Despite his really slow rythm, it is indubitably worth it. The ending is simply the wisest of all, allowing us to make senseful parallels with our society. Plus the drawings are really enjoyable.
22 Reviews
Marvellous ending
max_raymond-8788024 June 2019
An under appreciated marvel
kimlkurtz13 November 2014
I'll be honest, the first few episodes didn't exactly captivate me. Their purpose was to set the stage for the characters and their psychokinetic powers. DO NOT LET THIS KEEP YOU FROM FINISHING THE SHOW. Around episode 3 or 4 the main driving force of the show begins as the children are able to capture a mysterious creature which holds libraries worth of information about past and present events. What they discover leads them down a path filled with adventure, action, romance, horror, mystery, death, peril and ultimate understanding of what kind of world they truly live in.
What really makes this show shine is it's complete originality. I would be lying if I said I have seen anything like it before. The basic synopsis of the setting; Jump a thousand years forward after a devastating war destroyed much of the world following an evolutionary event which began giving people the power of telekinesis. The entire human race now has telekinesis, including the village in which the protagonist group lives. As the story progresses these five characters begin uncovering many dark secrets and mysteries that lie behind this seemly happy and peaceful village of theirs.
Aside from the show's originality, Shin Sekai Yori's strongest point is it's immersion and atmosphere. This atmosphere is complimented by a beautiful yet unsettling soundtrack and sometimes very peaceful art design. You feel completely sucked into the world, giving the sense of danger the characters feel and the uncertainty that lies around every corner. You can never be certain what will happen next, and I love that about this show. The anxiousness and fear that envelopes you is such a spectacular feat for the show's creators. You are given several characters to follow throughout the course of the story but are never given certainty that all of them, or any of them, will survive. Lets just say people die in this show... a lot of people.
Other then the beginning being a little slow moving at times, the negatives of this show are small but still noticeable. Out of the five main characters not all of them get enough time to develop since most of the screen time goes to the main main characters Saki and Satoru. At times the show can pace a little awkwardly as well, due to the story writers dedicating their time to the most important portions of the show and sometimes wanting to focus very heavily on certain scenes. If you are truly invested in Shin Sekai Yori however, this shouldn't bother you at all.
Shin Sekai Yori is a roller coaster ride through a mysterious and fascinating new world with very deep moral questions and though provoking themes. If you want an anime you can invest yourself in, then look no further!
What really makes this show shine is it's complete originality. I would be lying if I said I have seen anything like it before. The basic synopsis of the setting; Jump a thousand years forward after a devastating war destroyed much of the world following an evolutionary event which began giving people the power of telekinesis. The entire human race now has telekinesis, including the village in which the protagonist group lives. As the story progresses these five characters begin uncovering many dark secrets and mysteries that lie behind this seemly happy and peaceful village of theirs.
Aside from the show's originality, Shin Sekai Yori's strongest point is it's immersion and atmosphere. This atmosphere is complimented by a beautiful yet unsettling soundtrack and sometimes very peaceful art design. You feel completely sucked into the world, giving the sense of danger the characters feel and the uncertainty that lies around every corner. You can never be certain what will happen next, and I love that about this show. The anxiousness and fear that envelopes you is such a spectacular feat for the show's creators. You are given several characters to follow throughout the course of the story but are never given certainty that all of them, or any of them, will survive. Lets just say people die in this show... a lot of people.
Other then the beginning being a little slow moving at times, the negatives of this show are small but still noticeable. Out of the five main characters not all of them get enough time to develop since most of the screen time goes to the main main characters Saki and Satoru. At times the show can pace a little awkwardly as well, due to the story writers dedicating their time to the most important portions of the show and sometimes wanting to focus very heavily on certain scenes. If you are truly invested in Shin Sekai Yori however, this shouldn't bother you at all.
Shin Sekai Yori is a roller coaster ride through a mysterious and fascinating new world with very deep moral questions and though provoking themes. If you want an anime you can invest yourself in, then look no further!
Shin Sekai Yori (From the New World)
Tweekums3 April 2013
Warning: Spoilers
This series is set one thousand years in the future in a world very different to our own. The fact that population is much reduced and lives without technology is the obvious outward difference but it turns out humanity itself has changed; children develop telekinetic powers as they mature and those that don't learn to control their powers are killed off and their classmates' memories are adjusted so they forget them entirely. Outside the apparently idyllic towns there are strange creatures; some are dangerous others; like the monster rats appear to be intelligent but harmless; believing humanity to be gods. The story, which takes place over many years follows Saki and her friends as they grow and learn more about the world they inhabit. Over the course of the series they encounter many dangers including strange creatures, their own society and ultimately an uprising from the creatures they though were harmless; the Mutant Rats.
