Himitsu’s basic premise is interesting and makes good fodder for ideas. In the future, scientists have created a system to record and view people’s memories post-mortem. The world has entrusted this unique computer system to Japan’s Public Security Section 9. The men and women in this small department must examine the memories of murder victims to find the motive, means, and hopefully the assailant as well. They not only bring people to justice who might normally escape their crimes unscathed, but also learn about the thought process that goes into committing the crime so in the future they can prevent them.
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This mystery sandbox makes for some interesting cases and Himitsu does a good job of keeping the formula fresh as the series progresses. Some episodes look at the memories of the killer, the blind, the insane or delusional, and even a mass murder that shows viewpoints from multiple perspectives.
The cast of characters can really help a series like this, and the main characters do not disappoint. Aoki is the main character and plays the role of the everyman and the newbie in the show. He knows how to read lips, which is an invaluable skill since the memories have no sound. His thoughts and actions will likely mirror yours as you progress through the series, and he easily grows the most out of the cast. Maki sits on the opposite side of the spectrum as the jaded boss of Section 9. He has dealt with a lot in the past few years and drives his team to perform at the best of their abilities. His specialty is a photographic memory and extreme attention to detail. He also has an uncanny ability to appear exactly when needed. The pairs’ abilities drive most case breakthroughs, fitting their role as core protagonists. In addition, their interpersonal drama allows us to see the series from both extremes.
The rest of the characters, are more of a mixed bag. Each character's personality is decent, and all of them have at least one episode devoted to them. Unfortunately, none of them fully develops. Amaichi plays the heroine in this mystery drama and has the most development of the supporting cast. She has a minor sixth sense that occasionally comes into play. She also has a sizable crush on Aoki, though he’s too busy with his work to notice much. Okabe is a married and experienced agent who has dealt with his fair share of difficulties and has a more experienced perspective. Soga, to contrast, is a recent academy graduate who still has much to learn and needs to get his impulses under control. Michiru and Onogida are the two technicians that program and maintain the machinery, and naturally, there’s a lot of interplay between them. They round out the core cast.
While much of Himitsu is episodic in nature, an overarching plot does exist. The main story focuses on a criminal named Kainuma. His case sent ripples through the division and deeply affected Maki and his outlook on life. Even after his death, he still manages to cause tremendous grief for Section 9. On top of that, the source of his influence may not be what it first appears. Toward the end of the series, this prompts a number of plot twists, some of which are genuinely surprising and moving. Unfortunately, it feels like the directors pushed far too much into the last episodes. It culminates in an ending largely based on convenience to tie the plot line together as quickly as possible. While this weakens the series, it still doesn’t drive it into the ground.
Himitsu really shines in the moral drama that plays alongside the story. Much of this deals with privacy. After all, Section 9 views the memories of the victims, and some of these may be embarrassing or potentially incriminating for others. The characters also have to come to grips with viewing the memories of those close to them. The mind of someone you may interact with every day is far different from the mind of a complete stranger. Finally, there’s the ever-present allure of using information gleamed from the videos to benefit oneself. Beyond the obvious implications lie other problems. The series probes religion, body modification, and other societal issues. It does occasionally falter in this area, but overall the morality play is interesting and engaging.
The character designs are mature to match the subject material. However, they also have a derivative feeling to them. For the longest time I couldn’t tell the two supporting males apart. Additionally, while I don’t expect the artists to put a lot of effort into the victims and other one-time characters, perhaps a little more imagination would have helped. On the other hand, the background elements get their due attention, befitting a mystery series. Much more effort goes into detail here than in the characters. A variety of settings helps keep the artwork fresh and make sure the viewer doesn’t burn out on the urban core of the series. However, it often feels like the setting is literally too dark, which might put a bit of strain on your eyes.
Himitsu’s vocal work is competent, and none of the characters are unduly grating. The voices fit the characters well, though at times it does feel like the actors needed to put more feeling into the performance. While the designs may have been uninspired, we do get a lot of variety in the voice work for the one-shots. The opening and closing themes are relevant to the series' premise and devoid of any unnecessary Jpop influences. The background music does a tremendous amount to help the mood of the series. In particular, the composer manages to drive the chilling feeling home when it’s required.
Despite its faults, Himitsu is a solid series with many high points and some unique devices going for it. It's probably the series from Spring 2008 that everyone missed. If you enjoy a good mystery or moral drama, take the time out and give it a shot.
Final Score: 8/10 MRIs
Alternative Titles
Synonyms: Himitsu: Top Secret - The Revelation
Japanese: 秘密(トップシークレット) The Revelation
Information
Type:
TV
Episodes:
26
Status:
Finished Airing
Aired:
Apr 9, 2008 to Oct 1, 2008
Premiered:
Spring 2008
Broadcast:
Unknown
Producers:
VAP
Licensors:
None found, add some
Studios:
Madhouse
Source:
Manga
Demographic:
Shoujo
Duration:
22 min. per ep.
Rating:
R+ - Mild Nudity
Statistics
Ranked:
#27702
2
based on the top anime page. Please note that 'Not yet aired' and 'R18+' titles are excluded.
