To the outside world, Hanabi Yasuraoka and Mugi Awaya are the perfect couple. But in reality, they just share the same secret pain: they are both in love with other people they cannot be with.
Hanabi has loved her childhood friend and neighbor Narumi Kanai for as long as she can remember, so she is elated to discover that he is her new homeroom teacher. However, Narumi is soon noticed by the music teacher, Akane Minagawa, and a relationship begins to blossom between them, much to Hanabi's dismay.
Mugi was tutored by Akane in middle school, and has been in love with her since then. Through a chance meeting in the hallway, he encounters Hanabi. As these two lonely souls spend more time together, they decide to use each other as a substitute for the one they truly love, sharing physical intimacy with one another in order to stave off their loneliness.
[Written by MAL Rewrite]
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Comentários
Veronin
There aren't many anime as uncomfortable as Kuzu no Honkai. It introduces itself as a melancholic tale of unrequited love, and quickly transforms into something far more ugly. The characters are relentlessly trampled upon, until, indeed, as the title might suggest, they are reduced to human trash. It isn't necessary for a story to make you feel happy. There exist a wealth of fiction that, while depressing, and perhaps never even enjoyable, are still valuable for the message they are trying to make. Kuzu no Honkai doesn't have that message. It is misery for misery's sake, existing almost exclusively to make you feel like crap.If you found anime such as Aku no Hana and School Days difficult to watch, you might have yourself something of a challenge here, too.
There is seldom a character within Kuzu no Honkai who behaves sensibly or is capable of thinking with any other organ except their genitalia. Hanabi and Mugi are lonely because they cannot be united with their loved ones, and so they seek to find some solace in each other. They can't love each other because they love someone else. They use sexual intimacy as an escape. But they still can't give up on the one they love. And so the cycle, their tedious lives continue.
If that is where the series stood, all may have been fine. But it escalates, and they, and just about everyone else surrounding them, wants more, more, until nothing remains in their hollow lives but sex and sleaze. It becomes impossible to feel any empathy for them and the grief they are constantly plunging themselves into. They're beyond saving. They deserve everything that happens to them. And so I cannot bring myself to care when it tries to play Hanabi as the victim, the tragic heroine. The real victims are Norumi (the male teacher) and Noriko for being deceived by such deplorable people. Love is blind, as the cheesy proverb goes, but in this case they must also be blind in the literal sense.
Most of Kuzu no Honkai's cast is comprised of hypocrites who get upset with their partner(s) for acts they have been committing themselves. They act nonsensically at times, and can change their attitude on a whim, giving up on their love at the end of one episode and then cheerfully encouraging each other to confess at the beginning of the next. They haven't the slightest idea of what they want. Maybe that is to be expected. Love is a tricky thing, after all, and teenagers are at their most confused stage in life. But it becomes a question if what they felt was ever love in the first place when they can so readily find someone else as a replacement, sleeping with anyone who shows them even the slightest affection. It's entirely possible that Hanabi and Mugi only fell in love with their respective partner because they were the first ones to give them that affection. And so how am I to feel bad for the two when their crushes end in disappointment?
While women like Akane undoubtedly exist in the real world (having unfortunately encountered someone similar myself), she is possessed by such an intensely twisted and ugly worldview that it becomes a wonder how she is even able to fulfil her duties as a teacher. She eventually comes to a point of redemption, but makes it quite clear that she is there only to see, to try, potentially ruining a man's entire life merely for the chance of relieving her boredom. I didn't find that heartwarming as it was intended to be - I found it disgusting of her, and that's in the face of all the detestable things she had already done.
The main theme of each episode is who is going to make out with or bang whom. It's an endless rotation, much like a hentai, the characters seemingly unaware of or passive to the concept of cheating, and incapable of guilt. Everyone loves someone else, and seemingly nobody in the world is capable of a happy, fulfilling relationship-- even Hanabi's friends (who are never otherwise shown) are revealed as having their partner cheating on them. Maybe it's a good thing I detest all the characters, as I don't think I would want a character I actually like to be in a story like this. Any time Noriko appeared, the one I disliked the least, I was dreading to see the mess she might be dragged into. And Narumi, while naive to painful extents, is never really deserving of the awful situation Akane puts him through. The only joy you could possibly extract from something like this is some sadomasochistic desire to see everyone in pain and despair. I can't say I possess that desire.
The main rebuttal, I would imagine, is that the characters are meant to be human trash, and so it is okay that they are trash. I could concede to that point, as stories do not require respectable characters. But even trash are human, and so it is expected that they still behave like humans, a detail that Kuzu no Honkai seems so ready to forget.
Sanae, for instance, has such an intense (and frankly creepy) attachment to her loved one that it almost seems a crime for her to not be locked away in some mental hospital. There can at times be a desire to stay with someone you love even when you know you cannot have them or that they are bad for you, but she long crosses the boundary of how real people would react in her situation. There is a difference between being a confused teenager who seeks sexual gratification, and being a psychotic almost-rapist who believes people are their property. If they have done as she does, then they've probably gotten to know prison life pretty well.
It's also questionable why the author decided to complicate things further by giving Sanae someone who one-sidedly loves her as well, considering how little is ever done with them. You could write them out completely and it wouldn't affect much of anything. They exist solely, I would assume, to create more despair, as if the show hadn't enough of that already.
Kuzu no Honkai's detestable cast is, if nothing else, well-realised, thanks to the frequent monologuing and backstories. Each of the main six get their turn to narrate on numerous occasions, which does well to explain their motivations and feelings and to make them feel like proper protagonists rather than mere accessories to the carnage, even if some (namely Sanae) receive significantly less characterisation than others. To merely show two characters having sex or making out with each other is not nearly as meaningful as when it is accompanied by narration. It leaves less to the imagination, but, unlike other intensely uncomfortable and cringe-filled anime such as School Days, gives substance to the scene and makes sense in the context of the characters. When timed with the anime's emotional soundtrack, some of the dialogue can almost feel captivating, and a kiss can carry power, even if it is between two people who really have no business kissing each other in the first place. It's nice to have an anime courageous enough to portray sex in an honest manner, as most use it purely for pornographic purposes, or seem afraid of touching upon it altogether, as if humans are somehow sexless creatures. I just don't think that real people are nearly as defined by it as they are in Kuzu no Honkai.
I'll fully admit that I hated every second I spent watching Kuzu no Honkai, and felt relieved when it was over. This isn't because it is a particularly bad anime, but because it aims to say or do little else but make the viewer feel terrible. It pushes you, kicks you, and then throws another punch to your gut once that is over. It is filled with moments where you want to shout at the characters to stop, to not be stupid. There are times where you will have to pause and take a breather because of all the cringe and madness that is unfolding. Kuzu no Honkai is about as far from a pleasant anime as can possibly be, and it never really aims to fill that gap with much substance or meaning. Its starting and ending points are the same. It wants to say that people are stupid, that love hurts, and more than that, it wants you to hurt, too.
Some people will be fine with that. Maybe they want to feel awful. Maybe they just want to feel emotion, any emotion.
I'll give them that - it certainly makes you feel something.
HaXXspetten
Have you gotten sick of "romance" anime consisting of nothing but innocent teenagers blushing like tomatoes at the mere thought of holding hands yet? Are you sick of seeing "relationships" implying that there may or may not be a confession in the last minute of the final episode and nothing beyond that? Well then Kuzu no Honkai might be for you, because this anime has more romantic progression in its first five minutes than most romance anime do in their entire runtime, and it manages to break one, two, maybe even three taboos in the process as well. Kuzu no Honkai at heart represents the uglinessof human emotions and carnal base desires. It looks into the darker side of romance and tackles matters which romance anime basically never does. This is not a story about how to woo your would-be waifu of choice, but rather it deals with issues such as how to emotionally cope with having an impossible unrequited love, reflecting on yourself as a human being and opening your eyes to your own flaws, and considering what it must be like for the target of your unrequited affection if you force your own feelings onto them. It showcases how love truly is blind and that you can end up falling for the wrong person against your better judgement, and you just cannot help but desire them anyway. It is a very depressive and heart-wrenching story throughout, but also psychological and packed to the brim with moral lessons to be learned. And it all culminates in one of the most unique, artistic and legitimately fascinating romance anime I have ever seen.
In many ways, Kuzu no Honkai is effectively the polar opposite of most romance anime. Mind you, that does not mean that it is too much more realistic; in fact Kuzu no Honkai is just as exaggerated except in the opposite direction. While the characters are all (more or less) realistic individually, the fact that they all happen to be such emotionally broken wrecks and that they are somehow all connected in one big messy love polygon at the same time is a bit too implausible. However, realism is ultimately not the main purpose of this story, but rather to provide a significantly less glorified outlook on romance that showcases that love is not always easy and not always as beautiful as anime generally likes to make it out to be.
The first thing I really like about Kuzu no Honkai is how it does not beat around the bush. Whilst most anime characters seem scared to even hold hands with their respective crush, in this anime we have Mugi and Hanabi willingly tongue-wrestling with each other within the first three minutes of the first episode. This then proves to be nothing more than a prelude of what is to come as the anime has a lot of actual sexual interaction between numerous different characters over the course of the story. However, it is also done in a way which makes it seem like it is not really a big deal to have sex, and that it is something merely a natural part of relationships or even done just for the sake of emotional comfort. You are never given the impression that the sex scenes in Kuzu no Honkai are anything perverted or something out of the ordinary enough to freak out about. This is also largely attributed to the very artistic directing of the anime. What might otherwise have been written off as nothing but smut ends up coming across as something poetic and emotional, albeit perhaps not straight-up beautiful due to the anime's rather questionable morals. The visuals make great usage of the original manga's design by actually showcasing a lot of screens with multiple manga style panels instead of normal full screen animation. It is a bit difficult to explain without seeing it with your own eyes, but I personally found it very effectual and artistic, and it greatly helped to set the rather melancholic tone of the anime as a whole.
At heart, the anime is mostly about hopeless affections. The two main characters Mugi and Hanabi are both in love with someone else who they know they can probably never have, and only utilize each other as replacements for their actual crushes. But they are not the only outcasts in this anime as amogst the other people involved in the love polygon we have a homosexual, a man-eating slut, and more. Everyone has some sort of deep-rooted emotional issue as for why their feelings are almost assuredly never going to transcend into mutual love along with their crush, and they all have different ways of trying to deal with it, such as self-denial, clouding of judgement, or just selfishly forcing their feelings upon their beloved regardless of the consequences. This all results in the whole situation becoming increasingly messy and entangled with each passing episode, which makes the story both unpredictable and dramatic, but it also fills you with some sort of sadistic pleasure by watching everyone's worlds continuously come crumbling down, solely to then be able to watch in fascination how the characters somehow try to climb out of the holes they themselves created. It is a pretty typical case of curiosity killed the cat.