I enjoyed this series but wished it had been a bit longer as it covered a large time scale in the twenty five episodes and some of the jumps between time periods seems rather sudden. The central characters were interesting and over the course of the series more than one is lost leading to a sense that this is a genuinely dangerous world and just because somebody is a protagonist doesn't mean they will survive to the end. The morality of the story isn't black and white; we follow the humans in the town but their actions don't always appear to be right; especially after we learn the true nature of the Monster Rats. The human character designs are what one would expect in an anime series but the creatures are fairly creative; the animation is good and the backgrounds look stunning so it is always nice to look at. Overall I'd recommend this if you are wanting an anime which is a bit different and don't mind the way it can be a little confusing at times.
These comments are based on watching the series in Japanese with English subtitles.
I enjoyed this series but wished it had been a bit longer as it covered a large time scale in the twenty five episodes and some of the jumps between time periods seems rather sudden. The central characters were interesting and over the course of the series more than one is lost leading to a sense that this is a genuinely dangerous world and just because somebody is a protagonist doesn't mean they will survive to the end. The morality of the story isn't black and white; we follow the humans in the town but their actions don't always appear to be right; especially after we learn the true nature of the Monster Rats. The human character designs are what one would expect in an anime series but the creatures are fairly creative; the animation is good and the backgrounds look stunning so it is always nice to look at. Overall I'd recommend this if you are wanting an anime which is a bit different and don't mind the way it can be a little confusing at times.
These comments are based on watching the series in Japanese with English subtitles.
This was a demonstration of the heights anime can reach as a storytelling medium.
kaustubhbhoir117 June 2015
Masterpieces come once in a blue moon. If you're lucky you'll get a handful in a given year. If not, you'll only get one. In fact, only one reached the latter this year, and that was Shin Sekai Yori. With an award-winning source material, Shin Sekai Yori was a series that came in with high expectations and still managed to exceed them. It was just that good, mixing ambition and a bit of controversy to form a captivating story that showcased the potential of anime as a storytelling medium. Powered by plot twists that often left viewers in shock and a great cast of characters that made you fear for their lives, this was a great example of superb content meeting perfect execution. To top things off, it did all of this with a limited budget– that's how risky its ideas were–making Shin Sekai Yori a series that really beat the odds in terms of being animated in the first place. It's just a pity it didn't have any commercial success, because this was exactly the kind of series anime needs more of.
Thriller that isn't a thriller
packor13 November 2021
Warning: Spoilers
I was still young the first time that I watched the series, and while it was sad, I didn't fully appreciate the story and its implications. The anime is based off of a novel, and it reveals the grim reality of what happens when superpowers exist in the world. This series is so dark that it blows Madoka Magicka out of the water. Heavy SPOILERS ahead.
The plot is fairly straight forward. The story is documented by Saki and is told from its narration. It describes how PsychoKinesis destroyed civilization, and was on the path to destroying humanity all together, until a group of scientists developed a system to keep humans from destroying each other. Saki's life started in the resulting society, and this society, too, suffers a crisis through karma.
This series puts a heavy emphasis on karma. Everything that happens in the story is a result of karma. Humans' failure to accept PK caused PK to attack them. PK's subjugation of humans then caused their downfall. In this story's society, PK once again subjugates humans, in an even more immoral way, which blows up in their face in this timeline. But the catalyst for this event was Saki herself. Her interactions with Group 1 and The Robber colony directly led them to their fates. This in turn, was triggered when Tomiko Asahina decided not to fully hypnotize group 1, granting them more freedom of thought, in order to foster the next generation of leaders for their village.
This series of events may have been positive or negative, because, in the end, Saki was able to stop the Robbers. The unrest was building up and was bound to explode eventually, and the results would not have been the same without Group 1. The whole series is a whole lot of "what if's". In the end, the scariest thing is that there was no resolution to the problem. Both the society and the colonies still exist, and there's no new ideas on how to improve society. The catastrophic threat from PK and "humans" alike still remain. Since it's a society closed off from the rest of the world, you're also left to wonder what happened to it, and what it could mean for the future of man kind.
I really have to praise the scientific realism of this story. While PK in itself may or may not be realistic, the depiction of the havoc superpowers can cause is far more real than most shows. You really have to consider how dangerous it is when careless use of power can destroy something just because you were unaware, as well as ramifications of subconscious use.
The plot is fairly straight forward. The story is documented by Saki and is told from its narration. It describes how PsychoKinesis destroyed civilization, and was on the path to destroying humanity all together, until a group of scientists developed a system to keep humans from destroying each other. Saki's life started in the resulting society, and this society, too, suffers a crisis through karma.
