This was an engaging and suspenseful anime. It’s not a terribly unique plot but it’s one that works well. It’s interesting that while there was a danger from the Gastrea, basically a zombiesque invader, they weren’t the real enemy of the series.
What I liked:
1. The enemy wasn’t as much the Gastrea as other humans. It wouldn’t have been bad for it to have been the Gastrea but it would have been predictable and expected. This made it much more suspenseful and interesting to me.
2. Satomi was a complex character with a mysterious past that was revealed over the course of the series. I loved that he wasn’t afraid to speak his mind or stand up to anyone, regardless of their station.
3. I found the rivalry between Kisara and Miori quite amusing.
4. Sensei was demented in the best way.
5. I found myself loving to hate Hiruko.
What I didn’t like:
1. Enju is a ten year old girl who keeps hitting on Satomi like she’s 25. It’s made clear in the anime that it’s disturbing but that doesn’t make it any less disturbing.
2. As much as I enjoy watching the rivalry battles between Kisara and Miori, it bothers me that a high-schooler (Miori) is openly offering sex to Satomi on a regular basis. I guess I’m getting old.
3. Regardless of your opinion of Ayn Rand’s work, she was a she. Making her a male villain is just wrong.
4. There’s no logical reason for the Cursed Children to be only females other than to create a bunch of loli fodder.
STORY: The synopsis makes this out to be a typical “defeat the invaders” plot when it’s really not about that at all. That’s an overarching theme, yes, but it’s really not the true focus. It’s more of a backdrop. The real enemies are humans -- political enemies, social enemies, peer enemies, familial enemies, unexpected enemies. It’s not just the Gastrea and it’s far more interesting for it. There are quite a number of deep themes touched on in here, more to be conversation starters, I believe, than to give any true answer. What defines social injustice and how should we respond? Does who we or our role in society play a part in how we should respond? Should it play a part? Who has the right to determine who lives and who dies, who’s worthy and who’s not? How does one determine any of that? How should we respond to death? How does war desensitize us to death? So many questions that aren’t really answered because they are almost impossible to answer. But they should be discussed.
ART: The art is good. Nothing struck me as amazing but nothing stood out as awful either. It was slightly better than average. There was detail in the hair and clothing of the main characters but not the “extras.” The facial drawing could have been better. The backgrounds were realistic enough and didn’t really add or detract from the scenes. None were memorable. There was a really lovely array of textures -- cement, marble, glass, steel, wood, modern and traditional.
CHARACTER: Satomi was the most complex of the characters but given that he’s the main character, that’s the way it should be. His motivations were straight-forward and remained consistent. He’s a Protector personality but he didn’t always succeed and that added suspense and realism and angst, and I loved it. He was often snarky and sarcastic, a fabulous combination. He struggled with his emotions in a variety of ways and was a well-rounded character who went through several mini-growth arcs. Stellar character writing, in my opinion. The other characters were nowhere near as complex but they weren’t shallow either. They each had their own distinct motivations and goals and acted accordingly. Enju had a small growth arc, as did Tina, and many of the Cursed Children showed their humanity in a variety of ways.
SOUND: The sound was okay. I rarely noticed it one way or the other. A couple times, I felt the background music wasn’t suitable but it was short-lived. I didn’t particularly like the first opening or ending theme but the second set, I liked better.
OVERALL: I enjoyed it. It kept my attention and while it never elicited a strong emotional response from me, despite many emotional moments, I did like the questions it posed in my mind. I liked that, in reality, they weren’t fighting the Gastrea as much as each other and oftentimes, used the Gastrea as an excuse for what otherwise would have been inexcusable. I recommend it and feel it’s best watched as a marathon or in chunks of four episodes for cohesiveness.
