STORY: 10/10
Like mentioned in the premise, Shinsekai Yori is a sci-fi anime, and for good reason. The setting of the story, while seemingly is feudal Japan, is actually 1000 years in the future. The people of the "new world" have developed a psychokinetic power, called "Cantus", which has shaped the world in ways unimaginable. SSY follows the five children as they attempt to piece together and uncover the horrific, dark secrets of their beautiful world.
SSY's story is told in a way that never allows the viewer to ever "relax" in their world. The viewer is always kept on edge because nothing is ever as it seems. Almost every character other than five protagonists have an angle, and the characters are all monitored incredibly closely in their village. It's the nature of their world. The story is unique and very engaging. I've noticed many say that nothing happens in the first three episodes. While not much story-wise happens (it's mostly there to explain the terms of the world), each episode ends with a twist, including the first three. In fact, of the nineteen that have aired, none have ended without something unexpected happening at the episode's conclusion. All in all, the story captivates the viewer and keeps good pace through the series.
ART: 10/10
The artwork in the first five episodes is incredible. From then on, it somewhat varies but still maintains a very high level of detail. The art style is definitely unique but never detracts from the experience.
SOUND: 10/10
The music in SSY is phenomenal. While the series takes place far into the future, the music is very reminiscent of something one would find in an anime series taking place in the past. It fits well with the scenery and really does its job in building tension when needed. This series features no opening sequence, but the first ending, "Wareta Ringo" by Risa Taneda, is one of the most beautiful and surreal songs I've ever heard (of course, the animation is also amazing). Very high marks here.
CHARACTER: 10/10
SSY really shines here. The series features two timeskips which means that we really do see the protagonists grow up and actually see the affects of the events around them on their personalities. The series does a great job of portraying the reactions of the characters in a realistic way. It's incredibly easy to relate to each character in one way or another, and even characters that are introduced for one or two episodes are given unique personalities. Usually, these characters are killed off rather soon, only adding to the emotional aspect of the series.
ENJOYMENT: 10/10
Shinsekai Yori's story is incredibly engaging and grapples the viewer after the fourth episode. Each week leaves you wanting more and the 22 minutes or so go by in what feels like 5. This is a really fun series to watch.
OVERALL 10/10:
Shinsekai Yori is truly a unique gem. It is a science fiction anime in that the events in the series could, concievably, happen one day. The initial poster for this series paints a picture of a beautiful world filled with happy people. Viewers quickly realize that this isn't the case and is very far from it. In a sense, this is also a horror anime not only because of the brutal, scathing history of the world, but also because the beautiful world potrayed is shattered very quickly, and its true nature is revealed. In addition to that, it explore human psychology and development and even follows the progression of other species seeking to overthrow humans as the dominant species on earth.
It's a gripping series that I must recommend to anyone interested.
