals himself to be an escaping criminal. Despite appearances, Shion clothes, feeds and helps Nezumi; the two have a clear bond. Nezumi vanishes the next day and leaves Shion with the trouble caused by harbouring an enemy of the state; Sion is stripped of his privileges and forced to move. Four years pass by and we see, a now 16 year-old, Shion as a park worker. He witnesses the mysterious death of his co-worker and is taken in my the Bureau of Security, only to be saved by Nezumi and taken to a post-apocalyptic-like setting known as "Lost Town". For the most part, the story works well. However, there are definitely moments that leave you scratching your head. The overarching involvement of a mysterious deity is one such instance, but other plot points like the corrupt nature of No.6 manage to balance out the near wackiness. High production values are definitely characteristic of Bones works and No.6 is no doubt part and parsel of the Bones experience. Backgrounds are very well done and animation manages to be fluid all around. I love the character design for Nezumi (Ponytails are edgy!), and for the most part, Shion, but the pink scar-ish thing seems like they are just trying to give continuity and justify the reason he got his awesome white hair. Hmmmm...the sound. While I love the opening for the series, a lot like the artwork, some of the backing tracks to scenes don't quite fit and feel out of place; this proves to distract from the overall impact of certain scenes. Some of the pieces are definitely done well and enjoyable; I am listening to "Spell" (the opening) as I write :D. The characters of Shion and Nezumi work well together. Both portray aspects of the other as well, this is something that other Anime tends to slip up on, that the characters all fit a set archetype and deviate little. Nezumi is a level-headed, frank and cynical person and Shion is innocent, naive but determined, this is putting it a little bluntly. The friendship that they bear is seemly unrequited, of course in saying this, they could be described as your typical odd couple; this is merely on the surface as the extent of their loyalty and similarities shines through even Nezumi cold words on society. It is a strange relationship, but it works and proves to be an interesting "selling point" of the series. And yes, there is a homosexual vibe to the whole ordeal, but it is so insignificant that it really doesn't even warrant this mention. I enjoyed No.6, the ending is a definite sucker punch, surprising and not in a good way, but even given that it is still something that warrants a look-in.

"Let there be shining lights in the starless sky" - No. 6 ending (song) Well, the story takes place in - *rataplan* - No. 6; an ideal and perfect City, without starvation, without wars and everything you need is right there. The only thing: the city is surrounded by walls. Soon after the start we're introduced to one of the mains; Shion. A curious, naive young Boy who lives in no. 6. One night he lets a strange, injured boy into his house - and this boy is revealed as the second main named Nezumi (Side note: Nezumi is the jap. word for Rat). Of course is Shion interested in Nezumi - who would not if hardly nothing happens in your life and everything seem to be predictable - and that is point where the story starts. The setting was very nice indeed and gives the show a cool atmosphere. But yet, it takes almost the entire show to get the answer for questions such as "why it was built like this?", "why does Nezumi try to destroy it?", "why..." "what..." "how..." and so on. Some parts of the story were extremly predictable, whereas others weren't at all; the Kiss for instance. The animation was alright, but not outstanding. The same for the characters. They were memorable, but not special at all. They were explained, but at times I felt I was missing out something. Perhaps the novels have or give a better explanation. I assume that they would since 9 volumes were published. However, I did like Nezumis style most, followed by Inukashi "Dogkeeper. I think they gave a nice impression of how life could actually look like if you were an outsider. Another thing what I extremely enjoyed was the attention for details in the background - the leafs moving in the wind, the light behind tiny windows far away - which gave the anime such a great atmosphere. But, without a doubt, the animes strongest point was the Art/Sound. The sound of rain or wind for instance are very well done and the voices fitted the characters nicely. The opening and especially the ending theme can be easiely described with one word: awesome! I became a huge fan of the ending theme because of the very nice sound and the beautiful lyrics. But I also liked the sound during the show - there were times when it was bizarre, there were times when it was quite soft - and I found myself paying more attention to the sound than the show. Having said that, I personally think I only keep the anime in my mind because of the sound. So how shall I rate this anime? After considering all these points I would give the anime 7/10 rather than 6/10, just because of the sound.

