Under Cherries in Full Bloom – Probably the most bizarre two episodes of an anime I’ve ever seen in my life. After watching this arc, you understand why No Longer Human was the defining work of the author and the most read literary piece in Japan.Ģ. Drenched with sadness and yet pregnant with hope, each of those four episodes is memorable to say the least. Set in 1929, this dark and gloomy arc was the longest, lasting four episodes, which proves to be more than enough time to let the viewer unravel the protagonist’s twisted perceptions of society and how he bears the pressure of being crushed under the weight of his own ego. No Longer Human – This classic, written by Dazai Osamu, focuses on a psychotic and troubled mind – that of a congressman’s son. That’s the primary reason why I’m reviewing each arc separately.)ġ. (NOTE: Each arc is a completely different story, are in no way interrelated and can even be viewed as a standalone anime. Here’s a quick breakdown of the basic elements of each of the stories, while keeping the spoilers to a bare minimum: If you want absolutely no spoilers, then I recommend you do not read the MAL synopsis either, as it contains nearly half the story.

Writing an in-depth analysis of each of the stories would be giving away too much and might ruin the experience. Except for the first arc, each arc lasts only two episodes. ABS portrays six such immortal classics, each of them highlighting the complex and fickle nature of the human mind. The show is the anime adaptation of several literary masterpieces in Japan (much like Ayakashi Classic Japanese Horror), some of them dating back to the late 1920s. It gives you a spectacularly detailed insight into their thoughts and feelings, all while following an intense storyline.

This has been the way anime have defined the psychology genre for years.īut, as always, along comes a player that changes the way the game is played.Īoi Bungaku Series thrusts you into the shoes of the protagonists and synchronizes their brain to yours. All these anime looked at psychology as the mindset of a murderer or the troubled past of the protagonist, and there were also shows like Death Note, which focused on the psychological warfare of two geniuses. For a long time now, the psychology genre has been dominated by the likes of Elfen Lied, Higurashi, Monster and Requiem for a Phantom.

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