No. 6

...and No. 6 is no exception, but it is worth it. Oh so worth it. In this series a young boy risks his cushy lifestyle to help a young convict because he can't believe someone his age could be dangerous. The two boys form a quick, if shaky, bond. This one act of compassion begins a domino effect that changes, well, everything.

Quality work from BONES as usual, the detail is stunning, the animation flows beautifully, and the story is layered and meaningful. Oh and my personal favorite, the characters. Even the most minor characters are incredibly dynamic and complex, though that is something the Japanese have always done well. If you know Japanese or French I highly recommend the novels as well. Hopefully there will be an official English translation in the future, though I do believe there is a fan translation floating around somewhere. Everyone should watch it whether you like Shounen or Shoujo or anything in between, it really is a universal story. Just don't forget the tissues!

Especially recommended for those who enjoy stories like Cormac McCarthy's The Road, Suzanne Collins' The Hunger Games Trilogy (especially Mockingjay) and Jesse Hajiceck's The God Eaters. Fans of post-apocalypse stories will enjoy this one greatly.

Edit: It occurs to me that some may be turned off by the shounen-ai aspect of No. 6 and I have to ask that you give it a chance anyway. The romantic subplot is secondary, no tertiary at best, and I feel that labeling this show as shounen-ai implies that it should be in the romance genre, when in fact it is first and foremost sci-fi, then post-apocolyptic, action/adventure, coming-of-age and so on. Surely romance occurs in almost any story, but you wouldn't call Lost a romance would you? So some characters might be gay (if they even are, it's not clear), and they being to develop feelings for each other. It happens. If either one of them were female you'd expect exactly the same thing. This isn't a story about love, but love does happen. Or at least attraction. No corny, dramatic declarations of forever and happily ever after here. Really, in the end, it's the heterosexual romantic subplot that is more relevant to the story.

EDIT: I realized that I used the word "happen" 6 times in 4 consecutive sentences. This has been rectified. OTL

Like the title says, pure gold. The plot was incredibly original, I've not seen another anime I can relate it to. The two mains were so easy to fall in love with and to stay in love with. Some of the side characters were likeable, but not many. It's beautiful animation. Oddly futuristic and run down at the same time. It's always going, there is hardly a dull moment... whether it's filled with action or sexually frustrating romantic scenes. It keeps you thinking. And it throws surprises at you. I laughed and cried within seconds of each other in a few of the episodes.
Why am I still typing just go watch it and thank me later

First, let me give the no spoilers edition. I'm a huge sucker for sci-fi, and the synopsis had me intrigued, so I gave it a shot. No. 6 starts out great (first episode), but as it progresses it devolves into a giant train wreck. The characters are...subpar, putting it nicely. Rat is your typical "I hate the world and everyone in it" character and Sion is the typical "I'm going to save the world and everyone in it". As the story progresses it makes less and less sense, until you reach the completely retarded ending that explains nothing. I think the animation was the only redeeming quality of this anime, and it's such a shame that they wasted that potential on No. 6.


Now, for the more in depth spoiler ridden review.

The two main characters are awful. My favorite quote was from Sion talking to Rat, "Why must everything be so black and white with you?". I couldn't help but laugh at the hypocrisy. Nothing is ever really explained about where Rat came from. They outright say that the entire world was decimated except for the 6 cities, so where is this forest? Then you have Sion and his skin markings and hair change that they never even try to explain. Plot holes galore. The homosexual part of the story seemed completely tacked on, unnecessary, and unbelievable. No sane person is attracted to someone who verbally and physically abuses you. Up until the very end Rat abused Sion, yet somehow Sion still loved him? Really? You expect me to believe that?

Story, oh gosh, where do I even start with this train wreck. As it went on it got more and more ridiculous, they show you stuff then never explain it, and it doesn't happen just once. The entire anime is filled with it. Why did they collect the people in the slums and dump them into some dark cellar? What was the purpose in that? Why was there magic tornadoes that broke down the walls? What was the reporter going to tell the city? Where did the forest people live? I could go on and on. This series was a sci-fi that turned into a fantasy at the end. What the crap am I watching? Then the ending. Why kill Sion then magically revive him? This is the biggest cop-out you can do. Why even kill him? It made no sense. Sion gets shot once (not even in the heart/head it was the lung area) Rat gets shot 3 times (once was in the liver) and can somehow walk away from it?

There's just so many inconsistencies that it feels like a high school student wrote the script. BONES has done some pretty good stuff in the past, like Darker than Black, but this...is just horrible. The only redeeming quality was the animation.

I must admit, this anime definitely confused me in places. It left a decent amount of questions in my head (which I'm okay with, I like when you can use some imagination), but some were just frustrating to try to figure out.
The world that is presented in this anime is truly wonderful. The Utopia of No. 6 is quite an intriguing world to delve into (along with the outside). The characters are very in depth in their psych. It's interesting to watch them develop throughout the series (especially in episode 11).
The artwork in this anime is perhaps my favorite from all the animes I've watched. The smoothness of the characters, along with the 3D-esque graphics in some scenes, pulls you in and makes you feel more deeply connected to the show.
The opening song is super weird. But cool.
This anime did get my feels going, the ending worked well (although a bit confusing, it just requires some thought), and it left me wanting more but satisfied with what I was given. Watch it.

- Jordan

When I first started watching this anime, I new Rat and Sion would meet again...The vibe/felling I got from the two of them was...Heartbreaking...Extravagant...Beautiful!
This is definitely a must see for any romance/action; thriller seekers out there ^^ the soundtrack is beyond words, you feel a mixture of regret/longing, but at the same time bliss and satisfaction. For you will be pulled in by the love and mystery these two soon find; bringing them together for better and worse...