Kiseijuu: Sei no Kakuritsu was one of the popular anime that came out in 2014. 2014 contained many monsters that shook up the anime community, and even though Kisejiuu took control of the fall season, it couldn't claim the year, not even close. The few people who have seen Kiseijuu will defend it to death... but the review below will explain why it didn't reach the popularity of it 'deserved'.
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STORY: 7/10
For such a 'complex anime' Kisejiuu is actually not that detailed of a story. Aliens have come to earth and hide inside humans, and the protagonist becomes half human half alien. 'Big deal... It's just Tokyo Ghoul junior then... it has no actual plot.' Well, that's where you're wrong. Instead of killing off the human race because they have to for food, these aliens, called Parasytes, actually have unique personalities. I'll get into this more with characters, but it definitely messes with the plot and makes it more interesting when you don't know what the parasyte is going to do next. But again, as was with Tokyo Ghoul, there really is no overall 'plot', it's just another episode about a boy trying not to be found out as half alien. Kiseijuu earns bonus points though, because they end every episode in a cliffhanger, so once you start, you won't be able to stop. But...... it all leads up to an unsatisfying conclusion, so I took those points back.
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ART: 7/10
Most people see Madhouse and immediately score the anime 10/10 visuals. At least try to remember what it looked like, please... now, don't misunderstand, I'm not hating on Madhouse, it's my favorite studio as well as yours but.... the art itself in Kiseijuu is... nothing special. It's just average. The animation as well, is good, but, just nothing to write home about.
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SOUND: 9/10
Kiseijuu can be nothing less than a 9 in this category. The opening, ending, and every soundtrack perfectly fit the mood of the anime, and the soundtracks are not only unique and recognizable, but they are dang good! The voice acting as well, is just amazing! The only drawback I have to say is that the songs get old fast, but they are strategically placed in the anime so this doesn't happen. However, there is one or two scenes where they get overconfident and place dubstep where it doesn't belong. Despite this, the sound in Kiseijuu is still truly masterfully crafted.
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CHARACTER: 5/10
The characters of Kiseijuu as a whole, are bad. Don't get me wrong, Kiseijuu has a few very good characters. But most of them are just unlikable, generic, and blandly designed. I will list out the few characters I liked and tell you why, but the rest are just boring. 1. Migi - Great character, he's weird, quirky, and curious and I love it. 2. Kana - She is like a fangirl towards the main character, but does it in a fresh way so it doesn't feel like a cheesy romance. However she is arrogant and doesn't heed the warnings of Shinichi, and as such pays the price. Well done Kiseijuu, well done. 3. Ryuoko - Hands down the greatest character of the show, debatably of 2014 as a whole. She is a parasyte who is not quite on either side of the battles, she is clever and takes on many names to escape her fate, but perhaps her most intriguing trait is her curiosity towards human life. This same curiosity leads to her producing a human child with a human man, despite her being a parasyte, and her love and understanding of the human mothers is what causes her to chose death over abandoning her baby. 4. Shinichi Izumi - I almost didn't put him on this list based on design alone, but Shinichi has massive character development, and though I do feel he is overrated because he is the protagonist, he is still a good character. As you can see, I have amazing things to say about these characters.... but the rest are so unlikable that you really don't care what happens to them, which took away my enjoyment of the show.
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FINAL VERDICT: 7/10
Kiseijuu is a good anime, but it is still a little bit overrated. Even though it passes out an extraordinary message saying that humans should treat all living beings as equals, it still is not a masterpiece. However, I encourage you to try it out, especially if you like thriller anime.