The main question you have to ask yourself whilst watching this anime is "what is the right thing to do?" in the characters' respective circumstances. More often than not, the logical answer and the emotional answer stand in direct contradiction to one another. Their heads tell them that they should try to let go of their hopeless feelings of affection, but their hearts say that they have to keep pushing forward, no matter the cost. And really, you cannot say that one option is any more or less "correct" than the other. Is it acceptable to sacrifice someone else's happiness in pursuit of your own, and is it okay to keep feigning ignorance of reality just because the current lie you are living in "feels good"? There is not really a right answer here, as regardless of what you do, someone is guaranteed to end up miserable and unhappy in the end no matter what, and Kuzu no Honkai showcases this dilemma to great effect.
Of course that is not to say that there are not a couple of times where I feel like the writers go a bit too far whilst trying to overplay the misery that Kuzu no Honkai has to offer. Especially Akane--who is arguably the real bad guy in this mess (if you can call her that)--sometimes feels a bit *too* malicious. The way she just casually tries to break Hanabi's heart in the most sickening ways possible time and time again feels like it goes a bit beyond what her own motivations seem to rationally justify that she should want to, and there is also one scene where you can see her sadistically licking her lips the way a second-rate villain from some B movie would do... which seems like they writers are trying to force on the image that "this woman is evil" a bit too directly. That is not to say that Akane does not function as a villain though because she is certainly a character you love to hate, but I cannot help but find the way they reached that goal to have been a bit forced at times.
In the grand scheme of things though, the hiccups of Kuzu no Honkai are rather sparse in comparison to how many good things there are about it. It is an unorthodox and exceptionally well-written show with very interesting characters. It also has some very artistic directing in general and even boasts with having some absolutely superb opening and ending themes. And while the story as a whole might still feel a bit implausible at times, it nonetheless gets its messages across in great fashion. Ultimately, what you are left with is one of the most memorable romance dramas in a very long time, and although it is certainly not an anime for everyone given its controversial themes, I think it is also one of those shows which if you manage to see it for what it truly is, then there really are not very many series quite like it. Overall, Kuzu no Honkai is probably the best romance anime I have seen in the last few years, and one I will eagerly recommend people for a long time to come as well.
Bebelman
This is the most cringey, edgy, 'look how deep and conflicted I am', garbage I've ever set my eyes upon. Absolutely no decency, no self-respect, no genuinety, no common sense, no nothing. It's just another reminder of a perpetually morally bankrupting society nowadays. Thanks! Characters are terrible - contrived, unlikable, and honestly just plain disgusting. No, I would not passionately make out with a random stranger as a substitute for my unrequited love. I guess that's just me, though. Throw in bunch of forbidden unrequited love (student-teacher, incest, lesbianism) in and envelop it with 'passion', a.k.a. perversion and you got yourself Kuzu no Honkai. And what's withthe completely out of place and unnecessary comedy? Is that an attempt to bring lightheartedness into this filth? Because it's not working.
Sodom and Gomorrah - the anime.
I would rather watch School Days on repeat and cringe for three days than feast my eyes on this trash for another second.
Stark700
Love is perhaps one of the most complicated feelings in the world. We may all have experienced sometimes in our lives. Whether it’s platonic, romantic, or parental, it’s something that humans feel because that’s who we are. As part of growing up, people learn to understand these feelings. Yet, there are also people who make stories out of their lives from such feelings, in ways that become so twisted and disjointed that they become scum. Welcome to Kuzu no Honkai, a show that gives the characters a chance to grow up. As a manga reader, I was already prepared although it’s easy to judge by thepremise that the story itself will be saturated with drama. Ever heard of ‘friends with benefits’? That’s pretty much how the premise sounds like. In the beginning of the story, we learn quickly that Hanabi and Mugi are engaged in a “relationship” that seems like those of a happy couple. Yet deep down, both suffers from pain because they are in love with someone else and are only using each other to ease their pain. It’s not hormone that’s driving these young folks into engaging in sex but that they simply want to feel something rather than pain. I have to admit, a show like this definitely takes on a more mature approach at romance than your typical high school rom-com. Make no mistake about it, Kuzu no Honkai is an emotional story that deconstructs romance in many ways more than one.
The character cast is small yet complex because almost every character has their own personal issues. Some are more complex than others as the show focuses on them in their own twisted stories. A primary example is Akane, the seemingly lovable teacher. Yet, as the story progresses, you’ll quickly learn that she isn’t exactly what appears to be. Fans could easily label her as a bitch in sheep clothing and hard to accept. It’s also relatable too as Akane is a type of character that can easily be encountered in real life. That’s what also makes this show more realistic than some others as Kuzu no Honkai demonstrates a lot of realism. Relationships draws a line between love and sex. Can sex lead to actual love? Or is it just sex?
In the meantime, character relationships in the show deconstructs what you’ll find in most romance stories. Yes, there are love triangles but Kuzu no Honkai has characters that uses others to satisfy themselves. Hanabi and Mugi is one but many examples. We’ll also learn in the show of how childhood friends will take the risk of being rejected and hurt. The fact is, no one is really safe of being happy in this series. Happiness is more like an illusionary word in the world of Kuzu no Honokai. Even when certain truths are realized and confessions are made, it is the stone cold truth that brings in even more pain. It doesn’t fall for every circumstance in the show as some characters are more willing to accept reality. However, the truth is still there that makes character relationships in this series seem like a losing battle. That’s a tough pill to swallow.
As you can imagine, the show is drama heavy with a lot of emotions. Jealousy, regret, greed, hopeful, mistrustful, fear, are just a few to name. Action has consequences and this show brings out the worst out of human behavior. Think about it really. Kuzu no Honokai translates to Scum’s Wish as the title references to one’s interest to satisfy their own desires. Most of the characters does this and is drawn by humans emotions. At the core of these emotions is love. However, this show deconstructs love and very few characters actually understands it. Or perhaps there is no real answer because everyone has different perceptions. Narumi (Hanabi’s homeroom teacher) is a rare example in this show where he accepts certain people for who they are even after learning the truth. Still, the truth can hurt doesn’t it?
Yes, don’t expect much comedy or humor from Kuzu no Honkai. It occasionally throws in some comedy from time to time but the majority of the show retains its mature feel. Now, the anime portrays sex as what it is and believe me, there’s a decent amount of it. The manga even has more explicit scenes to illustrate its point. So in essence, this show is not designed for a younger audience but suitable for those looking into a serious yet twisted story. The word ‘love’ doesn’t fit in there as that word is more or less an illusion. Still, I am happy that the adaptation captured the general idea of the original manga. It sticks to its point without derailing from its coming of age feel while inserting human emotions.
Lerche surprisingly did a fairly decent job at crafting the artwork. Character designs look mature especially for the adults such as Akane and Narumi. Ebato has that pure nature lady look that makes her desirable. However, Moca’s character design can be bothersome to get used to as she looks like a child being stuck in a mature world. Be aware that the show has a lot of fan service such as make out scenes, sex, and other suggestive innuendos. One thing I am impressed by the artwork is how there are certain scenes in the show that captures the characters’ expressions at fullest. It accomplishes this with a more detailed visual of their feelings but importantly makes them look impactful.
Soundtrack and music retains a somber tone. It’s a drama heavy story so what else did you expect? It has a feel of melancholy throughout the series along with light instrumental OST. Music director Masaru Yokoyama (Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso, Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans) does a fantastic job at the directing as expected. The OP and ED theme songs have some symbolism along with a drama-like tone. But in terms of voice mannerisms, this is where it gets sort of mixed. Characters such as Akane and Ebato are really hard not to feel attracted to with their mature voices. In the meantime, I have to mention again that Moca is a source of annoyance whenever she opens her mouth.
Kuzu no Honokai is like walking into a world of twisted desires. It’s like going into a maze with endless doors and no way out. Behind every door is a truth or lie that brings anything but joy. However, I think the show does bring up a good point of showing the realism of love. Examples in this series can really happen to anyone and realistically, it does. It’s part of us being human as there’s no real answer to what love is. Or to put it simply….
Love hurts.
ZephSilver
When someone considers themselves or others to be connoisseurs of any storytelling media, there are specific prerequisites expected from that individual that's usually understood without the need to outright state it. These factors can include being well-versed with different genres within the medium in question, to more demanding things, like understanding the construct in which the medium expresses its ideas. But out of all these unspoken base requirements, I think the most important one is something that's usually acknowledged but often taken for granted. That something in question is a hands-on understanding of the subject matter itself. Without that attribute, an exhausted catalog ofliterary knowledge and understanding of narrative tools is rendered almost pointless. Being book smart amounts to nothing without practical experience, or at the very least, first-hand encounters. Think of it this way, knowing about an archetype or trope is only as valuable as understanding what worldly influence caused it to exist, to begin with. Anyone can comprehend a creator's intent all day, but without an inkling of relation to it, all diegetic information could only be taken for what it is at face value.
Now, with that in mind, it's time to take a quick litmus test; ladies and gentlemen, Kuzu no Honkai (Scum's Wish) is average.
Quickly, what was your initial thought after reading that statement? Did you think that was an outlandish claim to make? That Scum's Wish is far from average and that the claim made was purposefully contrarian or, for the lack of a better word, attention-seeking? How can an anime that explore sexual decadents with such unfiltered restraint be considered "average" by any means? Most relationship anime don't even get past first base, so how can that claim be justified?
If you've already come to a similar conclusion regarding Scum's Wish before reading my statement, bear with me, as for everyone else that possibly rattled off something similar to the aforementioned thought process, time to explain why.
One Tree Hill, Gossip Girl, The O.C, Dawson's Creek, 90210, Pretty Little Liars, Gilmore Girls; what do these live-action TV shows have in common? Well, for one, they're centered around teens or young adults dealing with relationship drama in very exaggerated ways. And secondly, and perhaps more important as well, they're usually understood by most astute viewers to be conventional television programming. No critical thinker or demanding viewer worth their salt is singing high praises about these shows. The reason why is pretty simple, apart from being well-cultured in several different mediums that is. The discernment for shows of this ilk ties back to that essential requirement I mentioned: having hands-on experience.
