Another (TV)

[Buffalobiian]

Alternative title: アナザー (Japanese)

Genres: horror

Themes: death, school

Plot Summary: When Kouichi Sasakibara transfers to his new school, he can sense something frightening in the atmosphere of his new class, a secret none of them will talk about. At the center is the beautiful girl Mei Misaki. Kouichi is immediately drawn to her mysterious aura, but then he begins to realize that no one else in the class is aware of her presence. -ANN

Based on a horror/mystery novel by Ayatsuji Yukito, originally serialised in the Yasei Jidai magazine.

HorribleSubs - Episode 01



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I can't remember an anime I've seen that is too similar to this. The first half is gave off similar vibes to Ghost Hound I guess. Towards the end though, it's much more evident that this is more horror/supernatural based than psychological/supernatural.

[Xelbair]

Mei remind me of Rei from NGE - voice, eyepatch and general attitude at first gives this vibe.. or maybe it is just me.(my mind got Reiped from watching NGE a bit too much)
Generally nothing scary in this episode - but you have this constant feeling that there is something wrong with everything.

[Yukimura]

Xel put it exactly how I couldn't seem to until reading it. Throughout the whole ep I kept feeling like there was something just 'off' about most of the interactions between the main char and the people of the town. Except for Mei, who seemed a bit off as well, but in a more 'comfortable' way if that make sense. The vibe definitely contributed to my continued interest in the show despite the rather sparse amount of exposition in the ep.

[Alhuin]

I forgot to post this last night after I found it.

Underwater - Episode 01

Edit: Okay, I'm hoping this show does not disappoint. The character designs. The atmosphere. The mystery. The eyepatch. I'm really looking forward to following this one.

After watching the episode, I noticed a few things, and also came up with some theories:

-First, there was no 4th floor option for the elevator. Why? Unless it was a miscalculation in the construction of the elevators (which is possible, but highly unlikely), then there is something on, or wrong with that floor. Assuming this is a conscious error, then it's obvious it holds the secret, or part of the secret, to the death of Misaki and/or Kouichi's sister.

-Kouichi's classmates are definitely keeping something from him. This one is obvious, and probably an integral part of the series, so I won't dwell on it, but I'm curious to know if they are hiding something about his sister, or about something much terrible.

-Lately I've been questioning anything that happens at any point in an anime, so I find it suspicious that Kouichi suffers from a collapsed lung right after moving to the town. I can't really describe it with a theory, or explain how it could even matter, but it's definitely fishy.

-Theory one regarding Misaki: When she died, she was never buried. I'm assuming she died in the hospital, on the 'unreachable' 4th floor, and her body was moved to the morgue. Either it was a conscious decision not to bury her, or something else caused it, but I got the strong sense that her body was down there, and the Misaki that Kouichi sees/talks to is just her spirit. Her spirit is bound to the area because she was never given a proper burial. In that sense, the "horror" of the series wouldn't necessarily be the appearance/existence of Misaki, but rather the town itself, and the secrets it holds. Misaki would just be looking for a way to release her spirit from this world.

-Theory regarding Kouichi's sister: She could see and hear Misaki as well, and tried to get close to her just like Kouichi seems to be doing. The closer she got, though, the more of the secrets she discovered, thus "she had to die". Depending on the theory with Misaki, then his sister either died by her malevolent spirit, or at the hands of her classmates. I haven't fully thought that one through, I just have a feeling that's why she died.

[Buffalobiian]

-First, there was no 4th floor option for the elevator. Why? Unless it was a miscalculation in the construction of the elevators (which is possible, but highly unlikely), then there is something on, or wrong with that floor. Assuming this is a conscious error, then it's obvious it holds the secret, or part of the secret, to the death of Misaki and/or Kouichi's sister.

Interesting thought there. "Four" is synonymous with "death" after all. Alternatively, perhaps Ritsuko's murder happened on that floor and they decided to close it off. (edit: or maybe because "four" is synonymous with "death" that hospitals in Japan skip the 4th floor since no one wants to have a bed there?)

Regarding Kouichi's collapsed lung, I'd say it's tied in to how everybody else in his class is suffering from injury somehow. Mei's ghost may be leeching life-force from them or something..

I'm totally unsure about Mei's body being down in the morgue. If the town was so obsessed with her that they'd pretend she was still here, then it's totally feasible. I think they said the idea came from some girl in class though, so it's a little difficult to think that an outsider's idea could influence a family decision like that.

