Ajin OVA

Ajin OVA is not so important to watch if you're reading the manga, especially if we talk about the second episode..

Episode 1 - Another tragic story about being an Ajin.. Nakamura Shinya has something in common with Nagai Kei, still being interesting.. even if it were something we saw already
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Episode 2 - A funny episode with our characters, something simple at first.. but impressive at the end
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Episode 3 - Satou's past, huh?.. Some of the things we saw in the manga already.. like the first episode.. it was exaggerated, very.. some people are disappointed of this.. but I liked it, hey guys, COME ... ON.. It's Satou-San!!!!.. everything about my bae will be great, doesn't matter if it follows the manga or not.

These OVAs aren't at /all/ necessary save for the last one, but they're a good watch honestly. The animation is still sub-par, but the story-telling and characterization is tighter and stronger thanks to the runtime.

[Story - 7]

3 stories are covered in each OVA: an incident set before the show, a series of comedic vignettes from multiple POV's, and (parts of) Sato's backstory.

I particularly enjoyed the first one, as it had the 'horror' vibe I was told that this show had in spades, yet did not quite deliver on. It felt genuinely more intense and tragic than what happened in the show thanks to the more ... typical 'whiny teen' protagonist, which was fine for this one-off.

The second one was really goofy, but honestly? I LOVED it! It's nice to finally see all these (mostly) super-serious characters in comedic scenarios. Izumi and Tosaki's in particular was my favourite, as these are probably the two that are the most 'grounded'.

The third one was my favourite, though. If you somehow read my reviews of the 2 seasons, you'll have seen me complain about how Sato, despite how awesome he can be, lacks backstory. Well, here we finally get some! It's an interesting bit, as we see how his psychology transforms after participating in the capture of the 'first' Ajin, and even some traces of the Sato in the original show. I wish there was a bit more monologuing from him, but I'll take what I can get.

[Art - 4]

Artwork is the same quality as the first season (arguably looks even worse at certain moments). I really have nothing else to add here.

[Sound - 6]

Soundwork was the same as always - the music is lacking in identity but works well, the OP/ED music is stellar, and the SFX + voice-acting is fairly competent. I particularly love the voice-acting in the first one, as the desperation + justified angst of the protagonist truly comes through.

[Character - 7]

Characterization is considerably tighter here, thanks again to the reduced run-time. In the first OVA, it's all believably written and conveyed - there's no 'true' character arc, but you /do/ get invested in these characters for the 20-or-so minutes you watch them.

The second OVA is comedic, so it's just taking what was established in the show and applying it to skits. Nothing really different or new here.

The third OVA was pretty cool though - there are only really /2/ characters we focus on (Sato and a military buddy of his), but they receive enough fleshing out to warrant interest. Even though I LOVED how Sato's evolution was portrayed here, his buddy Kemper was written well and I would actually like to see/read more about him in future installments of the animanga just to see how he would react.

[Enjoyment/Overall - 6]

I don't really have any closing comments to add, as I think the introduction covered it just fine. Same recommendation as for the two seasons: watch if you don't really care about artwork, and just want good plot and characters.

The Ajin OVA comes as a delightful surprise to fans of the franchise, bundled with the limited edition eighth and ninth manga volumes.

The two episodes packed in a lot of humor that were surprisingly good. The first episode focuses on the infamous Shinya incident that was briefly touched upon in the first season of the parent show. The episode does a great job at fleshing out this important moment in the story, and provides great insight into Shinya's character. The second episode is another story on its own, but I highly recommend watching the latest episodes of the first half of the second season before ... watching it.

The animation in these OVAs is up to par with the quality seen in the parent show. The fluidity of the animation and attention to detail in character designs are both noteworthy.

The voice acting is on point, with each voice actor bringing life to their respective characters. The OSTs and sound effects contribute to the overall experience, and the opening and ending theme songs add an extra layer of excitement to each episode.

The characters are as compelling as ever, and the OVA allows us to see a different side of them. Sato's disturbing side and Tanaka's easily manipulated personality are both highlighted in these episodes, adding depth to their characters.

These episodes were a lot of fun to watch, and the humor added a new dimension to the show. The humor worked well and added to the overall enjoyment of the experience.

Overall, the Ajin OVA is a great addition to the franchise, and I highly recommend it to fans of the series. The focus on Shinya's story, combined with the humor, makes for a memorable experience. If you're a fan of the show, this is a must-watch!