So I just marathon-ed the whole 25 episodes of Shinsekai Yori, and it was great. Majority of shows that I’ve started are not completed, and my huge backlog consists of an unhealthy amount of ‘On-hold’ shows. So to be totally immersed in an anime again felt really, really good.
Shinsekai Yori worked for me because of its suspenseful atmosphere, well-crafted mystery, and engaging questions that it presents over the course of the anime. The gradual unveil of the mystery is like a horror story session at a fireside camp in the nature, with everyone surrounding the fireplace, gazing and listening intently at the storyteller over the slow-burning of coals and woods, accompanied by fitting sounds of a night in the jungle.
It begins with the desire to know more about this strange new world and its inhabitants.
It progresses with multiple audience-formed theories as competing attempts to poke at the truth.
It ends with a disastrous conclusion and ultimate revelations that not only satisfy the built up curiosity, but also leave me with new questions, deeper questions that I have no clear answers for.
All along the experience I’m also accompanied by atmospheric soundtracks that almost as if they originated from the world itself, very fitting.
All the while watching, I’ve been actively comparing this new world with our current world. Shinsekai is full of strange aspects and ideas that are not necessarily good or bad, or even right or wrong. They are so fascinating that I’ve been imagining how they will or will not work with our current society, and wondering what will happen if those aspects are really introduced to our world.
A very satisfying anime that makes you wonder about a lot of things.
Part-Time Scribbling 