[WT!] Ajin: Demi-Human

In honor of the season 2 announcement, I thought I'd try and recruit some new fans to this highly suspenseful series. This series is now available on Netflix.Anime MALSource Manga MALNote: This post is strictly speaking about the 12-episode TV series. I cannot comment on the movies as I haven't seen them, but I believe the TV series contains everything the films do, but with additional scenes.PremiseAjins are a race of immortal beings who appear identical humans, but are immortal and regenerate completely when killed. In addition, Ajin can generate Black Ghosts, which are invisible beings that possess incredible combat prowess, but require training to produce and control.As expected of this type of series, our MC is one and becomes the target of two groups: Government agencies looking to capture all Ajins for research and an Ajin terrorist group looking to recruit new members in their bid establish a new Ajin nation state in Japan.There are definite Tokyo Ghoul comparisons to be had here, though I can only speak on this as a TG anime-only watcher. I will simply the say that while the initial premise is nearly identical, the differing personalities of the main cast send the series in quite a different direction from TG.CharactersSpeaking of which, as alluded to before, the characters set this apart from Tokyo Ghoul. Our MC is Kei, who appears to be your standard introverted shounen MC, but in reality, is quite different. He is a hard character to get a read on, because he demonstrates both empathy and selfishness at various points in the plot. It is implied that Kei is a sociopath who only commits acts of kindness as a matter of fitting into society, rather than any actual feelings of empathy. He is played well by Mamoru Miyano, who channels a lot of his experience as Light Yagami in this vocal performance.Next is the main villain, Satou, the leader of the pro-Ajin faction. He is simply a great antagonist as a charismatic and chilling antagonist who is able to expertly leverage the national media to meet his own ends. He is also perfectly willing to do the dirty work if necessary, which is not something common among these types of mastermind villains. Satou is played by Houchuu Ootsuka, who is known for his role as Naruto's Jiraiya.Other characters include the Tosaki, a government man who is desperate to defeat the Ajins for both personal and professional reasons. He is played Takahiro Sakurai, known for his roles as Psycho-Pass's Shougo Makishima, Code Geass's Suzaku Kururugi and Gundam Iron-Blooded Orphans' McGillis Fareed.His assistant, Shimomura, is the only significant female character in the show and sadly, she is often relegated to being an observer in Tosaki's plans. However, she is prominent in several action scenes, and these are among the series' finer moments. She is played by Mikako Komatsu, who has previously played Hai to Gensou no Grimgar's Yume, Gundam Build Fighters' Sei Iori and Ushio to Tora's Asako Nakamura.Animation and MusicNext of all, and this is going to make or break for many, is the animation. Yes, the frame rate is choppy and will take at least a few episodes to get used to, although fans of Knights of Sidonia will feel at home here. But the CG's dulled color scheme perfectly fits the atmosphere of this fairly grim series and chiaroscuro (the contrast of light and shadow) is used effectively in a way that's only possible through CGI. We also get some gripping action scenes like this which demonstrate the unique abilities/techniques of Ajins and the general badassery of the main antagonist, Satou.The OST by Yugo Kanno (Psycho-Pass, Jojo Stardust Crusaders) is chilling and really nails the horror aesthetic that adds to the atmosphere. The one issue I have is that certain tracks are overplayed and sometimes lose their impact as a result, though this is hardly the first anime to suffer from this issue.The OP by flumpool and ED by lead seiyuu Mamoru Miyano are both excellent and were both among my favorites of Winter 2016. The imagery of the ED in particular is well done and hints at future events without spoiling them.Who this series is for:Anyone looking for a solid, fast-paced and occasionally gory supernatural thriller series with a hard-to-read MC and a great villain.Who this isn't for:Anyone who can't stomach the CG of Knights of Sidonia or is uncomfortable with intense scenes featuring blood, suicidal imagery or torture.Anyone looking for a feel-good story, comedy, fanservice or romance.Thanks for reading and for those of us waiting for season 2...Brace for Impact. http://ift.tt/1SVEpnv