This article contains discussion of bullying, self-harm, and depression.
The summeranimeseason is officially underway, with its darkest new show kicking the season off in disturbing fashion. While fans are likely looking forward to the likes ofDandadan,Kaiju no. 8, orMy Dress-Up Darling,one series has seemingly snuck up from the shadows to make quite a first impression.
Takopi’s Original Sindebuted on Friday, June 27th, and shocked viewers with one of the darkest openings in anime history. Its visuals, while absolutely stunning, also maintain a cartoonish aesthetic in spots, making the show’s contents all the more unsettling.The series is currently streaming on Crunchyroll, but fans deserve a fair warning before diving in.
Takopi’s Original Sin Makes a Disturbing First Impression
The Summer’s Darkest New Anime Has Arrived
The originalmanga version ofTakopi’s Original Sinis published on theShōnen Jumponline service,Jump+, though the series' contents don’t appear to fit all that well with the stories usually found in the magazine’s lineup. The six-episode limited anime series debuted with an extended 37-minute episode, and fans have expressed their shock since the premiere.
The series follows a young girl named Shizuka Kuze, who encounters a small octopus-like alien creature named Nnu-Anu-Kf. The girl calls the creature Takopi and learns that it crash-landed on Earth from Happy Planet, and now intends to use its gadgets to spread happiness to other people.
Later, Takopi finds Shizuka badly injured after being bullied by some other kids, and gives her one of his ribbons, despite being told to never give one of his gadgets to an alien. The next time Takopi sees Shizuka, she’s dangling from the ceiling, hanging lifeless from the very same ribbon it gave her.
In its depictions of sensitive topics,Takopi’s Original Sintouches on themes like cycles of abuse, loneliness, and the inability to just simply force happiness on those dealing with complex mental health disorders or difficult physical situations.
The development is beyond shocking, and the anime’s highly-detailed visuals during the scene make the entire ordeal all the more disturbing. It runs on far longer than anyone would like it to, and ends with Takopi’s unbearably sad apologies to the young girl.
Takopi’s Original Sin Is Disturbing, But Worth the Watch
The Latest Shōnen Jump Adaptation Is Dark, But It Touches on Important Subjects
Stories likeTakopi’s Original Sindon’t typically come fromShōnen Jump. Such dark subject matter is almost always handled by some seinen magazine aimed at older audiences. Nevertheless, the latestShōnen Jumpadaptation has officially kicked offthe summer anime season, andthough its first episode is highly disturbing, the series is worth the watch.
In its depictions of sensitive topics,Takopi’s Original Sintouches on themes like cycles of abuse, loneliness, and the inability to just simply force happiness on those dealing with complex mental health disorders or difficult physical situations. The series opens itself up to countless important discussions that audiences of typical shōnen stories are otherwise not exposed to.
Its first episode isn’t an easy watch, though. Shizuka’s death is tragic, and the show wastes no time driving that home for the viewer. Unlike some shows that take their time exposing their darker themes, tricking their audience into a false sense of security before betraying any built-up trust,Takopi’s Original Sinsets the tone early and sends a clear message about what to expect.
The summer anime season has officially begun, but few expected it to start on such a dark and disturbing note. Fans will have to wait to see what comes next for Shizuka and Takopi, as the episode didn’t exactly end with much closure. The series will feature only six episodes, but fans will want to be sure they’re able to handle difficult subjects like self-harm, mental illness, and bullying before jumping in.
Shonen Jump
Shonen Jumpis one of Japan’s most successful manga anthology franchises, published by Shueisha. Launched in 1968, it is the source of some of the most beloved and popular anime and manga series, such asOne Piece,Dragon Ball, andNaruto. The franchise has extended into multiple adaptations across various media, including anime, films, video games, and merchandise.
