Shin Sekai Yori

[Lucifus]

Absolutely epic! Favorite show of the season.

Cryptic, but hopefully we'll be learning a great deal more next episode.

[Ryllharu]

I am greatly amused that the campsite rice cooker has remained completely unchanged despite the total collapse of civilization, nearly 600 years of tyranny, and another 400 years of whatever this governance system is. They could have at least made it an unpainted bamboo one, but it appears like a black lacquered wood one (admittedly probably bamboo) with a steel wire handle!

edit:
It's weird that it is the only refined metal we've seen. Everything else is so much more organically designed. See for yourself at 11:37 if you missed it.

I also finally realized another issue. Saki caught onto it, but didn't take it to full conclusion. If the minoshiro hypnotized them as a defense mechanism and algorithm installed by whoever... Saki noticed that it was the same as the time at the temple during the ceremony that brings her to adulthood, when she deliberately sacrificed her power. But if that was only hypnotism, they haven't lost any of their power. They've just been tricked into thinking they have, along with everyone else in the village.

[David75]

My guess is that the rite of passage tries to hypnotize children into weakening their powers for their own safety as they probably do not have the control needed to supress the cat that would kill them. Said cat created by their own power. Or maybe that cat is just attracted to weak (as in control) cantus users that release too much uncontrolled cantus.

You noticed the metal, I noticed the glasses. Red/pink glass sunglasses, with complex form perfectly adapted to her face. Seems to me it requires some tech to manufacture those. More oever, they're not your traditionnal (and useless if not dangerous for the eyes) shade sunglasses, they seem to specifically filter part of the light spectrum, like UV sunglasses...

[Buffalobiian]

UTW - Episode 04


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So the copycat (whether it really exists or not) is really working for the school after all (or whatever the parent organization of the school is). I couldn't keep up with the talk about the different syndromes, but I'm just going to guess the QueerRats are one of them. As some of humanity gained superhuman abilities.. a reciprocal number degenerated?

[Kraco]

I wonder how long the hypnosis to seal cantus can last, especially under stressful conditions. Of course it's also a self-fulfilling condition, so for some it will only strenghten but likewise for some others it ought to be cancelled just as easily the first moment they try to use cantus unconsciously to defend themselves. I'm not even counting the fact a smarter person would realise after a while that it's impossible to actually seal such a bodily function with paper dolls and whatnot and thus it's nothing but a sham.

Still, a highly revealing episode in any case. Even the badass monk is just as much genetically modified and psychologically conditioned as the kids. I hope the libraries have had an ability to multiply by some means. It would be a pity if all the historical data is lost for good, even if they are a seed for distortions in the society.

I guess we will learn the identity of QueerRats in the coming eps. Whether they made themselves (a syndrome) or were made by one of the factions of old.

[Ryllharu]

If Saki's flashbacks were any indication, the Harmony school was quite a bit more involved than any of them have been conditioned to remember. Saki was witnessing an old man stabbing himself repeatedly and blaming her for doing it (whether she was or not), that set off her death feedback. She was the one having the most issues during the library's explanation. Being the last of the group, Saki's brainwashing is either more fresh, or not as settled and concrete as the others, so she's remembering it better.

I'm guessing that either Saki or Shun are going to break their hypnosis to save one of the others, as Saki did with the small queerrats. One of the others, Maria or Mamoru will probably have a mental breakdown and go berserk, breaking it then, and becoming the terror that society thinks they can be.

edit:
Culling the more violent and abuse-prone students is...surprisingly pragmatic. Disturbing, but effective. I still feel that far more disturbing is the complete pervasiveness of the brainwashing as a means of control. The kids could barely even remember who got removed, and forget a great deal of other things that happen. No minor events either, they're trained to just shrug them off as non-events, like a stone rolling off the side of a path.

[MFauli]

Aside of Saki´s super-annoying reaction to ... everything, it was another good episode.

The explanation-talk, however, was a bit too much for me to process. Saki and Shun were quick to assume they´re the descendants of the scientist-tribe. Was this confirmed? Considering the ominous nature of this anime, I´d rather guess their ancestors were those of the criminal tribe.

The monk was too powerful imo, though. And he reminded me to much of Hanzo from Hunter X Hunter, aesthetically.

[Buffalobiian]

I'm guessing that either Saki or Shun are going to break their hypnosis to save one of the others, as Saki did with the small queerrats.

Are you saying Saki broke the rules saving the queerrats? Or that Saki unlocked her hynosis there?

