This review is for Part 2 of the anime, Ajin: Demi-Human.
Summary:
Ajin: Demi-Human is an anime based on Gaimon Sakurai’s manga of the same name. This review is for Part 2 of the series, which strays completely from the source material and is far inferior to the original contentl. Ajin: Demi-Human takes place in modern society, except some people have the power to regenerate after they die. The story is intense and posits many questions about persecution and social challenges. Overall, the anime is an excellent sci-fi story. This story is definitely dark, so it may not be suitable for younger anime fans or anyone looking to try anime for the first time.
Story: 4/10
The plot of the story is unique and intriguing: It takes elements of sci-fi and modern society to illustrate a witch hunt or persecutory mentality. The world-building is effective in presenting the society in which the characters live, and the plot is influenced by the characters’ decisions, making the story more worthwhile. In addition, there are some pretty funny jokes in this anime. Part 2 has an engaging, suspenseful plot, although the main character’s behaviors are even more jarring than in Part 1. Additionally, the finale of Part 2 feels extremely rushed, and (no spoilers) the powers that the main character loses and gains control over aren’t fleshed out well. This anime is not closely based of the manga source material, and it shows.
Art: 6/10
The art style is fitting for the story. The detail in the background is average, and the “monsters” are well-adapted from the manga. Overall, the anime maintains the dark and harsh art of the manga. I especially enjoyed the detail in the characters’ facial expressions.
Sound: 6/10
The background music is fitting and the voice acting is sufficient. The ending song for Part 2 is phenomenal.
Character: 3/10
One of the challenges with the show is the inconsistencies with the main character. Many of the side characters have more telling dialogue and behaviors, whereas Kei Nagai seems unpredictable, particularly in Part 2. His patterns are also more sporadically based on the plot in Part 2 which makes the story trickier to follow. The support characters tend to be more interesting, relatable, and develop more consistently than Kei. They are fleshed out nicely in Part 2. Overall, the characters are average because the main character weighs down the support characters. The characters do pale in comparison to their counterparts in the manga.
Enjoyment: 5/10
This was a Netflix anime that I actually enjoyed because of its dark premise and themes. Although the story itself diverged completely from the manga, it is still fun to watch and quite suspenseful. The biggest challenge was how the final episode felt rammed together and rushed.
Overall: 4.8/10
This is an anime that has an exciting plot, but the main character weighs it down. Overall, I believe it is of above-average quality.