Popularity:
#4899
Members:
19,736
Favorites:
71
Available AtResources | Reviews
Filtered Results: 11 / 11
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Your Feelings Categories Feb 13, 2010
Himitsu’s basic premise is interesting and makes good fodder for ideas. In the future, scientists have created a system to record and view people’s memories post-mortem. The world has entrusted this unique computer system to Japan’s Public Security Section 9. The men and women in this small department must examine the memories of murder victims to find the motive, means, and hopefully the assailant as well. They not only bring people to justice who might normally escape their crimes unscathed, but also learn about the thought process that goes into committing the crime so in the future they can prevent them.
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Jun 25, 2011
I read the compelling crime-drama josei manga “Himitsu” long before I tried the anime version. The manga was shocking, yet gripping. Steeped in mystery, crime, and violence, the horror was offset by high drama and Shimizu Reiko's beautifully drawn, lucid artwork. Never had skinned corpses looked so exquisite. And amidst the sacrifice of mind and even body, was a story of camaraderie: A small band of people supporting each other, clinging to what small shreds of sanity and human decency they could manage to keep.
I was afraid the anime would not communicate the strongest points of this powerful manga. I ... Sep 3, 2013
I've decided to review this hidden gem of a series as it needs more recognition. With less than 1500 users who have rated this series, there are many who are missing out.
As a fan of the mystery genre, I have seen a considerable number of anime which have attempted and failed in delivering genuinely interesting stories and those with surprising plot twists are rarer still. Himitsu - The Revelation excels in this. The overall concept of the show is the development and existence of a 'Memory Reproduction Imaging system (MRI)' which is able to replay the images of memories. Suffice to say, this ... Jul 1, 2015
Like some of you (probably?), I decided to watch Himitsu: The Revelation because the reviews, no matter how rare they are, were pretty good, and the synopsis seemed quite interesting. I'm a big fan of thriller and psychological shows, and the Japanese are usually good with their detective stories.
I honestly think the only reason why I haven't given it a higher score is because this anime obvisouly needed more episodes, aka more depth. There are a lot of side stories (I'm pretty sure 75% of the episodes are side-stories), so much that I got a bit bored. These stories only last about one to ... Oct 20, 2013
If, like me, you were looking for a detective show to get high on, and you somehow stumbled upon this hidden gem, then allow me to share my experience.
first himitsu's premise is very solid compared to most anime, it is about a governmental group that takes deceased, high value criminal cases, extracts the murdered and murderers brains and plays back their minds eye. so obviously this has some potential to be very interesting. The story is episodic mainly, with small arcs, and an underlying main story that pervades throughout the series. It didnt really go where i thought it might, nor did it live ... Feb 19, 2009
This is a really good anime it's kind of under rated to me because its pretty unique its about looking into the brains of the recently deceased to see memories prior to death to determine exactly how they died with the mri looking into the brain of a lunatic murderer sent maki(one of the main characters) bestfriend mad forcing him to kill him which is still haunting him they are some grisely murders scenes with some really psycho murderers but i wouldn't say this is the most violent show ever buts it makes you think which is good because you don't already know whats going
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Mar 13, 2010
What if the police could look at the memories of dead victims and criminals? It would certainly provide clues for solving crimes but what other secrets would it reveal? What would be the consequences of seeing things never meant to be seen? And, of course, who would try to take advantage of the technology to serve their own ends?
Himitsu - Top Secret is episodic with an overarching plot line. Nice animation, good character development that could have gone deeper had the series been longer. There is a touch of romance and hints that the director is gay but neither is the focus.; There issome ... Jun 12, 2016
I had high hopes for this series since I had read the manga before and I'm really happy at what the anime accomplished. My review may seem vague but it is like that to prevent any spoilers from leaking out since revealing a spoiler would instantly spoil the experience for prospective viewers.
Starting with the story, it reminded me a bit like Ghost In A Shell and Psycho Pass because it involves a particular section of the police force fighting against crime in their own unique way. The Section 9 of Himitsu deals with investigating the memories of dead suspects or witnesses by hooking up ... Oct 13, 2015
Watch it. Right now.
Whenever someone asks me to recommend them a mystery/psychological anime, Himitsu is always one that comes to my first. But then, it isn't something everyone will enjoy. At least I did. Don't drop it because it says "shoujo" because you won't even realise that you're watching a shoujo anime.(Shoujo anime are one of the most twisted afterall) Imagine it is 2050 and someone is watching your brain after you die. Do you want them to? Do you think it would be fun to watch someone's whole life? Himitsu leaves you with many questions. Story(9) When I started watching it, I thought that the concept was ... Jul 28, 2019
I bet people who say this anime is great haven't read the manga. I must admit that indeed this anime isn't bad IF you don't compare it with the manga. I might even give it a 7-8 score if I only watched the anime.
The manga is hundred times better and this anime just ruined it. It ruined their characters, the story, and many things. I won't talk about the art, sound, etc. What I'm gonna talk about is the comparison between the anime and the manga. Most of the filler episodes are- how do I put it- shallow maybe? (Idk if I use the right word). ... Feb 11, 2023
Zero! Is the amount of development main character makes during this show. Do you think he has issue with watching people's memories while doing his job? Don't worry, he'll tell you at least couple of times every episode. He's also your typical japanese worker staying overtime constantly even at the cost of his social life and friends which he doesn't have and show is portraying this as a virtue constantly praising how he achieved all of that by staying late at night.
All that said, show is interesting and story holds up well. It's a little bit disappointing that you can't figure out things on your ... |