Aside of Saki´s super-annoying reaction to ... everything, it was another good episode.

The explanation-talk, however, was a bit too much for me to process. Saki and Shun were quick to assume they´re the descendants of the scientist-tribe. Was this confirmed?

Agreed about Saki's reactions, and no.. it wasn't confirmed as far as I remembered. For someone seeking information, they pretty much convinced the Terminal that they wouldn't accept anything but that option. If we assume the terminal is telling the truth.. then the science people were the ones developing the control technique... with makes sense for them to be the precedents of the Harmony Village.

[Ryllharu]

She broke the rules when she saved the queerrats, I agree.

What I meant was that Saki, or Shun, will likely unlock their hypnosis and come to their full powers when one of the someone of their group is in severe danger. A similar situation of near death.

Specifically, I would guess that it would be either Shun or Saki saving the other one, since the budding romance vibes are thick between those two.

[Kraco]

Specifically, I would guess that it would be either Shun or Saki saving the other one, since the budding romance vibes are thick between those two.

I hope it goes that way. But, alas, it wouldn't surprise me either if this show got Shun killed, for example. You never know with this story (which is a good thing, of course).

[animus]

Best fucking show of the season. Even though they're completely different the possibility of character deaths reminds me of Bokurano.

[David75]

I wonder if Queerrats are in fact just "Humans without powers"

After all, the humans we follow have been genetically modified, they are under strong brainwashing and hypnosis.
What if what they see as Queerrats are in fact humans that totally look like themselves? Particularly the tall Queerrats?

They might also all be Queerrats, that would explain the cat being such a threat. Maybe the scientists decided the rats were the only race that had enough environmental adaptability, their social interaction right (to them), and they could manipulate them.
Or maybe they enhanced the race and transfered human "spirits" in Queerrats as Mankind was dying. That could explain how and why everyone sees themselves and others as humans, provided they are brainwashed.

I did not pay attention to the size of tree leafs compared to hands and such. Just to know wether they really are smaller than your average human being. If the cats shadow is an indication, I'd say 30% of your average human being.

[Buffalobiian]

UTW - Episode 05




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Chaotic.

Did the monk die somewhere? We saw him blowing up stuff, then he was nowhere to be found.

[Ryllharu]

He was turned into a fine pink mist by the blowdog's bones. He blocked the explosion itself, but the bones (some of which also explode apparently) annihilated him.

The "bonobo" scene was peculiar. However, Saki resisted the urge after she realized it, and was able to pull Satoru out of it as well. She's definitely something special.

One of these two are going to have to undo their hypnosis, or they're never going to make it home.

This show's cliffhangers are quite irritating.

[animus]

This episode was a fuck load of peculiar. It just felt really off compared to the earlier episodes. The different colors and what not didn't help either.

[Buffalobiian]

It felt like everyone had longer hair in this episode, which made them more "adult".

[Kraco]

The animation itself was especially chaotic for this episode and took some artistic turns, and the plot didn't much help. Still, it was quite fitting in the sense that with the genetic and psychological programming these kids have, they must have been highly confused themselves. The bonobo scene was quite interesting indeed, but it also disturbed me because it was Satoru, not Shun... I'm glad it ended so quickly. I hope the next episode will reveal what happened to the others. They really need to get over the hypnosis.

[Buffalobiian]

It felt like everyone had longer hair in this episode, which made them more "adult".

The bonobo scene was quite interesting indeed, but it also disturbed me because it was Satoru, not Shun... I'm glad it ended so quickly.

You know, that makes so much more sense now.

The entire time I watched the screen thinking "Isn't that the brash guy?", but my logic kept correcting me with "No, it's the guy she likes. If she's paired with someone, it has to be him.

Now I know why his hair looks completely different and the rudish, haughty attitude he had when he thought of the haycatcher-egg plan.

edit: as well as why Saki yelled at him to shut up. I thought she cracked under pressure there..

[MFauli]

what did i just watch??

it felt like i missed an entire season of character development since last episode. was cool to see satoru become a badass, but really...chatoic all around.

oh, and satoru got robbed a fuck with the main heroine!

[Xelbair]

I finally got the idea with awakening their powers before school!

Their powers are sealed by hypnosis, and they undergo training for death feedback, if it doesn't work well they are eliminated... if it does they suddenly get their powers back. Of course each training session ends with hypnotism to make them forget about them.

Why eliminate them? my guess - because hypnosis isn't permanent.