Ajin Part 1: Shoudou

Polygon Pictures is the name of the studio behind this film, and the anime series Sidonia no Kishi/Knights of Sidonia. I bring them up because despite only having seen one completed series from Polygon Pictures (at the time of this review being posted) it was enough for me to make them my most hated anime studio. This hatred is derived from Knights of Sidonia, or as I refer to it Sci-Fi: The Anime since it’s biggest piece of sci-fi trite I have ever seen in any form of media. Every single plot point was predictable, it didn’t put a new spin on any established sci-fi formula nor strayed from any common modern anime writing conventions, and it’s also the only piece of science fiction, and animation to ever put me to sleep. So before even starting the film, and Ajin anime series there was already the hurdle of low expectations. The only way Ajin couldn’t meet those low expectation would be if it turned out worse than Knights of Sidonia. Ajin went so below the bar of low expectations I could make a top ten list of the worst Ajin episodes in great detail by how much incompetence there is in each individual episode. This film is basically a recap splicing together the first six episodes of the anime series Ajin. You might be wondering what’s the purpose of this recap movie if there’s no noticeable alteration between the anime series, and film. Both use the same footage with the same dialogue rendering it rather pointless to seek out the other product depending on what you decide to check out. As negative as I was towards the recap movie, Sword Art Online: Extra Edition, A1 Pictures did the logical in creating new material exclusive to it. Ajin Part 1: Shoudou only major difference with the anime series are scenes not having Izumi Shimomura (Tosaki’s secretary) cheeks turning red when blushing in two episodes of the anime series. I would like to point out this film came out in late November of 2015, and between that time all the way to mid January of 2016 when the anime aired. Someone, or several individuals at Polygon Pictures felt it was important to slightly alter moments of embarrassment by having Izumi cheeks turn red when she’s blushing instead bumping up the framerate to not make the animation look like it is always lagging. Just like the anime series, this recap film purpose is to simply be dead air. The metaphorical coaster of anime so to say. Ajin takes the classic premise of the “Human Parasite” (as I call it) trope where the focus is on a main character who becomes something he/she, or the world hates. If you read, or seen Invasion of the Body Snatchers (my go to association with this premise) you know for a fact this premise under right hands holds infinite possibilities. Especially horror since it could thrive on creating psychological fear of these creatures that easily blend into our world. However, Ajin doesn’t understand the basics of storytelling so when it tried to reach higher than possible never once does it bother to set up the building blocks for a stable story. First issue for the film is simple; bad world building combine with bad context for exposition. In Ajin, it’s establish the entire world know the existence of Ajins, yet in a later scene in the movie a police officer is surprise there’s an Non Lethal Drug Gun specifically design to capture Ajins. Before you could be bother to ask what sense does it make that this weapon isn’t mandatory for all policemen to have in case of an emergency it throws another bad plot point at you. One being how high school students managed to find a leaked video of a Ajin being experimented on, and there being no mention of it in any news media outlet. The flimsy excuse of a student saying it could be fake cannot be assumed to apply to everyone else in the world which requires higher suspension of disbelief that does not come with the premise. In the anime series, the news media eventually discover this leaked video, but in the film the news media does not. Creating more plot holes that in sequel films Polygon Pictures will have to cover up instead of focusing on telling a story (not a good one at that). We also have the Elephant in the room to address in that paranoia, hatred, disgust, or any feelings towards the public views on Ajin goes without setup. Aside from the first discover Ajin being a gun for hire in Africa, and if Ajin are turned in you’ll be rewarded there is nothing much to grasp from the Ajins presence in this world. The film even brings up the fact other Ajins were discovered, but mentions nothing if the other Ajins are commonly violent toward humans. If that was the case, than it would make sense for Kei Nagai (our teenage protagonist) not to trust anyone in his surroundings. However, if the story