This series puts a heavy emphasis on karma. Everything that happens in the story is a result of karma. Humans' failure to accept PK caused PK to attack them. PK's subjugation of humans then caused their downfall. In this story's society, PK once again subjugates humans, in an even more immoral way, which blows up in their face in this timeline. But the catalyst for this event was Saki herself. Her interactions with Group 1 and The Robber colony directly led them to their fates. This in turn, was triggered when Tomiko Asahina decided not to fully hypnotize group 1, granting them more freedom of thought, in order to foster the next generation of leaders for their village.
This series of events may have been positive or negative, because, in the end, Saki was able to stop the Robbers. The unrest was building up and was bound to explode eventually, and the results would not have been the same without Group 1. The whole series is a whole lot of "what if's". In the end, the scariest thing is that there was no resolution to the problem. Both the society and the colonies still exist, and there's no new ideas on how to improve society. The catastrophic threat from PK and "humans" alike still remain. Since it's a society closed off from the rest of the world, you're also left to wonder what happened to it, and what it could mean for the future of man kind.
I really have to praise the scientific realism of this story. While PK in itself may or may not be realistic, the depiction of the havoc superpowers can cause is far more real than most shows. You really have to consider how dangerous it is when careless use of power can destroy something just because you were unaware, as well as ramifications of subconscious use.
Psychologically crushing
calligulden19 September 2015
This anime took my heart and crushed it into a million pieces. There's so many surprises in almost every episode and it combines complete horror with mentally traumatizing information. Loved every second of it. From the suspense it builds up in the first few episodes to the last heart-pounding seconds, I could not stop watching. This one, out of all animes, followed me into my dreams. It is an unforgettable anime, but it is worth every single second of your time. I recommend this one 10/10 to thriller fans. The character design art is beautiful, the scenery is amazing, and the composition of real life cultural diversity and political problems makes it almost realistic. It's gripping and tragic. It comprises all genres into one amazing plot line. Truly surprising that it isn't as popular as other animes.
Amazing Thought Piece
dragecarmack23 December 2016
From The New World is an amazing show. It is very thought provoking when it comes down to it. Everything is designed to make you think and see the world from the eyes of the well developed characters. The music and art style match the tone very well to help bring this show together as a masterpiece. My only complaint is that I want to see even more! I have watched through the show several times while sharing it with friends, and I am impressed all over each and every time. There is always more to see and understand in this show, and that is why I keep on coming back. I highly recommend this show to everyone, it is an experience you won't regret.
For you before you watch
lucasdidonatis11 March 2018
Okay, my 2nd review. This anime takes place in a new world where some people has kind of telekinetic powers, and it will focus on a group of childrens. The first episodes will provide information about their lives and the way they relate to eachother. That´s all i can say without spoiling.
My philosophy: you can always find something in an anime that you´ve never seen before, and for me that´s enough to make it a worthy watch (which is why i´d never tell anyone not to watch an anime). However, there are some things you need to know before you watch. This anime is very complex to analyze so i will just focus on what i considered the weakest and strongest points.
The strongest point is not the storyline but the way it was developed. We know nothing from the beggining and the more we watch, the more we learn and understand about what´s going on. That was masterfully done. There was never plot holes and everything was well timelly explained. The character decisions made perfect sense along the way; you may never experience the feeling of "why the heck did this happened?" as it happened to me with other anime. However, it felt like the story had some waisted potential. I would consider the weakest point as the absence of a climax. Even in much worse anime series you may find a moment that blows your mind away. That didn´t happen to me with Shin Sekai Yori.
The love scenes and character relationships are hard to describe and even understand. I would have liked a more conventional aproach but i´m not disappointed. Character development isn´t great but it´s good enough to make sense and escort the storyline. The soundtrack is not remarkable either (considering there is no intro), but it complishes it´s task of mixing on with what´s happening at the moment. The ending is extremelly thought provoking and well presented, and it´s the final touch to produce an almost perfectly writen story.
It´s a 7/10 for me because i didn´t quite love the way the writers decided to focus the story (even tho the execution was excellent, as i previously pointed out). Having said that, give it a try. It´s a very worth watching anime.
My philosophy: you can always find something in an anime that you´ve never seen before, and for me that´s enough to make it a worthy watch (which is why i´d never tell anyone not to watch an anime). However, there are some things you need to know before you watch. This anime is very complex to analyze so i will just focus on what i considered the weakest and strongest points.
