Shinsekai yori

Caution: There will be spoilers. I began watching Shinsekai Yori because of the frequent urging of my friend. I dropped it at 3 episodes (because it failed to instill any sort of interest in me as to the outcome of the plot), then picked it up again a few months later because I saw it recommended by a fairly large amount of people who claimed that it was a "classic" and "the best story ever". I felt that I should at least watch the entire 25 episodes before passing judgement on what was seemingly a masterpiece. I did not make it. At 18/25 episodes, the series has so far failed to impress me with any sort of shocking revelation, and I would rather not waste a further 2 hours of my life to watch the rest. Edit: I have since watched the complete series. Story [5/10] Ah, the story. Where to begin with this. The story was quite creative. A dystopian society set in the future with psychokinesis users and subhuman creatures. Cool. However, I consider pacing to be vital to the enjoyment of the overall story, and boy I have a lot of shit to say about it. The pacing was, without a doubt, the most atrociously inconsistent I have encountered so far. I was sorely tempted numerous times to drop this anime at ep. 3, 11, and 16. The first three minutes of the first episode were probably the highlight of my viewing experience. After that began an inconsistent downward spiral into mediocrity. There is a definite lack of subtlety in the way the anime presents the issues it wishes to discuss. It is forced at the viewer, as if the producers were trying to make us to feel a certain way. Terror, I suppose. Each emotion Saki experiences is overdramatic to the point of absurdity. Certain scenes are revealed, then seemingly discarded or forgotten, leaving the viewer to wonder about the point behind it, or whether it mattered at all. It seems that for each arc (I'm guessing one every timeskip), the protagonists seek the answer to the current arc's mystery: Arc 1: Civilization Arc 2: Fiends/Cantus Arc 3: Queerats This division would be perfectly fine if not for the way the answers were revealed. The arc drags its dead body slowly and painfully across the storyline for about 4-5 episodes before an all knowing person decides to bestow their wisdom upon them. Examples: false minoshiro, Shun, Head of Ethics, Squealer. It's done in such an obvious and convenient fashion that the few episodes before the end of an arc seem pointless. The producers' failure to create a decently cohesive adaptation of the manga makes the story seem like a dumb animal spasming erratically as it tries to reach the finish line. If you've ever tried to played Clop, this was what watching this anime felt like. A particular episode I had qualms with was ep. 8. No, it was not because of the homosexuality. I was fine with that. Saki x Maria forever. The problem was with the abrupt development of these relationships as well as the adults' obliviousness to these 14-year olds' overly sexual acts. Added to that was the fact that the anime didn't even attempt to explain it. Again, I must point out the terrible pacing of the story. I'd venture that the episodes before the last arc were completely unbearable to watch. Sure, things were revealed, but they were revealed in such a vague and disconnected way that it honestly didn't matter until the final arc. Art [6/10] The art was nice, with a few absolutely disgusting lapses here and there. Sound [9/10] The music was the one redeeming factor of this anime. It was the perfect tone for the solemn and tense mood that dominated the story. Character [3/10] The characters were bland and uninteresting, with the exception of perhaps Shun and Squealer. The main character, Saki, was extremely hard to sympathize with. Her overreaction to everything was forced and off-putting. She had moments of revelation and even more moments of terrible stupidity (again, for the convenience of the plot, I suppose). The necessity of some characters other than plot devices is rather dubious. Overall, Shinsekai Yori is an anime that tries too hard to be something that it's not. The political drama and philosophical issues it tries to bring up are embarassingly and painfully forced. It tries to juggle four different topics at once. Throughout the series, it's hard to tell what it actually wants to focus on. Is it the development of the current utopia? Is it Fiends/Karma Demons and the effects of Cantus? Is it the political factions between Queerats? Is it the weirdly depicted racism towards Queerats? I judged this anime quite harshly because in my mind, I'd already condemned it as an overrated series. Therefore, I would not recommend this anime to anyone coming in with high expectations.

"To succeed in deception, you must mold your own mind, into believing your lies are true, subsequently if you believe your own lies, then in some form you are not a liar, but a speaker of what you believe is true. Ultimately it is the perfect deception, for you get to deceive without lying, and thus there is no guilt. That is, if you’re a deceiver with a conscience." -Anonymous Deceit. Lies. Love. Lost. Gods. Power. Shinsekai yori is the type of anime that makes you confused, fall in love with it and then stabs you in the back as soon as you think you understand. Shinsekai yori is a horror drama with a supernatural twist. It's the perfect mix of every one of those genres. This anime is definitely a psychological anime as well due to how many problems each character faces and has to deal with each of them. You see them work through their fears and their happiness. The main character is Saki Watanabe, she's a high school student who has many male fans who are seeking her company. The other supporting characters play a major role in Saki's life are Satoru Asahina, Maria Akizuki, Mamoru Itou, Shun Aonuma, and Reiko Amano. They all struggle together and help each other fight through school to harness their powers. However, rumors start to spread about a mysterious cat that starts haunting students for unforeseen reasons until Saki and her group of friends go out hunting for the answers. During the entirety of the anime, it follows Saki and Satoru, mainly, and their fight to save their friends who become hunted by the cat. To find the answer to win, they have to go through a lot of trouble and in the end did they win? What did they really accomplish? Through deceit, Saki achieves what she's after, but what she has lost along the way is very tragic. Although the ending seemed to be a happy one, one can only wonder how much she could be suffering on the inside after such a loss. 8/10 Overall. Would recommend for those who like a good psychological, slightly horror, thriller.

Please, please, please, check this show out when you have the opportunity. Whether you are old or new to the world of Fantasy adventure anime you are sure to love Shinsekai Yori!! There are so many good things I can say about this show however due to time I'm going to keep it short and sweet. Of the many things I loved about this show the things that stood out the most were the story, character relationships, (which I must also add, that the show is really emotionally powerful so get ready to feel some while watching.) art, and soundtrack. While there are noticeable scenes and uses of CGI used during of a few of the scenes in the show it doesn't take away the beauty and appeal of the artwork, mostly the scenic settings for example fields, skies, deserts etc. Battle scenes and competitive events were also parts of the artwork that I loved too. Back to the story though the most important thing about the show, the story is something very powerful. It's like a "learn your lesson" no a "learning experience" type show. Meaning, when you watch it, most if not all of the events going on in the show have some sort of lesson/advice behind it. It's very psychological, it really gets you thinking about things such as "the future" and "life ahead." What made things even better about the show was the relationship between the characters, a bit of a spoiler here, but I must give you a bit of advice and tell you, the reader, try not to get too attached to the characters, this is a horror so expect some things to happens. That aside, the friendship and mostly the interactions between our characters is so powerful, that it really made me feel like I one of their friends so when some "things" happened during the show I "felt" pretty damn hard. Now with the music, I cannot remember who the artist and composer was,that aside he or she did a really great job making the events that happened during the show more intense and engaging with the music. So expect to hear some really great emotionally powerful and very intense music to look forward to during the show. Lastly, and overall I must again, highly recommend this title to anyone who is into fantasy and adventure because this show in my best opinion met the proper, and ideal criteria of what an "outstanding" or "masterpiece" of work should be about! 10/10