didn’t establish the public mindset on Ajins existence than the idea of them being turned in for a reward could still be a reasonable source of distrust for Kei Nagai. A simple, and not hard to shoe in solution for this issue is someone mentioning an Ajin who got betrayed by his friends for money. If this was done than you could have a less inferior reason for Kei Nagai not to trust his friends in the beginning of the film. It’s even brought up the reward could be just a rumor, but even if the reward is just a rumor than Kei Nagai fearing being betrayed by his friends from a story he heard would make a bit more sense. My solution sucks, but it could hold itself together much better compared to betrayal for rumored reward Kei Nagai just recently discovered imply by the film. Reason number two this film is bad is because of main character Kei Nagai. I personally refer to him as Sam Blanderton since he has no personality, the writing pretends he’s a smart character, and has the plot armor of immortality. His younger sister describes Kei Nagai as a cold person so Vanilla Ice is also a suitable nickname for the protagonist. Jokes aside, you would also find Kei Nagai in that piles of jokes. Despite being told he’s a smart character, and studying to be a doctor he’s no smarter than the rest of the cast in Ajin that can’t phantom the idea of multiple people wearing hats (more on that later). Having never gone to medical school I can tell you it is possible to knock someone out unconsciously with your fists. I bring this up since Kei Nagai can summon a Black Ghost which are basically an invisible humanlike manifestation Ajins can use. For some reason, when Kei is being tortured about an hour into the film, Kei seems to have forgotten everything he learned. This is a character who the audience is told wants to be a doctor. In a scene where Kei is being tortured he is also pressured into killing scientists, which you would expect someone who has been studying to be a doctor to do the logical, and knock out whoever is torturing him in order to intimidate anyone who wants to torture him in the future. Not wanting to kill is one thing, but if you have the power to knock someone out unconsciously like Kei Nagai has with his Black Ghost where’s the conflict in the situation. Kei doesn’t have to kill anyone when he’s being tortured, yet he seems content that he could only kill despite the fact he’s been studying to become a doctor. Good to know that knowledge goes to waste. Kei Nagai acts however the plot demands him to without a consistent personality trait. In the film, Kei meets face to face with an old man who kidnapped his sister, but is okay with it since she wasn’t harm. (Tear out hair in anger). Yet, he is more concern with the idea of this same old man wanting to kill scientists who have been torturing him (Kei) for days none of whom he knows. Showing concern for their very livelihood despite torturing him. Just, huh? What makes this infuriating for me is Kei Nagai brings up the idea to handicapped those scientists while begging for them not to be murdered. So the series (along with this film) is telling me Kei Nagai gives a rat ass his sister got kidnapped who he known for basically his…

So...here it comes, the movie for the much awaited Ajin. Personally, I've been waiting for this for a very long time. I have not read the manga (yet) and have not watched the anime yet (airing now). Story 9/10: The movie introduces the concept/world of Ajin, where some random humans happen to develop a mysterious super power, causing them many troubles and raising the ultimate anime question: "Am I still human?". Doesn't sound very original, right? We have seen this in many other animes like Ergo proxy, Parasyte, Tokyo Ghoul, etc... However, the storytelling of Ajin is what makes it very enjoyable. It is very dynamic, there is no unnecessary information in it. Hopefully they will keep it filler-free for the upcoming anime too. Characters 8/10: The characters are pretty much the standard arch-types for this movie. The "friend", the "Organisation", "the weak point" - the sister, in this case, the "veteran" and so on. They seem to all have a background story that is not explained in detail due to the length of the movie. Hopefully, we will see their stories later on. Art 3/10: *heavy breathing* Well...when I first saw the teaser, I just had to do a facepalm. The CGI does not fit this show (or any show for that matter). Despite all of that, I must say, I still really enjoyed the film overall, due to the amazing story and execution. Overall 9/10: A very generic topic executed in a wonderful, very enjoyable way. Graphics could certainly be better but what can we do? I definitely look forward to the anime series!