The strongest point is not the storyline but the way it was developed. We know nothing from the beggining and the more we watch, the more we learn and understand about what´s going on. That was masterfully done. There was never plot holes and everything was well timelly explained. The character decisions made perfect sense along the way; you may never experience the feeling of "why the heck did this happened?" as it happened to me with other anime. However, it felt like the story had some waisted potential. I would consider the weakest point as the absence of a climax. Even in much worse anime series you may find a moment that blows your mind away. That didn´t happen to me with Shin Sekai Yori.
The love scenes and character relationships are hard to describe and even understand. I would have liked a more conventional aproach but i´m not disappointed. Character development isn´t great but it´s good enough to make sense and escort the storyline. The soundtrack is not remarkable either (considering there is no intro), but it complishes it´s task of mixing on with what´s happening at the moment. The ending is extremelly thought provoking and well presented, and it´s the final touch to produce an almost perfectly writen story.
It´s a 7/10 for me because i didn´t quite love the way the writers decided to focus the story (even tho the execution was excellent, as i previously pointed out). Having said that, give it a try. It´s a very worth watching anime.
Very well done intense anime
Irishchatter29 July 2019
I gotta say this anime gave me such goosebumps that I hadn't felt in a long time. The story had a nice flow to it especially with it's intense horror scenes. It was even nice to see added romance into it as it kept the storyline going. The animation was well done including the English Dub actors.
Very satisfied that I got to see a decent horror anime for a change!
Very satisfied that I got to see a decent horror anime for a change!
Well executed, but don't expect much..
energyzeezo24 June 2015
Don't get me wrong this show is well made, well written and well animated but these aspects alone aren't enough to make an anime worth your time.
Firstly, too much high school kids drama, stuff you just don't want to see in a show that's trying hard to take itself seriously. The show has illustrated many mature post-apocalyptic concepts but were ruined by its immature & unnecessary filler content making the show terribly slow and inconsistent.
Secondly, the way the story and events escalate gives us all the reason to believe a huge twist is coming.. Think again! If you are paying enough attention you can actually predict the "twist" easily before any of its events begin to unfold.. basically there are no "twists" just a few change of events that are highly predictable.
Finally, the thing that might annoy you the most is that the show doesn't know exactly what it's supposed to be.. Is it a fantasy anime about super humans and their journey? Is it a mature anime about rebellions and human evolution? or is it a high-school romantic drama gone south?
All I can say is.. the show was different and unique.. but it's one of those shows that you just want to erase from your mind as soon as the final credits start rolling.
Firstly, too much high school kids drama, stuff you just don't want to see in a show that's trying hard to take itself seriously. The show has illustrated many mature post-apocalyptic concepts but were ruined by its immature & unnecessary filler content making the show terribly slow and inconsistent.
Secondly, the way the story and events escalate gives us all the reason to believe a huge twist is coming.. Think again! If you are paying enough attention you can actually predict the "twist" easily before any of its events begin to unfold.. basically there are no "twists" just a few change of events that are highly predictable.
Finally, the thing that might annoy you the most is that the show doesn't know exactly what it's supposed to be.. Is it a fantasy anime about super humans and their journey? Is it a mature anime about rebellions and human evolution? or is it a high-school romantic drama gone south?
All I can say is.. the show was different and unique.. but it's one of those shows that you just want to erase from your mind as soon as the final credits start rolling.
A great surprise, wonderful story, beautiful atmosphere, greatly recommended.
StomiidaeNoctem12 April 2016
This Anime was much more than what I thought it would be. Despite being short, with only 25 chapters (26 if you include the intro chapter) it manages to tell a very powerful story which delivers a meaningful message in the end. One of the best things about this Anime is the atmosphere, which is one of the things that first attracted me to it. The colors are gorgeous and even though the animation isn't the best I've seen, it's good enough for it to not be bothersome. The music is interesting and intense, and really takes you to the town where everything happens and helps compel the feelings of the characters.
The first three chapters are slow, but do watch it, you wont be disappointed. It almost made me cry in the end, which almost never happens either with Animes or movies, so give it a try. I definitely recommend it for Anime lovers, and lovers of good stories be it sci-fi, post-apocalyptic worlds, fantasy, super powers, old Japanese feel and even love. Definitely one of the best animes I have seen. A great surprise that I will recommend to many friends of mine, and that I recommend to whoever ended up here. You will not regret it.
9/10
The first three chapters are slow, but do watch it, you wont be disappointed. It almost made me cry in the end, which almost never happens either with Animes or movies, so give it a try. I definitely recommend it for Anime lovers, and lovers of good stories be it sci-fi, post-apocalyptic worlds, fantasy, super powers, old Japanese feel and even love. Definitely one of the best animes I have seen. A great surprise that I will recommend to many friends of mine, and that I recommend to whoever ended up here. You will not regret it.
