JYB + Tokyo Ghoul= This Show: Ajin

Greetings fabulous peoples!  I’m back again this week with a brand new review on a show that has been on my watchlist for quite sometime.  In fact, if any of you fellow readers have read my discussion post Is CGI Ruining Anime?, you might remember this one. While I made a comment on the show’s animation style, I have stated that the show nonetheless looked interesting enough to watch.  And when I got Internet T.V. installed at my house and a subscription to Netflix, I finally got my opportunity.  So sit back, relax, and enjoy this week’s review on the CGI thriller Ajin.

Kei Nagai was once an ordinary teen until he’s hit by a truck and learns that he is an ajin, a seemingly immortal creature that can regenerate and revive itself after dying.  These beings can also create separate entities of themselves called black ghosts which can be used to fight other ajins.  They can also only be seen by other ajins.  Kei is immediately wanted by the Japanese government and goes on the run with the help of his friend Kaito.  But he soon becomes the target of a group of ajins later revealed to despise humans for the inhumane experiments the government conducts on ajins.  Kei is put in a constant struggle throughout season one to survive as an ajin and learn about his new powers all while trying to hide from the government and the ajins bent on terrorizing humans.

Like I said in the intro, I was already pretty invested in watching this show.  And overall, I was not disappointed in what I saw.  So I give Ajin a solid eight out of ten rating.  Definitely a must see!...but not because of the animation.  What I actually enjoyed the most about this show was the story.  Sure, the overall concept wasn’t anything new.  In fact, it reminded me a lot of Tokyo Ghoul; a young character unintentionally becomes a creature that, in their world, is a target of fear and hatred.  Granted, both stories are different.  Kei is definitely a less angsty character than Kaneki was thanks to how quickly his personality seems to change in the first season- take notes, Kaneki.  But what really got me excited about this series was the pace and the action.  It does exactly what a thriller is supposed to do, get your adrenaline pumping.  And it does a fantastic job at it!  Plus it also does a good job at keeping you guessing who’s good and who’s bad, only to find that both sides are terribly flawed anyway.  So yeah, it was worth my time and a Netflix subscription.

As for the downsides…*sigh*…let’s face it, you knew it was coming.  The animation really is the biggest downside to the show.  That’s not to say that it’s bad, it’s just a little different.  Maybe a little too different.  There were a lot of times where I wondered if it was really necessary to animate the entire series using mostly CGI.  There were a few moments with some hand drawn animation, and they looked really cool, but for the most part it was all CGI.  Like I said in my Is CGI Ruining Anime post, I think Japanese studios are still experimenting with CGI, so what you see in Ajin isn’t perfect.  Plus Kei being voiced by Johnny Yong Bosch in the English dub is also a pretty attractive feature to the character, too (I’m kind of a fan).But given that Polygon Pictures had a successful show with this style before with Knights of Sedonia, it’s obvious that what they’re doing is working.  But still, I say don’t focus on the animation style so much when you watch this show; the story is where it’s at.  Sure, the animation takes some getting used to, but it’s well worth the watch.

So overall, the animation maybe a little weird, but Ajin is definitely worth the time and a subscription to Netflix…but don’t get it just for that.  If you don’t want to subscribe to Netflix, however, the  AjinAnd so, that ends this week’s post!  Now I mentioned in my last post that I had another Talkative Thursday post planned for August.  Unfortunately, with a new busy work schedule and yet another semester of grad school, I don’t think I’ll have time for it.  So sadly, that will be put on hold for a while.  Otherwise, expect a new review next Sunday as always!

-Hanime on Anime

Ajin English Trailer

P.S.: Can I make a note of the total disregard Netflix has for the manga this show is based on by stating that the show is based on “a manga by Kodanasha.”  Really, Netflix?  Is that how you treat a successful manga series? But I guess as long as you can put your name on it, it’s all fine and dandy.