I watched Shinsekai Yori based on an MAL recommendation. I went in with an open mind, not entirely sure what to expect. Any descriptions of the series that I read were highly ambiguous and revealed little about the series' content. Boy, did I get more than I bargained for. Story: 10 - Shinsekai Yori utilizes gradual pacing and multiple time skips to tell one of the most thought-provoking stories I've ever encountered. I'm going to refrain from mentioning any specific plot details because the less you know going into this series, the better it is. The series is split into three distinct acts: childhood, teenage years, and adulthood. The first two acts are paced rather slowly and often I found myself questioning whether or not the plot would ever actually go anywhere. However, in reality these first two acts are incredibly important and serve as buildup, as it is in these episodes that we slowly realize that something is very wrong in this world. Everything that happens in the first two acts comes to a head in a brilliant final act that doesn't hold back. The genius of this series is that there is never an objectively good or bad side; all sides remain ambiguous. Thus, the story is not presented as a clash between good and evil; rather, it is more like watching events unfold with the ultimate outcome left to chance. Art: 9 - Shinsekai Yori is a visual masterpiece. The villages emanate a quaint and peaceful feel while the landscapes are both beautiful yet unsettling. There are numerous psychedelic-like sequences that not only unsettle the viewer, but also evoke a sense of curiosity about the inner workings of the world and the people who inhabit it. The only reason I didn't give a 10 is because the CG sequences look rather off most of the time, but in the grand scheme of things this is a minor detail. Sound: 8 - The soundtrack serves its purpose well. The music complements the current scenario and the show's main theme is grand and ethereal. In a way, the music is almost as unsettling as the plot. The music can stand on its own; however, the series could not sustain itself without the music. Character: 9 - At the show's start we are introduced to the main cast of characters while they are still children. As the show progresses through multiple time skips we see them grow up and change to try to adapt to a world that is not what it seems. The growth that each of the children undergo and the conflicts that they must face as a result ultimately lead to each of their respective fates. The final destinations of every character couldn't be more appropriate--for better or worse. Enjoyment: 9 - At first I was expecting a sudden, Madoka Magica-style plot twist early on that would dramatically change the atmosphere of the show for the rest of its duration. Instead I got a gradual plot development that raised numerous questions in my head, and the answers to them were violently thrown at me at breakneck speed over the course of the final act. Although I certainly loved almost every aspect of this series (as I've showered it in praise since the beginning of this review) the slow pacing of the first two acts was at times too much for me. I can only take so much ambiguous buildup. For that reason I gave this category a 9 instead of a 10. If you don't mind slow pacing, then there is nothing not to love here. Overall: 10 - Shinsekai Yori raises profound moral and philosophical questions that you won't even realize you were asking until the end of the finale. And believe me, it is a brilliant finale, perfect for a brilliant series. The ambiguity of the plot makes the viewing experience that much more enjoyable, as the viewer is left to come up with their own conclusion about the events of the series. If you liked Death Note or Psycho-Pass, trust me: you haven't seen anything yet.

I recently re-watched Shinsekai Yori, and let me say, I gave it a 10/10 the first time I watched it. I could summarize the plot like many others have done, but honestly, it really doesn't do the show justice until you watch it. It begins extremely slowly, and everything seems like filler, which makes it very easy to pass over. Around the middle of the show, a series of events happen that make you reconsider everything that happened thus far, and you realize all the seemingly random events are connected. From this point on, it gets darker and more and more mysterious. Arguably the best selling point is the fact that the ending is just so clean. Most animes nowadays leave gaping holes in the plot that require obsessive fans to explain, or they just don't ever really end, or feel like they did (Shounen shit is the epitome of this). Shinsekai Yori answers every question you dared to ask, and then blows your mind with things you hadn't even considered, like basic human constructs such as morality and humanity. The ending alone makes it worth watching. Having re-watched it, I can honestly say it actually gets better, some how. You notice things you didn't the first time you watched it, and the detail to which they go to add these things is absolutely amazing, even small things like their classes just have so much symbolism, foreshadowing and detail. In an era, of increasingly shitty anime, like SAO, Naruto, and the various harems and moe-blobs, Shinsekai Yori defies everything you expect out of an anime, and leaves you desperately wanting more like it.

The way I write a review is different. Rather than starting out which pros and cons of the anime I write out what I understood from the anime and the messages of the author first. This anime, is the most interesting out of all I've ever watched. The author takes a really idealistic environment trying to show a realistic meaning. It made me think a lot about it. Basically this anime indirectly focus on philosophy and values of our existence. Character development was done very well but most end up dying right as it is fully developed which isn't negative but the characters that die do have an important role later especially Shun. I'll end it short since if I continue 90% of this review will be of each individual character lol. The first 3/4 story reminds me of a book called "The Giver" where the MC thinks she's living in a Utopia but many things she encounters will make her doubt the society she lives in. The last quarter of the story involves how 2 intellectual societies clashes and who has the right to remain dominant. This made me thought if we ever met an alien or if one species somehow mutated to an intellectual one, who would have the right to be dominant. The obvious (cliche) answer would be, we would negotiate and eventually live together, but this answer is also the most idealistic one that probably might not happen for a very long time. I felt sorry for the Queerats, not because they were once human but because the things they did were not wrong, it was a simple revolution that humans done before as well (especially French and American revolution) to throw out the monarchy for democracy. Yakomura did deserve to die but 90% of his purpose was correct just the 10% he wanted to become the superior of the Queerats. It was a good thing the anime ended with giving justice to the Queerats but most of the colonies are dead anyways. Now how the anime was paced was interesting too. I felt that it went very slow but the speed makes sense for a 24 episode anime. Even with so many stuff happening, way more than Full Metal Alchemist Brotherhood, it felt like it was a 64 episode anime. Basically it is weird that I thought it went slow when it makes more sense that I would say it went fast because too much things happen at the same time. I think this is what perfect pacing feels like. It's been a really long time since I 've watched an anime with good pacing. Finally, the message of the author to modern time. The suspicion of the Cantus' society would be similar to our suspicion of our government and that we are way too skeptic. Cantus' society was actually doing the right thing to keep a Utopia even though they had to control everyone's memories. The lost of freedom for perfect protection hmm seems like it is definately a real world modern problem. The second message is in Humans & Queerats. I believe the author is trying to say something about our racism. I find racism fights way too cliche so I don't want to talk about it here since I bet there is absolutely nothing new about racism right now. But another message might also be "who has the right to be dominant in the ecosystem". That question is interesting but it doesn't matter until we find some alien or a species having something close to human intelligence. In the end, that means the author has his/her own theories and questions but don't dare to give an answers. The flaws in this anime was how it confuses the audience by skipping some important parts and using those parts as flashbacks. It would also be a lot better if they show how did Saki led the village. The tainted cats are still alive and still being used. But did Saki stopped the program to control the village's mind and memories? The thing I was looking the most foward how that society can be changed to become a more of a true Utopia rather than the current. But that was never shown sadly. Once again that means the author does not know how an Utopia would work, but it's natural not to know lol.

"Shinsekai Yori" is an dive into an incredibly well-thought-out post-apocalyptic universe, with interesting "laws" and "mechanics", where everything may seem weird at first, but eventually completely makes sense. This anime carefully crafts a complex and varied universe without leaving any doubt about its inner workings - it's an accomplishment that not many media can claim to have achieved. And, in this amazing universe, an equivalently well-thought-out story is told: rich of dark social themes, interesting characters, romance, action, sci-fi/fantasy/mystery elements, and more. And again, everything just "makes sense". The level of immersion this anime has on the viewer is unbelievable. There hasn't been a single moment where I questioned the logic of something happening during the series - all events, dialogues, locations, phenomenons, mechanics, and characters were extremely believable and presented in such a way that the viewer felt they were real. Overall, this anime is close to perfection for me.