9/10
Amazing story. Annoying dialog and characters.
frankblack-799615 May 2021
One of the more unique and interesting storylines I have seen in an anime. The narrator is rather annoying though. I found a lot of the situational drama to be quite ridiculous as the characters can be willfull and repetitive in their poor decisions. People seemed far more stupid than a society of that nature should have produced. Maybe its the English dub that ruins a lot of it. Still worth a watch.
What a Letdown :c
DonaldDooD22 August 2014
Warning: Spoilers
I've seen From the New World get dozens of recommendations from newer anime fans. I finally decided to cave in, and see what the fuss is about. I got 12 episodes in before I decided to quit. Reading the synopsizes for the rest, I'm glad I did before it got worse. FNW only succeeds in bringing up ideas, never mind executing them. If this is one of the best anime of the 10s, I'm buying a time machine! >:I
The pacing is slow, and a lot of elements are vague. The first three episodes are almost slice-of-life. At the 4th episode, we get a convenient slug to info-dump the reality of the situation, and the heat begins to flame, as our characters are caught, and we gain a better view of this strange world.
From here, there could have been numerous paths to a great anime. Combine them, and you could have had a masterpiece. The anime could have criticized Buddhism, explore life in a harsh dystopian society, compare and contrast the humans with the rat people, or shown the characters struggle with forced love. All of these are brought up, but there's never any focus. Characters don't develop, nothing really changes. By the end, it seems like it just becomes a full-blown action anime, with long periods of waiting and villains I don't care about.
The characters were pretty weak, as far as I've seen. There's not much to note about them. They don't even do much despite their knowledge. I don't like their art design, which makes it even harder to tell them apart. Why do they look so soft? Why are their noses so small? Why do they have gigantic, colorful eyes? This isn't a moe anime, why are they sticking to the cutesy style?
I wish the writing could have supported the concept. In addition to its themes, I think the telepathy is used well, and there are some pretty scenes. The art is simple, but calming. Alas, it is not enough. When I dragged through episodes only to reach the 3rd info-dump, I was done. Fan fiction can do better justice for this world. I don't hate the show, and I always have to consider others have loved what I didn't. But wow I can't support this.
The pacing is slow, and a lot of elements are vague. The first three episodes are almost slice-of-life. At the 4th episode, we get a convenient slug to info-dump the reality of the situation, and the heat begins to flame, as our characters are caught, and we gain a better view of this strange world.
From here, there could have been numerous paths to a great anime. Combine them, and you could have had a masterpiece. The anime could have criticized Buddhism, explore life in a harsh dystopian society, compare and contrast the humans with the rat people, or shown the characters struggle with forced love. All of these are brought up, but there's never any focus. Characters don't develop, nothing really changes. By the end, it seems like it just becomes a full-blown action anime, with long periods of waiting and villains I don't care about.
The characters were pretty weak, as far as I've seen. There's not much to note about them. They don't even do much despite their knowledge. I don't like their art design, which makes it even harder to tell them apart. Why do they look so soft? Why are their noses so small? Why do they have gigantic, colorful eyes? This isn't a moe anime, why are they sticking to the cutesy style?
I wish the writing could have supported the concept. In addition to its themes, I think the telepathy is used well, and there are some pretty scenes. The art is simple, but calming. Alas, it is not enough. When I dragged through episodes only to reach the 3rd info-dump, I was done. Fan fiction can do better justice for this world. I don't hate the show, and I always have to consider others have loved what I didn't. But wow I can't support this.
The story is the highlight
masonfewel21 June 2021
To be honest, up until about the 20th or so episode I was still apprehensive about this show. It was interesting, but it didn't really grab me that much. However, after finishing this show I can say with certainty that only a creative genius could have come up with this story.
The music in this show was really good, but not amazing. I actually noticed it at times, and usually I don't ever notice the music when I watch a show, it just adds to whatever mood it is playing over. The animation I didn't really like, honestly. The backgrounds and stationary objects were obviously done by people who cared, but the actual people and creatures that moved around felt a little flat. That may be because of when it came out, but I don't really think so. There were a few episodes towards the beginning that had weirdly poor animation, but other than that it was mostly the same all the way through.
The story is by far this show's strongest point. There are some slow parts, there are some weird parts, but the culmination of all this after you've finished the show is where it really shines. Looking back, there aren't any plot holes or anything that doesn't make sense, and everything I can remember fits in with the story well, no matter how weird it is. At the start, everything is confusing and you have no idea what is going on, but the more you progress into the story the more things are explained and the more you find out. In my opinion, this way of giving people info about the world is really satisfying. The ending is also well done, as it is with every great story. It was a little weird watching them grow up at an irregular rate, but the coming of age style of storytelling does fit what is going on well.
