In a village that is isolated away from other societies, there is a power that all the people in said village possess. These powers are essentially telekinesis, but the villagers usually call it cantus. This isolated little village may seem peaceful, but looking a bit closer you can see the large dark shadow it casts. Following five kids on an adventure, they case some light on these shadows in order to unveil the not-so-perfect history of this village.
Story
When first coming into this series, Shinsekai Yori felt like a horror anime to me, which is one of the reasons I started watching in the first place. However, getting a few episodes in, it can be pretty slow, until you reach this big information dump about a quarter into the series. All the information can be very difficult to digest, but had some very interesting things in it revealed.
Around this time, despite the series having pacing problems in the beginning, we get a rich environment full of wonder and eagerness to figure out what is to come. Shinsekai Yori gave enough information to wet your lips and get you hooked into the setting, but there was still a shroud of mystery to keep you in for the ride.
And what a ride it was. After the rocky start, they got there pacing down and developed the world and people interacting in it, and it sucked me in completely. As a whole, the story was something wrapped in a thick cloud of secrecy, that gradually dissipated into a well crafted science fiction.
Art
The art really did complement the great story. With its wide range of subjects, from brighter classroom scenes to the darker underground bits, we can see the variety that came from the art style, while staying consistent.
The stronger parts of the art are both the scenery and facial expressions coming from the characters. Because there are several scenes where the characters are just mortified or shock by what they are viewing, there has to be a accuracy portrayal of the face or that moment is ruined.
The only real I complainant have for the art is when they skip years later, the style changes slightly. It may be because the characters are aging, but I did notice the difference, which is worth noting.
Characters
- Akizuki Maria (voice: Hanazawa Kana)
- Aonuma Shun (voice: Toudou Mai[young], Murase Ayumu[older])
- Asahina Satoru (voice: Tojo Kanako[young], Kaji Yuki[older])
- Itou Mamoru (voice: Kudou Haruka[young], Takagi Motoki[older])
- Watanabe Saki (voice: Taneda Risa, Endou Aya[narrator])
Best friends with Saki, Akizuki Maria is a cheerful girl that usually tries to avoid conflict with both her friends and higher ups. Because of this, she tends to protect the very meek Mamoru from danger when she can. Maria also is one to stick with her decisions when she has made up her mind, and not even Saki can get Mari to shake that stubbornness.
The most talented one of the bunch, with his cantus, Aonuma Shun is the star student of Saint Academy. Along with his skills in cantus, he is clever, yet mature enough not to brag about it.
The trouble maker of the group, Asahina Satoru can be almost too aggressive for his own good. Despite his mischievous nature, Satoru is observant, quick witted, and skilled with his cantus as well. He does tend to get into arguments with Saki and several other people in the group.
The soft spoken Itou Mamoru, is shy and tends to stick with the group because they are his only friends in Saint Academy. He doesn't like to voice his opinions often, but when any sign of trouble comes around, he is the first to speak up. It doesn't help much that Mamoru is shielded by Maria all the time either, but Mamoru grows an attachment to Maria soon enough.
The story of Shinsekai Yori is told from Watanabe Saki's perspective, or at the very least narrated by her older self, starting from her childhood.
Saki has a good grasp on her emotions and yet, can be very sensitive at times. Her sensitivity seems to guide her decisions lot of times, but never really clouds her judgement. And because of her self control, most of the things Saki argues for, are a lot more levelheaded compared to the other kids in her group.
Overall
| Good | Bad |
|---|---|
| immersive story | pacing issues at the start |
| interesting setting | uninteresting characters |
| well crafted history | |
| accurate scientific detail |
Despite the initial pacing issued and uninteresting characters, with the exception being both Saki and Shun, in my opinion. We have this very rich setting, that gets explored in detail throughout the series. And even with it being a science fiction, we get a well explained and accurate view of science; which is important to a science nerd like myself. As whole, Shinsekai Yori is one of those gems of a scifi anime that doesn't come often, and really is something of a must watch on any anime fans list.