Okay, so the one way in which the Summer Season set itself apart was with its creativity. For one season, I wouldn’t have to worry about premises getting more generic, or a lack of initiative to try something different, because this season may not have been big, but we got series like Uta Koi, Kokoro Connect, Natsuyuki Rendezvous, Horizon, Moyashimon. All series that wanted to be different and brought in a ton of creativity in the process. The series in which this was by far the most apparent was Jinrui wa Suitai Shimashita, or Humanity has declined.
From the outset, you might suspect that this is a cute little series with fairies. Instead though, this series is a full blown satire that uses its setting of fairies in all kinds of creative ways to create surreal storylines and premises. The thing with the fairies in this show is that they can pretty much make anything happen, and yet they act based on the most random of whims. The result is a complete chaos when they end up going, and the lead character is usually stuffed right in the center of this, leading to the creation and destruction of civilizations, being stuck in a time loop and fighting an army of headless chickens and all kinds of stuff like that. Yes, this series prides itself in its creativity all the way.
The way in which the stories are told also takes a bit to get used to. This series follows a very fast, dialogue-based pacing, and most of the show is told through the thoughts of the main character, serving as a narrator. The dialogue is often erratic due to the fairies being so damn whimsical, and it also doesn’t help that the arcs air in a random order so at the start you’ll be completely lost on what’s going on. But on the other side it’s also the series’ charm: it’s very eccentric this way and you’ll never know through what kind of loop you’ll be thrown next. You’ll never know when something interesting hits you here in this series.
This didn’t all go without its issues, though. The erratic nature of this series results in that it tends to ignore the character department. It’s only until the second half that we actually see characters show different sides of themselves. The lead character’s past is only revealed in the final arc. It’s a distant series that isn’t looking for people to connect with the lead characters, which is a bit of a pity because the result is that the series is not as engaging as it could have been, especially in its first half.
So pick this one up if you’re looking for witty dialogue and creative settings with a good dose of dry satire. It’s good for a short watch with only 12 episodes and it may miss some depth in the character department, but there’s enough worth watching.
| Storytelling: | 9/10 – Very nice satire, quick witted and incredibly whimsical. |
| Characters: | 7/10 – In its first half, the characters are way too one-sided, and that unfortunately hurts a bit too much, and the characters are just too likable to deserve this. |
| Production-Values: | 8/10 – Kou Otani gives a nice soundtrack, though far from his best. The visuals are also very striking and full of bright and pastel colors that give this show a unique charm. |
| Setting: | 9/10 – This show has ideas, and it’s not afraid to use them. |
Suggestions:
– Soredemo Machi wa Mawatteiru
– Seraphim Call
– Yami to Boushi to Hon no Tabibito
I’m sad to see this go, but it was fun. The satire in this show was decent, but my favorite was the dark humor.
Strange that I find the first half stronger. Maybe because I like the aloofness.