It might be weird to mention this, but I don't want anyone turned off by this: there is a gay kiss in the show. First of all, there's nothing wrong with that and it does nothing to impact the integrity or ingenuity of the story, and second, there are also a few yuri kisses in there as well ;). That part of the story only really goes on for one episode, it's explained why it happened, and the mystery and interest comes back at the end of that episode.
Also something that might turn people off; this show is pretty dark and does not shy away from gore, death, or violence. It's not the darkest show in the world, but if you only watch moe shows (which is basically me, but I like other stuff too) or you are really young (10 or under) you might not want to watch it. Also, if like being told everything directly rather than actually thinking and being trusted to figure stuff out yourself, maybe don't watch it.
Overall, I think I would recommend this anime. It is a very unique show with an amazing story that is good if you want something different than your typical slice drama, comedy, or action anime.
The music in this show was really good, but not amazing. I actually noticed it at times, and usually I don't ever notice the music when I watch a show, it just adds to whatever mood it is playing over. The animation I didn't really like, honestly. The backgrounds and stationary objects were obviously done by people who cared, but the actual people and creatures that moved around felt a little flat. That may be because of when it came out, but I don't really think so. There were a few episodes towards the beginning that had weirdly poor animation, but other than that it was mostly the same all the way through.
The story is by far this show's strongest point. There are some slow parts, there are some weird parts, but the culmination of all this after you've finished the show is where it really shines. Looking back, there aren't any plot holes or anything that doesn't make sense, and everything I can remember fits in with the story well, no matter how weird it is. At the start, everything is confusing and you have no idea what is going on, but the more you progress into the story the more things are explained and the more you find out. In my opinion, this way of giving people info about the world is really satisfying. The ending is also well done, as it is with every great story. It was a little weird watching them grow up at an irregular rate, but the coming of age style of storytelling does fit what is going on well.
It might be weird to mention this, but I don't want anyone turned off by this: there is a gay kiss in the show. First of all, there's nothing wrong with that and it does nothing to impact the integrity or ingenuity of the story, and second, there are also a few yuri kisses in there as well ;). That part of the story only really goes on for one episode, it's explained why it happened, and the mystery and interest comes back at the end of that episode.
Also something that might turn people off; this show is pretty dark and does not shy away from gore, death, or violence. It's not the darkest show in the world, but if you only watch moe shows (which is basically me, but I like other stuff too) or you are really young (10 or under) you might not want to watch it. Also, if like being told everything directly rather than actually thinking and being trusted to figure stuff out yourself, maybe don't watch it.
Overall, I think I would recommend this anime. It is a very unique show with an amazing story that is good if you want something different than your typical slice drama, comedy, or action anime.
darkly captivating, but slow thriller anime
joelherro23 March 2013
This show was pretty weird, and considering most animes are weird by default, that's saying something. I did like it, but it was kinda slow.
It's set 1000 yrs in the future and mankind has evolved psychic and telekinetic powers called 'cantus'. Saki and her friends are adolescents who are just learning about their cantus powers. They live in a seemingly peaceful and idyllic society. Yet children from their school occasionally go missing, and everyone forgets about them really quickly. Saki and her friends go on an excursion and meet an interesting creature that reveals secrets about mankind's past. From then on, Saki and friends become targetted as troublemakers since they now know things that were meant to stay secret.
While this show is long and can be slow, it's not boring, and has a constant sense of menace, where you don't know what's going to happen next, but you get a feeling it's going to be something bad. The animation is different to most of the shows I've seen lately, maybe lower budget, yet it's still decent. The characters are well developed and you really care about their predicaments.
I say watch it if you're looking for something dark and different.
It's set 1000 yrs in the future and mankind has evolved psychic and telekinetic powers called 'cantus'. Saki and her friends are adolescents who are just learning about their cantus powers. They live in a seemingly peaceful and idyllic society. Yet children from their school occasionally go missing, and everyone forgets about them really quickly. Saki and her friends go on an excursion and meet an interesting creature that reveals secrets about mankind's past. From then on, Saki and friends become targetted as troublemakers since they now know things that were meant to stay secret.
While this show is long and can be slow, it's not boring, and has a constant sense of menace, where you don't know what's going to happen next, but you get a feeling it's going to be something bad. The animation is different to most of the shows I've seen lately, maybe lower budget, yet it's still decent. The characters are well developed and you really care about their predicaments.
I say watch it if you're looking for something dark and different.
Masterpiece
catherynbennett15 March 2019
I wish there were more anime out here like this one. This series is based off a Japanese novel by Yusuke Kishi.