[Alhuin]

Interesting thought there. "Four" is synonymous with "death" after all. Alternatively, perhaps Ritsuko's murder happened on that floor and they decided to close it off. (edit: or maybe because "four" is synonymous with "death" that hospitals in Japan skip the 4th floor since no one wants to have a bed there?)

Are all hospitals like that in Japan? I was unaware of the connection between the two. If that's the case, even if it's just within this anime world, it wouldn't be surprising for such a measure to be upheld. A "superstitious" thing, I suppose. However, the lack of a display for the fourth floor was made quite apparent, as the camera flashed over it twice; the second time focusing solely on the jump from "5" to "3". Closing it off makes more sense, though it could be because of either death.

Regarding Kouichi's collapsed lung, I'd say it's tied in to how everybody else in his class is suffering from injury somehow. Mei's ghost may be leeching life-force from them or something.

This was something I forgot to comment on. I even failed to connect the two. The fact that everyone in the class seems to have an illness/injury definitely points to something supernatural. I second your theory that Misaki is stealing thier life-force, if only to maintain a "physical" form. Whether she's doing it with the intent to harm, however, is undecided.

I'm totally unsure about Mei's body being down in the morgue. If the town was so obsessed with her that they'd pretend she was still here, then it's totally feasible. I think they said the idea came from some girl in class though, so it's a little difficult to think that an outsider's idea could influence a family decision like that.

Unless that girl's parents were the owners/managers of the hospital. Or maybe there was a supernatural reason for the girl to voice the idea, so she wasn't the only one. Or hell, maybe the hospital just didn't feel like shipping off their dead. There could be any number of reasons why her body could still be at that morgue. The fact that Misaki's spirit was heading there (the sign deliberately reveals the morgue is on B2) was my reasoning behind the theory. It could also be his sister's body, of course, so I guess I should change the theory to include that: One of their bodies is still in the morgue.

[Buffalobiian]

Unless that girl's parents were the owners/managers of the hospital. Or maybe there was a supernatural reason for the girl to voice the idea, so she wasn't the only one. Or hell, maybe the hospital just didn't feel like shipping off their dead. There could be any number of reasons why her body could still be at that morgue. The fact that Misaki's spirit was heading there (the sign deliberately reveals the morgue is on B2) was my reasoning behind the theory. It could also be his sister's body, of course, so I guess I should change the theory to include that: One of their bodies is still in the morgue.

She said her "other half" was there, so I guess this "half" is more likely to be Mei's body than Ritsuko (unless Ritsuko got to know Mei so well that they call each other their "half"). On that note, the Misaki at the top of the building didn't seem to remember meeting Kouichi in the elevator. Do the two Misakis take turns wandering? Are they both called Misaki "Mei"? I can't remember if the second one responds to Mei on the roof.

[Buffalobiian]

HorribleSubs - Episode 02

[Alhuin]

Fucking cliffhanger in just the second episode!

So this episode was slow-paced, for the most part, and I was underwhelmed with the phone call towards the end. I don't quite understand how you get a call like that, and then decide to check out a doll shop anyways. But, I'll leave that one alone because of the extreme creepiness the doll shop gave.

When Kouichi found the doll that looked like Misaki, and then she started talking, my mind immediately raced to the "doll owner is stealing souls" theory (that I believe has been done before). The dolls have to be important; they keep making brief appearances, so it would make sense. But then, Misaki came out from behind the case (and started being super creepy awesome), and it halted my theory. I still believe the dolls will play a part in the story, but I'm thinking it won't be this, since it seemed so obvious.

I haven't really developed any other theories yet. I do just want to point out the obvious reference to the lack of a 4th floor, yet again. Oh, and I'm also curious/confused with the death of the young girl "named Misaki" that happened recently. I just... well, I haven't really worked out an explanation as to how that fits into my current theories.

[shinta|hikari]

There is not enough material to make theories yet. Random guesses based on tidbits, yes, but not ones based on reliable logical clues.

[Alhuin]

You can develop a theory without "reliable logical clues". That's the whole point of a theory; you are making assumptions as to what may or may not have happened. Besides, who determines what is and isn't a clue for said theories?

There may not be enough material to make a solid, 100% theory, yes. But there have been plenty of times where someone has theorized more with less, and turned out right.

[shinta|hikari]

Well that depends on how you define theory. I am more comfortable with it being separate from being mere conjecture, but if that is how you see it then I understand your point.