If your firsthand encounter with the drama Scum's Wish wraps itself up in is close to none, praising it becomes easy to do. However, if you've ever been involved in any relationship, where you and the party in question were mutually in it for sexual gratification, then what Scum's Wish tries to depict gradually gets more juvenile and diluted with each passing episode. Anyone of the bottled off sexual/sensual encounters it indulges in can be believable on its own, but when meshed together to the degree in which every single character in immediate circles in the show is involved in a daisy chain of intimate depravity—at that point, it becomes wholly unrealistic; almost approaching the point of midday soap opera levels of contrived. This is sensationalized TV drama 101; the quintessential reason for why the phrase "sex sells" remain relevant for mainstay media.
Simply put, Scum's Wish is an animated version of your typical live-action teen/young adult drama TV show.
Now, before we go on any further, let's make this clear, teen/young adult drama shows themselves aren't inherently devoid of substance. There are live-action TV shows like Friday Night Lights and My So-Called Life, and even animated titles such as Nana and Beck that receive widespread critical acclaim for the same kind of things depicted in Scum's Wish. But instead of sensationalizing the subject matter for the sake of capturing audience attention, those shows decide to represent the relationships of the characters in naturalistic ways. The key takeaway here is that those shows did NOT rely on sensationalizing its content. That's the difference between media that use sex in an exploitative manner, and those that incorporate it as just another facet of life in the narrative at hand. Having relatable scenarios don't amount to much if it's unrealistically presented in the confines of the story. The show takes itself seriously, but the situations themselves are vapid at best.
And that isn't even to say that theatrically sensationalized programming doesn't have its place in storytelling media either.
There's no shortage of TV shows that use sensationalism to its advantage; such is the case with TV series like Shameless. A show that purposefully acknowledges the fact that it's all about sex, violence, drugs, and mayhem. And if the namesake didn't already make that clear enough, it "shamelessly" uses these aspects to tell its story. But that's the difference between something that's purposely sleazy like Shameless and the likes of Scum's Wish. One show is self-aware of its overblown content while the other operates with an aura of conceit and pretension.
But enough with the long-winded preamble, let's discuss what the show is all about. Short answer: yearning for others and sexual depravity. Long answer:
For as long as she could remember, Hanabi "Hana" Ysuraoka has been infatuated with her neighbor, Narumi Kanai. Due to their single parent upbringing, from a young age, they had quickly established a sort of family bond with each other, with Narumi becoming a frequent guest in Hanabi's household, to the point where she refers to him as her "big brother." Eventually, this infatuation Hanabi shares for Narumi slowly turn into a romantic interest. And as is the case with any story scenario of this nature, that love goes unnoticed as Narumi has his eyes set on someone else. That someone being the alluring music teacher and predestined rival, Akane Minagawa.
Being the object of affection to any guy that attends Hanabi's high school, Akane has no shortage of men fawning over her at any given time. With her strawberry blonde hair, alluring smile, and an aura that just permeates femininity, Narumi became yet another lovestruck male caught up in her presence.
With Akane and Narumi both being teachers, Hanabi's standing as a student further widens the gap between her and the one she loves, as she watches with each interaction they share slowly chipping away at her chances of ever having him to herself. Left in a state of emotional limbo, unable to do anything but watch as he gradually slips further out of reach; it's here, in this place of solitude that she finds out that she's not alone. A pair of eyes fixated with a familiar saddened gaze reflected in them stare at the cheerful adults as well. His name, Mugi Awaya. She may not know him personally, but that familiar bitter tinge of unrequited love that they mutually share leaves her a small glimmer of reassurance—"I don't have to suffer this alone." And so a pact is made by the pair, one signed with only physical comfort in mind. Sexual relief, mutual resentment, a promise of no strings attached; emotions left harbored off from each other for that promised day. Friends with benefits with only one intent in mind, to eventually gain the affection of the person they truly yearn for.
A tragic, bittersweet, ill-fated romance. A setup that could take on so many avenues of exploration and be successful at all of them if done right. It doesn't have to do much, just simply show the consequence of that kind of entangled emotional dependence as it affects the characters involved. Anything that toxic and shortsighted is bound to cause psychological scarring to anyone that participates. A dangerous game that some of us may have personally felt the backlash for at some point in our lives, after foolishly thinking that we were above the consequences. That somehow the end-result that many faced before wouldn't apply to us. A foolhardy belief that we could handle it where others weren't capable.
A continuous physical/sexual dependence on others will always come with a steep price of admission, whether it's immediately realized or comes on later in life during a silent night laying in bed, as thoughts of it creep in, festering in your idle mind. The foolishness of our now bruised ego, as we reflect on the stupid decisions of our past selves. Hubris in its purest form, with humility being the bitter pill we're made to swallow.
And to the show's credit, it does a good enough job depicting that inevitability. The problem is that it doesn't just stop there, as it decides to go the whole nine yards, and then some. Instead of just settling with a believable depiction to carry this core message, Scum's Wish is too greedy to call it quits. It doesn't just want to depict that scenario; it wants to portray everything under the sun, exhausting every possible love/lust situation imaginable in an attempt to make every possible outcome into an attention-seeking circus act of sexual decadents. And it's because of this, what once started out as a reasonably believable scenario, has now been turned into a ludicrously overblown orgy fest.
Without getting into specific names or details, I'm going to describe the general plotting of this show. And no, I'm not exaggerating here, this is what truly happens:
Person A wants to be with person B, but person B wants to be with person C, and person C only desire attention, and person D wants to be with person C but settled for person A, while person E wants to be with person D, and person F wants to be with person A, and person G wants to be with person F, and person H wants to be with anyone who's willing, and person C uses person H, while person D uses person E, while person J and D use each other, and person A uses person F, and person H tries to use person A... and so on and so forth.
And again, this isn't an exaggeration, this is what actually happens when you sit down to map out the plot for each episode. To say this story is insanely contrived would be an understatement. There are shows with fatalism in it that manage to feel less artificial. Any character that's recurring or has a name in this story is actively trying to bone each other.
There is absolutely nothing realistic about this toxic nonagonal love-web. And it's this web that actively defeats any victory laps the show achieves with any one of the individual stories stuck inside it. This show does have genuine character beats and arcs, but when all that's mired in content that's essentially one big exploitative fuck-fest, it's hard to take any of it seriously.
But to the show's credit, it does dedicate a decent amount of time framing the characters' mindsets so that the audience has an understanding as to what makes them tick, as well as why they carry themselves in the way they do. This is made all the more commendable given that a majority of them have despicable personalities. You don't necessarily have to like them, but you do understand how their thought process operates under certain circumstances. This is the definitive attribute it has over its much more cruddy sibling, School Days, where no time or effort was dedicated to any of the main lead's concubines. Scum's Wish, at the very least, gives the illusion that the characters presented are their own person, as with School Days, they were all just assembly-line fuck buddies. Not that it isn't the same case with Scum's Wish, in due time, they're all just reduced to sexual encounter cannon fodder as well. But with the time given beforehand to at least probe their psyche and reasoning behind their actions, they could still be considered to be "characters" by the end of it.
And speaking of School Days, not surprising enough, this sleazy brainchild was also penned by the same scriptwriter as well, Makoto Uezu. The man tends to over exaggerate everything he writes, and where that proves successful with his efforts in comedy-centric shows, for dramas, they have the adverse effect, as demonstrated here, in Arslan Senki, Akame ga Kill and of course, everyone's favorite, School Days. Adequately written drama is not the man's forte.
And speaking of dramas that became unintentionally funny or embarrassing, Scum's Wish is also plagued with random "comedic" cutscenes that began and ended with no discernable reason or benefit for the tone of the series. This usually occurred after an emotionally heavy scene, having the same terrible effect in the way Akame ga Kill would randomly cut to comedic hijinks after someone gets brutally murdered. Whether we could pin this similarity as another fault of Uezu is unknown, as this might just be a result of what the manga does than what the adaptation might be responsible for. Either way, it's a lousy attempt at levity that comes across as awkward the first handful of times it's used.
Other than that, the actual art and animation of the show demonstrated some thoughtful consideration of how it was constructed. By incorporating panel strips to make scenes flow together—visually emulating manga image tiles—Scum's Wish was able to convey more information by not only accounting for the character's reaction towards a situation but also drawing attention to certain critical moments as they pertain to the people involved within the frame. This allowed the audience to get a general sense of the mood or mindset that's being conveyed by placing a fixated point of interest with things boxed off within the manga panel tiles as it relates to the overall scene. The talented duo behind this thoughtful bit of storytelling was Yukie Oikawa and Masaomi Andou, who's past collaborative efforts together created the technical wizardry demonstrated in Gakkougurashi, where they both made their best Satoshi Kon impression.
Capitalizing off that, the art department showed a keen eye for color placement as well, with cool and warm colors striking a delicate balance, bringing with it visual chemistry on screen. Nothing overpowers the other unless it's done to insinuate a particular mood. An example of which is when they purposely chose to plunge the entire palette in monochromatic blues and dark purples to help give a feeling of isolation, only to use that same coloring technique with soft touches and color highlights to be used for times of intimacy. It's this firm grasp the creators had over color theory that allowed for selective color choices to serve dual purposes under the right guidance.
They also used splodges of ink and watercolor paint during cutscenes to represent a myriad of emotions and ideas, like lustful desire and deflowerment. While done with no subtlety whatsoever, it was still a nice touch. And even when everything was more than likely digitally colored in, they didn't use that for shorthand around adding personal touches, often giving things soft pastel-like textures and occasional color-penciled-in still shots placed throughout for good measure. Even the character designs are an excellent standout, having anatomically believable body proportions that help the viewer buy into their placement as people within the story.
With sharp edits used to juxtapose certain situations and letterboxing being applied to convey certain pivotal moments, every idea here was given careful consideration. Yukie Oikawa's acquired abilities from early documented work on Noir up to now has made this a show with a steady hand for cinematics, even if only on a smaller, manageable scale. And to be honest with you, this overall care given for its presentation might be the most significant saving grace for this show. Without it, the show's gimmicky content would be way more apparent than it is now.
