It’s been nearly ten years since this anime aired and already since the pandemic started I’ve rewatched it twice, the second time with a family member who never really watches anime, and still enjoyed it just as much as when I first saw it. Why?
I first discovered this show when I was a couple of years older than the characters in the second arc (going on 16 at the time) and I’m writing this years later, having bought all three of the novels, downloaded the soundtrack, and rewatched it enough times to practically have it memorized. To be honest, I’m not actually sure why I decided to watch it in the first place: the cover picture and description on Crunchyroll, probably? But that summer that I picked it up had such an impact on me that I’m so glad I stuck with it.
An adaptation of an extensively written trio of novels, watching this anime makes me feel like I’ve been immersed in the story completely. The story is one that definitely benefited from being told in an animated format because of the brilliant, eerie world that it’s set in and with all the actors that move among it. Some of the episodes with the wonkier animation still work in my opinion, making some of the most tense scenes even more creepy. Even with timeskips and purposefully misheld information, each episode blends well together into the next, and plot points continue throughout the series for a satisfying sense of continuity.
I think what’s especially important to note is that, really, Saki is an ordinary protagonist. Her resilience and intelligence are not to be underestimated, but her power as just a regular person is what makes her shine. Perhaps because of the setting and structures of her society, nobody stands out because of their backgrounds or any influence they might have with others, but because of their actions, and Saki’s actions speak for themselves. Say what you will about the other characters/their development, but she’s very dynamic and the story explores her growth in so much depth that she feels like a real person. The worldbuilding is also fascinating and really serves to highlight the themes of the story—you learn about it along with Saki and even though there are info-dumps along the way, they are brought up again later and are actually essential to the story. And it all makes rewatching it that much more fun.
So if you’d like a break from some of the mainstream anime out there and are looking for a deeper story, I’d definitely recommend this show. To me, it brings a story to the screen in a way not many novel adaptations (even live action ones) do.