Ajin: Shoudou demands us to contemplate the definition of "Human" and the extent to which one needs to use his/her abilities in a way that is morally just. Despised by society, Ajin are humans who have regenerative properties and cannot die. Kei Nagai, a senior high schooler, learns upon surviving what would've been a fatal accident that he is an Ajin with the special ability to summon a "Black Ghost". These Black Ghosts are dark, mummy-like figures (similar to the one in the movie's cover art) which seem to be controlled by the Ajin's unconscious mind. Yet, they are able to exert deadly physical harm to people and objects, but can only be seen by other Ajin. The aspect that makes Ajin's plot interesting is that Kei, the MC, is hesitant to use his deadly ability for revenge and murder, and instead tries to use his ability to help humanity, unlike other Ajin. The story contains philosophical themes of morality as both good (remembering his childhood friends and family) and evil (Ajin with murderous intent) influences try to sway him in deciding how to use his powers. All the characters in Ajin other than Kei act more or less as foils which develop Kei's character by influencing his decisions. One of the more surprising features of Ajin is the use of computer graphics (CGI) to animate the character movements. The frame rate of character movement is reduced to match the value normally seen in other anime. I personally think that while this is a novel and innovative approach to developing anime, its use of CGI strays too far from the conventional standard we saw in Ghost in the Shell or Paprika; however it still does a very good job of conveying expressions and emotions. Additionally, the background and scenery art were very well done as well. In terms of sound, the BGM tracks were quite nice were helpful in setting the atmosphere of scenes. My personal favourite from the soundtrack is "Yoru wa Nemureru kai?" from the ED. The voices behind the characters are were well-known seiyu and I think each of the voices fit the characters nicely. When we compare the anime to the manga version, we see that it is more or less similar to the origin, with the exception of a few scenes from the manga which were not adapted. One characteristic that was kept was the constant shifting of the scenes from one setting to another, which I thought was really unique in that it allows the viewer to better understand the timeline of the events in the plot and the scenes that are taking place simultaneously of each other. Overall, the Ajin movie does not stray much from its Manga source and offers interesting themes of humanity and morality. I would recommend Ajin: Shoudou to anybody who has read the manga or if you are interested in anime with elements of supernatural horror, such as Tokyo Ghoul (which in many ways really is quite similar to Ajin). Ajin: Shoudou is the first work in the Ajin film trilogy. Part two is set to premiere in theaters in May of 2016. I hope you have found this review to be of help.

Ajin is something I love with an absolute passion. I absolutely love the manga, the only real qualm I have when you compare the anime to the manga is that the anime is much less gory, believe it or not. Story: 9/10 Just absolutely great, not only is the concept of the story beautiful but it's exceptionally well written as well. Ajin, demi humans that only realize they are Ajin at the moment they die, simply because they just come back to life. The development of the plot carries on in very appropriate ways for its setting, the characters have very good reasons for each of their actions and all the characters react in ways you'd except in each situation based off their personalities. Theres no point in comparing the TV show to the Movies though, essentially they're the same thing, just done slightly differently, it really all depends on how you enjoy watching your anime. I watched both the Movie and TV show just because, really. But if you've already watched one set theres not much point in watching the other unless you REALLY like this anime. Art:10/10 I know a lot of people dislike it's art style but they made an exceptional decision going forward with this particular one. My main reason? The Black Ghosts. The way their concept was transformed into this style of animation is astounding. I don't believe they would have been captured as perfect as this were the style done as the average anime. The way the Black Ghosts fights were done were tremendously well done for this reason. Sound: 8/10 Not much to say besides it sounds good, lol. The voice actors did amazing jobs and all the sound effects were very well done. Character: 8/10 The characters were great. There is a lot of dislike for the main character at first, but once you actual grasp the kind of person he is, you'll begin to understand his reasoning for all his actions. He makes perfect sense. And the villain? Ohhh Satou, the most perfect character anyone could have ever dreamed of. He makes Ajin so much better than what it is. An absolute sickening badass. Enjoyment: 8/10 I quite liked this movie, it was a lot of fun to watch, and I honestly believe everyone should try Ajin out. Overall: 8/10 It was very good.