No.6 has a very good start but then starts to suffer. I don't know what went wrong but it is a shame. I very much enjoyed this but the story and direction just went downhill. I don't usually check manga but I had to with this one. Love, sacrifice, mystery, acceptance would be the words if I had to describe this show. Orwell 1984 also comes to mind. Art style and sounds were just fine. It was cute when it needed to be. Sometimes the animation was janky. Characters Nezumi and Shion save this show for me. I was interested in their stories and how they are going to resolve their situation. Unfortunately it falls short. Reading the manga is the right choice here or at least after you watch this go check the manga ending.

I love this anime. That's about as much as I can say. When I first started watching, I didn't expect much, and I got so much more and then some. The characters are absolutely beautiful. Each and every one of them, not just Nezumi and Shion, but all of them. They are solid, believable, and they make you empathize and sympathize and drive you crazy with how much you come to love them in just 11 short episodes. The story itself is pretty good – except maybe for the ending, which to me was a bit of a Deus Ex Machina moment, but I can forgive everything. The art is breathtaking. Nezumi is simply beautiful, and the way so many characters are left ambiguous in their sexuality/gender is absolutely great. The music is fantastic, even though the OP does sound a bit weird at first, it grows on you. I never expected to love this anime so much but it truly is a masterpiece. Reunion will come.

the utopian setting is what interested me to this anime. the story was unique but it still left alot of stuff unanswered. the music was well... it pretty much sucked .. when the opening came on i just skipped it... my favorite episodes were the first 2 and the last 2. when i got to the middle of the anime i thought about quitting it but im glad i didnt because the ending was well worth the wait and probably one of the most beautiful endings to an anime ive ever seen before.

This is a great anime, if you stop watching at around episode 7 or 8. The plot is actually quite great at the start, had me on the edge of my seat wondering what the big secret behind this utopian society was, and the sense of mystery did keep me entertained. But then it seems to lose its way in the latter half of the anime. I was incredibly confused by the ending. I actually did ask myself 'Wait, what? Is that it?' when episode 11 finished, because I kind of believed that the streaming had crashed and I was missing a big chunk of the ending. The characters are so-so. I didn't quite understand the relationship between Nezumi and Shion, and Shion was rather irritating with his 'I'll not think for myself, I'm just gonna follow around this guy with the ponytail, he's ruined my family's life, trusting him is a good idea'. Nezumi seemed like a mysterious character at first, but the more that was revealed about him, the more bored I became. They're bearable, though. Safu, Shion's best friend was actually a breath of fresh air. Forward and knows what she wants. Unlike almost everyone else in this anime. All in all, towards the end I got pretty tired of the love/hate relationship between Shion and Nezumi, and was extremely disappointed with the ending altogether.

I really liked the storyline in this anime, and how it shows you the characters as kids and then when they're older, also I really loved how interesting it was and how most of the episodes ended at a cliff hanger, making you want to watch more. I would have enjoyed it much more if it had been longer than eleven episodes, but in the end it turned out okay. I liked how different the characters where compared to each other, and I enjoyed their different reactions to what was being said. Overall, I though it was a great anime, and I would love to watch it again.

I’ve looked at several reviews and many people have condemned this anime due to the fact that it had stripped all glory from the novel. Although the anime is not the same as the novel and left many things out and they may have toned down the BL, it’s not a horrible anime. The story itself is very….refining you could say, in the sense that both protagonists are very loyal to each other, showing friendship at its full glory. It shows how much it meant to Nezumi that Shion saved him 4 years ago, and how important kindness is. Okay, so I’m rambling a bit so back to story. I haven’t watched all the anime in the world or even come close to it, but it has a unique story with an appealing ‘world approaching apocalyptic event’ feel and the art is wonderful. The character development isn’t too bad either. So if you’re one of those people that have seen the trailer and become intrigued, then watch it. Don’t let bad reviews put you off. And if you end up liking it, then awesome. If not, then go write a review about it. You shouldn’t really watch anime based on reviews anyway because many of them can be biased and be based on personal taste. Overall 8/10 :)

Spoiler free~ No. 6... This anime made me laugh, cry, hold my breath, scared, love, giggle and scream like a lil' fan girl. It absolutely made me fall in love, with the anime and the characters. I had no other choice but to give it a 10 / 10. And also I totally ship Nezumi and Sion now... so.. A new ship is always welcome, and this might be my favorite of them all. The art was really pretty, I tend to drop an anime if the style doesn't suit my taste, but I liked No. 6's style in every little detail. The character design was also pretty and awesome, all the characters were their own, with style and well.. characteristic. In many animes they just rotate characters, this didn't have it. After the last episode, I am sitting here, yearning for more. It's one of those rare animes that did that to me, the feeling of needing more. I really really reaallyyyy hope that we will hear more about Nezumi and Sion, we just have to... Just WATCH IT!

