Mirai Nikki, for most people, will be a hit or miss. It tries to combine a HELL of a lot of genres into one small package's worth of 26 episodes. There's probably a misconception that Mirai Nikki can be classified a "psychological thriller" the same way Death Note or Steins;Gate is commonly labeled, however, Mirai Nikki takes on a slightly different tone. At its core, Mirai Nikki was a romance.
Story - 8
It's difficult to judge Mirai Nikki's story. While it's concept is incredibly unique, it's hard to say that the presentation of it is done well. The plot twists are unexpected and wild, especially as the story reaches its climax, but gaping plot holes tarnish the experience a bit. You will NOT enjoy Mirai Nikki's story if you are expecting a bulletproof mystery story.
The first few episodes were extremely interesting for me. As the story progresses, however, it becomes apparent that many questions are left unanswered, and the show starts to become dull and dragged on. Mirai Nikki is another example of an anime that was too long for the story it had to tell. However, the show pulls itself together during the final episodes and picks up the pace in time to leave a mixed final impression.
Art - 9
The art is great, but not outstanding. It's evident that a lot of work was put into the action scenes to make it, well, action, and characters are drawn well. Overall, the art scheme is simply very fitting for what Mirai Nikki is. It's dark enough to be taken seriously as an action/psychological/thriller, but comedic and lighthearted as well for the aspects that need it. Mood changes within the anime are carried out pretty well.
Sound - 9
Great openings, endings, and BGM. Nothing too memorable, though.
Character - 10
Character is where Mirai Nikki becomes something to love or hate. For one thing, there are so many characters in this anime that it could not possibly hope to develop all of them or properly introduce them. The one thing it never falters from, however, is the focus on the two main characters, Yuki and Yuno. And this is where I believe Mirai Nikki truly shines.
A note on the main protagonist: Yuki is the typical Shinji archetype. He's weak, pathetic, and socially screwed, and although he goes through some incredible character development, he never becomes strong. If you are looking for that kind of Shounen anime, you should turn away now, because this kind of main character gets annoying REALLY fast.
There is no doubt in my heart, though, that Yuki becomes an entirely different person at the end of the show. He goes through a beautiful cycle of love, depression, misunderstanding and regret. Although Yuno's character development seems nonexistent at first, she is a truly unique character that is slowly unraveled and developed as well as the story reaches its climax.
Enjoyment - 8
Overall, I was pleased with the feeling that Mirai Nikki gave me. The only aspect of the show that brought it down to an 8 was that the story dragged on too long in the middle and my interest waned. I was pleasantly surprised, however, as the series finished. And although I usually come to dislike most endings, the ending to Mirai Nikki wasn't too bad.
Overall - 9
Watch it for a unique experience, but it may not be what you're looking for.
