By Shanel Kamara
Admittedly, at first, I was hesitant to view this series for two primary reasons; the first reason is a little presumptuous but I always tend to think that any series with strong elements of science fiction, psychology, or dystopia are the most disquieting and disturbing. These emotionally and mentally draining shows often leave me feeling exhausted. The second reason is in many ways an extension of the first. Honestly, I just find shows that feature or focus on characters that have mechanical bodies but outwardly have the appearance of regular humans, off-putting. Seeing the mesh between man and machine, two polar opposites intertwining to become something else, and watching flesh torn away, replaced by some weapon of mass destruction, is simply unappealing. You can imagine what I thought when I first saw the trailer for this series. If not, I can tell you now that it definitely wasn’t “I can’t wait to see this” or “this series is definitely on the list of my top anime shows to watch this autumn.”
I don’t actually recall how I ended up viewing this show but the irony of this is that not only did I thoroughly enjoy it but it moved me to tears. Inuyashiki is a series like no other; okay so maybe I’m exaggerating a little but that is genuinely what I thought while watching it. There is something novel about; firstly, the series is named after the protagonist, who is a fifty-eight-year-old man diagnosed with stomach cancer. In the past, I’ve watched shows featuring more mature characters usually either in their early to mid-twenties or late twenties to early thirties. However, I have never seen a series with a protagonist in their fifties.
At first, I thought that this seemingly ordinary yet immensely neglected elderly man would use his powers to get back at those who unappreciated and ignored him. However, I was pleasantly surprised to learn that this elderly man would use his powers to help others without employing cruel and apathetic tactics. Inuyashiki is probably one of the most sensitive, mild-mannered and selfless characters I have ever encountered. I’ve never had a favorite anime character before, but if I was to name one off the top of my head it would probably have to be Inuyashiki.
Score: 5/5
Inuyashiki E.01