"You two just date already!" that's all I could think about during the whole eps. Though, in seriousness it's pretty suave, I don't have anything bad to say. Here's my own understanding throughout the show, I think Shion is a very relatable character, I find that there's a little Shion within us, a Shion who lacks experience outside that big wall (world) and doesn't know much about bad things that happen in life. Shion sees good in people, and if that innocence is put aside by another person who experienced so much pain and lost, everything starts getting messy. Lol, yeah that's it, that's all I could squeeze out of my brain. Definitely you should check it out. By the way opening and ending song is 10/10, amazing!

No.6 is a sci-fi anime. The world where the story takes place is very realistic even though is a dystopia. All the premises were great so I was expecting an outstanding anime but I was a bit disapponted in the end. Story 7/10 As I said before, the fiction world they created is awsome and No.6 starts with a great story. Sadly the story is not explained enough and there are a few things left unsolved in the end. It begins with some great philosophical reflections which however are not carried out through the story. So it's an interesting story, maybe not developed enough. Art 9/10 The art is awosome, drawings and animation are very great and there are some little things, animated with care, which add feeling and give the viewer time to think about the implications of the story. Sound 8/10 Opening and ending are beatiful and full of feelings; the soundtrack is great - there are some piano pieces which are awsome - and it fits the moment. Character 6/10 The character are well designed, they have personality.. but this anime lacks of interior monologues, the thoughts of the characters are not expressed enough and as a result the actions they made aren't always clear, sometimes it seems like they act incoherently with their personality. You need to have a good comprehension of human behavior to understand what lies under their appearance. (However, Nezumi is a very good character, Safu is the worst). Enjoyment 7/10 I enjoyed watching this anime, it kept me entertained for a while but has left me almost nothing because I couldn't emphatize with the characters. Overall 8/10 It's an anime who deserve to be watched, but only if you like philosophical matters and action, don't watch it if you expect a shounen-ai because you will be disappointed.

