Zettai Shounen

Oftentimes, people are most vulnerable when they are lonely and unable to get along with those around them. Isolation is felt more keenly amongst a crowd, so some will try to find solace in the strangest of places, where the unknown lurks. Such people include Ayumu Aizawa, a former city boy now living in the countryside of Tana, and Kisa Tanigawa, a young girl who has a hard time relating to others. What these two share in common is a feeling that their life has gone astray.

Zettai Shounen tells a story of strange phenomena affecting two different settings, with no explanations of their origin or sudden appearance. All that is known is that these phenomena seem to center on individuals with mixed emotions toward themselves and others.

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

Tanigawa, Kisa Main

Kobayashi, Akiko Japanese

Aizawa, Ayumu Main

Toyonaga, Toshiyuki Japanese

Miyama, Miku Main

Saitou, Chiwa Japanese

Miyama, Miki Main

Mitsuhashi, Kanako Japanese

Yamato, Rieko Main

Sadohara, Tomoko Japanese

Sukawara, Akira Supporting

Matsumoto, Miwa Japanese

Wakkun Supporting

Takeuchi, Junko Japanese

Toudou, Asako Supporting

Mizuno, Risa Japanese

Dosshiru Supporting

Miyama, Mika Supporting

Suzuki, Masami Japanese

Morijiri, Kazuaki Producer

Okamura, Masahiro Producer

Morimoto, Kouji Producer

Itou, Daisuke Producer

Reviews

Apr 16, 2024

Saladlegs

Recommended

Surreal: beyond real. This is a surreal show, not in the sense that it is dreamlike, but because it portrays a humanity not confined by the limits of our reality. The characters and dialogue are reminiscent of Dostoevsky’s writing, they are not life-like, but they feel much realer than anything. There is a large variety in the cast, but all of the characters are memorable. Some have a large influence in the story, and others whose arcs are more self-contained. But all of them contribute to the overall atmosphere created by the story, an atmosphere of loneliness.

This is a show about communication and isolation, ... which is why cell phones take such a prominent symbolic role in the story. Following in the footsteps of Evangelion, the major conflicts in this show derive from the characters’ failure to express themselves and to understand each other. Characters attempt to find themselves, some purpose, or some truth in the world.

As a contemplative show, it is slowly paced with most of the time characters talking and plenty of atmospheric shots. The character interactions are a highlight, dialogue is engaging and fun which makes the slow pace enjoyable. At times the show gives a relaxed comfort, like the comfort found in being alone, and at others it transfers the warmth of companionship.

With the other driving force of conflict in the show being characters’ search for truth and understanding surrounding the central mystery, this is quite the epistemological anime as the show questions reality, truth, and our understanding of it. With Kazunori Itō of Production I.G fame (Patlabor, Ghost in the Shell) at the head of its writing, it is no surprise that the show breaks out the philosophy textbook and gives an intriguing mystery with lots to digest.

Another recognizable name, Tobe Sunaho the character designer for Humanity has Declined, has her only other anime work here. Her art style is distinct and gives a unique character to the show. The backgrounds and overall style are pretty. While the directing is competent and gives some interesting shots at times.

There seems to be somewhat of a consensus towards the second half of the show’s story that it is non-sequitur and of lower quality to the first. While there is a large shift in the literal textual events, the story is a clear continuation and follows similar ideas introduced in the first half. The second half is different but is just as great as it introduces new characters with new problems and advances the story. This is a surprisingly contentious show, certainly unknown compared to its contemplative relatives. I thought I would show it some love because it is one of the greatest shows I have seen in a long time.

Reviewer’s Rating: 9

What did you think of this review?

Nice 0

Love it 0

Funny 0

Confusing 0

Informative 0

Well-written 0

Creative 0

More reviews by Saladlegs (4)

Show all

Read more

Show less

Open

Gift

Report

Feb 24, 2015

windkirby

Recommended

I'm writing a review in an attempt to express my feelings on an anime I feel few have heard of. Zettai Shonen is in my opinion a masterpiece of storytelling and is my favorite anime/tv show of all time.

The guidelines say not to summarize, but I'll give my take in this paragraph if anyone is interested: The story is split into two halves. The first deals with a city boy spending a summer in a small, somewhat boring town, quiet but for the constant, tremulous calls of cicadas, but the summer becomes more interesting when supernatural occurrences begin to take place. In the second half, ... we are taken to a city in the winter to follow a reclusive girl who has stopped going to school, whose life also changes due to similar supernatural events. The two arcs are related but loosely.

The story is not ambitious or complex, and it is actually this simplicity that lends it such strength. The conflicts are small, perhaps even microscopic; but in the attention to minutiae I perceive such a deep love for the characters that I've rarely if ever seen matched in another visual storytelling work of art. I actually do not like supernatural events in animes I watch and prefer slice-of-life; however, the supernatural blends so well with the day-to-day that it doesn't feel like a gimmick or a ploy to keep you interested. Instead, the characters interact authentically with these happenings in a way that deepens your perception of them, rather than distracting you from them for the sake of a showy plot.

