Shinsekai Yori has one of the most polarized receptions out there. One side claims it to be heaven-sent, while the others find it to be deeply offensive to their very intellect. This polarization boils down to pretty much one thing—its unconventional style of storytelling.
This review/essay is primarily going to be focussed on the aforementioned techniques used to progress the narrative. I will not be covering any of the actual plot points at all, so in essence, this will be spoiler-free.
It’s interesting to note that most of the issues discussed below are limited mainly to a little over the first half of the show. The final
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arc (last 9 episodes or so) does not have almost any (if not just toned down versions) of the issues that the rest of the show faces. The final arc plays out pretty much like any other fantasy thriller and is honestly deserving of a 10. It lines up one pay-off after the other and results in a pretty damn satisfying viewing experience.
If you manage to get to this point in the story, you should have no trouble getting through the rest, and you’ll likely have a great time completing the series.
It’s getting to this point which many find to be a hurdle.
Let’s dive in.
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People often complain about exposition dumps, calling it poor writing. But when given an anime with little to no exposition, they say the narrative is impossible to follow (see: Steins;Gate), thus making it poorly written. Shinsekai Yori falls somewhere in the middle. Right off the bat, we are thrust into a fantastical future of humanity, with an intricately layered history of developments that led to that point. However, we—the viewer—are not made privy to these developments. We experience this society at the microscale along with our MC; what you see is what you get.
The way Shinsekai Yori deals with unveiling this narrative is quite unorthodox. The show opts to utilise the characters’ curiosity to question the nature of their society, while still having occasional bursts of exposition dumps. Often, this leads to the creation of seemingly blatant plot-holes, which are however filled in down the line due to the appearance of new information. This tends to keep the viewer constantly out of the loop and confused—which isn’t inherently a bad thing. In addition, it can feel like an absolute mishmash of genres at times, as the mood of the show changes at the flip of a switch. It’s easy to see how one can interpret this as a cheap attempt to create a false sense of confusion and shock-value, just to justify it in the following episode with a new set of ridiculous rules/facts about their world.
The pacing of the show is quite rushed as well. With the back-end work of developing intricate lore already done, the writers choose to let their eerie world-building do the heavy lifting in engaging the viewer. We are bombarded with plot developments (essentially just new information about their world) at an aggressive pace. It almost feels like we’re getting the ‘basement reveal from Attack on Titan’ in every single episode. Every scene is a ‘payoff scene’. Because of this, the characters and their development take a back seat. The protagonists can feel like shallow vessels—especially for the first few arcs. The show is driven purely by unveiling an intricately layered universe which is probably good enough to be considered peak fantasy.
Now, the question is whether or not this format is appealing. Personally, it felt like I was lulled into a state of completely ignoring the ‘gaping plot-holes’ while being entranced by the beautiful cinematography and plot. You can either hate the abnormal pacing, or appreciate it as a novelty factor—something critics have no problem doing with ‘masterpieces’ like FLCL. Call it an acquired taste if you want, but a weird acid-trip may just be what you’re looking for.
It’s on you; there’s no objective answer.
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It’s worth taking a moment to note and appreciate the semblance of Shinsekai Yori’s lore and world-building to Attack On Titan and Made In Abyss. Furthermore, that’s not where the similarities stop; eye-candy visuals and beautiful environmental design sculpt an immersive experience filled with wonder.
The visuals:
The show features excellent cinematography and shot composition—often using it to deliver a consistent sense of dread and unease. They don’t shy away from utilising an eclectic palette. Hyper-cinematic shots that are drenched in very loud monotones are a common occurrence.
The art style changes noticeably a few times in the beginning but settles in soon after. Excellent lighting and framing exemplify the surrealism of this fantasyland.
However, the same praise cannot be given to the animation. This isn’t the same A-1 that brought to life visual treats such as SAO. Numerous cuts feel extremely stiff—minimal facial movement leads to extremely awkward-looking conversations.
It begets me to point out that there is no way to avoid the blemishes caused by poor animation, and Shinsekai Yori’s stand out without a doubt.
The sound:
A scintillating soundtrack featuring what feels like a mix of operatic and prog rock sounds is other-worldly and only serves to add to the show’s fantastical nature.
To top it off, the goated ED/outro is one of the best I’ve had the pleasure of viewing. Stunning visuals and a catchy track basically brute-force you into forgetting any qualms you may have had with the episode you just watched. It manages to refresh your brain and compels you to proceed until you eventually succumb and click the ‘next episode’ button with a pleasant sigh.
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As I proceed to conclude, I think it’s worth touching on the topic of whether or not this was the best possible way of executing this anime. Was this the best way to tell this story?
Similar to the first season of Attack on Titan, the first half of the show was brimming with potential, promising us with a marvellous world that would be unveiled to us. However, the lack of character development and aggressive push towards developing the universe felt like I was watching one time-skip after the other. I was unable to even start forming connections and empathise with the characters until much later in the series.
It's like the author had managed to develop an amazing concept, but decided to not bother refining the actual execution. It was kinda like they decided to say "fuck it, just take this raw idea and enjoy it". This feels like it's somewhere between the One Punch Man webcomic (a brilliant raw idea) and the anime by Madhouse (a perfected piece of work). Perhaps equating it to the OPM manga by Murata is a good analogy—It's good enough to consume as it is, but it hasn't reached its full potential.
We were always so close to reaching a masterclass in storytelling, but we never reached perfection.
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So, we’re finally at the point where I’m going to have to answer the obvious question: “should you watch it?”
Definitely. I classify Shinsekai Yori as a must-try purely for its uniqueness and novelty. Just like other novel or avant-garde shows (say, Monogatari), there’s no guarantee that you will enjoy it. But there is without doubt merit in experiencing something that’s new or one-of-a-kind.
I give it an 8.5/10.
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Sep 11, 2020
Shinsekai yori
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Shinsekai Yori has one of the most polarized receptions out there. One side claims it to be heaven-sent, while the others find it to be deeply offensive to their very intellect. This polarization boils down to pretty much one thing—its unconventional style of storytelling.
This review/essay is primarily going to be focussed on the aforementioned techniques used to progress the narrative. I will not be covering any of the actual plot points at all, so in essence, this will be spoiler-free. It’s interesting to note that most of the issues discussed below are limited mainly to a little over the first half of the show. The final ... |
