Boku Machi Anime: First Impression

Desperado of the Sleeping Geeks brings you a first impression on the new anime Boku Dake ga Inai Machi.

I was hoping to find a new anime that would tick all the boxes for me. Something that would make get me hooked from the get go and excited about the next episode but not only that. I wanted an anime that would be intriguing and make me think about each episode.

With Boku Dake ga Inai Machi, I think I have found it.

 

BOKU DAKE GA INAI MACHI

First Impression

The anime title translates to ‘The Town Where Only I Am Missing’. I think this is a fantastic title and based on that alone I would want to watch this anime however I had not even bothered with the translation before I embarked upon watching the episode.

In my initial overview of the anime I wanted to watch for the new season, I had read the summary and had planned to watch it but soon after, it was ‘erased’ from my memory but I stumbled upon the name today, completely oblivious to what anime this was and I was totally blown away.

MUSIC: 9/10

I noticed the music is not only pleasant to listen but used scarcely and very effectively. There are scenes where there is complete silence in the background which works brilliantly for those scenes in creating a realism effect and then there are scenes where the music helps influence the atmosphere and create feelings to alter your mood. It is all very effective and beautifully done.

The ending theme was also very good. It is good enough to be an opening in its own right to be fair so that just goes to say. I could actually listen to this over and over again.

ART & ANIMATION: 9/10

The art design for the characters was very good and I could immediately relate to each of the characters that were introduced.

The animation was also amazing and I felt thrilled watching the episode and I actually noticed how good the animation was. I hardly ever notice such things but it was very effective and kudos to the animation team for producing such good work.

 

CHARACTERS: 10/10

The main character Satoru is very relatable. Perhaps it is because he is older and in a similar age group to me, I felt I connected with him more. He seems very genuine and you can get glimpses of his personality through his actions, thoughts and reactions. He is very likable to me and did not feel bored of his presence; not for a single moment.

Irai is the girl next door type character and a joy to watch. She is a lot younger so there is already a contrast between the male and the possible female lead based on the first episode. I’m not sure how vital she will be to the plot but very entertaining to watch and she had some great dialogues and some very charming moments.

Although I loved the two above, I especially loved the mother character as she was a breath of fresh air in comparison to the usual mother figures that we get to see.

PLOT: 10/10

The plot is filled with mystery, suspense and has me intrigued as to what exactly is going on and what’s going to become of it. I feel like I’ve seen something like this before but I can’t remember what it was but plots like this are totally my type of thing.

Time-travel and mystery is just such an amazing combination with so many possibilities. I just hope they keep it up and don’t disappoint.

APPEAL: 8/10

It might not appeal to the younger audience with the older characters and darker themes considering it is based on a seinen manga. However those that are old enough should love it if they’re into the mystery and suspense genre or even time-travel and thrillers.

 

VERDICT: 46/50

The first episode has me hooked and I can hardly say a bad word. I have no complaints. It is a beautifully crafted anime with an intriguing plot and great characters.

‘S-RATED’