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If you were one of the old-time viewers of the Manga section, you'd probably have a throwback at seeing a previously hosted A-S manga being made into an anime. And based on my now-fuzzy memories of those times, the anime follows the manga faithfully. Don't trust me too much on that, but from what I've seen on the internet, it seems to be true.

At first, Mirai Nikki offers to be a refreshing take on the now-overdone battle royale genre (see: Battle Royale, or, more recently, Hunger Games). And it is, in a way. The objective is not to obtain some sort of reward from a corrupt or unchangeable system; rather, it's to overthrow the existing system—and not necessarily for the most selfless of people or goals. In both cases, one could make the point about the neverending cycle of corrupt-replacing-corrupt, but that would be an entirely different, and possibly longer, article.

There's an entire host of crazy characters to prove my point, but my favorite is Yuno Gasai. Crazed with love for Yukiteru, this stalker has a mental balance that tips from "normal" to "extreme" in mere milliseconds. She will stop at nothing to protect her lover. Nothing, as in she doesn't care for her own or others' lives, as long as Yukiteru is safe.

Notice the look in Yuno's eye.

The quintessential Yuno picture. Insane, but full of love.

It's always a delight seeing her transform from a rather cute and charming individual to an insane, ruthless murderer. The creators really didn't hold anything back when drawing up her personality, and more power to them. As the most interesting character I've ever seen in a series, Yuno is the most complete example of a girl gone wrong.

Aside from Yuno, the series is awful and not worth watching. Just take a look at the plot execution: it's ridden with gaping holes. Alliances are made and broken, characters appear and disappear, mindsets change. All of this occurs suddenly and for no explicit reason. There's also the question of just why people outside of the "game" are so accepting of the idea. For example, one of the participants is a police detective. Members of his force can hear him blabber on about aspects of the game and "becoming God" in various scenarios. It would have been more realistic if one of them questioned his mental state (at the very least, with a "WTF" type of face).

A behind-the-scenes agreement.

Aru Akise, budding detective.

Finally, the diaries are quite fragile because apparently, breaking a cell phone or pricking a scroll allows someone to die. This brings up cause for comedy by way of "accidental deaths." Say goodbye to your life if your cell phone finds its way into the washing machine. And, if there was an online blogger, would he die because wordpress deleted his account for inappropriate content? I could go on.

Yukiteru is a born wimp.

Most of the real thrills from this "thriller" come mainly from watching Yuno's shenanigans. I could point towards two side characters that I have a soft spot for, but the main cast is full of stock, wannabe crazy individuals that, compared to Yuno, just seem bland. Let's not forget that protagonist Yukiteru Amano is one of the sleaziest wimps in anime history. I mean, really? Every episode he's quivering in fear and hiding behind his stalker lover. Buck up, man.

Cute and happy.

What a romantic couple.

There are also some filler episodes that further Yukiteru and Yuno's relationship in that they change how he perceives her. Indeed, these are quite effective in their own right: the stereotypical "date" episodes really contrast the otherwise chaotic world that the characters live in. Unfortunately, he progress on this front is quite slow and tends to emphasize Yukiteru's self-serving nature. Though he wants to be kind and giving and make lots of friends, circumstances dictate otherwise. Instead, he develops a manipulative streak towards Yuno so that he can save his own sorry self.

Storywise, Mirai Nikki has potential that is never fully developed. The plot evokes a mysterious, dark atmosphere that's supported well by the great opening and ending. The animation is standard fare for these times, though it could be better.

Murumuru and Ninth.

We do love our skits.

I do appreciate the cute side stories at the end featuring Murumuru, Deus Ex's small and cheerful companion, and her adventures with various members of the cast.

However, don't let my remarks about the story deter you from this enjoyable anime. As stated before, Mirai Nikki's thrills come from a single excellent source, and she makes the entire series worth it.

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Published on: 2012-01-02 (4466 reads)