A 13-episode series where a small percentage of children manifest superpowers upon reaching puberty. Yuu Otosaka, a high school boy with the ability to temporarily possess others, uses his ability to cheat on tests and coast through school until he’s recruited to the student council of a school founded as a haven for children with abilities. Now what he thought was a quirk that made his life easier is a tool, and part of a larger movement to find and protect superpowered children.

So, all I knew about this 2015 series going in was that it was just one short season, and I wasn’t looking for a long-term commitment. And the first episode wasn’t great: Yuu wasn’t a particularly likable character–he used his ability to look at other students’ exams during tests, and to get together with his crush. At this point, I was like, ugh, just let me see a couple other students with powers and then I’ll find a new show. He was just so unlikable.

Surprisingly, for the next several episodes I really liked it, and changed my mind. Yuu gets strong-armed into attending a school for kids with powers, and we get several episodes of minor adventures and humor. Yuu gets more likable when he’s not able to be an automatically-superior character, and the other characters that show up, while initially seeming pretty one-note, get more depth. There’s a good mix of humor and story without it being plain wacky.

And we’re cool for 6 episodes, and I’m feeling good!

and then

OH HI EMOTIONS ABOUT FICTIONAL CHARACTERS THAT LEAVE ME FLAILING ON THE COUCH

There is no way to talk about the second half of the series in any kind of detail without spoiling things, but suffice to say that
1) it’s still good and
2) we get some good backstory and explanations although
3) you could probably find plot holes if you wanted because they’re trying to cram a lot into a short span and
4) now I’m having more feelings.

Suddenly, it’s no longer just a wacky high school superpowered action/comedy. I watched at work while answering emails in my other monitor, and I had to take a break and go for a long walk at the halfway point because suddenly things happen and it’s like whiplash.

But also, so much happens that you’re left kinda feeling like you’re on a roller coaster…and it’s not clear, at the beginning of the show, that you’re doing so.

Verdict

English dub? Yes

Visuals: It’s fine, pretty standard, kinda moe. Lots of colors–it’s nice not to need to adjust the screen a lot.

Worth watching? Yes! It’s complete at 13 episodes and no cliffhangers. Like I said, it’s super easy afterwards to pick out…a lot of plot holes or things they just kinda gloss over, presumably because they’re trying to fit so much in, but I still think it was enjoyable. I wanted entertainment, I got entertainment.