This was the first time I gave a 10 to a series so I thought it would be fitting to write a review (it will be spoiler-free). Story: 10/10 The anime is set in a future society, after we - the humans of today - have messed up, and been followed by more humans who messed up. It's a plot that's been done before, but I don't think it detracts from the quality of it. The story flows well - even when the anime feels a bit jumpy, it actually goes with the mood, and there are no plot holes, despite the plot being complicated. Everything is tied in together sooner or later, and I must also compliment them on the way they carried this out. It tends to bother me when an anime piles up all of the mysteries for the very end, so it felt refreshing to see many secrets explained right away, while only some were left for later (though enough to keep the audience interested). The story itself is extremely interesting as well, even though it's made up of very classic elements. It kept me drawn in throughout, and I didn't feel like I was losing interest or concentration at any point. Art: 8/10 The animation is very pretty, and flows well. I personally did not like certain scenes, and the size of the characters' eyes, but those are very subjective reasons so I'm not going to elaborate on this bit. Sound: 9/10 The music is fitting, especially at certain scenes, and maintains the atmosphere extremely well. The ending songs were very good too. Characters: 9.5/10 None of the characters are bland, even the less important ones. Character development is very evident throughout, and most importantly - it's never static at all. I know some would suggest that certain scenes related to character relationships were not necessary, but I think they were important for getting to know the characters and their dynamics. While the difference between 'good guys' and 'bad guys' (behavior-wise) is a bit obvious for my taste, I think the way the characters act and think (and how those ways (do not) change) was realistic and well carried out. Enjoyment and Overall: 10/10 I would definitely recommend Shinsekai Yori to everyone. Even if you're not a SciFi fan (I personally don't usually like it), it's an outstanding watch that is sure to keep you glued to your seat.

Shin Sekai Yori is the most tragic tale of wasted potential I have ever seen. The setting is I think not only the most interesting setting in anime, but the most interesting idea. It has taken one simple concept : 'people can change the world with their psychic powers', and done all sorts of things with it, from the effects it's had on society to balloon dogs to Tokyo. In the end, though, the setting serves as a backdrop. It's somewhat relevant throughout the first half of the anime, and the parts where they learn about the setting are the best parts of the anime despite a heavy reliance on infodumps. After all, it wouldn't have been easy to get the history of humanity across without infodumping. But from there the story goes off in other directions, focusing on the theme of fantasy racism rather than any of the incredibly interesting questions that arise from the premise. There are some twists, but fundamentally it tells a simple story which uses the fascinating setting's elements as plot devices but does not really explore them, and the 'terrifying villain' is no scarier and has no more impact than a simple 'monster too powerful for anyone to fight' would have in any other series. None of these problems are helped by the frankly awful cast of characters. Squealer is alright; he's interesting but his status as not-a-viewpoint-character limits how much of his depth can be shown, which would be fine if the rest of the characters held up. But they don't. Shun is competent. Maria is sorta outgoing. Mamoru is shy and weak-willed. If other people hadn't made statements about them, I would not even be able to describe a single trait that either Saki or Satoru had; occasionally someone says that 'Saki is inquisitive' but that is hardly demonstrated in the show. The art can be interesting sometimes but is very variable in quality. One of the early episodes - I think episode 3, but I'm not sure - had a noticeable dip in overall art quality, and the character designs and art style in which the characters were drawn just weren't great overall. The backgrounds were frequently good, though. The first ending was awesome, the second was good. I don't exactly recall the OST, but I remember liking it. Music is one of the strong points of Shin Sekai Yori.

Shin Sekai Yori is a striking anime; a superb supernatural drama that excels in crafting and executing a captivating story. It’s mystifying, futuristic world is riddled with dark and disturbing secrets just waiting to be uncovered. It is very unfortunate that some people will drop this anime due to its almost painfully slow pacing. But stick around with SSY and you’ll be in for a real treat. The story and world are where this anime truly shines. SSY takes place in a gorgeous utopia, 1000 years in the future. Each human being possesses psychic powers, ruling the entire world at the very top of the food chain. The story follows Saki Watanabe as she recounts her haunting journey toward finding out the truth behind her seemingly perfect world. It’s an all too familiar formula, yet Shin Sekai Yori manages to spin a brand new tale that still feels refreshing and interesting. Noticing the various themes, subtleties, and intricate details stuck into the overall plot is almost necessary to fully appreciate the story. One of the joys of the show is slowly uncovering the rich and sometimes disturbing history of the world. It’s clear that care was put into crafting the world and the story. The first two episodes fool the viewer into thinking this is going to be a happy go lucky tale about some innocent school kids and their magic. But the third episode changes all that, giving the main characters and the viewer their first peek into the truth about their nasty world. In the first few episodes, Saki, who serves as the narrator, also hints that this seemingly average tale is about to get much darker. In fact, there are quite a few clever instances of foreshadowing scattered throughout the show. SSY promises that it’s going to deliver, and it doesn’t disappoint. The first half is paced quite slowly, yet it serves a purpose. During the anime, three time skips happen, so the slow pacing was a nice way of not making the anime feel like it jumped around abruptly for no reason. In the beginning, Saki and her friends are but babes; twelve years old and naïve about the world they live in. This time serves to establish the relationship between the five friends, as well as introduce the Monster rats and their role in the world. The anime then skips ahead two years, and this is where things began to pick up. More of the truth about their world is uncovered, prompting some troubling events that end up driving the five friends apart. One other interesting tidbit about the story and world is its use of sexuality. It’s a bit of a surprise when you first see how relationships and sexuality are explored in this futuristic world of theirs. Fortunately, it’s just one small aspect of the show that is mentioned in the beginning episodes and then briefly viewed after the first time skip. It’s not overblown or used as a distracting means to titillate the audience. It’s just one more aspect of their world that sticks out as particularly unusual. The second time skip is where things really start to pick up for the better. The first two arcs mostly served to introduce the characters and the different aspects of the world. From episode 17 and on, SSY takes an abrupt turn to the dark and horrifying. Shocking secrets unlike any of the ones revealed before are thrown out into the opening. The atmosphere is intense and terrifying, leaving the viewer with feelings of anticipation, awe, and unease. And I of course mean that in a positive way. In its essence SSY is one those “mindfuck animes.” But here’s the catch. There’s subtlety in its delivery. While some anime will be intent on showing you horrific and shocking scenes of intense violence simply for shock value or shoehorned in plot twists (that usually end up creating plot holes) to “mindfuck” the viewer, SSY does this with a little class and intelligence. Of course, there’s no denying that this anime has its share of violence. But it’s intent to crawl into the viewer’s brain and under their skin doesn’t come from its instances of intense violence. While those are horrifying in their own right, the real horror comes from finding out the truth about the human society. The real horror is finding out the sheer ugliness of the things they tried so hard to cover up. The big reveal at the end is the icing on the cake. The story and world are the real horrific parts of this anime. The atmosphere and the violence merely complement them. Now for the characters. Unfortunately, they play second banana to the story. They are very good characters of course, but compared to the story, not quite as much detail or development were given to them, aside from maybe Saki. Saki, the main lead and the narrator, serves as a sort of proxy for the viewer. Through her eyes, we too uncover the ugly secrets of her world. Interestingly enough, most of the other main characters, aside from Satoru, are mostly used to reveal some secret of the world. The side characters are mostly people presented to give the viewer some much needed info. None of them particularly shine. The Monster Rats also made for some surprisingly interesting characters. Though this doesn’t really come to light until the later episodes. Studio A-1 pictures has once again outdone themselves with the art and animation. They’ve crafted a beautiful and vibrant world that is a joy to look at. Some of the shots of the world might as well be classified as scenery porn. In contrast, when the story calls for it, dark and chilling backdrops are also presented, slathered with dark tones and heavy shadows. The soundtrack gets the same treatment, filled with slow, haunting tracks. The characters aren’t neglected either. Each of them is given a unique and aesthetically pleasing appearance. A small noticeable detail would also be the funky clothes they’re given throughout the series. They’re very interesting, looking like a cross between modern clothing and traditional Japanese clothing. Overall, Shin Sekai Yori is an excellent anime. It’s a chilling tale that will leave you impressed long after you’ve finished it. It slow paced and subtle story actually end up working in the anime’s favor. It’s detailed and intricate story as well as its themes will leave the viewer immensely satisfied in the end. Some of the best kinds of stories are the one that make you feel emotion, and boy will this anime invoke plenty of that. It’s a spectacular show that shouldn’t be missed by anyone.

