This anime is definitely among my top five favourites. I recently watched it with my significant other and we were both pleasantly surprised. At first it seems very far fetched but after letting things sit for a bit and getting into the mindset of simply accepting the fantasy setting (something I find myself overcoming every time I watch Fantasy) it quickly becomes interesting. It was recommended to me by a friend of mine, and in all honesty I cannot thank him enough. I had been searching for another really amazing anime and continuously came up disappointed or underwhelmed.
The beauty of this anime is that the writers want you to draw conclusions before they happen, and if you're up for it then it becomes fairly interactive in that sense. You can accurately guess almost all of the plot twists given the information they provide you with, but they do this in a way that is not boring. At the end of it all you're left satisfied and feel closure with the plot. It undoubtedly accomplishes something in regards to plot and character. For example, the ignorance of the children at the beginning of the anime sparks them asking questions and making statements that resurface near the end of the show as an explanation. We witness their curiosity of where those individuals who did not or could not develop cantus ended up and we hear them state that some queerats appear human like. This dialogue was clearly inserted for a reason and although they leave it hanging for most of the anime it is not forgetful to those paying close attention. If you're an individual who operates under the notion that all statements and devices of an anime are either 1) plot development or 2) character development then you can easily distinguish what are hints to the story and what you can use as comic relief, etc.
I hardly ever scan reviews of anime pronounced "romantic" but have discovered I enjoy it as an added touch. This anime uses romance not only as a piece of plot but as a way to tie the characters together so tightly that it makes perfect sense to you how they react to things, why certain things are possible and how their society works. We see love among both genders freely, and also love among multiple people. This gives us a realistic idea of how their society functions after we're informed of its attempt to mimic bonobos monkeys, but also allows Saki to connect to her group mates so deeply, despite memory blocks and early separations. Without this level of romance we'd fail to see the reality of her being guided by Shun, or her inquisitions regarding the "fiend" that was her friend's offspring. I will say that beyond the uses of romance in this anime for plot advancement and logic I did appreciate rooting for Saki and Satouru to end up together. Although they both clearly loved Shun their dynamics (throughout all of the time skips) were both comical and adorable. In this anime, romance not only serves as a tool for explanations, but also as a tastefully portrayed treat for fans.
At the end of this anime we realize there were never any villains to this plot. As a viewer you find yourself siding with the children over the adults simply because they are the main characters, and you find yourself siding with the humans over the queerats because you can relate to a human and well, the queerats are fairly ugly and primitive at face value. I am willing to bet that if the roles were reversed (while maintaining a human centered plot) most viewers would instinctively root for the human to overtake the society of queerats that (in this situation) marginalize and mistreat the human colonies. After learning a bit more about the adults, and accepting that our main character is destined to join them in their fight to maintain order and reduce threats we dismiss our suspicions of the adults and understand the situation at hand. We learn (as stated in the anime) that the adults are guided by their paranoia and nothing else. Subtle aspects of the anime reiterate this point, such as the cats going from haunting creatures of the unknown to a means of protection and adorable kittens in the final episode. We also learn that the difference between humans and queerats is not a bold and static line but one that zigzags and blurs upon close inspection. The line is one that has been bestowed before separation of the cantus and non cantus humans and not after. The interactions among the two groups may not be pleasant at all times, but an understanding is met for the motive as good and bad continues to be blurred. We realize that both "sides" have "good" and "evil" depending on the individuals. Satoru's initial celebration over Squealer's punishment further distorts our concept of good and evil as we juxtapose it with Saki's conclusions. Does this make him bad in anyway? The anime gives us "no" for an answer as it leaves us with him changing, and ultimately Saki provoking change among the society as a whole.
Overall the anime gives us an interesting and beautiful setting, a great OST to listen to, and a satisfying plot with well developed characters. I would recommend to anyone with an open mind and a love for anime.
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