Well, at least for everything within the show, as for the opening and ending themes, however, things couldn't have been more ridiculous had it tried. Starting off with a goofily blaring vocal performance and a flurry of rose petals, the imagery and song throughout the opening were pretty overblown; especially when it hammered home symbolism that felt tacky in comparison to what was presented in the show. But to its credit, the tune wasn't bad on the ears if you just let it play out absent-mindedly. As bad as it may have gotten at times, it doesn't come close to touching the ending theme's issues.
The ending theme's visuals were so blatant and try-hard that they actively made me cringe. It reminded me of Zayn's "Pillowtalk" music video, which is never a good thing since that was basically the equivalent of someone screaming:
"Get it BRUH? The FLOWERS represent VAGINAS and WOMEN'S WOMB... and like SEX and stuff, ain't I clever fam?!"—like no, just stop, you're embarrassing yourself and society. It's the kind of imagery a 15-year-old going through their "emo phase" would create, as they wear their Sid Vicious necklace and blast Linkin Park and Pierce the Veil in youthful revolt. By using a mixture of kaleidoscopic visuals to create phallic images, the whole thing aims for contemporary sex appeal along the lines of an FKA Twigs music video but ends up falling incredibly short. It had the tone of a former Nickelodeon child star trying desperately to break free of their kiddie image by being super raunchy.
Having "mature themes" and being "maturely handled" aren't the same thing. And when it comes to Scum's Wish, this is an applicable distinction to keep in mind, as the show crosses the line thinking they're one in the same on several occasions. And it's perhaps this issue that's the show's greatest downfall, as it relates to one of the bigger pending problems that need addressing; the character's awareness of themselves and each other.
The characters all have this uncanny ability to not only know the inner-workings of their own thought process but also that of everyone around them as well, like if they were all psychology majors. The internal reflection was appreciated, but knowing the mindset and framework of everyone else was a bit ridiculous. Realistically speaking, there should only be two characters in the entire show with that kind of mental capacity, and that were the adults. As a teen, one's ability to discern self and the disposition of others are only achievable on a superficial level. This isn't an "opinion," this is a scientific fact.
I've been in similar situations before as a teen, acting on sexual impulse, but was I fully aware of my decisions to the point of self-reflection? No, because I was horny, not some man musing about life and his choices. This anime treats teens like adults. The phrase "young, dumb and full of cum" isn't just passed around to describe youths for a good laugh, it's an expression born from the fact that during that turbulent time of change in your life, teenagers are shortsighted and driven by impulse. You don't start truly thinking with your prefrontal cortex—the rational part of your brain—until you've hit your early to mid-20s when it has fully developed.
Whenever the characters experience emotional woes regarding their actions, that's natural, and again, commendable for the show for trying to depict that. But it's the moment they all become Dr. Phil that it loses touch with itself and reality.
And I think I've danced around this long enough.
I'm trying my best not to state the obvious here, but fuck it, time to state the ugly truth of the matter. If your closest thing to intimacy is the love you received from your family, with little to no experience in an actual relationship, then what Scum's Wish depicts may come across more realistic to you than what is actually true. If you only watch anime and haven't ventured out to other mediums, then Scum's Wish offerings may also seem more novel than what it is. However, if sexual relationships—especially in the form of "fuck buddies" that this title plays with—are something you've had some passing experience with or hell, if you've seen/read enough other media centering around the subject, then chances are, what Scum's Wish offers to you may be nothing more than animated sleaze.
This anime's value could easily sway in either direction given the experience of the viewer that looks at it. As such, it's a show that's bound to cause contention among those that adore it and others that mock it. Of course, all of this doesn't even matter if you just want to be entertained, because if that's the case, there's nothing here worth reading that would dissuade you in the slightest. But if for some reason you happen to fall into that small camp that dissects and discuss the content they watch, this show would be met with coin toss results.
Your level of acceptance for what the show depicts depends entirely on your tolerance or love for certain narrative decisions. As for me, I don't see any reason to get up in arms about it. If you see it for what it is, there's no reason to get upset.
Scum's Wish lives in a vacuum. Real life is never so perfectly contrived. So instead of focusing on what it mirrors from societal norms, what should be looked at is what it does within the confines of its narrative. And when seen for what it is and not what outside influence it is not, the answer derived is pretty clear; Scum's Wish in its rudimentary form is quite literally animated smut. Meaningful at times but smut nonetheless. That age-old adage "sex sells" that's expressed by everyone, from your critics to your everyday viewer, isn't one to easily shake off. It's a commonly known truth for a reason. Sex in and of itself is not a bad topic to center around. It's a natural act we partake in. The issue is when sex is reduced to nothing more than a meal ticket to get audiences through the front door. At that point, any kind of message the show may have had becomes null and void.
In the end, what saved me from entirely dismissing Scum's Wish was the overall care given for its presentation, the extra time dedicated to at least exploring the characters involved, and the fact that content of this perverse nature is easily digestible on a basic entertainment level. As far as anything content-wise is concerned, it falls incredibly short of any meaningful passages in its narrative, save for the individual pockets of occurrences that get drowned out in all the clutter. When everything is said and done, Scum's Wish is a pretty porcelain vase; something beautiful to look at for a while but when peered into, just turns out to be a hollow shell.
84DaysWithout
Unrequited love presents a tiny window of hope on the verge of being shattered by crippling depression and anxiety. To not be able to share yourself with the person who brings color to your world, even worse watch them fall for someone perceived as better than you, is a feeling will that leave your emotions on the brink of suicide as your scum filled obsessions grow too loud to silence anymore. Kuzu No Honkai is a study on the psychology of unrequited love, how adolescents will make the mistake of equating self worth with sexual desirability and how that can inspire one to make terriblechoices out of desperation. This is not an anime about frivolous sex from horny kids. Kuzu No Honkai offers a nuanced take on the pursuit of love as a group of teenagers attempt to solve a common question that has no answers.
Mugi and Hanabi are the antithesis to your average romance protagonist - acting on their every sexual desire and being honest with themselves at the expense of other people's feelings. Growing frustrated with their unrequited feelings, The 17 year olds decide to use one another as substitutes in order to fulfill their raging desires. Make no mistake about it - this is a narrowminded, lust filled decision that only serves to make their misery even worse, but it's also realistic. Making rash in the moment choices is a consequence of love, and Kuzu No Honkai uses it's characters as a vehicle to explore these mistakes and what can evolve from them.
Mugi struggles with his own self worth, contemplating if hes nothing more than a human pillow for the opposite sex based on his encounters that extended no further than the bedroom. Mugi is an intelligent person who understands exactly what he wants. Just not necessarily how to capture it - a recurring theme of his character arc.
Abandoned by her father at an early age, Hanabi subconsciously looks to patch that void in her heart with sexual partners. She yearns to be desired. To be obsessed over and idolized. This vain personality adds to the authenticity of her character as it's normal for humans to seek confirmation. She is less experienced than Mugi, but a quick learner that changes dramatically episode to episode for better or worse.
Given their issues they could not have chosen worse people to fall in love with - a narcissistic man eater in who is the finest specimen of slutiness that anime has possibly ever seen, and an oblivious innocent sensei who sticks out like a sore thumb among all the other twisted personalities around him. They are the source, if not the antagonist, for the drama in this anime.
As if this tangled web wasn't complicated enough, Mugi and Hanabi are both loved by friends who they don't feel the same towards. Noriko wants her Prince Charming Mugi all for herself, in need of a reality check in the worst way. Sanae is is infatuated to the point of unhealthy obsession with Hanabi. Through her is a well told yuri tale that highlights how difficult it can be for the queer to let go of people that won't reciprocate their feelings.
Kuzu No Honkai offers a balanced perspective with each character being given the opportunity to narrate their experiences. This levels the moral playing field making it clear that no one is being judged for their transgressions, and gives the viewer a chance to dive into their minds to get a better understanding for their choices. By the end it truly feels as if you've lived through these characters decisions - especially if able to connect to any of them personally.
While many will flock to this anime for the sexual innuendo, Kuzu No Honkai isn't explicit just for the sake of it. Attached to every moment of passion is a deep inner monologue on its significance. Rather than the act itself, the rationale and consequences thereafter are emphasized most. There's a large segment of the anime community that took issue with the gratuitous amount of sexual content, seemingly not understanding that sex is the end goal of mutual attraction. If anything romantic works should have more intimacy scenes.
The music is sublime, helping to accentuate the somber atmosphere and offer smooth transitions into important scenes. The opening "Uso no Hibana" has a frantic pace that meshes well with the nonstop drama and helps to narrate the story itself. The final lyrics "I'm in so much pain, I love you so much it scares me" is literally everything this anime stands for. The ending "Heikosen" offers a slower, more intense contrast filled with kaleidoscope visuals that fits seamlessly as the closing credits begin.
I had concerns as to how this anime would translate the heaviness of the manga. Key word had, those concerns were laid to rest minutes into the first episode - Studio Lereche does an admirable job of molding attractive character designs and creating an inviting aesthetic that suits the tone of the story. Director Masaomi Ando uses dramatic pauses frequently in moments of high tension, flashing Kanji across the screen when there's a cut in the animation, and is an expert at using paneling techniques to create flow in scenes. From an design perspective the eyes of each character stood out most - they look soulless, aligning well with the overall theme of narrow minded obsession. The color design is dark, much of the anime takes place in a dim lit room, and the director does a good job of using manga panels to help scenes flow to perfection. Make no mistake about it - this is a gorgeous looking work of art that anyone should be able to appreciate whether you agree with the story or not.
Kuzu No Honkai is the most controversial anime of the Winter season by a mile. There's been loud criticism of the characters being too depressing, lacking realism and making poor decisions. To those critics I must ask - what world do you live in where teenagers aren't indecisive flakes unsure of what they want? Part of being an adolescent is the period of self discovery through arduous trial and error. Most adults aren't able to follow through with all of their promises, let alone high school students who have just entered the precipice of puberty. Rather than give us cookie cutter characters who feign knowledge of the world, Kuzu No Honkai is filled with young people who are actively seeking answers to their problems confused about just where to go next in life. This anime does not lack authenticity - it succeeds as a portrayal of its themes by offering an ample amount of discussion on the minds of each character
Kuzu No Honkai takes an open mind to enjoy. If you go into it with a preconceived notion on how romance should be explored, or how much intimacy should be allowed in anime, you won't like it. If you can appreciate an anime that is willing to go the extra mile in order to explore a topic rarely touched upon in the genre, it can be one of the greatest romantic works you've ever encountered - that was certainly the case for me. In a genre filled with beauty Kuzu No Honkai chooses to be ugly, detailing a love gone wrong from every which angle for the world to see.
themegamancave
“Why can’t it be me?” Love and lust are two terms synonymous with the young and naive but understood by those who’ve experienced both. “Lovesick” teenagers are often impressionable and irrational, driven by an overwhelming cesspool of hormones and emotions. Love is ambiguous at a young age, and can often be a stifling enigma. Lust is an enveloping, instinctive thirst for a partner’s sexual freedom. Although these concepts can be weighty and complicated, experiencing them is part of what makes us human, and are as intense as any incident we’re likely to encounter in our lives. Scum’s Wish is a visceral, raw and uncomfortable approach tolove and lust, and even deeper, what makes our minds tick from a relationship perspective. Does it succeed in translating the equivocal nature of human sexuality or does it miss the mark?