I have rarely watched an anime that had me thinking about it for weeks after finishing it. I was captivated by the world and ideas presented to me. The setting is set in the far future and you meet a group of young kids who are about to discover that their world isn't as it seems. There are a series of timeskips that allow us to see the main characters grow up as they uncover more of the truth of their reality. The first couple of episodes appear to be somewhat light hearted, but that will quickly change.
I'm not very good at giving reviews or discussing the plot without giving away spoilers, but I highly recommend From the New World if you enjoy watching films/series that will have you thinking about it for weeks after completion. For the first time ever, I am now reading the novel series that this anime was based on. I can't get enough of this story and the world that Kishi has created for us.
I have rarely watched an anime that had me thinking about it for weeks after finishing it. I was captivated by the world and ideas presented to me. The setting is set in the far future and you meet a group of young kids who are about to discover that their world isn't as it seems. There are a series of timeskips that allow us to see the main characters grow up as they uncover more of the truth of their reality. The first couple of episodes appear to be somewhat light hearted, but that will quickly change.
I'm not very good at giving reviews or discussing the plot without giving away spoilers, but I highly recommend From the New World if you enjoy watching films/series that will have you thinking about it for weeks after completion. For the first time ever, I am now reading the novel series that this anime was based on. I can't get enough of this story and the world that Kishi has created for us.
Soul-Crushing horrible
puneetsharma919 February 2019
This anime is not for people like me because of true behind everything and horrible outcome from evolution.
This anime only revolve around past not about the future and how thing can be refine or better. They find everything about past and that is, I thinking there is some light for better future in ending but it way dead end.
This is probably one of darkest anime I ever seen and may be your tear don't start but this anime is Soul-Crushing, just like ripped your felling apart.
This anime only revolve around past not about the future and how thing can be refine or better. They find everything about past and that is, I thinking there is some light for better future in ending but it way dead end.
This is probably one of darkest anime I ever seen and may be your tear don't start but this anime is Soul-Crushing, just like ripped your felling apart.
A slow start, but it's really good
mahmus21 April 2020
Better than any anime.
zealous-5439315 November 2018
Good, but not great. Missed chance to be a masterpiece. Worth watching though.
joelcosta-jcx27 February 2016
Warning: Spoilers
For those who haven't watched it yet, I put all the spoilers between spoiler tags, like this: *spoiler* Here is a spoiler: Dumbledore dies. */spoiler*.
My expectations were high after all the good ratings and recommendations. I was told by friends that it was a darker anime, and after watching the first few episodes, now knowing what kind of world the anime revolves around, I was zealous about it. But unfortunately I was disappointed.
The sound was marvellous, and I think that all those reviews point that out. It's because it isn't just good, nor great, nor awesome. It's wonderful. I'm not even going into detail, because it's ineffable.
Unlike most people in the reviews, I personally enjoyed the design and animation. It was simple, but appropriate. It made the darker moments look darker to me. Like the shaky camera in some moments in Breaking Bad. Little spoiler here: *spoiler* The flashback of the boy who became a karma demon and went on a killing spree in a city, which I guess was Tokyo, was beautiful to look at. And I'm talking about people exploding, blood splattering. It looked neat, and set the tone for me. I was caught.*/spoiler*
But then came the letdown: the plot itself. It was disappointing. The narrative, as well as some twists were really great, but what killed it for me was that they jumped forward in time exactly when it started to become interesting. What a hoax. The main problem is for me, that it seemed like three short story arcs, linked together by some details. In all seriousness, they should have omitted the queerats and focus on the group of five people struggling in this dystopian world, *spoiler* while Shun becomes a Fiend or Karma Demon. Maybe they would be exiled for prying to much into business that isn't theirs, or similar. */spoiler*
The character development may be what suffered most from this sudden jumps. I wasn't really attached to any of the characters, maybe a bit to Satoru, who for me was the most interesting character.
*spoiler* Another thing that bugged me was, for instance, how Maria and Mamoru died. They left the civilisation, and then at some point, twenty years later, we are told that they are actually dead, and that it wasn't pretence. Maybe that was emblematic of how the government in the town is run, that so many secrets are kept. But in the end, I felt hoaxed again.*/spoiler*
Separately, the three story arcs were good though, so it's not like the plot was bad. It was good, but I think that it's a shame that they didn't exploit the anime's full potential.
Tl;dr: Wonderful sound, great animation and design, three good story arcs, but poorly connected overall plot. Could easily have been a masterpiece. Wasn't one in my opinion. Still worth to watch. I rate it 8.5/10.
My expectations were high after all the good ratings and recommendations. I was told by friends that it was a darker anime, and after watching the first few episodes, now knowing what kind of world the anime revolves around, I was zealous about it. But unfortunately I was disappointed.