My goal in writing this review is convincing you to watch this anime, I believe it is something everyone should see. I do not however want you to know anything about it beforehand. This is unfortunately an unsolvable problem since you are reading this in order to find out what sort of story this is. Despite it being a futile effort I want to give you one last chance to watch this without any prior knowledge of the story or the setting. If you keep reading from this point you probably won't be any the wiser but I hope I can still spark some interest. The story takes place 1000 years in the future. Mankind has evolved and now has psychic abilities. The protagonist is a young girl and this is the story of her youth or rather her upbringing. I don't want to give away any details in the story but if I were to describe it in broad strokes I'd say that it makes you question your ethics by blurring the line of what it is to be human. I'd also say that by the end of it you will need to seriously question how you judge people. I don't know how to explain it properly but the reason I say so is that at multiple points in the story I would be surprised just because I was judging a scenario based on how it looked rather than just what was happening. Basically the book & cover thing on another level. I have a really hard time putting this thought into words, sorry. Nothing I have said so far would make the average person want to watch this anime but the appeal of it is in the morals it questions and the "feels" you get through watching it. In my pathetic attempt to describe this anime I have realized that I'm really just trying to describe an atmosphere so I guess that if you are looking for an immersive story look no further. Everything contributes to the eerie atmosphere, the soundtrack is great although at some point in the middle of the series you will probably be a bit tired of the most used songs. The animation is in my opinion outstanding it fits the story perfectly and since I am not the sort of person who can watch something just because it looks pretty I won't say more than that it looks pretty and I don't see any room for improvement really. There have however been complaints of fluctuating production quality, that is as far as I'm concerned nitpicking. I atleast did not notice any change in the production value of either the story or the art through the series. The character development is in my opinion rather unique for reasons I won't disclose. However it is also pretty typical so there really isn't much to say about it. Finally I'd like to stress that this is a whole story - you do not drop something like this halfway through, it may have two or three slow episodes somewhere but that is no excuse. --- If you only looked at my ratings you won't read this but I'd like you to know that I have a minor pet peeve with the presentation of one character and that at some point I remembered being tired of some of the soundtrack which is why those two get a 9 instead of 10. I couldn't give it a 10 for enjoyment because of how fucking scary the world is and I'm not a psychopath who enjoys suffering. --- tl;dr Don't read the review, watch the anime. That is all.

A community filled with perfection or merely hiding the flaws. That's simply the main story. Simple yet smart. It's those little ideas you see in the anime that will actually change your perspective of the anime. During the season Shinsekai Yori came out, I wasn't really enticed by its story the first time I saw it with all the other flashy animes coming together such as Jojo's Bizarre Adventure and Zetsuen no Tempest -- so in the end, I overlooked Shinsekai Yori.. Oh man was I stupid. Story: 10 There are a lot of new words that were flashed in Shinsekai Yori and missing out the meaning of these things -- you'll probably get lost in the story line. The level of the anime's climax starts real slow and by 3/4 of the anime the anime starts to evolve into a much serious anime. That 1/4 of the anime, which is nearly at the end, -- it may be small -- but that small portion did escalate my rating for the anime and I'm telling you, my starting rating for the anime wasn't that all too good. The story of the anime was the main attraction of the anime. It may start to confuse you at first (like I experienced) but if you are patient and would like to see the end of it -- the anime starts to create an excitement that is a hundred times more as to what the first episode gave. Oh and the cliff hangers of Shinsekai Yori was the best kind of cliff hangers I've ever watched. From a village who seeks for perfection to something that is actually just a distraction of the truth. Saki with her group of friends are then determined to know more of the truth. Sounds really normal but then the execution of the story is flawless. There's always something unique about those stories you could relate or you could see as something real. Stories like Shinsekai Yori would always feel special or more connected. Shinsekai Yori is unique in terms of the generic anime story lines and that's probably what made me love about the anime. Art: 7 The art is the most talked about in Shinsekai Yori I would guess. The first time I saw episode 1 of Shinsekai Yori it was pure stunning and beautiful that I was even thinking this was beautiful to be edited. Episode 1's art was amazing that it wasn't the story of the anime that kept me want to watch the next episode but it was the art. The first episodes were damn beautiful. I was so enticed by the art -- I was even thinking this could be much better than Guilty Crown's animation.. Then, episode 5 came out. I did stop watching Shinsekai Yori because of the animation. I couldn't help it. I didn't like it one bit. I always remembered episode 5 -- "the start of the weird animation". I couldn't help myself continue watching Shinsekai Yori because it was difficult with all the weird angles, the horrible focus, the unmatched emotions to the character's' dialogues and the proportions were awkward. It took me months till I started to watch Shinsekai Yori again and once I started to continue watching it -- the art wasn't much likely to bother anymore. Yes, the art was weird but I did see the importance of the story and how the story pushed this anime to the top without the help of any other element but the plot in itself. Sound: 9 I guess the low cut budget of the anime made also low use of sounds and little flashy OSTs but the sound effects and the music were dead on amazing, epic and very grand -- it gives me goosebumps. Little music was perfect for this anime. I can't help but feel that the serious music was making this anime such of high class. The dubbing though was flawless most especially squealer's and the queerats'. Character: 9 Not much of any character development but if you're a Shinsekai Yori fan like me -- you'll feel so attached to each of the characters. I know I did. When the anime ended, I was so lost. I wanted the characters all to myself. I felt like something was missing in me. The characters had all different personalities -- strong ones, calm ones and even paranoid ones so the characters were pretty much helping to ease the complicated story. Enjoyment: 10 "Very complex." That was what I thought. I wasn't enjoying the first episodes to be honest because there were so much information that were coming and not much anything to do with the present episodes. I was really struggling to get the hype of the anime and the urge to finish it. But later on, when the episodes were nearing to its episode 20s, the story gets more flashy and those unwanted information I got during the first episodes suddenly turned into something useful and I was able to enjoy the whole series that easily. I don't even know why I enjoyed the anime so much when I was nearly confused with its first episodes but as I go on the climax of the anime made this anime really exciting and stunning. Over-all: 10 With all the flaws, I still say the story made such great influence in the anime that those animation flaws didn't matter anymore. It was creative in every other way. Shinsekai Yori gives more than what a usual anime can present. My only tip for you for this anime is to watch it all throughout the end and just keep on understanding the situation from the first episode till the last. It's amazing how you'll get by with it.

