From the New World (Shin Sekai Yori) [Anime Review]

I really had no idea about this anime before I sat down to watch it. The tag line does not tell you much at all, and in fact may be very misleading. "When your whole world is a lie... Truth can be the deadliest weapon of all."

This scene brought to you by A.L. Dvořák.

In many ways I want to call that tag line a lie. It is terribly misleading, and yet I actually think it may qualify under the Obi-wan provision of truth. "From a certain perspective."

4.5 out of 5 stars

1000 years ago...

I was very tempted to give this 5 stars. But it is just not quite there... and yet it is so very close.


In an idyllic future, in a small utopian society, in the town of Kamisu 66, children at the age of 12 manifest a power called 'Juryoku.' They are brought together in school to learn how to control and use this power. 

Bakenezumi - Monster rats.
Wearing the accoutrements of Feudal Japanese warriors.

However this is the lie. Utopia, originally and literally means 'no place.' This is not a utopia, nor is it idyllic. Within the span of one single episode a character is killed. In the next episode another dies. These were both relatively minor characters, but their deaths are given great weight in the story. 

That all occurs within the space of two episodes. Two.

Sure it might not be the full GRRM level of character death, but it is pretty meat-grinder-ish. In fact by the end of the series it may well rival GRRM for character death. It is impressive.

The series mixes the massive paranoia of rapid character death with the time-skip elements found in Masashi Kishimoto's Naruto. In Naruot there is one time skip of some 5 years. In Shin Sekai Yori there are three (four) separate time periods. They revolve around the main character, a young girl named Saki.

The first time period occurs when Saki is 12.
The second time period occurs when Saki is 14.
The third time period occurs when Saki is 26.
And at the very end there is a brief period where Saki is 36.  

He who is without face.

This gives the story a very interesting narrative feel.

These two elements combine with a deep complex plot to create a very moving story. You really feel for the characters. Their world is supposed to be idyllic, but it is anything but. It is terrifying and deadly, horrifying and hideous. There are moments of peace and beauty, but they seem few and far between. Thanks to this they are all too poignant.

Shin Sekai Yori is beautiful in its horror.

There is no intro song or intro animation, making this a rather unique anime. Instead there is something of a theme song that is often played. The song should be familiar, it is often known as Going Home. It is actually the theme from Largo, the second part of Dvořák's Symphony No.9 From the New World (coincidental, I think not). It is a haunting melody. Listen to it (Click the link above.)
  
I completely recommend this series. You can catch it on Crunchy Roll, or buy the BDs if you want to watch it dubbed.

Oh, and yeah there are several Yuri scenes and some Yaoi.