Adapted by the small scale Studio Lerche (Assassination Classroom), Scum’s Wish takes the concept of a love triangle to unfathomable new heights by adding a dynamic and cunning twist, where love escapes the limelight. What we’re left with is an askew pile of sexual hatred and numbness that is downright unsettling. One night stands, homosexuality, virginity and incest are all covered at some point in the anime’s short 12 episode run, in an attempt to unearth the deepest and darkest fantasies of virtually everyone in the cast. The problem is, to achieve this level of promiscuity, the writers lose the credibility they attempt to obtain due to the dialogue and monologues drowning in a sea of melodrama.
Our main character, Hanabi is in love with her life long “brother” figure Mr. Kanai, who in turn is in love with a fellow teacher, who just happens to be the apple of her classmate Mugi’s eye, so naturally Mugi and Hanabi start a facade of a relationship to help them cope with the unattainable “unicorn” they’ll never be with. Honestly, the whole premise sounds like a joke. Add in an aggressive lesbian who falls for Hanabi within minutes of being saved from a pervert on a crowded subway, a goodie two-shoes lolli who is unfailingly devoted to Mugi’s love and a creeper who’s constantly trying to molest his cousin and the wheels start to fall off the believability. Almost every facet of Scum’s Wish revolves around sex, causing the series to be rather unnerving.
It’s one thing to talk about sensitive subject matter like chastity or innocence in an anime, but when it becomes diluted to the point of omission, the initial argument is lost entirely. Scum’s Wish attempted to bombard its audience with too many sexual themes in too little time, resulting in a desensitized viewership just aching to skip ahead to the “love scenes”. If the point was to shower us in copious amounts of fanservice, it could’ve been done with a lot less effort and cash. If the point was to incite pondering and stimulating intellectual debate about love and its many intricacies, each theme should’ve been handled with care. Instead, these taboo topics become nonchalant and shadows of their former selves.
The characters in the anime are a mix of plausible and irrational. Although I added in the beginning that love can make us do the dumbest things, some of the behavior exhibited by Scum’s Wish’s cast is unbelievable at best. A teacher sleeping with her students has happened before, hell it’s even been in the news. But the way it’s scripted here seems slightly schizophrenic… revenge taken on a girl half your age to shelter your own inadequacies? Highly unlikely. I think Hanabi sleeps with everyone in the show, except the person she wants the most… but you know what, it’s okay because she never went “all the way” with any of them. She’s incredibly dense, despite having an overwhelming barrage of internal monologues throughout the series, describing who she should be with next and why. The real question is, “why do I even care about this?” Mugi may be even worse, but being a teenage dude, his testosterone is probably blinding his potentially intelligent decisions. Mugi and Hanabi’s relationship never really made sense to me, from inception to the conclusion of the series. It felt as though it only existed as a plot crutch, and to allow the writers to slam a bunch of other themes in our face along the way.
I couldn’t care less for the other characters in Scum’s wish. Their sexual struggles always seemed to be the lifejacket keeping them relevant, though I couldn’t get onboard with any of their causes. The empathy just wasn’t there for me. Even Kanai, who I initially perceived to be the sole intelligent, unblinded character in the show succumbed to his libido and broke his innocence eventually. Scum’s Wish tries to shove down our throat that it’s okay to be a slut, everyone’s doing it! But in all actuality, these characters are just playing out the desires our meek and timid selves are too reserved to pursue. And why does every character need to whisper all the damn time? I felt like every line was so soft and overexaggerated.
The animation in Scum’s Wish is top notch, and when incorporated into certain scenes, really made my heart race. If there’s one thing that Studio Lerche nailed (pun intended), it would be the orchestration of the love scenes. Sweat dripping, pulse pounding, moaning and blushing all around make this anime one not to watch with a friend, unless you want some supremely awkward silences or dinner conversations. The character models are attractive and crisp, while the environments (if you even noticed them) are accurate and consistent.
The music is also a high point for me, definitely a soundtrack that fit the atmosphere of the show. Each sexual encounter was brilliantly timed with an epic addition of strings, while the plotting and scheming soliloquies were laden with an equally devious accompaniment. Ironically enough, I didn’t really care for the OP, as it didn’t really flow with the anime at all. A fast-paced JPop song with a relatively melancholy vibe just irked me. The ED was more appropriate, and really captured the tarnished innocence that Habani exuded throughout the series. Slightly haunting, and stunningly accurate. The voice acting was decent, though nothing out of the ballpark necessarily. I did like the apathy echoing through Habani’s voice during her monologues, a nice job for sure.
Overall, Scum’s Wish was a promising anime that became corrupted by the oversaturation of its sexual themes. The result was an uncomfortable, guilty pleasure that is best reserved for watching by yourself, on an introverted, quiet night alone. Those of you less intellectual might want to grab a tissue, though not necessarily for tears… I can assuredly say that this series pushed the envelope of what I might find appropriate to watch in anime, and I haven’t really seen anything like it before. I’d recommend it if you are really into hormonal, melodramatic sexual escapades, or are looking for a show with adult subject matter and want something completely different. I enjoyed it, but not enough to say it’s a must watch… and definitely not the anime of the season. As always, thanks for reading and be sure to check out the rest of my Winter ‘17 reviews!
Raggadish
You can easily say that Kuzu no Honkai (Scum´s wish) without a doubt has been one of the big talks of the winter 2017 season. Either people praise this new angle on a romance story in anime, or are disturbed by the emo depressed characters that does one scummy thing after another. Well, Scum´s wish for shore manages to separate itself from its siblings in the genres, much do to with that it is including sex as one of the big factors. Because let´s be honest, most high school kids are exploring their sexuality and are not going out for months before they have theirfirst glowing wonderful kiss (which often is the case in many anime´s). It’s often much less romantic than that. That at least Scum´s wish manage to portray very well – often you don´t need to have romantic feelings or care for the person in question, for physical and intimate contact. Even if Scum´s wish is labelled as a “Romance” anime, there is very little actual romance in it. Other themes such as rejection, unrequired feelings, loneliness, egotism, replacement, sexuality, naivety, desire, selfishness, and jealousy are explored much more than an actual two-sided romance. As for the characters – they truly are scum driven by instincts most of the time, and therefore are very hard to like or understand. At least they are to me.
But the question you probably having, is it any good or worth watching? I will get down to that now.
Story and Character: 3,5/10
The first words that’s comes in mind to me are “Soap opera with an emo-soft porn touch”. As in many anime of this kind, the plot is mostly, if not only character driven. The plot is the character’s actions, thoughts and interactions, therefore I´m bundling the story aspect and character aspect here in one.
That´s not necessarily making this kind of show good or bad, it just is what is. But then all the weight is on the characters and if they fail to do their job to make you feel and care about them... Well, then the whole experience can become much less enjoyable then it could have been. The thing is that most of the characters in Scum´s wish is unlikable and hard to relate to. *light spoiler* Is there a time that you felt so lonely that you slept with your friend of the same sex, even do you are straight, just to feel less lonely? If not, you see my point. *end light spoiler* The characters are very self-centred, lost, egoistic and outright scum most of the time. You have Hanabi (female MC), who is a cute lonely/empty high school girl with a big brother complex and crush on her male teacher, Mugi (male MC), the normal but slightly depressed handsome high school boy with a slut teacher complex and a crush on his female music teacher, Moca, Loli childhood friend with long time crush on mentioned male MC, Ecchan, lesbian friend with a crush on female MC, Akane, said female music teacher with a thing for sleeping with men that have other women loving them (just to get the kicks off their sadness and jealousy), and a Nerdy, clueless and naive male teacher that has a shy personality and a mother complex. And there you have the set-up for this “love” hexagon. Many times, I almost wished for that bad things would happen to them because they kind of deserved it. In the same time, I was kind of enjoying this new input in an anime, you aren´t meant to like the characters. They are deliberately written like that and that´s also what’s makes Scum´s wish interesting in its own way. So even if I really disliked the characters (some much more than others – yes, looking at you Akane), they still managed to make me want to watch them and their drama. Who was going to get rejected/fucked/used/do something randomly humiliating next? This phenomenon made me want to know what weird thing was going to happen next, and to keep watching this emo-soft porn drama week after week. A large amount of the show focuses on the character’s thoughts and reasoning’s. Most of the time it´s kind of depressing emo-philosophical stuff about the unrequired love, loneliness, how a bad of a person he/she is and how they use people, and the wish to change oneself. As mentioned before, the romance/love aspect is almost absent – most of the time there´s about desire and filling an empty place (both literally and figural speaking). And about control and sooth one’s boredom or loneliness. And by doing so getting involved with multiple people without give a shit about their feelings, to fill this empty place in one´s heart, soul, and… You get it. Other than emo-emotional/sexual stuff revolving the characters it isn´t much to the story. So, if you can put up with that, go ahead and watch it. If not, this is probably not for you.
Art: 8/10
The art and animation is pretty great – it has a certain quality about it. Mostly in form of shoujo beautiful backgrounds and scenery’s. Much effort has also been put on more detailed parts, such as the character’s eyes, with multi-layered colours and lights, or rain drops that’s falls and causes ripples in a puddle. And the blushing and sweating of sexually aroused characters is… hum... very pronounced. The colour palette that is used is very aquarelle with a wide spanning of the colour spectrum. It has a softness to it that is quite a contrast to the characters/story. The character designs are nothing unique or special. They have a pretty common anime standard design. For the animation, it´s absolutely fine, but nothing outstanding either. It has few weird motions and angles, but didn’t blow my mind either.