Harsh, perfection, desperate, flawless, dark, superstitious, mystery, provoking, thrilling, soul-crushing, depressing. Those are the word I will use to describe Shinsekai yori. This anime is really heavy. It evokes a lot of uncomfortable and uneasy topics, and puts a spotlight on the depravity of mankind and humanity. It sheds a light on the various attitudes of humans toward different kind of issue and their need to dictate everything. The problem that arises during the anime is always a food for thought and question to ponder. This anime doesn’t paint anyone as a bad guy or a good guy. The line between evil and justice, good and bad is so blurred. There is no bad guy in the story, and even the characters that seem to be a bad guy are well rounded, interesting characters, executed in ways you would NEVER expect. It utilizes the world to create a moral ambiguity where everyone is justified with their actions. When I am watching Shinsekai yori, I often have a feeling that I am watching Death Note with no mind game. Both anime is awesome at how it questions the very nature of humans. On what standards that we define and judge ourselves or other are evil or justice? Does possess superpower will make our life merrier and happier? Not necessary. In this show, everyone in the village have psychokinesis(PK) when they reach a certain age. A bless (or rather a curse) comes to the particular individuals indicate they have the cursed power. I love the way the story setting in a society based with the cursed power. Nah, this is not a boring shonen anime that “We got superpower so we go out and kill some evil guys, getting praised by the head chief and repeat”. This anime does take logical and realistic assumption into its plot which is generally praised by the critics. Having a superpower not necessary lead you to the gateway of happiness, isn’t it? Shin Sekai Yori tells the tale of a group of children born in this “strange” society (you will know why after you watch the first 15 episodes), and how they grow up with this world and they get ample character development throughout the story. You're in with them for the ride, starting from a clean slate, trying to curiously stumble through this new unknown world. Seeing these characters challenge the status quo of the world and handle with the situations the story throws at them is quite engaging, and the way it’s done is believable and reasonable. The story is dynamic to it where every aspect of the show serves to either develop the world or the characters. Let’s get to the heart of this gem. What exactly is it that makes Shinsekai yori a masterpiece? I would say that it’s a combination of gradually built-up atmosphere, tension, fantastic storytelling and music. Even in the first few episodes, you can probably feel how dreary and dark situations are. When I am watching episode 1 it already give me quite a blow as I do not expect some blood in the beginning. The setting is definitely something that assists in creating the feeling of being suppressed by a mystery force that screams dystopia (an imagined place or state in which everything is unpleasant or bad). However, as the story progresses, there is many hint and symbolism if you are attention to the detail. This anime WILL force you begin to question almost everything. This leads to the major point that Shinsekai yori excels at, storytelling. Its outstanding storytelling is the things that make me keep watching until its very end. The cliffhanger at the end of most episodes had successfully evokes the burning desire inside my heart to continue watch Shinsekai yori. The horror and tensive atmosphere make my heart beat run wild at most times. The atmosphere gets me hooked into the story, to experience this weird world with this unique tone with qualities I can't describe. It's so immerse, and it's so well done that everything blends in together and makes for this believable and cohesive experience. It's damn good. The pacing is phenomenal as its started off tense, moved into hopeless, desperate problems and then converted all those problems into hope for the future. This anime is NOT filled with cheesy melodrama but however, it maybe predictable if you have sat down and have a deep thought about the story-line. Let us talk about the character development. The character in the anime is unique and interesting. As the story advances, the characters have made some incredible transformation as well. The 5 main characters do enhance the overall story. Their conflicting personalities and reaction to various situations made some events in the anime intriguing to watch. My personal favorite character is Saki. As the anime progresses, the bonds between the characters are tested and their lives are focused as they on a journey of discovering certain truths they aren’t supposed to know (It will blow your mind).The history in this show is well-crafted and it enable you to understand more about the present world. Side character does have an imperative role too. I personally like one of the “villain” in this anime (whether he is a villain or not, it remain arguable since I had written that there is no clear line of bad and good in this show). He is cunning and intelligence. He is also willingly to sacrifice and manipulate some individual to achieve his goal. This makes him a little bit similar to Yagami Light (the main character in Death Note). On his early appearance, he appeared to be weak, but the anime does show its noticeable body language which hinted his true character. He is ambitious and does give bring a hell in the most majestic way. He has his own reason to justify his own cruel action and in my opinions, it does not have right and wrong as I probably will do the same thing if I am in his shoes. The character and art design is simple yet beautiful. It is not really impressive at a first glance but it is clearly presented. The characters have really expressive eyes and some nice body types to them. I love the ethnic tribal clothes that the characters wear and this is enough to make the characters look good. The environment and background is also very amazing. There are a lot of scenic moments in the anime and I love how they all come to live. The nice angles of the scenes and the mood they set, is always a plus. There is no much of action scene in this anime and is most likely not needed. There is no OP in Shinsekai yori. isn’t it strange? There is only one in episode 16 if I am not mistaken. A core part of Shinsekai yori is amazing brilliant music, which is absolutely amazing with great violin that helps supplant the tone into a point of prominence. It supports the story in ways that words could not and amplifying the emotion (still remembers Angel Beats?). At the right times, the right soundtrack is played and the right emotions are conveyed. I had a love with the second ED which is “Yuki ni Saku Hana”. Whenever I hear this song, I will always have a urge to cry as it brings the memories of somebody’s death. The ending is quite satisfying. It warp up everything and does explain stuff that you like to know. It ends in a way that shows really should end, and I appreciated it. There is no second season, I guess. I will recommend Shinsekai Yori to all dark anime fans. However, let me give a early warning first: watch it with an open mind. There is some unexpected scene which I don’t want to spoil, but please expect the unexpected. Be aware that Shinsekai Yori is not made to entertain you, it is here to make the best of what it did in quality and writing which it did a great job with. Shinsekai Yori is a very deep and emotional show. Go watch it and be sucked into its world. I was completely attracted to the world it built and I ended up marathon the whole show in 2 days. This is the kind of anime which will worth your time to watch. Shinsekai Yori is my new favorite anime now.