Basic Facts: - Contains a highly suggestive (nay, canon), meaningful, and wonderfully crafted relationship between two men. -There's no face to the bad side in this story. - Convoluted storyline that tried to juggle a post apocalyptic false utopia and magical forest shenanigans in 11 episodes. - Imbalance in character development. Some side characters are more fleshed out than main characters. Well, that was a nice summation of what I'd like to discuss. Let me start with the bad stuff. The storyline in this anime is horrendous. As soon as they start weaving in complications into the story, I threw in the towel. No.6 threw crisp, polished, and frightening social views and technological and historical progression at us, only to end this story on a note that contributes nothing to the original premise - Rather it's this glorified idea of unity and status and - goodness - the magic of the earth or some shit like that. It was hard to follow the amount of pure BS that was overflowing on my screen since episode 8/9. If you're someone who doesn't buy easily into sketchy plot twists, you would be turned off rather quickly. Another BIG BAD THING, is that the anime sends a worrying and highly flawed message. When talked about, No.6 always comes off as this big and evil single entity that sucks from the earth to create a false positive. That, my friends, is wrong. No.6's GOVERNMENT is the one behind the lies and cruelty, not the whole city. The show often talks down to the city's citizens, whose biggest crime is essentially ignorance. They are innocent people who are at best lying to themselves about the state of the city, and at worst are utterly spoiled by its lies. Either way, their crimes are nothing to be vary of. Yet the show, when mentioning No.6 as a single evil entity includes its citizens in that description, essentially creating this philosophical idea about greed, which puts the citizens in an equally bad spot as the people running the city. What then happens, is that deaths of innocent people are being glorified to support a flawed idea about greed, environment, and industrialization, and leaves a bad taste in your mouth. By giving a face to the city, a Big Bad (which existed in the manga, making it the superior version in more ways than one), I as the viewer would know where to point fingers, and the whole message would make more sense, if only to a certain point. Alas, that doesn't exist. Final MEH thing, is Safu. Honestly, I don't know what's her point. I mean, she felt like she HAD a point, but it was never made. That was a big problem. Safu was written as an important, front-row character, yet we know more about her grandmother than we do about her. We know more about Inukashi that we know about her. She's left out to play a love interest yet is not a love interest like, at all, and in the end was the most useless scapegoat I have ever seen. Safu was an utter disappointment of a character, and I wish they either gave her a normal storyline, or didn't make a big thing out of her in the first place. Now to the GOOD STUFF! First off, no matter what anyone tells you, the relationship between Nezumi and Shion is hardly EVER fan service. I will take that to my grave, people. Yes, the amount of times Nezumi and Shion share a cutesy moment together is a bit hard to count, since it's the main thing in focus. But, even so, every interaction has a meaning, it's what I love most about their relationship. Every look and every touch and every moment, essentially, send a big message. It might be hard to see at first, but I assure you, if you watch it again you'll know what I mean. What is weaved between Nezumi and Shion is nothing I have ever seen in an anime. It's a friendship that surpasses all comfort zones and doesn't hold a candle to any generic idea of how they're supposed to be around each other. The amount of pure CARE that they project is heartbreaking, and is never cheap. I will say this, though. Some scenes are drawn to look more superficially appealing than others. I believe the polishing and dreamy presentation of a certain dancing scene is a big example of that - but even with that 'shippy' feeling, the meaning is not lost. Nezumi and Shion share a complex bond weaved with doubt, love, and twisted dependency - it's a treat to watch. I will repeat this again, none of this is FAN SERVICE. Fan service is when things are meant to look a certain way for no other reason than to appease the fans. Well made fan service will provide some character development along with it. No.6 provides intimate moments which are our main source of true understanding of the main characters. It couldn't have been done as well in any other way - we wouldn't have gotten such a good read on them have they only ever just... TALKED. So, not fan service. FINAL WORDS would be... Well, this is worth your time, if only to end up in a weird laugh/sob situation because the finale is a shit-pile of emotions and bad messages. If you're someone who enjoys a fresh take on characters, you should love this. If you love this already, do yourself a favor and go read the manga and the novel. It'll make the experience much better, I promise.

I'm rating this anime really high, and honestly, it was outstanding to me in almost every possible category. For starters, the story, although dystopian future is a common category for animes, really hit it out of the park in my opinion. It was very original and I don't think I've ever come across a plot line quite like this one. The art and animation style is one I enjoy personally, and don't even get me started on the music. The intro and outro music were gorgeous pieces. The characters were so dynamic the whole series and honestly I got very emotional near the end. They were very easy to get attached to. Another point that I really thought was worth noting about this anime is the relationship between Shion and Nezumi. It's the first time in an anime with an action/sci-fi genre to have a homosexual romantic (or so watchers assume to be romantic) relationship added into the story, without tagging it as yaoi or bl, or using it as queer baiting. It really made this anime all the more unique and enjoyable, and simply outstanding. 10/10 in my books, I would recommend.

No.6 has always been one of my favourite manga series (and probably always will be) but the anime seriously lacked in the depth and horror of the light novel story. It seems the creators shied away from the gore and horror of the novels to get a lower age rating, and that really messed with the story. What should really have been a 25 episode anime, was condensed down into a mere 11 episodes, meaning that key plot and character development was missed. Story - The story was gripping and intense from the first episode up to, well, the third episode. The first three episodes were almost identical to the light novel story and manga and were paced brilliantly. However, it seemed that after 3 of the 11 total episodes had been spent so quickly, the producers decided to cram the rest into the remaining 7 episodes, leaving many important moments out and skipping on character development and detail. One scene that really stuck out to me was in episode 7 (I think), when (SPOILER) Shion kissed Nezumi. In the light novels, Nezumi curls into a ball and cries afterward and it's an important character moment. In the anime, it just doesn't happen. The order is also switched around in a way that makes character motivations seem petty without the right amount of development in the right order. Art - Honestly, the quality of the art and animation is exactly what I would expect from this studio. It's beautiful and fluid and the character designs blend seamlessly into their environment. The first episode is beautiful and the trend continues right up until the finale. In the damn FINALE, the production value takes a nosedive. One of the last scenes is jerky and at an extremely odd angle. Sound - The sound is what makes this anime! It's brilliant and it fits so well with the mood and tone of the scenes. This may be an unpopular opinion, but the opening sequence is one of my favourite openings that I've ever seen and it really works with the anime. And the voice acting? Shion's death scream in episode 3 is astounding, the voice actors really outdid themselves here! Character - I'd really love to give a high score here, especially because in the novels the character development was so good, but the development here is simply a case of 'welp, fair enough'. Nezumi's motivations and emotions are the real big blank space. In the novels we get to see a lot of development for him, but the anime barely gets past 'he has a traumatic backstory and he cares about Shion'. It's a real issue, especially since he seems like more of an asshole because of it. In the novels, he gets to come to terms with himself, and realise how badly he's treated other people, but in the anime barely any of that is explored. Enjoyment - Despite the quarrels I have with this as an adaptation, as a standalone series, I seriously enjoyed it. I had to accept that it wasn't really the same as the light novels, but, after that, I grew to love it as a series. I loved watching Nezumi and Shion interact with each other and the story, so I was never bored watching it! While it does take some time to get to the juicy bits about the city, the domestic moments in between help to prevent it from being too dark, and keep all kinds of fans interested. If you like sci-fi, shounen ai or fantasy- this series can be something that you will enjoy! While it may be a bad adaptation, by itself it manages to work and do something great. I can honestly say that I'll probably never forget this anime and that it, and its message, will stick with me for life.