Sound: 7/10
For the soundtrack a lot of piano/guitar combos are used, with a sadder/melancholic touch to it. Which I suppose matches the mental states of the characters. Vocal songs are used but not that frequently. All over decent in my opinion. The OP is actually pretty good, it´s an upbeat pop song that´s gives of more energy than anything in show itself. The ED´s is also pretty good, and which I think is supposed to reflect all the confusing and mixed emotions the characters are feeling.
For background sounds and such, it does its job but nothing especially memorable. Waring, a lot of slobby kissing sounds are present every episode. That could be a huge turn of for some viewers. For the VA´s (Japanese) I think they did their job pretty well. It would be exaggeration to say that they really brought life into their characters, because the characters themselves appeared pretty lifeless to me. But they did a good job with the character they had to work with.
Enjoyment: 6/10
So, was it any good? Not particularly for me, but Scum´s wish do have something that made me keep watching it and see if there is any progression of the characters and their wishes. Even if I didn´t really felt for the character’s personalities, I still was somewhat entertained by this soft-porn emo drama anyway. Scum´s wish was something new I hadn´t watched 10 shows just like it before, and brought a new perspective to the genres. A little bit refreshing if nothing else. So, I enjoyed some of it, was disgusted by some of it, was irritated of some of it, and was pretty entertained of some of it. I would say, that for me it was worth the watch and I don´t want to charge anyone for my time back.
Overall: 6/10
The unlikable characters both made this show to something new and interesting, and at the same time puts sticks in the wheel for its self. I became somewhat emotional invested in the characters but for the wrong reasons. I wanted bad stuff (some karma please) to happen to them because of their egoistic and often childish behaver. But I definitely can´t call Scum´s wish boring or particularly bad. It still manages to entertain me to the degree of me watching it to the end, and be curious about what was going to happen next. So, I would not recommend this show for everyone, especially if you are looking for a cosy romance story. You aren’t going to find any of that in Scum´s wish. But if you like the genres and want to see something that hasn´t been done before and give a new perspective, go ahead and dig in to the scummy characters of Scum´s wish.
I hope you found this review somewhat helpful and informative. Cheers!
GokuNazz
"A brilliant story-telling adaptation that brought the manga to life, exquisite work of art and mesmerising soundtracks that slowly pulls you in as you immerse yourself in the twisted yet captivating world of Kuzu no Honkai" ~ Nazz Story: 10 Art: 10 Sound: 10 Characters: 9 Enjoyment: 10 Overall: 10 (TL;DR below at the end of the review)-------------------
As the manga reader, Kuzu No Honkai adaptation is one of the shows of Winter 16/17 I was looking forward to.
Even before I decided to write this review, I already envisioned this show as a perfect 10 and it did not disappoint; not only the anime was able to flesh out and portray the messages effectively as it were in the manga - It goes beyond that- it invokes a strong feeling and emotion that can't be portrayed through a static picture.
There are four main characters in the show, each with different personality and are unique. As the show progresses you'll gain insights to all of the main characters history, back-stories and struggles but the spotlight would always be on Mugi and Hanabi. I think the show did a great job exploring each of the main characters as well as the supporting ones, and the story were fairly fleshed out.
Of course, If the show is memorable then what is the secret behind it? Well, it's one of the worst kept secret but we often overlook - Soundtracks - The opening (96neko - Uso no Hibana) and the ending (Sayuri - Heikousen) left quite an overwhelming impression on me. Listening to the soundtrack on my HiFi Headphone is extremely satisfying as it invokes your emotion and gravitates you slowly into the story, especially at the end of each episode; the timely play of guitar plucking softly behind the background while the narration was wrapping up as it slowly transition to the epic OST.
Ah of course, do not forget the Art. Clean, appealing, colorful and contemporary. I admit, it exceeded my expectation that the anime's art would be equal or less than manga. For a normal bloke like me, I'm thankful they did not sacrifice the quality of the drawings which in a way, contributed to bringing the manga to life. Moreover, I'm satisfied with the voice actors & actresses performances that further heighten the enjoyability of the show.
At long last, the brilliant drawings & art, mesmerising soundtrack and sensible plot makes it one of the most memorable romance show that I had in recent memory.
While it might not be a happy ending for all, but for those who appreciate a great drama and different perspective of 'Romance' makes the immersive experience worthwhile.
-------------------
TL;Dr - Definitely a Must-Watch show for those who is a sucker for 'romance' tag like me and it lives up to its tag. The only thing is, it's not your every day romance kind of show, as it caters to the more mature audience.
syncrogazer
Kuzu no Honkai and the praise it's receiving is an example of the weird idea that eroticism is only allowed as long as everyone is miserable. Read: 'realism.' The main problem with the anime is that it's seemingly supposed to be a character driven story: we get quite a bit of internal monologue detailing the emotions, feeling and motives of the various characters. The problem is that the writing is suspect. Characters will often repeat the same thing over and over again in slightly different, or unnecessarily abstract ways. It's as if the writers have a large vocabulary but not enough, or any new, ideasto apply it to.
The characters themselves are pretty one-note. Hanabi is cute and all, but if you asked me what she was like I'd only to be able to repeat the synopsis of the anime back to you. This idea goes back to the 'realism' thing. Most people don't go throughout their daily lives only thinking of the one problem that's plaguing them. Even if there was one person that did that, I think it's highly unlikely that there's an entire group of people around them doing the exact same thing. 'Characters' and 'character development' are often used as a free pass when someone likes something about a character but doesn't know exactly why or how to express it, which is why I'd rather talk about something else than focus on that. But in this case, where the show is being praised for its realism, I must say that characters that don't seem at all like living human persons doesn't strike me as realistic. Give Hanabi a hobby or something, I'm not asking for much.
"But they're unhappy so of course it's realistic."
"But they're unhappy so it's mature."
"But they're unhappy so it's deep."
or
"But they had sex so it's realistic"
etc.
I don't buy it. Making me care about these characters is like 'creating engaging drama 101.' If I don't care about them why should I be shocked by what is going on around them? This creates an emotional gulf where I kind of want to see what's going to happen, but I don't have to worry about any surprises along the way. In a way it's a good thing because it cuts down on stress, but that doesn't help make the anime engaging on any level that isn't superficial.
I did like the visuals and the character designs however. I felt that the visual design and direction was consistent throughout: it was engaging and descriptive enough to keep my eyes happy. This may be the case of the studio dealing with a flawed source, because they got the mood right... but it's a story that wasn't interesting enough, or maybe even just poorly focused.
The last episode contained the most characterization and charm out of any of them. Hell, the ending was way more reasonable than it deserved to be.
About the sex: novel at first, event that's a stretch, but got boring quick. Some people watching were too easily impressed by the 'they kissed in the first episode' thing and that's how they got hooked, I'm guessing.
sanander
"I'm still young, hopelessly stupid, and easily excited." - a typical highschool shithead. Do you remember being sixteen? Breaking someone's heart for the first time? Having your heart broken, maybe? Making out with a stranger drunk in a dark back alley? Maybe you've cheated, maybe you were cheated on, had your promiscuous episodes that perhaps never ended. This is what this anime is about, it's about experiencing what feels like 'grown-up' romance for the first time. Kuzu no Honkai is by no means an easy watch, it's not 'enjoyable' in the literal sense of the word, but you will enjoy it if you like stories that don'tgo easy on the audience. It's a highschool romance through and through, most characters are stupid kids who think they're adults because they tongue kiss each other and have sex, most of them are annoying, but weren't you the same when you were sixteen? Personally, it reminded me a lot of my highschool years, which is not something to be proud of.
In the end, it's a coming of age story with a happy ending (but not the kind you'd expect) and surprising amounts of yuri (for a show that is, in fact, not about exploring your sexual identity or a lesbian awakening of any sort). There is some comic relief sprinkled here and there, but it's so few and far between that you honestly appreciate it relieving the tension.
Overall, this is a must watch for anyone who enjoys romance anime and is tired of the usual 'handholding is lewd' narrative, this is modern highschool romance laid bare: selfish, disgusting and dirty.
tmoverbeck
What starts out as a seemingly cheesy romcom premise - we can't have the ones we really love, so let's hook up as each other's substitutes instead - turns into a complex, scandalous and overall compelling story, emotionally charged and beautifully illustrated. Hanabi Yasuraoka and Mugi Awaya are two high school students, each with a crush on their respective teachers, Narumi Kanai and Akane Minagawa. When they find out those teachers are falling for each other, Hanabi and Mugi, in a state of emotional despair, make a pact to be a stand-in for each other's object of desire, with the stipulation that they can't fall inlove with each other. Along the course of the twelve-episode run, other young hearts are drawn into the fray, such as Noriko "Moka" Kamomebata, Mugi's friend since preschool who never lost her crush on him, and Sanae "Ecchan" Ebato, a close female friend of Hanabi's who develops deeper feelings for her.
The series allows us to look into the mindsets and emotions of all persons involved. Some have questionable morals and motivations for sure, and hearts do end up getting broken. But Scum's Wish captures genuinely the complexities of emotional and hormonal development of youth and young adulthood, even if the journey does cross a line or two.
LIQfilms
Love and the sexual feelings we have, lust, are complicated and confusing. Much like my overall thoughts on this anime... Scum's Wish was the break out hit this season with conflicting opinions all over the place from people praising the show as a masterpiece in which it conveys the themes of romance and love in a realistic manner and those who say that it is over glorified and unrealistic. If you were to ask me, I'd say this anime is pretty stupid, and for the longest time I couldn't decided what this anime was going for exactly nor of what to make of it! Ithonestly feels like, in a lot of places, it is the second coming of School Days!
The biggest problem I had with this show was its lack of any interesting characters at all, but before I get into that, let's discuss the plot for this show:
Scum's Wish may seem like your typical romance show, but the two main characters who are in a relationship with each other, in fact, do not love each other at all, and lust for different people. Hanabi loves her Onii-chan and Mugi loves his sensei. As the show goes along the two characters begin to bond together, as they begin to form a real relationship whilst trying to come to grips with their unrequited love, while, at the same time, being horrible, scummy people sleeping around with others and using others to get closer to what they want. The characters constantly fuck each other other (no sexual pun intended.) And that's the main aim of this show; to highlight and showcase people at their absolute worst, who do nothing but sleep around and use people for their own agenda's and goals, but here lies my biggest gripe with the show. I find it so boring.
