Another: Complete Collection (2012)

Kōichi Sasakibara has recently transferred to a new school. His class has a strange atmosphere, and it gets even stranger after he meets a pretty girl named Mei Misaki, whose existence none of his classmates will acknowledge. Then he learns of a horrifying story that started 26 years ago, when a popular student named Misaki died...

Another is one of those horror stories that is horrific, but not really scary. The deaths were surprisingly graphic, but other then that it was fairly mild. The atmosphere is well done, the story fast paced, and the characters engaging enough to propel the story. I really enjoyed watching this series, as it is exactly the kind of horror show I enjoy. Creepy, but you'll have no trouble sleeping at night. If you enjoy shows like Shiki, Umineko, and When They Cry (Higurashi), then you should give Another a try.

Another is based on the novel by Yukito Ayatsuji. It is 12 episodes long and aired January through March of 2012. It is available streaming on Crunchyroll, if you want to give it a try before purchasing.

Another isn't entirely what you'd expect. A transfer student joins the mysterious class 3 of Yomiyama High School, and soon encounters a lot of weirdness. There is a mystery, a tragic history, a curse, and a strange odd girl that no one can see but him. He soon finds out that a chain of events has been set in motion that will cause a lot of carnage and death, and there seems to be no way to stop it...

The best way to describe it would be an anime take on the Final Destination horror films. In both, the actions of people tend to result in a lot of death and carnage by everyday things and invisible circumstances. Another embraces this and adds a mystery to it of why this is happening and how can we stop it? I can't really describe the plot as it twists, turns, and sometimes blatantly misdirects you to keep you unsettled. It's quite good for anime horror, and escapes a lot of the traditional Japanese horror tropes into a more Western sensibility. There are even references to writers like John Saul and the movie the Omen.

Like Final Destination, it's also pretty gory. Some of the deaths are brutal, and extended for shock impact, while others are brief and startling. It's winds up being less gratuitous in a way because the deaths are so unexpected, and to people you actually care about, that it is less about what cool gore scene they could include, and more about shocking you and reminding you the curse is not something cozy or benign. You also see the aftermath of the deaths, too, and your heart goes out to the poor people surviving.

It's good, but there are some minor issues. The ending to me didn't really seem to be as justified as it was. Without spoilers, the most pertinent parts of why it ended the way it did were revealed at the ending and only some things were foreshadowed well. Also, the misdirection changes the story in the way you don't expect, and you may get one idea of how things are and not like the actual explanations.

The whole series is streaming on Crunchyroll, but I plan to buy the blu-ray when released. It's a different take on anime horror that is quite good, and worth a spot in your collection if you like that genre.

Buy Another: Complete Collection (2012) Now

When I started watching Another, I was intrigued by it. The story is essentially that in one particular classroom, year after year a bunch of the students die. The mood of the story is very well done, and I liked the two main characters a lot. The visuals in Another are also quite appealing. If you are a fan of gore, there are some pretty unique death scenes. But after it was all said and done, the story really just didn't develop well...

As the story begins, you wonder why do students in this class die. But then the reason doesn't turn out to be very elaborate; it's kind of a let down... There's good chemistry between the two lead characters, but nothing ever comes of it. The ending had a bit of surprise, but most of it was pretty predicable...

There's nothing psychological at all in the show. If you want to see gore as a result of a tormented mind or strange twist of fate like in Elfen Lied, Deadman Wonderland, or Future Diary, you will not find it here.

I won't say that I didn't like Another, because as I was watching it I enjoyed it. But looking back on the series after it was over, it just seemed empty. If you like random gore, then by all means, watch it. If you want there to be some reason behind the madness, or really even much of a storyline, you'll probably come out a bit disappointed.

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