[Xelbair]

Another episode with constant 'something is off' feeling. Not much content but it hooked me up.
Am i the only one that thinks that MC is somehow 'hypnotized' to follow Mei? That he isn't following her out of his own accord?

[Alhuin]

I got that feeling a few times Xel. I just forgot about it after 20 seconds. It doesn't feel like a problematic issue yet.

[Buffalobiian]

Am i the only one that thinks that MC is somehow 'hypnotized' to follow Mei? That he isn't following her out of his own accord?

Definitely. Every time he sees Mei he walks off as if he's hypnotised. He's fine when he talks to her.. but he only ever talks to her when he's alone, so it's not far-fetched to say that this could all be in his head (and that irl he's actually still dazed and perhaps not even talking at all).

I haven't really developed any other theories yet. I do just want to point out the obvious reference to the lack of a 4th floor, yet again.

Wiki-search:

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Tetraphobia

Tetraphobia is an aversion to or fear of the number 4. It is a superstition most common in East Asian regions such as Mainland China, Taiwan, Japan, Korea and Vietnam. ..

..In these countries, these floor numbers are often skipped in buildings, ranging from hotels to offices to apartments, as well as hospitals...

..In Japan, many apartment houses and parking lots skip 4. Many hotels skip the 13th floor, similar to some western hotels. 9 is also skipped in some contexts, especially hospitals, due to the sound "ku" being associated with the word "kurushimu", to suffer. 49 is considered to be an especially unlucky number as it is evocative of the phrase "shinu made kurushimu" (死ぬまで苦しむ?, "to suffer until death")....
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There is definitely an emphasis on the missing 4th floor, but I believe it's fortifying the theme of death and creating a heavy atmosphere and not pointing to some secret hidden behind a walled-off floor of the hospital.

Mei was.. strangely talkative in the doll house. At first I thought perhaps this was "Another" Mei. As for the eyepatch.. a random thought came to mind that perhaps it's just a green eye. I'm not seriously considering that possibility. It just came to mind since the doll had two green eyes.. if we were to move our focus away from Mei checking the doll for the presence of an eye.

[Xelbair]

Horrible Subs - Another(TV) - ep3 - 720p

[Marik]

[Underwater] Another - 03 (720p) [3BD1C7F6]. mkv

[Yukimura]

For two episodes in a row I felt myself falling asleep as I watched this show. Once the episodes ended and I went on to different shows during my weekly marathon my tiredness went away and I watched 2-3 more shows without feeling like it was nap time. The first time I chocked it up to just being tired plus not that interested in Another but after it happened in the middle of the day for ep two I started honestly thinking either something about the bgm was sleep inducing or the show really just bores me to sleep. I think I'll give it one more ep for osmething to happen then drop it like it's hot.

[Buffalobiian]

Hmm.. looks like it was a green eye after all..

Theory/prediction:
As Kouichi interacts with Mei, she is able to be seen by other members of the class. These members soon die afterwards. For some reason Mei is able to manifest herself to become something more "real" at the expense of others' life-force when someone interacts with her as if she's real. It started in that highschool all those years ago, and they've been trying to get rid of her (by ignoring her existence or presence) ever since.

[Alhuin]

I wasn't expecting the end of episode 3. Throughout most of it I had the same feeling Yuki did: Even though I'm incredibly interested in this show, it felt like everything was moving too slowly. In fact, it frustrated me this episode that Kouichi couldn't get a straight answer from anyone regarding the history of class 3. I mean, I understand it if what Bill says is true. By mentioning her name, or her story, it could be considered acknowledgment of her "existence". But, if someone is already aware enough of part of the story, and continually provokes the issue, it seems like it would be much easier to explain it than shroud it in mystery. Curiosity is a strong motivator.

That being said, I was semi-aware that no one else could see Misaki. I didn't really think it mattered, but judging from the reaction (and subsequent "accident") that glasses-chick had, it's apparently a "life-changer". Haha, get it? Cause the outcome changed her life. Okay, tough crowd. Moving on!

I wonder if glasses-guy saw Misaki on the roof then, before Kouichi went up and had his phone call jammed. Or did he just come to the realization of what was happening with Kouichi. If he did see Misaki, does that mean he'll meet with the same end? And if everyone that sees her does walk down the same path, why is Kouichi so special? My head is filled with tons of questions again. Even though there hasn't been much action, this series is slowly becoming my favourite of the season.

Side note: Does anyone know what font is used for the series title? It's pretty badass looking.