Maybe my review premise is a little over-the-top. But the thing is, I just haven't watched any anime in a long time, and when I did, the first one that grabbed my attention was this - Mirai Nikki.
And, boy, did I get hooked!
You'll see a lot of memes about Mirai Nikki, with I think the most popular being: Gasai Yuno - The Original Overly Attached Girlfriend. I'm not really sure but ever since this anime was shown, I think more people became interested in Yandere characters. Suffice to say, the anime is a masterpiece that have created trends.
But what to expect in Mirai Nikki if you hadn't seen it yet?
Well, in that note, you need to prepare yourselves for, just, EVERYTHING.
Story: 10
I did not look at the summary of Mirai Nikki before watching it. It's a little embarrassing but the only push I needed was a random picture of the main characters kissing with tears brimming in their eyes.
And when I did watch it...
Man, was it a once-in-a-lifetime ride.
You'll find almost everything in Mirai Nikki - Pyschological, Fantasy, Romance, Comedy, Supernatural, Thriller, Suspense, Mystery, Gore, Drama, Action ... just, whirlwind of emotions compressed in 26 episodes, and 1 OVA.
I'll try to give you a heads up about all these, but really, there is simply not enough premise that can prepare anyone for the roller-coaster that is Mirai Nikki.
Let's dive in.
You'll first be introduced to a Dark Fantasy kind of theme where Yuki has this boring life and all he does is create a random diary in his cellphone, and he "thought" he created Deux, the God of Time, whom he converse with from time to time. There's a good summary for this, so I won't explain everything. What I'm only trying to say is that the first part introduced the theme of Dark Fantasy...
Then comes Suspense and Action, when he and Yuno engaged to their first battle...
Then...
Everything else.
At the middle part, you'll get a taste of mystery and psychological with Yuno's past. From then on, everything in the story shifted. And from time to time, it includes comedic scenes for a little breather in between intense scenes.
You'll be surprised by how bold this anime is with issues of rape, or torture, or kidnapping - how unafraid the creators were in showing EVERYTHING with no censorship, which are easily shut down by other animes.
You'll find yourself wanting to watch the next episode, and when you did, it's just not enough. So you'll watch the next, and then the next, and the next, without stopping...
Until you've surprised yourself that you are already nearing the end.
And by the end, you'll weep your eyes out over the dramatic ending (at least that's what happened to me), because you know everything miraculously worked out well, and that all the characters had the happy endings they deserve. Happy endings (albeit slightly sad for this one) are never cliches for me.
And when that last second hit the mark signalling the series' ending, you'll want to watch the OVA to satisfy the closure you'll be seeking.
(It kind of feels like every questions were answered, and every scattered piece of the jigsaw puzzle finally reunited to create one perfect image.)
And when all these are over, you'll be afraid, not because of the anime's contents, but because you know it has spoiled you forever against any other cheap, stereotypical anime.
And you know it's a long shot to find anything better than (or even at par with) this.
*Sighs*
(I know my review contains a lot of exaggerations, that's why I had that warning above as my premise...)
Art: 10
I think the art perfectly suits the anime's genres, and theme. The character designs stand out, and the execution of action/suspense scenes were perfect. And for me, if those requirements were fulfilled, then they are more than enough reasons to merit this anime with a ten.
Sound: 10
When you see the opening song, you know this anime is going to be great... and you won't be disappointed.
Every background music in the scenes fit perfectly with its theme.
Character: 10
What I liked about the characters of Mirai Nikki is how original they were.
Gasai Yuno - a trend setter for Yandere types. She's LITERALLY crazy. She's a badass. She kills people, all for Yukiteru's sake. She's a dual character - an ally and a foe. You have never seen anyone like her yet.
Amano Yukiteru - weakling at first, but you can relate to him. In my own opinion, he's a good manipulator, not just of events, but of Yuno. He knows how to work his way to stay alive (which is the whole point of the anime - a survival game). And he became incredibly badass towards the end. But before achieving the level of badassness, you're first introduced to all his fears, and that, I think, makes him very human. As a viewer, I felt that his reactions were very realistic.
I know many people criticize Yuki, but I feel that the way he was made was perfect for this anime. Sure, Yuno is one of those characters you will never forget, but I think Yuki, who you could easily forget, is the one who plays the game cleverly well. Because you can forget Yuki, he can work behind the scenes, and move the plot in the direction that he wanted without anyone noticing.
Others - For an anime of only 26 episodes, I think the other characters played their roles well. Each of them brought different flavors to the game. And that there makes this anime a masterpiece.
Enjoyment: 10
Come on, this is an obvious score.
Overall: 10
It doesn't take a genius to compute that my overall score is a PERFECT TEN.
Watching this was a worthwhile ride, indeed.
(After watching Mirai Nikki, I opened myself to other animes, and that's a fine example of an anime with a great influence to its audience.)