For two days in a row now, I start writing another review with no ideas of what score to give to an anime that I've finished. This time, the show happens to be Shinsekai Yori, or From the New World. Before we begin. I must stress that this show is not for everyone. If you absolutely can't watch an anime with the following characteristics, you might not want to watch this show. *Spoilers 1) No comic relief 2) Slow-Paced in the narration of its story, with the only exception at a few high points of the story 3) Homosexual theme, being relevant to the story (light shounen-ai and light shoujo-ai only happen in 1 episode) Now, let's begin. - - - Story - - - With minimal fan-service and without any comic relief, audiences are left with no choice but to take the show very seriously. In that sense, SY (Shinsekai Yori) does not disappoint. Overall, it has a fascinating and remarkably solid story line, one that examines the irregularities of human society in details, from various perspectives. Everything that occurs in earlier episodes happens in order to set up for the conclusion. It might be shocking to say this, for such a convoluted fantasy, psychological story, it has virtually no plot hole. However, the slow-paced, no-comic-relief nature of SY might put a lot of people (including me) off. I am serious. There are points in this anime that I almost considered on dropping, but narrowly avoided that by a conviction to finish this anime. Fortunately, I was rewarded with a dramatic and immensely satisfying ending. 9/10 (not perfect score because of pacing) - - - Art - - - Character design for main characters is decent, but there are severe distortion of characters' faces at different moments. The background is beautiful, but often repetitively used. The weakest link is the animation, which is average at best. 7.5/10 - - - Sound - - - There is no OP in this anime, and there are 2 EDs for 25 eps. I don't mind the fact that there is no OP, and the EDs are enjoyable to listen to. Nevertheless, it must be mentioned that the soundtracks used, while appropriate, is endlessly repetitive. There were times when I wished that they would add more soundtracks, but in the end, they were adequate and appropriate for the story being told. 8/10 - - - Character - - - While characters are praised for being "realistic", viewers can't really attach to them on an emotional level. Also, characters are not memorable either. That being said, a huge plus is that this anime tells different stories throughout main characters life from 12 to 26 years old. I was relieved when our main characters don't always "stay a child", as with most other anime. 7/10 - - - Enjoyment - - - Slow-pacing, lack of comic relief, and not-the-best-characters on the negative side. Great story, fascinating social commentary, and extraordinary ending on the plus side. 7/10 - - - Overall - - - I can understand why this anime is ranked so high on MAL. This is a very dark, mature work that stands defiantly against popular trends in anime. 8/10

It is without a doubt that Shinsekai Yori leaves you in a state of relief. It takes a path astray and fearlessly tackles human nature/values. I feel that people are not giving this anime a chance. The first half of Shinsekai Yori has a notably slow start and because of this, a number of people have dropped the series. I too, make up a portion of the people who were not too fond of the sedate start. Do note, however, that most of the scenes played in the early episodes has some sort of significance in the latter half of the series. Despite the snail-paced start, I pulled through, finished the series, and Shinsekai Yori is now my favourite anime. Also it’s better than if it had a remarkably good start but having the rest of the series drenched in a pile of shit. Shinsekai Yori definitely packs a punch in terms of arousing your emotions. You’re guaranteed to direct your anger at certain individuals due to their unjustifiable actions. There are also moments of pleasure in which the anime takes an intermission from the dark and serious atmosphere. Lastly, you just can’t help but sympathize towards some of the characters due to a predicament of some sort. Although were given the perspective and focus of only the main protagonist, Saki, you’ll find yourself captivated by some of the other characters. What makes this anime so great is the plot, which truly is mind-boggling. Shinsekai Yori's take on the future is really creative. It seems unrealistic in a sense (villages and such), but it makes sense as to how everything came to be. Again, after the slow start, were given back-to-back episodes in which the plot just continues to develop and buildup for the climax. Shinsekai Yori is a series that delivers a deep and meaningful message. It has one of the most well done finales that wraps everything ever so nicely; the way it concluded could not have been any better. Shinsekai Yori is arguably the best anime of 2012 and can be considered a masterpiece to some extent.

Shin Sekai Yori is an anime based on a novel written by Kishi Yusuke. The anime adaptation was handled by A-1 pictures. You may remember them as the studio behind Kuroshitsuji and AnoHana. This was actually requested as a “futuristic scenario done right” after I took a look at the mediocrity that was Blue Gender, but I've also been told that this series is just as bad, even using several of the same cliches. There's only one way to find out which is more correct and that's by taking a look. Story: Our tale opens in the far future. Our protagonist, Saki, has just advanced to the next level of education, a school that teaches kids how to use their psychic abilities, but there's something wrong. Students disappear from the school and are promptly forgotten. Saki and her friends go on a camping trip that will lead to them learning a great secret about their society. That's how the first arc begins. Yes, the series has multiple story arcs. One thing the series does really well is introducing intriguing ideas. The problem is that most of those concepts end up going absolutely nowhere or are just executed poorly. You think that the various ideas that are touched upon are going to eventually have a point, but they never do. It's like Kishi introduced them planning to integrate them into the plot eventually, but couldn't figure out how and let them drop, or briefly mentioned them in some minor scene in the hopes that he could validate having them in the first place. There are quite a few other issues with the execution of this anime. The series tries to explain several facets of its world with science, which it gets wrong consistently. To use an early example that won't spoil anything, the series talks about bonobos. It says that they're peaceful, preferring sex to conflict and that they'll only engage in sexual activities with the same sex when they're young. The first half is true, the second is an outright lie and the bad part is that a half-true scientific statement is about the best the series ever gets in terms of its science. The crowning moment of stupidity is definitely the ending. It starts by using a huge logical fallacy in the major climax. Then it segues into a plot twist that hinges on bad science and just to make things even worse, the series ends with the same lazy, stupid, cliché that Blue Gender ended with. Except that the execution is even worse. At least Blue Gender had some build up going into it, Shin Sekai Yori has a five minute montage at the very end to justify resorting to this tripe. Characters: The characters are similar to the story. The writing teases you with hints that these characters are going to develop and get fleshed out, but then it never delivers. In spite of the story spanning over a decade, the characters never grow or develop. They remain pretty stagnant throughout. The only attempts to demonstrate growth for the characters are done with informed characteristics. For example, there's a character who talks about Saki's great leadership skills but she never demonstrates any leadership abilities whatsoever. She follows other people's plans or gets told what to do by the voices in her head. Yes, she has deceased people talk to her. No, this is never explained it's just used as a deus ex machina device. The issue with informed characteristics like this is that the audience isn't going to believe them. You can tell us the stormtroopers are precise marksmen, but if we see them miss virtually ever shot we aren't going to believe it. Likewise, you can tell us she's a great leader. You could also tell us she gained magical girl powers from a talking dog and saved the world from goo monsters during one of the time skips or that she's the world's greatest detective. We not only aren't going to buy it, but we aren't going to care unless you actually demonstrate it within the narrative. Art: The art is really good. Everything is nicely detailed and the character designs are nicely done. That being said, there is one problem with the art. The action sequences are drawn very oddly and they can be difficult to follow. Especially the early ones. For the sake of argument, let's say that this was done to provide a sense of chaos and make things seem hectic. That would be fine, but it still doesn't flow well or look good. Sound: I have no complaints about the voice acting. Every actor gives a capable performance, in spite of not having much to work with. Hanazawa Kana (Akane from Psycho Pass) and Hirata Hiroaki (Benny from Black Lagoon) are particularly good. The music is largely forgettable, but not bad. Ho-Yay: The ho-yay factor is going to be a 4/10. The series has a bit early on. It has some yaoi between Shun and Satoru, as well as some in the background, and some yuri between Saki and Maria, plus some more in the background. Then it transitions into having nothing but het. Final Thoughts: On the positive side, Shin Sekai Yori has strong art and good voice acting. Unfortunately, the writing is just inept. The story suffers from major plot holes, terrible science, dropped plot aspects, a horrendous ending and characters who are less interesting than the random nameless bad guys you fight in a Fire Emblem game. As a result, the narrative is just terrible and I would not suggest sitting through it just for the art and acting. My final rating is going to be a 3/10. Next week, One Outs.