While the plot does try to do something different, which is commendable in its own right, I found everything to be so lacklustre despite the numerous, and rather off-putting sex scenes in the show. I would go as far as to call this show a deconstruction but not a very good one since I don't care at all with what is happening with any of the characters since the anime hasn't given me any reason to care for any of them from the start. All of them are pretty much horrible, disgusting people, and I do get that this is the appeal of the show for some, to watch horrible bastards instead of your typical sugar coated anime girls, but at the same time, since the characters are so unlikable and boring, I found their struggles and problems to be entirely pointless! The characters go around in circles and often the scenarios feel forced and often rather trite at times as well! Not only that but this show is filled to the brim of emotional monologues which always came across as being pretentious in my eyes and a cheap way of sounding deep without trying to convey any themes or ideas in a convincing manner.
The characters are pretty stupid, and end up doing stupid things just to force drama and pad out the episodes. Now, I understand that teenagers do stupid things all of the time, so it would make sense for them to do stupid things, but the amount of times I became annoyed with this show, and face palmed is staggering since there is no catharsis pay off to make light of the dumb decisions they make, and again, I couldn't find investment since the cast was rather dull and one dimensional. The show does present lesbians and bisexuality as well and attempts to present these in a realistic manner, but since not enough time is invested in these ideas they instead feel rather lackluster and are pushed to the side, remaining stagnant with hardly any development.
I've seen some people refer to this anime as being realistic, and while I can't speak for anyone, this, to me, it perhaps one of the most unrealistic romance shows to ever grace the Earth. All of the drama feels rather forced and thus the characters do too. Also, when in real life have you seen a girl lusting after her own brother so badly before? Not in my world anyway...
To be perfectly fair, they do treat the incest subtext matter with some care and respect and it isn't just reduced to being just some fan service for all of the filthy weebs out there and hell, it even gets a decent amount of development to fuel her love, making it somewhat justified, although it isn't handled nowhere as good as something like Koi Kaze.
Each character also makes it a habit of referring as themselves as awful people, which, while acknowledging the fact that they're, it doesn't change them at all, nor makes them inherently interesting because of this. The show really needed a likable character to latch onto, or someone to care for in order to have made the drama more hard hitting, but what we get is a rather dull, and confusing mess without any sense of direction to go in terms of its characters or story. The whole time while I was watching the show, I just felt uncomfortable and the whole show feels trashy, hiding behind the disguise of an emotional drama. It honestly does feel just like School Days in many regards. Now, I'm not someone who thinks School Days was the worst anime of all time, far from it in fact, but it attempts to do the same thing as Scum's Wish - that being a deconstruction of the harem/romance genre while presenting drama and dirt bag characters, and it suffers from the same problem. Since the characters are only presented as being such, it's hard to latch onto them and feel for anything they go through since the show is nothing more than a deconstruction and believes that is enough by itself to carry the show, which it isn't at all. At the very least we get to see all of the cunts die at the end of School Days...if only that would've happened here.
Now, I have to say, Scum's Wish has a great visual aesthetic, with great character designs and even some experimental animation to convey the emotional instability the characters are feeling, and the sex scenes, while awkward to watch since they hardly add anything onto the characters, are well very well animated; as well as the music. The opening theme was great and there is a great variety of music in the show to fit the correct moods, definitely the strong points of the show. The voice actors also do a pretty great job at conveying the emotions of their characters and they do feel pretty convincing as well. I also liked the rectangular boxes that would appear on the screen that cut to close-ups of the characters faces which was a subtle touch at presenting their emotions without relying on forced exposition, and this was a nice addition in terms of visual appeal.
But, when it comes down to it, if we strip these elements all we have is a boring deconstruction with pretentious excuses for deep characters. I do appreciate that the show is trying to do something different, but sometimes, different is not always better. I honestly really wanted to like Scum's Wish, I really did, but the lack of any interesting characters combine that with the fact that I hated every second of it, makes me never want to touch this anime ever again.
Skittles
Desire is the cause of misfortune in teenage relationships. After realizing that the love of her life has his eyes on another woman, Hanabi Yasuraoka resolves to fill the gaping hole in her heart. The desperate girl didn’t know what to do, but fate is kind enough to grant her a chance encounter with Mugi Awaya, a boy from her school facing a similar romantic dilemma. Finally acknowledging the futility of her original goal, Hanabi decides to form a deal with Mugi: the two would enter a fake relationship, granting them the peace of mind they longingly seek under the pretense of false love. This is thestory of Scum’s Wish, an emotional yet flawed romance drama that explores teenage carnal desires through multiple love triangles, artsy shots, and gratuitous amounts of erotic sequences.
It’s uncommon to begin a review with an assessment of the soundtrack, but not doing so would be a disservice to Scum’s Wish excellent music. Comprising a variety of melancholy piano tracks, the soundtrack of Scum’s Wish does wonders in heightening the emotional impact of the show. Masaru Yokoyama is no stranger to composing music for anime, but his work in Scum’s Wish places him in a whole new level. To be frank, the countless love scenes sprinkled throughout the show would feel like clips of softcore porn without Yokoyama's passionate tunes to heighten their intensity. I dare say that the soundtrack of Scum’s Wish rivals that of Masaomi Andou’s earlier work, White Album 2, and that series was largely about the music.
The visuals of Scum’s Wish are simply gorgeous. The backdrops and lighting are great, but the real winner here is the commendable choice of color. Although the show harbors a dark tone, Studio Lerche didn’t shy away from making Scum’s Wish a surreal experience by filling it with beautiful colors. Another thing worth mentioning are the character designs—the cast looks like your standard teenagers and young adults, but attentive viewers will notice that some characters have particularly bright irises which are most noticeable during the sex scenes. This could simply be an artistic choice, but it does heighten emotions whenever the characters experience romantic moments. After all, the eyes are windows to the soul, or so they say.
Now onto something less than stellar—the cast itself. Since Scum’s Wish lacks a concrete storyline, the burden of its entertainment value falls almost entirely on its characters. Do they succeed in strengthening the narrative and giving the story a clear sense of direction? Sometimes yes, sometimes no. Although the cast of Scum’s Wish succeeds in that each person in the show bears a unique personality and backstory, there’s also the problem where two of its characters are hardly needed.
As the protagonist of the show, Hanabi retains the strongest link with the rest of the cast. While most of the other characters are only relevant in their corresponding subplots, Hanabi plays a major role in shaping the development of everyone in the show. Because of this, many will likely identify Hanabi as their favorite character in Scum’s Wish. Mugi might be the man of the relationship, but as the show goes on, his stoic façade gradually fades away to reveal his more helpless side. Although he gives off the impression of a tough character at first, such is not the case whenever memories of his longtime crush come back to haunt him. Scum’s Wish does a fine job in crossing the shackles of stereotypes and adding an extra layer of depth for its two main leads, making their development rather unpredictable.
The devious Akane and simpleminded Kanai will likely receive the ire of most viewers, but this too is a ploy executed brilliantly by the show. Akane’s existence as a one-sided vamp is excessively infuriating at first, but think again: is it possible for a woman in real life to bear a personality like her? Certainly so, and they’re not exactly uncommon either. Likewise, it’s also possible for a man to be so blinded by love like Kanai that rational thinking seems to no longer exist within him. If anything, these two characters demonstrate to us well that falling in love can be a messy experience.
Then come Sanae and Noriko. All the above-mentioned characters have their own set of faults, traits, and stories that make them entertaining and realistic, but unfortunately, the same can’t be said for these two girls. Although Sanae isn’t exactly unlikable, her lesbian relationship with Hanabi feels like a shoehorned attempt to stuff more plot threads into the show. I welcome the occasional yuri, but what’s the point when all it does is introduce needless melodrama? Not only that, but the relationship between Sanae and Hanabi travels nowhere. With the show already facing difficulty in handling multiple love triangles, it seems quite cumbersome for a third unconventional relationship to be thrown in for the sake of expanding the story. Speaking of the second love triangle, the tension between Noriko, Mugi, and Hanabi is the weakest aspect of Scum’s Wish, especially since Noriko is given measly screen time comparing to the rest of the cast. Both Noriko and Sanae can be removed from the show and it wouldn’t make much of a difference.
In terms of direction, Scum’s Wish utilizes plenty of artistic shots that involve shading the screen and stressing quotes from the characters in a form of unique display. While some might find these a bit pretentious, I find them to complement the show’s malevolent tone nicely. Another exaggerated trend is the copious amount of sex scenes between the characters. Sometimes I feel the writers stuffed in these sequences mainly for fanservice, but as the show progresses, I slowly accept them to be part of the story.
So is Scum’s Wish a perfect romance drama? Not by a long stretch, but it’s undoubtedly entertaining because of its distinctive characters. There are several areas that could use some improvement, and some of the superfluous relationships could be trimmed out. In the end, however, I admit that watching these characters trying to overcome their romantic ordeals was a time well-spent.
doge_desu_sugoi
*cracks knuckles* Alright, time for my first review on here. First off, i just wanna say, the reason i wanted to wait off on reviewing is simply pure laziness, but this one has motivated me. Scum's wish lives up to it's name better than any anime I've seen yet. THEY'RE ALL SCUM AND I HATE EVERY SINGLE CHARACTER. Now someone might ask, "why would you watch it then?" Well, short answer: I don't really know. Have you ever watched something or heard something that brought up a really painful memory yet you just couldn't look away? Well this was thatscenario for me.
(A tiny bit of background for my case: I was with a girl for about 3 months, and I was used by her through and through.)
Well good lord, the teacher might as well have been the spitting image of my ex. A straight up psychotic whore. (And the other characters are pretty up their in their "whoryness") Every character has some for of sexual instance with (at least) one other character.
Let me put it this way.
1: They all shoulda just kept it in their pants and everything would have been fine.
2:Don't get into a relationship with someone you don't have feelings for.
3: Don't be in relationship with someone who you know is just gonna do things with others anyway.
4: Don't cheat.
5:Don't cheat.
6: see 4&5.
Am i coming through clear now? One last way to put it. I would punch the guys straight in the face if i could, and, if i was a girl, the same for the girls. (and i'm a pacifist) All of these characters just piss me off to no end. (and the ending sucked too)
I don't remember where, but i remember someone saying how they loved this anime for it"s "realistic approach to love" or something like that. OK, NEWS FLASH, THAT ISN'T NORMAL, and if it is? I'm sorry for the life that you've been living in honey, cause it shouldn't be remotely like that. If this kind of thing is normal in your world, you need to get outta there cause that's not healthy, at all. CHEATING IS NOT OK PERIOD. If you've found someone else that you like, be a decent person, and end it with the one you're currently with immediately. I repeat, DO NOT CHEAT. DON'T.