a series full of excitement and entertainment that could satisfy every viewer by the end is probably not existing in the anime community. even if there is such a show it shouldn't be able to get appreciated by everyone. however, there are some series like NO°6. the kind of show that could pick the interest of many people, and holds many satisfying aspects in different extents. witnessing the absolute conclusion of this exciting story is one of these aspects. everything sets off with the protagonist and his childhood friends. both of them have a very high IQ and considered among the top tier students of the society. the beginning of the story gives a misleading grasp of the incoming events since all we can see are two kids living in a perfect city that seems to be technology-advanced. but soon enough the entry of the next main character occurred suddenly, at that moment we will witness the birth of the uncommon friendship of shion the genius child and nezumi the fugitive who's running away from the police after escaping prison. and that will last until the very end of the series. while the two MC's age is similar, around 12 years old, one would definitely wonder if the plot progression will continue with them this way. especially after giving the OP and ED a look we can see the two of them not only looking more mature but also Shion's appearance is completely different, to the point one can doubt if he is really the same person. this will absolutely lead to bewilderment, and thus asking some basic question while seeking for a fitting answer revealing the truth. probably a major event took place resulting in this abrupt change of character design. so did something really happened? fear not, you will not be disappointed simply because right after the first episode the intensity of the events will gradually increase as it will take place outside the flawless city. in the reality. featuring the humanity's future in a dystopia as a basic setting for the story is not adapted very much in nowadays's anime, yet it is not that scarce either. until the day, i can name at least 5 shows that apply the same kind of future setting, and for some reason whenever i write about them i can't help but wonder the same thing. is mankind's fate really that desperate? literally every single one of them has the same idea about humanity meeting its near end (either as a result of an apocalypse, a world war, human's decline...) maybe because it's more intriguing that way. the same thing applies to the idea of the ostensibly flawless society hiding deeper dark secrets in it's innermost. however, this kind of situation is always welcome for expressing, after all, it ironically applies in some of our societies, of course in a less revealing way. exhibiting the irregular wasp sickness that seems supernatural no matter how you look at it at the beginning of the story was also a good choice. despite how unbelievable it may seem, the audience has enough time to adapt to it and consider it as a natural plot material. unfortunately, even if NO°6 holds a valuable substance full of bright potentials to give prominence and depth to the cruelness of the dystopian society system in order to maintain order, it completely fails at accomplishing its goal inherently because of the sudden fast pacing and the addition of some half-baked major element at a later point. shion and nezumi's erratic friendship was quite a surprise to say the least. it slowly goes beyond the typical friendship as they spend more time together until at one point it becomes obvious that it's more than that. with the goodnight kiss, things started to get confusing and making sense at the same time. yes, ladies and gentlemen, it's shounen-ai. personally, i find shounen-ai and yaoi to be disgusting nor can i stand watching that kind of romance. yet, this time for some reason. i didn't mind it. actually, i found it to be beautiful. NO°6 makes you realize that love springing between two guys is not something to be ashamed of. the emotional light kiss they had at the end made me slightly change my mind about this matter. the show doesn't center it's whole attention at this kind of scenes, so people who still insist against it could always turn a blind eye to these rare scenes. in spite of their actual relation, the two MCs were raised in complete opposite conditions. Shion lived in the NO°6 city, winning various prizes and studying in a school for intelligent students with Safu his childhood friend. one day his life changed after covering nezumi from the police. as a result, he was fired from the noble ward and sent with his mother to the lost city wich is still not a bad place to live in. there he carried on living a normal life for the next four years while nezumi spent it outside the city. Safu and Shion's mother played an important role in the development of the story since they were representing the inside of the society as a whole. it applies on the dogloan and the women-dealer too, although they're only supporting characters, they did there supporting just fine. with this difference in the environment and culture comes the most interesting part. when Shion will be forced to live outside the city due to some certain turns of event, his annoying idealism will gradually fall apart as he will discover the shocking truth behind his beloved society. at the same time, Nezumi who developed hate for it while running away from his cruel past tries to convince him of the realistic situation he's experiencing and place him in the right lane. thus, many arguments raise between them very often. that is until Shion's tolerance reaches its summit, and his kind and sympathetic character will make a complete 180-degree twist into a yandere mode. it is for you to discover what will happen then. the inconvenient fast pacing in the end and unreasonable plot twist around the last few episodes was an act that shouldn't be taken by NO°6. honestly, it feels like storyboard writers were immersed into making the story and didn't recall that this is just a one core show consisting of 11 episodes until the 10th one. everything gets warped up in a tremendous speed leaving lots of mysteries behind. needless to mention the addition of the half-baked magic elements in episode 8 as an attempt to cover for its plot holes and wich feels, unlike ergo proxy (the show that NO°6 tries hard to be like and fails to due to various reasons) feels illogical no matter how you look at it. wasn't all of this about science? oh well, it is what it is, i still find the execution of events existing so let's stop complaining. as for the visuals, the most prominent aspect is the contrast of the color saturation between the neat city and its outside. it's something that needs to be referred to. the dilapidated town presented only by fading colors is nowhere to be compared to the blue sky and captivation green lands inside the city. also, the pretty character design of both the two MCs was well done. white haired characters with red eyes are always welcome. a good job was done in regard to giving in-depth details to the backgrounds, that way they could perfectly fit with the theme of the story. NO°6 seems to have something to do with sunsets and sundowns as it makes use of them whenever it's possible to bring on the romantic mood between our two "friends". and succeed in doing so. the OSTs were fine, to the extent of average. i can praise it for not ruining the intensity of the events. however nezumi's songs, for me are an indispensable element in the story. including how well of a fine job the voice actor did in regards to Nezumi's character, his singing was also magnificent, it makes me wonder how could a mainly voice like that be able to perform such a good song. forgetting the ending song's performance by Aimer is not an option either, melding her charming voice along with an emotional melody, lyrics and slideshow of Shion and Nezumi assisted in the rise of a …