Wow, am I glad that they finally changed the picture for this anime. The one they had previously was so misleading! I honestly thought this anime would be a cutesy school life kind of anime (mostly only because of the picture) and was I wrong. I'm glad I was though! Story (10): I would say the story is complex, but in a good way. It's definitely interesting for sure. It's bizarre, dark, and thought compelling. I loved the unique take on the Utopian society that revolves around this story. There were times I was touched, there were moments I cried, most of all, there were moments I found myself saying "What the f***!" It was nothing at all like what I expected it to be, it was so much better! Art (10): The art was fantastic. I loved the colors, how fluid it was and how beautiful (or in certain cases grotesque) things were. Sound (10): I have to say, the voice actors did fantastic jobs with their characters. The sound effects were also great. The biggest thing I have to commend is the music, it was absolutely lovely. I especially loved the first ending, such a great song. Character (10): Probably my most favorite thing about this anime were the characters, human and non human. Since the story goes in stages of the main heroine Saki's life, it's amazing to see how everything develops among them. There's so much unexpected twists and turns, and it was great seeing how each of the characters progressed. It's funny to me that Saki wasn't my favorite character, but to be honest, I love that it was all told in her perspective. I feel that the characters really do a great job with drawing you into the whole plot. I enjoyed this series significantly. Right after I finished watching it, I went and recommended it to my friends who also enjoyed it as well. I even went on to read the novel version. Overall, this anime is great. I'm probably going to rewatch it in the future. I know all I did was praise it, but I honestly did not have anything bad to say about this anime. I won't go as far as saying it was perfect, I'm sure it had it's flaws, but to me I didn't find any worth giving bad criticisms. I will admit that I did not review this right after watching it, I actually watched it quite some time ago, but to this day, the impression it left on me was a great one. So definitely give this anime a chance if you haven't already!

Shinsekai Yori, also known as Shinsekai Yaoi and/or Shinsekai Yuri, is a series that can honestly be described in one word, and that word is boring. It’s a series that’s only redeemable in one aspect only, and that is its worldbuilding. If that is the only thing you seek, then there is certainly some enjoyment to be found; however, the series mostly suffers when it tries to get its ideas across. Shinsekai Yori can’t really be described as a story, because the methods used to convey it are executed so terribly that the entire series honestly resembles a very boring lecture. In an attempt to combat this, the story attempts to make its rather boring storytelling more entertaining by adding in both cheap shock factor and homoerotic romance, all of which involve really uninteresting characters. Shinsekai Yori tries to be a slow burn, but it simply fails because it takes all of the fun out of storytelling. The only strength of this series is the concept of its worldbuilding. It’s a strength that expresses itself as more of an “idea” rather than the quality of it itself because the execution is so mundane and boring to the point where it complicates the process of confirming whether the setting makes logical sense or not. Notably, the story routinely doesn’t follow the idea of “show, don’t tell.” There is so much the story wants to tell the viewer, many of which rely on unnecessary details in a “don’t blink or else you’ll miss it” kind of fashion, that it makes the viewer question if the worldbuilding is that great in the first place. Frustratingly, the story allocates long stretches of time towards spoonfeeding the viewer with information. This can be seen by multiple episodes where an unspecified number of kids would simply stand in one spot and listen to someone who doesn’t matter in the grand scheme of things lore dump. To make it convenient for the story, only the correct amount of information will be told to the viewer so the “mystery” aspect of the story doesn’t instantly end. Rather than actually fleshing the world out by dotting itself with its lore here and there, it’s expressed in the most boring way possible. Its method of storytelling takes away from all of the potential mystery and suspense the series could’ve had. Thus, whether the worldbuilding was good or bad, it doesn’t really matter in the grand scheme of things when compared to the execution of it alone. Shinsekai Yori’s story in a nutshell: Arc 1: Brave New World but run by an incompetent Buddhist academy + exposition dump Arc 2: “Cantus is dangerous” + lore dump Arc 3: Queerat racism/discrimination from the perspective of a British colonial surveyor in the 1880s. Additionally, the series also has a habit of constantly reminding the viewer about events that already happened. Notably, the glowing robot dog loves to rehash the same line about bonobos fucking each other to calm down. Holy shit, bonobos fuck each other to calm down, we get it. This would’ve been fine if it were explained twice perhaps, but the series itself makes multiple references to bonobos which is really grating. Additionally, the loredumper thing feels the need to explain every little action the characters do, even the more mundane action of the characters’ implied sex. This ties back into the worldbuilding itself, which relies on being easily forgettable; the way the story expresses itself is done so in a mundane manner. Mainly, the story lacks a sense of cohesion because it mostly throws concepts at the viewer and hopes they stick; it takes Shinsekai Yori six episodes for something to either not be either a setup or a lore dump. Even then, the first ¾ of the story is really boring and unsuspenseful (this doesn’t make it a slow burn, by the way, this is just wasting the viewer’s time), mostly because it follows a constant pattern of: >Nothing happening >Everything happening all at once (usually just someone monologuing a boring ass lore dump) >Nothing happening (again) >Repeat ad nauseam for 25 episodes for an unsatisfying viewing experience The characters themselves aren’t even characters, they’re just pawns of the plot. The story fails to provide any reason for the viewer to care about them as individuals. Excluding Saki, the rest of the characters fulfill the sole purpose of moving the story along, only to be discarded later. Saki is the only character I ended up remembering at the end because she was the only character who couldn’t entirely be described as a pawn. Though, her only personality is that she is nice... and occasionally sad when she is involved with one of the series’ lore dumps. The characters within the main group are practically indistinguishable from each other, and their similar character designs don’t help at all. At first, there was one kid who was mean to one of the other characters (I think it was Satoru and Saki); however, this was simply transient and he quickly assimilated into the hive mind. Despite the characters starting out as children (who are known to develop), they don’t mature in any way whatsoever despite the characters’ motivations to explore the outside world. The main character, Saki is the most disappointing of the bunch because she’s still hinted at being brave but is still the same whiny sensitive brat she was at twelve years old. The writing constantly hints at her being some “great leader” but the story don’t demonstrate (show, don’t tell) this at all. When pertaining to the third arc, she’s supposed to be portrayed as a kind soul in order to bait the viewers with the treatment of the Queerats, but there are actually very few instances where it’s shown that she is actually kind (niceness and kindness aren’t the same thing). Overall, the characters being bland soured a lot of the forced edginess and homoerotic makeout sessions, since the series loves to add a twinge of both. As if the world didn’t already lack any meaningful substance, (with all of the world’s substance found in a select few and all), large parts of the world are painted in a gross, drab gray color. While it is better and more refreshing than all of the bright lighting other anime tend to use, adding a bit of saturation here and there won’t hurt. The only hint of color in this series are reserved for both the beginning of the series and the yuri/yaoi scenes. Additionally, the character designs are creepy looking and uncanny, which makes the characters look lifeless. For example, when the glowing robot dog is lore dumping in the fourth episode, the group of kids would all have either a rodent-like death stare or that face old people make when they suffer from dementia. There’s also some bloody shock factor, but it’s only featured for one minute out of the entire series. The animation itself is pretty awful because it has a noticeable dip in quality after the fourth episode. As noted by other in the discussion tabs, it looks like the series was swapping out art directors with how inconsistent the quality of it is, which makes it seem like this series has been made with a really small budget. At times, the characters’ lips don’t match up with their dialogue, even during moments when the characters are shouting. Additionally, the series frequently uses awkward close up shots of the characters’ bodies that mostly focus on their limbs and lips. Regarding the lip animation, it resembles the style of a Muppet when the characters are excited, given how wide their mouths are. The animation also uses a lot of shitty CGI when it comes to animating trees, arrows, and boulders during the battles with the Queerats. Shinsekai Yori simply lacks a compelling narrative. Most of the story’s time spent on screen is dedicated to reciting its own lore to the viewer, with the intention behind this being to create connections within the story. Nevertheless, even the writers seem to think that the viewer might fall asleep, which is why the story repeats itself a lot. When pertaining to stimulation of the eyes, the audiovis…