Rant aside, as a drama, it does it's job. Romance? No. Ecchi? Kinda. Seinen? uhhh, no? if anything i could see this being aimed at girls.
Art style was fine. Ton's of flowers used as backgrounds that landscape the background of the long winded overthinking thoughts scenes. Nothing special really.
Music was okay? It was almost always somber and depressing. I did enjoy the intro and outro songs though. (Did not care for the video parts of those.
Overall, i wouldn't really recommend this. Again, I don't even know why i watched it all the way through. Maybe i just wanted to see them all miserable? Who knows?
(oh, ending was crap too)
T3hSource
Even after I've become more experienced with the medium, I do have naïve expectations at times. Kuzu no Honkai comes with a promise of adolescent sexuality and a messed up affair web to present and explore. Only to become more and more overbearing with it to the point where it's a schlocky softcore porn soap opera. And it is a soap opera by all means. If that is refreshing in anime form, go right ahead and enjoy the show. But to me, this is an example of why a lot of teen dramas flop hard. One of the biggest praises Kuzu gets ishow "realistic" it feels. When in terms of presentation it is absolutely groundless. There isn't much one can discern in terms of context and situations, only how it matter to the character's current emotional state. The series is actually very stream of consciousness oriented, yet it sticks to a conventional slice of life setting, with schools and walkways. I have no idea what's going on outside the characters' love affairs, how they're lagging behind on school, how their parents try to communicate about their problems. How seemingly no one reports suspicious activities of our villain - a school teach going on dates and hotels with her students.
The events are framed as shocking, but due to the lack of grit to the setting, it's like someone trying to bite you without any teeth. At times it feels like softcore porn, yet it's doing its damnedest to make you feel uncomfortable during the sexual scenes, instead of portraying lust, addiction. And then quickly dials down so we can go back to the painfully podcast long monologues of each character in the cast of 6. How the hell do 6 people get into such toxic affairs with each other is a logistical miracle. And each one feels the same, it's the exact same style of circular reasoning, just insert a motive and an emotion for the episode and call it "character development" which comes out of nowhere, isn't properly foreshadowed and only relevant for the current episode. The overarching theme of unrequited love is immensely diluted to where it's just emotional ranting, railroading itself into disasters for the sake of it. Flashbacks only provide emotional context, but not the situational one, how a character's behavior has come to be, who they are as a daily person. I ultimately don't know any of these people, and I don't care about what happens to them, or what they have to say.
Any character at any any time can come up with any reason to do what the author decides for them to do. Because all you have is the raw emotional reasoning and nothing else. And suspiciously so, all of it is laid bare in such a clear fashion, you can follow the train of thought in a cohesive manner, it never devolves into rambling or just partial words. Leaves absolutely nothing to the imagination, to grasp for an an essence of thought that alludes to the mental impact of what the characters are experiencing.
Now to get a into a few details, the "relatable" characters.
Hanabi, the poster child of a teen making dumb romantic decisions. Only to be dragged or dragging herself into bad situations because she thought it would serve her best. The initial idea of her unrequited love was to explore what it's like, yet later on that falls flat and feels like stalled development. She is never truly faced with the hard realities of sexual encounters and how lust "corrupts" one's mind. She's a "pure" waifu from start to finish. She tries to emulate the villain in a half-hearted manner, yet nothing comes of it. The series never truly commits to its supposed scumminess.
Mugi is the passive male deuteragonist. A rather passive person with sexual experience who also has unrequited love for the villain. But a lot of the time he's just that, non-reactive, he's merely there to add to the roster and doesn't do much by himself, yet we hear his emo thoughts regardless. He might as well not exists to my mind because he's just a crossroad for the love affair web.
And now we get to the villain, the sociopathic Akane. Her initial role as a foil to Hanabi falls flat with her own dedicated episodes of development, which gradually invalidates her entire character, role and concept.
Ecchan is in a similar spot as another extension of the misery train. Her actions escalate without warning, and little reprehension. In a lot of ways, she could've served the show in a great thematic manner, but in the end her inclusion just extends the show needlessly.
Moca is a himedere (i.e has a princess complex) serving comic relief that was thankfully written out most of the anime.
And lastly Kanai. He's a plot device and the most shamelessly stereotypical character of the cast, and that's the point of his existence.
The art direction is on point though, as coming from a director who specializes in interpersonal romantic melodramas. The softer water color backgrounds, the soft character lines work well to bring some discomfort to the series, how surreal it is. And during monologues or dramatic scenes, the directing is up for color filters, shading the frame, tilting it. Heck, there are outright esoteric scenes during some monologues with rose petals, it's actually quite tasteful. The focus on the faces, even the panel framing works wonders. Though at times the panels feels cheap, the directing overall does its damnedest to elevate the fanfiction level melodrama into something sensational. And the sex scenes are handled as well as they could be for TV, a lot of cuts and implications, but kept rather "safe". This is what makes Kuzu passably enjoyable from a schlock soap opera perspective. Everything is so overbearing at all times that it's all ridiculous after a point, makes for a good laugh.
Sound direction follows suit with the cinematography. It's effectively overbearing, the signature sad piano works wonders for the emotionally heavy monologues. And a bit of lighter tracks for the less dramatic conversations. The OP sounds like generic j-pop to be, and while the ED has a godlike transition and initial emo solo, it also devolves into the same pop tact that bleaches away any memory I have of what I just watched.
And thus, with this rant. Kuzu has no redeemable qualities as the effective melodrama it aspires to be. It is utterly groundless, baseless for whatever it wants to show or share in terms of wisdom or perspective. Banking solely on the "relatability" of the characters' emotions, since that's all we have really, when it's utterly fruitless to do so. None of it has weight, or meaning to be gained out of it. It's a misery mood piece in a vacuum at best, and it's schlocky softcore porn in its most entertaining. Any allusions to humanity or drama are superficial and superfluous. As a piece of media about "eroticism", it is an utter failure. Too timid, never wanting to commit to the dark, disturbing depths of the human unconscious, instead alienating me with flawed, circular reasoning. The only Scum at the end of this road is me.
Raijin_-_
Kuzu no Honkai delves into the complexities of desire and human relationships with a depth that is both captivating and thought-provoking. As a viewer who appreciates anime with substance, I found myself drawn to the profound exploration of emotions and desires that this series offers. One of the most compelling aspects of the show- is its willingness to delve into the darker aspects of human nature. The characters grapple with their own desires, often conflicting with societal norms and their own moral compass. This introspective journey adds layers of complexity to the narrative, inviting viewers to confront uncomfortable truths about love, lust, and the pursuit ofhappiness.
What sets the anime apart is its willingness to challenge conventional storytelling tropes. The series eschews traditional notions of romance and instead presents a raw and unfiltered portrayal of human relationships. Each character is flawed and multifaceted, grappling with their own insecurities and desires in a way that feels refreshingly authentic.
The depth of character development in Scum's Wish is truly impressive. As the series unfolds, viewers are given glimpses into the inner workings of each character's psyche, shedding light on the motivations behind their actions and desires. This level of nuance adds richness to the story, allowing viewers to empathize with characters whose experiences may differ from their own.
Furthermore, the visual storytelling in the show is stunning. The animation is beautifully crafted, with evocative imagery that complements the emotional depth of the narrative. From subtle gestures to poignant expressions, every frame is filled with meaning, drawing viewers further into the tangled web of desire and longing.
In conclusion, Kuzu no Honkai is a compelling exploration of human relationships and the complexities of desire. Its willingness to delve into the darker aspects of love sets it apart from other romance anime, offering viewers a thought-provoking and emotionally resonant experience. For those who appreciate anime with depth and substance, Scum's Wish is a must-watch that challenges preconceived notions and invites viewers to explore the depths of their own desires.
ChibiOdango
I just finished binge watching Kuzu no Honkai. I watched the whole season in just under 24 hours. Once I started watching it, I just found it nearly impossible to stop. Considering that I work full time, I had to force myself to sleep at nearly 3 am and watch the rest of the season after work. This show had been hailed by many as the best of the spring season, and I will admit, it is a shame that I put it off until now. However, I also am glad that I did, because it would have killed meto watch it week by week and have to wait 6 or 7 days between episodes. This is a very adult anime about relationships, which deals with the idea of putting on a mask for people which conceals the psychological inner turmoil going on beneath the surface.
Kuzu no Honkai is about love in a way that no other anime I have ever seen has portrayed. It is about desire, jealousy, trying to fill the inner void, and unrequited love. The art is amazing, the same quality most of the time as anime movies. The Intro and Ending songs are both really good and I will have them in my head for a while I'm sure. The background music was also very good and never felt out of place for the emotions or story at hand. The story was unique and captivating, it had me on the edge of my seat most of the time, wondering what would happen next. Most anime have a love triangle or something else with a few character, but in this story, it's layer upon layer of love. Some are reciprocated, others are left with only their desire.
The Characters in Kuzu no Honkai are not flat. Each one of them is far deeper than most characters in every anime I've ever seen. It's one thing to say that you love someone, but are you truly willing to accept them for who they are, or are you only hoping for some ideal version of them which only exists in your mind. In this story, there are characters who are willing to even accept the one they love being with other lovers, just so long as they can also be with them. No one is perfect, and Kuzu no Honkai shows some good examples of characters who are willing to love and accept another character despite knowing how broken and fragile they are inside.
I truly enjoyed the entire series from start to finish. I feel like looking back, people will see this show as the best show of the year, in terms of being groundbreaking and setting a new standard for what a romance story not only can but should explore. Instead of making a 1 dimensional story which repeats what other shows have done with the same anime tropes we see in every anime, we deserve more. Kuzu no Honkai gives us truly fleshed out characters which seem almost real. They have honest looks into their feelings and face their fears head on. I highly suggest this show to any adult anime fan. You will thank yourself for spending the time to complete it. I rate all aspects of the show 10/10 and I look forward to more romances like this in the future.
larisaiosif05
kuzu no honkai is one of the few anime that tells true stories, stories from real life. Its one hell of a realistic anime and it gets hate for showing people how real life really is putting beside the romantic fantasies. The story was great, the art was beautiful, the opening tells a lot about the show, like a mini review, it was easy to understand and most importantlly, it showed us love in all shapes. Many of the fans felt the emotions on a brand new level, they finally found themselves in the characters beacuse nobody is perfect and we all do mistakes.