A series centred around a non-human with other humans chasing it is not exactly unpopular nowardays with Tokyo Ghoul and others, but Ajin is, well, different and definitely unique. Note that I have not read the manga and am currently watching the anime which is airing. This review is spoiler free. TL;DR will be at the end Story: 9/10 As I said, the story is centred around a non-human, an Ajin. An Ajin is a species that is said to cannot die. Our MC is Nagai Kei who is raised to be a prodigy and strives to be a great human being, but once it is revealed he is an Ajin, his story starts. Hunters chase him for the cash reward, the Ajin Investigators chase him for answers, and all of humanity fears him, except for his friend Kai who helps him get away. I really like this concept. I mean, a non-human species is nothing new, but in this case Ajin cannot die, but they can still feel immense pain. Some the scenes are really thought provoking and even a little heartbreaking. Art: I literally have nothing to say. You either hate it or love it. Ajin uses computer graphics (CGI) and is most definitely different from what you normally watch nowadays. Its use of 3D graphics can sometimes be unlikeable, but ultimately I think it gave Ajin something different. Some scenes truly are animated really well, especially fight scenes. This score is not included in my overall score because literally you either hate it or love it and this is not something I should be able to help you decide. Sound: 8/10 The ost's are really intuitively perfect to set the scene. They just make the scenes 100% better and that's the point of a soundtrack. I feel as if they do overplay some of the soundtracks, and sometimes they do play it a bit too loud and that's the downside. I especially like the ending, which is actually the tv series's opening, which is catchy and dynamic. Character: 8/10 What I really love about Ajin is the fact that the MC's shine but the side characters are not left in the dust. They not only help Kei shine, but they shine on their own. Kei's decisions are swayed by their ideas and they help develop our MC, but at the same time they stay true to themselves and their own ideas. The side characters could have more development, but you can't do much about that as the movie is only about 100 minutes and they have a lot to fit in. There are other movies coming out this year and the anime has just started so I don't think they will disappoint. Enjoyment: 9/10 This is slightly biased as I started the TV series before watching the movie, but I didn't even realize 20 minutes of an episode went by when the ending started playing. I sat with my hands on my seat and my eyes glued to my screen; I was so engaged with what the story had to say. The graphics are a bit weird but the sound really enhanced the story which is amazing on its own. TL;DR Story: +A popular idea that is really enjoyed by the anime fanbase +Different from mainstream series that have the same ideas +Thought provoking scenes are always thrown at you Art: +/- It's CGI so you either hate it or love it Characters: +MC's truly shine, and side characters help them shine even more +Side characters have important roles in the story -Besides Nagai Kei, not many characters have development ^However the movie is only 100 minutes and the anime is airing now and the second movie will come out in May Enjoyment: +Suspenseful and Engaging I definitely think you should giving Ajin a try. It has a great story and it is truly very engaging

"Ajin Part 1: Shoudou" is a thrilling and thought-provoking film that takes audiences on a journey through the world of immortal beings known as Ajin. The film sets the stage for a larger story, introducing us to our main character Kei Nagai, who learns that he is one of these immortal beings. The film explores themes of identity, survival, and morality as Kei navigates his newfound powers and battles those who seek to exploit him. The animation is top-notch, bringing the intense action scenes to life and immersing viewers in the world of Ajin. The voice acting is also superb, delivering powerful and emotional performances that help to drive the story forward. However, the film does suffer from a slow pacing in certain parts, which can make it difficult to fully engage with the story at times. Additionally, the film's ending is a bit abrupt, leaving audiences with more questions than answers and yearning for the next installment in the series. If this is your portal to the Ajin series then it's better to watch the Anime TV show (2 seasons) as it has better timing which really affects the slow pacing, and also adds in some additional moments that fill in a few gaps in the story.