Alien 9 is about an elementary schooler’s reluctant encounters with aliens, some of whom protrude uncontrollably from their head. Their mentor is an ambitious, playfully mysterious young woman who may or may not have her protege’s best interests at heart. So far, so FLCL, right?

But what if instead of FLCL’s Naota, Shinji from Neon Genesis Evangelion was the protagonist? Instead of a preteen trying to seem older than he is by feigning disinterest, we have a cry baby who frequently balks when they’re called to action, deeply aware of their shortcomings compared to their peers and struggles to find their inner strength?

However in Alien 9 the entire main cast are young girls and women (with the widest moe faces I’ve seen this side of Nichijou) who encounter disturbing horrors… so maybe it's more accurate to call it proto-madoka? - make sure to check out this excellent review.

I think my fumbling attempts to describe Alien 9 using a complicated, multi-series analogy does it a disservice. As its cult fandom will attest, Alien 9 strikes a unique tone.

Take, for example, the animation. Alien 9 is the rare case where traditional 2D animation and 3D CGI work together effectively. Usually the use of both is awkward, an unconvincing attempt to create a seamless world. In Alien 9, the obvious difference between the two mediums heightens the alien nature of the alien limbs that exist as the only CG animation in this 2D world.

Or if we examine [the score]( https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGdOfu9e_wHv7MH7Pxp47cFGZjxE5ejnN), which is unusual and often experimental, frequently discordant yet somehow soothing. There are instruments commonly used in children’s music lessons: recorders, xylophones, bells, even a kazoo amongst the sounds I could identify. These are used in dissonant but thoughtful ways that evoke a [nursery-like]( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FTPHJnfGwwI&list=PLGdOfu9e_wHv7MH7Pxp47cFGZjxE5ejnN&index=5), or at times [circus-like]( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xf1M6I7K350&list=PLGdOfu9e_wHv7MH7Pxp47cFGZjxE5ejnN&index=9) atmosphere, giving us a distorted sense of innocence with terror lurking just beneath the surface. Mixed amongst these tracks are [electronic-based pieces]( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9M-WEfKs5jE&list=PLGdOfu9e_wHv7MH7Pxp47cFGZjxE5ejnN&index=10) that wouldn't be out of place on a 90s Massive Attack album.

As a protagonist Yuri Otani is quite frustrating. More often than not she’s crying, with an almost permanent look of discomfort and terror, anxious to the point of pain. She’s afraid of everything, big and small, being attacked or just being alone. Your mileage may vary on whether you find her passivity and anxiety annoying, but regardless you do feel sympathy for her. I often found myself reflecting on that feeling unique to childhood, of an insurmountable task of momentous proportions that you have no choice of whether or not you must do it. You may not even have the concept of saying no, or taking charge. A painfully real character who struggles with her own weakness.

Juxtaposition emerges as a theme throughout Alien 9, from the 2D/CG animation, to the score and the genres (slice-of-life and horror). More instances of this that I love are in the ED in which the anime characters are placed on to live-action photographs, and lyrics from the theme song are both sung and spoken by the voice-actors at the same time, overlapping in an atmospheric way. All of this builds to a singular take on the terrors of tweenhood.

At only 4 episodes it’s a short binge-able watch, but I spread it out over the course of a week, savouring each visit to the exquisitely unique Alien 9 world.