This story does involve some very softcore boy love. But I really think the story and character development in No.6 really was impressive. The still ongoing manga is very good, and the book version as well. The anime was only allowed 11 episodes, but I think it came out better than Naruto or Bleach ever will. Nezumi and Sion's story isn't all about fighting or about relationships, but more about the world itself. And truly is a great anime even if you don't like anime.

I think it's the first time I fall so deeply in love with an anime upon watching the first episode alone. It usually takes me a few episodes to like an anime, and if/when I do, it's not so much that I feel the uncontrollable urge to watch it all in one sitting. The setting was really interesting, and even though not much explanation was presented, I didn't feel like I was missing anything. The characters were also incredibly likable. For instance, no matter how good a group of characters are, I can usually pick out the one who I like best, but in this, I simply cannot decide whether I like cocky Nezumi or gentle Shion better. Sigh. I guess I'll just have to add both of them to my favourite characters list. The soundtrack was very fitting, and I specially love the pieces sung by Nezumi. Yes, he can actually SING. Now do you understand why he's in my favourites list? LOL Overall, I'd recommend this to everyone. It's not a long series (only 11 episodes), so it's not one of those you have to put some serious thought into before starting. No. 6 is a bit of everything: there's plenty action (especially in the end), there are funny moments... Hell, it's even shounen-ai, for those who are into that (*raises hand*). I dare you to watch this and not enjoy it.