Notes on Another - 01 [Rough Sketch]
Just finished the first episode of the anime adaptation of Another and I can say that it was a good start.
PLOT SUMMARY:
From mangafox (since I’m too lazy to write my own PS):
26 years ago, in a third-year classroom of a middle school, there was a student named Misaki. As an honors student who was also good at sports, the charming girl was popular with her classmates. When she suddenly died, her classmates decided to carry on as if she was still alive until graduation. Then, in the spring of 1998, a boy named Kouichi Sakakibara transfers to that classroom, and he grows suspicious of the fearful atmosphere in that classroom. In particular, there is a beautiful, aloof girl named Misaki Mei who wears an eyepatch and is always alone drawing pictures.
Misaki Mei and our protagonist, Kouichi Sakakibara
The anime (as expected) had some minor differences with the manga. Personally, Kazami Tomohiko and Yukari Sakuragi looked different in the anime compared to the manga. Also, Izumi Akazawa wasn’t supposed to be with Kazami and Yukari during the meeting with Kouichi Sakakibara.
(L-R): Izumi, Kazumi, Yukari
Aside from the manga x anime differences, the art style was top notch and detailed. For a horror series like this, a good animation and art style is needed for it to be effective. The episode was anything but scary yet it still delivers the kind of feeling where an impending doom is about to happen.
EPISODE SUMMARY:
Kouichi Sakakibara transfers to Yomi North High School because of his father’s work. Kouichi suffers from a medical condition called Pneumothorax wherein the sufferer’s lungs are punctured. This prevents Kouichi from doing any stressful physical activities. Kouichi is then visited by three of his soon to be classmates from Yomi North. This three proceeds to interrogate him and asks him odd questions.After this, the three take their leave.
While riding the elevator in the hospital, Kouichi meets the eye-patch wearing Misaki who is seen holding one creepy doll.
If I were him (Kouichi), I’d be scared shitless.
Kouichi asks Misaki (who at that point is yet to give her name to Kouichi) what will she do int the second basement to which the latter replies with a nod and an ambiguous answer.
Heading to the second basement seems harmless and normal except for the fact that basement two is home to the morgue. Aside from the morgue, the mechanical and boiler room also exists in the second basement.
Definitely the places to visit in a hospital.
And the hallway in the second basement looks like this. Dear God.
The next day, Kouichi goes to his first class on Yomi North and introduces himself. The class seems unenthusiastic with his arrival and doesn’t appear to be interested with Kouichi.
But hey at least the teachers beside him looked happ- oh well.
Though after the introduction, some of his classmates flock to him and made small talks with him. It seems that the whole class is hiding something from Kouichi based on their meaningful stares with one another. Kouichi notices that no one seems to talk, see, or know the existence of Misaki, who Kouichi was very sure attends the same class as him.
The episode ends with Misaki and Kouichi’s encounter at the school rooftop where Misaki told him that their class is close to death. She also told him to go away from her and never talk with her again.
Unbeknownst to Kouichi, there is a story about a girl named Misaki who died when she was still a third year student at Yomi North High. The class treated Misaki’s death as if it never happened and when graduation day came, Misaki was mysteriously seen in the graduation picture. The dead Misaki and her connection with Mei Misaki is among one of the many mysteries that surround the story of Another
——————————————————-
Having read the manga (though I haven’t finished it which became a primary motivator to watch the anime), I can say that Another has a great story and a very interesting plot flow. Some may say that the pacing of the manga is too slow but I would say that it is just fine because a mystery story wouldn’t really be an effective mystery if it was rushed and details were left hanging. Here’s hoping that the anime would be as good as the manga!