I don't even care if I get slayed for this, I'm just going to say it, this anime is a big mess and just extremely sloppy... I've read reviews where people were saying how the anime was deep and took a lot of analysis or that it is realistic.... Personally, I think the writers for the anime was trying very hard to be deep and artistic... They honestly should have just followed the manga a bit more closely. The story was simply poorly executed, intriguing at first but then the characters themselves just kind of throw that out of the dust with their irrational thinking, and no, just because they are children and they are from a closed off utopia does not automatically excuse them of their stupidity. We start off with a sort of mystery about the world outside and the world in their little village and our main characters are given the "truth" from this weird... jelly.... thing... that was really unnecessary design in my point of view. The children are shocked about what they hear and before they can find out more they are discovered and immediately in trouble... If they were to go back to the village and just have their eyes opened to have fucked up their village is and they fight to survive or change it, that would have been a lot better!!! But no, instead we are put on a spot where they forcibly put the characters in an awkward and random almost sex scene which was just... what the flying fuck? Then a war between the queerats which literally came from nowhere. Since when could queerats actually SPEAK human language, I knew they had their own language but apparently they can speak like humans too? Fine, fine, I will accept that... we move on... Satoru gets his abilities back and instead of getting back to the village for safety... he claims they have to fight them so that they aren't in danger anymore. Uhm, why not just hurry back to the village and ohh... I don't know.. GET HELP? Apparently killing and stuff is only bad when you do it to humans but the writers and director DOES realize that killing and cruelty to animals is one of the signs of becoming a killer or serial killer, right? And these weren't just animals, they had human intelligence. But oh well~ I guess that doesn't matter, despite the fact that they are in the future and that study is and was an easily known fact!! Pfft, not at all, no big deal if you destroy and entire colony of the species. As you can tell, this is when I really started to dislike the anime. There's still a lot of reasons why I dislike the anime, I didn't completely finish it but I got pretty darn far and I decided I didn't have to put up with its stupidity any longer. The people who wrote the anime did not consider many things, they'd take one part of the extreme and just blow it up but then completely ignore the other. Stopping humans with powers from killing with it? In a society where having powers is the norm, it'd be like how we are living now, basically it's like everyone going through puberty, it's not a big deal. But the way they were saying things was like saying just because someone has a gun, they'd go out and kill people with it. It's not true. There's a lot of factors that go into someone actually killing another and just because a kid is causing trouble or is going through some angst doesn't make them a killer or that they will become one. The characters dismiss a lot of things really easily and it's not because they are brainwashed but rather that's how the writers wanted them to be. That scene where they were running away from that bad ass queerat because they were afraid the people would order it to kill them.... but instead of trying to run away from it all, they run back to the village that they thought wanted to kill them??? Why run away at all then? Where's the logic in that? Am I the only one who is seeing this? As much as I would love to go on about it, I think this is enough to prove my point of my opinion. I was extremely disappointed by the series, I read some of the manga as well and I'm wondering if it's just the case of bad source material as well.

Shinsekai Yori is a great intelligent, psychological anime which starts out somewhat confusing but still interesting right from the beginning though it doesn’t really get going until about episode 3 or 4. This is the story of civilization in Japan about 1000 years ahead of the present day and in the same universe as the one we live in (aside from the whole “anime” thing). In the future, everyone can use “Cantus,” an ability (one of my favorite anime powers ever) that can do everything from repairing glass jars to levitating people to setting things on fire to killing things, though there are many limitations on that last part. It follows 5 kids who you get to see grow up, mature, and fight battles to protect humanity while at the same time suffering many tragedies. This show is much heavier on drama than comedy, so be warned that while it isn’t exactly an After Story or AnoHana it is still a very emotional show that delves into many psychological aspects of the characters as well as our whole outlook on humanity and what we all are. One thing you may have heard about this show is the one yaoi scene and the three or four yuri scenes (none of which have anything more than kissing). These actually have a purpose in the show and the reason is explained several episodes prior to any of these scenes. I didn’t find them distracting in the least while watching this show. Before I get started I’ll just say that I give Shinsekai Yori (From the New World in English) a 10/10 in every category because I just can’t think of a reason to give it a 9/10 or anything lower. I would definitely say this show is the best anime of 2012 (at least of what I’ve seen). Story: I really can’t say much about the story, since almost anything I say would give away spoilers. Let me just say though that Shinsekai Yori keeps you guessing about what will come next. It has many clever and surprising plot twists and at the beginning of this series you will have no idea how this show is going to end. The ending, I think, is well done though I have heard some people say they thought it was rushed a little. Art: The art is interesting. At first I wasn’t so sure it was worthy of a perfect score, but after watching the whole series I believe this is the best rating. The landscape, the character designs, and some of the more psychological scenes are well animated and nice to look at. With the characters growing up during the show, it’s nice to see that at each age they still look just as good as they did when they were younger. Sound: The soundtrack is one of the best I’ve ever heard. Despite not having any opening themes, there are two good ending themes with the first being my favorite of the two. While Squealer’s voice did annoy me at first, I got used to it as the show went on. The rest of the voice actors do a great job portraying the emotion of their characters. Characters: The five main characters are Saki, Satoru, Maria, Mamoru, and Shun. Unfortunately, like the story, I can’t really tell you much about them so I’ll just give my thoughts on them instead. Watanabe Saki is the protagonist and the story is told from her POV. Saki is a fantastic protagonist and probably my favorite female protagonist. Satoru is the main male character and along with Saki tends to act as the leader. Maria acts as the motherly character while Mamoru is the weakest of the characters emotionally and is often scared (for good reason) of getting involved in the trouble the other characters get into. Shun is a very skilled boy who is in line to take over one of the highest positions in the settlement that the characters live in. Aside from these characters there are also two important Queerats (I also saw them called goblin Rats in the subs), Squealer and Kiroumaru. The Queerats look up to the humans as gods and live under them. They come in many different forms but usually they look like short, human-shape naked mole rats. I found Squealer very annoying at first, but towards the end of the series I felt just as many feelings from him as the main characters and I actually grew to like him a lot due to just a couple scenes. Kiroumaru is a taller Queerat from a different tribe than Squealer. In addition to these characters there are many humans that play relatively important roles, but I found most of them more forgettable for the most part since they get less screen time and blend into the crowd more than the above characters though that’s not to say they were boring. Mostly it was just because they were not included in the series until over halfway through it. Shinsekai Yori has easily become one of my favorite anime series. One warning I should give is that, this show does have a decent amount of gore especially in the latter half. I also found some scenes were bordering on the horror genre through the use of suspense (again mostly in the latter half). Still I would recommend this to anyone who likes intelligent anime like Death Note or shows that delve into the “are we in the right or wrong” psychological look at humanity like Shiki. One final note, I’ll just mention one of my favorite aspects of this show which is how the human race is compared to a colony of bonobos (you'll get it if you watch the show).