The sound was marvellous, and I think that all those reviews point that out. It's because it isn't just good, nor great, nor awesome. It's wonderful. I'm not even going into detail, because it's ineffable.
Unlike most people in the reviews, I personally enjoyed the design and animation. It was simple, but appropriate. It made the darker moments look darker to me. Like the shaky camera in some moments in Breaking Bad. Little spoiler here: *spoiler* The flashback of the boy who became a karma demon and went on a killing spree in a city, which I guess was Tokyo, was beautiful to look at. And I'm talking about people exploding, blood splattering. It looked neat, and set the tone for me. I was caught.*/spoiler*
But then came the letdown: the plot itself. It was disappointing. The narrative, as well as some twists were really great, but what killed it for me was that they jumped forward in time exactly when it started to become interesting. What a hoax. The main problem is for me, that it seemed like three short story arcs, linked together by some details. In all seriousness, they should have omitted the queerats and focus on the group of five people struggling in this dystopian world, *spoiler* while Shun becomes a Fiend or Karma Demon. Maybe they would be exiled for prying to much into business that isn't theirs, or similar. */spoiler*
The character development may be what suffered most from this sudden jumps. I wasn't really attached to any of the characters, maybe a bit to Satoru, who for me was the most interesting character.
*spoiler* Another thing that bugged me was, for instance, how Maria and Mamoru died. They left the civilisation, and then at some point, twenty years later, we are told that they are actually dead, and that it wasn't pretence. Maybe that was emblematic of how the government in the town is run, that so many secrets are kept. But in the end, I felt hoaxed again.*/spoiler*
Separately, the three story arcs were good though, so it's not like the plot was bad. It was good, but I think that it's a shame that they didn't exploit the anime's full potential.
Tl;dr: Wonderful sound, great animation and design, three good story arcs, but poorly connected overall plot. Could easily have been a masterpiece. Wasn't one in my opinion. Still worth to watch. I rate it 8.5/10.
truly amazing storytelling. wow
amblilful21 January 2023
This is a masterpiece. You would never guess from the title photo that this is a dark and twisted anime, in the best way. You never know where the story will take you, and it keeps unravelling until the very end. Definitely includes some unsettling scenes, but if that's right up your alley (as is is mine) then you won't be disappointed. Genres include horror, mystery, thriller, romance, sci-fi. The music also is top tier, really aids in the brilliance of this story. Plenty of interesting characters as well. Definitely a binger, but luckily there are a good handful of episodes. Happy watching, prepare yourself!
A Dark and Thought-Provoking Journey into a Futuristic Society
piccostefano28 April 2023
Warning: Spoilers
Shinsekai Yori is a thought-provoking and emotionally powerful anime that delves deep into complex themes such as morality, societal constructs, and the nature of power. The story takes place in a future where psychic abilities have become commonplace, and follows a group of children as they grow up and uncover the dark secrets of their seemingly utopian society.
One of the strongest aspects of Shinsekai Yori is its world-building. The intricate details and history of the society are gradually revealed throughout the series, creating a fascinating and immersive world that is both familiar and alien. The use of psychic abilities in the story is also well-handled, and provides a unique twist on the traditional coming-of-age narrative.
The characters are another standout feature of Shinsekai Yori. They are complex and multi-dimensional, each with their own motivations and flaws. The relationships between them are also carefully crafted, with both strong friendships and bitter rivalries portrayed realistically.
The animation style is distinct and matches the tone of the story well. The use of muted colors and atmospheric lighting creates a sense of foreboding, which is only heightened by the occasional graphic violence and horror elements.
Overall, Shinsekai Yori is a highly recommended anime for fans of dark and thought-provoking stories. The complex themes, rich world-building, and well-developed characters make for an engaging and emotional viewing experience that will stay with you long after the final episode.
One of the strongest aspects of Shinsekai Yori is its world-building. The intricate details and history of the society are gradually revealed throughout the series, creating a fascinating and immersive world that is both familiar and alien. The use of psychic abilities in the story is also well-handled, and provides a unique twist on the traditional coming-of-age narrative.
The characters are another standout feature of Shinsekai Yori. They are complex and multi-dimensional, each with their own motivations and flaws. The relationships between them are also carefully crafted, with both strong friendships and bitter rivalries portrayed realistically.
The animation style is distinct and matches the tone of the story well. The use of muted colors and atmospheric lighting creates a sense of foreboding, which is only heightened by the occasional graphic violence and horror elements.
Overall, Shinsekai Yori is a highly recommended anime for fans of dark and thought-provoking stories. The complex themes, rich world-building, and well-developed characters make for an engaging and emotional viewing experience that will stay with you long after the final episode.
See also
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