Robert Dinkins
Contributing Writer
One of my favorite activities is to browse through Netflix, especially the newly added shows section, and find the next show that will distract me from my homework. Imagine my surprise when I saw a new anime called Ajin Demi-Human that even had the Netflix original sticker on it, which is basically like an Oprah book club sticker for me. If it’s got that little sticker on it, I’m sold.
With, in my opinion, a previous success in the Netflix original series Seven Deadly Sins, I was ready to embark into another world filled with beautiful stories and action. Basically the synopsis is Kei Nagai discovers he is an immortal being, Ajin, and must now flee for his life to avoid being captured and inhumanely experimented on. So, you know, pretty normal stuff.
Unfortunately, my hope was dashed at episode four when I realized that Ajin was not going to take me to my intended destination. The story wastes no time in getting into the action, which is normally a good thing, but it felt incredibly rushed.
The main character, Kei Nagai, is a very interesting case as well. With no true background story it is hard to get a read on why he does certain things. The character may not necessarily lack motivation; rather, the viewer lacks information to discern said motivation.
At certain moments you think you could predict what he is planning on doing, but in the very next five minutes he does something completely polar opposite to the character that the writers have previously constructed.
Now that I think about it, none of the characters have a background story that can help shed light on why they are doing any particular thing. I really do not like any of them, not because of what they are doing, but simply because I do not know them.
In each episode, characters appear to be drawn the same and sound the same but act totally different. I also understand that as stories progress, characters, as well as the audience, learn more about themselves as the quest continues.
However, Ajin makes character growth really hard to understand simply because of the fact that we do not know where they are starting from at the beginning.
I know this is the first season, and oftentimes things will be explained in the second season (like Attack on Titan will hopefully accomplish), but still you have to reel me in on the characters so I can have someone to root for. I’m fine with being left in the dark for a bit but you gotta give me a nightlight or something.
I hope that the next season will do just this and explain more. Overall, I have to say that the plot is good but they should really focus on developing their characters, 4.5 out of 10.
All said and done, you may like this series more than I did. But you probably won’t.