The story-telling is slow. Don't watch if you are looking for revelatory twists, sabotage, or some slow build-up leading to a fantastic climax where all the questions are answered. The twists are more "hmm" than "aha!", there are no grand schemes, and the climaxes come, but again, they are focused more on the characters than on the universal ramifications. We're not here to scientifically chart out something new but to just spend some time with some individuals.

With that said, I will state that the characters are somehow a bit simple in their depth. They are SO un-distracted in pursuing their personal truths that they don't seem like people you would actually run into on the street. Watching I felt almost as if I was getting to see humans who were more human than actual humans, due to the busy chaos of how life goes. But that's more of a pleasure than a complaint.

The art and sound are somewhat marked by the time the anime was made, though I personally like it that way. They seem old-fashioned but still beautiful. Even though the rural setting of the first arc is more naturally arresting in my opinion than the city setting, the team has a way of making even the crowded metropolis seem humanized and rightful in its existence.

I feel there really isn't a drop of hate, fear, or outlandishness in this anime. I suppose the closest it comes to outlandish are the supernatural child characters, which I forgive them for. As for hatred, the characters can be quite cruel--don't get me wrong. But it is the patience the anime has for these characters, somehow even supporting these cruelties, and its inclusiveness of them as a part of life, that make me feel as though the anime reveres the human experience like no other I've seen.

I'm sure I haven't done the anime justice, or perhaps I've soured its qualities by speaking too highly of them. If I've exaggerated what it is, that's my mistake. But I truly believe it is an anime worth watching--certainly not for everyone, but perhaps for some, even worth watching again and again. If you are in the market for a slow-paced anime to chill you out or perhaps get you to think about things you don't always have time to think about, I recommend Zettai Shonen. In its embrace of the mundane, it is a character-driven powerhouse.

Reviewer’s Rating: 10

What did you think of this review?

Nice 0

Love it 0

Funny 0

Confusing 0

Informative 0

Well-written 0

Creative 0

More reviews by windkirby (1)

Show all

Read more

Show less

Open

Gift

Report

Nov 22, 2021

EarthPotato

Not Recommended

This anime feels like a shitty game.
This is mainly due to the slow progress of the main plot and the boring length side quest that I give 0 fuck. There's only like 20% of the main quest and the other 80% is filled with shitty side quest that are unskippable.

I'm not saying the whole anime are shit, the first arc is good because it feels like the main quest and side quest were moving along side each other so you don't feel that much of gap on the story going on. It slowly reveal the main mystery going on in the anime while showing ... the surrounding character lifestyle.

The second arc feels like it's a crazy ass shit filler. It take like 8-9 episode on this shitty ass romance bullshit going on between these 4 main characters that I hate. It's the typical childhood cliche shit where there is 1 girl like the dude, and the dude like the other girl, and the other girl like nobody, and then there's this 1 outsider group loved 1 of the childhood friend. Damn this arc is so stressful that it ruined the series for me. The main story for the second arc is on the last 4 episode or so. It reveals the "truth" on the mystery part. The story balance is way off for the second arc.

I would say that the ratio for the first arc feels like 10% main and 10% side story. Second arc is 10% main and 70% side story. The anime should've ended on the first arc.

Reviewer’s Rating: 3

What did you think of this review?

Nice 0

Love it 0

Funny 0

Confusing 0

Informative 0

Well-written 0

Creative 0

More reviews by EarthPotato (31)

Show all

Read more

Show less

Open

Gift

Report

Strange Things Are Happening in This Town

by OhlLonesomelMe

25 Entries · 92 Restacks

Obscure kino you should peruse (#4000 popularity and up)

by namorin

20 Entries · 46 Restacks

Anime Not On Streaming Services 2

by ReSeinen

50 Entries · 50 Restacks

	Poll: Zettai Shounen Episode 26 Discussion Hyoroemon - Sep 2, 2011	13 replies	by ParkerDS »» Nov 3, 5:01 PM
	Poll: Zettai Shounen Episode 17 Discussion ShanaFlame - May 30, 2009	3 replies	by ParkerDS »» Oct 20, 1:22 PM
	Poll: Zettai Shounen Episode 16 Discussion ShanaFlame - May 30, 2009	3 replies	by ParkerDS »» Oct 20, 1:16 PM
	Poll: Zettai Shounen Episode 9 Discussion ShanaFlame - May 30, 2009	4 replies	by ParkerDS »» Oct 18, 4:45 PM
	Poll: Zettai Shounen Episode 3 Discussion ShanaFlame - May 30, 2009	8 replies	by ParkerDS »» Oct 5, 7:05 PM

Top 15 Best Underrated Anime: Writer's Corner

Sifting through the dark, forgotten recesses of My Anime List like some sort of anime hipster, our writers have brought you 15 of what they consider to be the most underrated anime out there. Under appreciated masterpiece or stinker that got the reception it deserved; you decide.

by MAL_editing_team

317,192 views

Spoiler

RecommendationCollection

9 Anime's Greatest Directors: Writer's Picks

If you ask the general public to name anyone associated with anime, they’re almost certain to name a certain director – Miyazaki Hayao. But for anime fans themselves, the director is a crucial component of anime success that’s too often overlooked.

by GuardianEnzo

99,423 views

RecommendationCollectionAnalysisDirector