One pays dearly for being immortal: one must die many times during his life.

-[]() Friedrich Nietzsche

It is a shapeshifting immortal tasked with observing human life and suffering. What follows is a sprawling journey which takes the Orb across various villages and terrain, as it bears witness to various inhabitants' struggles. Fumetsu no Anata e sticks close to its wanderer's perspective, inviting us to peer into the lives of the individuals our Orb encounters. This collection of short stories provides a brief snapshot of the human experience — how circumstances of the past and hopes for the future meet in the middle and shape us in the present. And as with all things human, these stories all conclude with the same mortal end that awaits every one of us. But death begets life, for both the living and the dead. Even when our time comes, the memories we leave behind will carry on, long after we're gone. Let's have a chat about life, let's have a chat about Fumetsu no Anata e. This review contains mild spoilers, feel free to skip ahead to my spoiler-free Tl;DR if you'd like.

This is the show's mission statement, delivered through a first episode that took the anime community by storm.

(Spoilers for Ep 1:)

Fumetsu 's devastating prologue was a precursor of what was to come. Sadness is all but a foregone conclusion for the series. But if that's the case, what exactly is the point to it all?

Both KNK and Fumetsu share the same author and are really sad dramas at first glance, but their approaches to writing could not be further apart during the latter's early chapters. KnK used its gut-wrenching low points to demonstrate how precious life is in the face of personal adversity. The film's use of sensitive subject matter ultimately coalesces into an uplifting tale of forgiveness and resilience. Whereas KnK cherishes both the good and bad of human existence, Fumetsu instead appears to trivialize what it means to be alive. Our protagonist, Fushi, enters Earth in an animal-like state and initially sees the world in terms of stimuli, like warmth or physical pain. This Fushi is a creature who isn't conditioned to process emotions like we do, so it's hard to blame him for not crying along with us when the human companion in Episode 1 succumbs to the cold. There was a dissonance between how I wanted to feel about this story and how Fumetsu interpreted these same events. This rift grew larger with the end of its first major arc, twisting the knife with another tragedy and an ambiguous cliffhanger. The plotline was abruptly cut off at a crucial moment with an anticlimax so un-cathartic that it came across as a deliberate choice. Even Fushi finds himself in a brief moment of grief at the arc's end, which signaled that it was not the protagonist who was indifferent to the intimate stories being told, but rather the show itself. The fallout of this storyline wasn't for us to see, because Fushi never stuck around. This is a really confusing decision to make for a show that allows these powerful, small-scale tragedies to take center-stage. Fumetsu initially seemed like a simple anthology series loosely connected by Fushi and his bizarre abilities. However, it also harshly implies a bigger picture behind the scenes. Uncovering the hidden intentions of Fumetsu 's design does indeed reveal a purpose greater than any one of these short stories. The series isn't here to merely portray death, but rather to take these deaths and question the meaning of life.

After being awoken from his dormant state as the Orb, Fushi the Immortal gradually grows to understand the world and his place within it. His powers allow him to conjure up objects he encounters on his journey, and even shape-shift as other life forms. This is due to a phenomenon called "stimulation," which equates to memories. This includes pain, elation and death; the latter of which is the strongest stimuli. Memories of the dead cling onto Fushi, allowing him to borrow their appearances and physical attributes. Answers for why this strange creature wanders Earth lie with the being that brought Fushi here. The Beholder is a mysterious entity who is waging war with the Nokkers. Their cold husks feign life and match their intentions: to unite the world by stealing what makes us alive. Fans of the Evangelion franchise may see similarities between the Nokkers' plan and SEELE's Instrumentality; both ploys involve the eradication of our old world, in exchange for a new one free from suffering. Only Fushi stands between Earth and a threat to all life as we know it. Through all these aforementioned plot mechanics, Fumetsu posits that memories are what constitutes life. We know that the Nokkers' quest for world domination involves some form of memory loss, because they've robbed Fushi of his memories during their encounters, thereby preventing him from transforming into past bodies. Were they to carry out that plan, all living things would revert to the inert state Fushi was in at the beginning of the series. All past memories and present stimulation would disappear. Anti-memory, Anti-life — Game Over. But the Beholder disagrees with this ideology and seeks to preserve our memories, even if they inevitably result in pain. Fumetsu 's philosophy closely follows the writings of Friedrich Nietzsche, who believed that suffering goes hand-in-hand with life and growth. Suffering is what allows Fushi to gain additional weapons for his recurring battles with the Nokkers. Now, that's not to say that suffering is all there is to life. Valuable lessons and cherished experiences can also facilitate growth and development, but they can only be appreciated in a realm where suffering persists. Fushi and the Beholder are fighting for the human right to suffer and become better than we were yesterday. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger, and Fushi is eternal. Life may end up in suffering or even death, but there will always be someone remaining to pick up the pieces. Fushi literally carries the memories of the fallen with him, mirroring how we mourn the loss of loved ones and live in their place. Fumetsu isn't just a story about how everyone suffers. Rather, it's about how Fushi suffers, so that we can continue to.

Thanks to its weighty use of secondary characters and philosophical ideas, Fumetsu manages to create a refreshing spin on a tried-and-tested shounen story structure. The way Fumetsu is written bears many similarities to shounen elements and tropes, yet is presented in a way which feels distinct and natural, while addressing common pitfalls associated with such storytelling. Fushi can be briefly described as your typical OP anime protagonist, yet is portrayed rather convincingly throughout the show. His characterization does shine light on what would happen if a deity crashes down to Earth, and patiently builds the being up from humble beginnings. The most important positive is that his character development is astounding, as the initially immature Fushi takes grand strides and comes to terms with his purpose in the world. Watching him blossom throughout the series is a really satisfying experience and the beating heart of Fumetsu. Fushi's coming-of-age is made more gripping by his godly powers and emerging humanity. His encounters with both the living and the dead shape his beliefs, which puts Fushi at odds with his creator. The Beholder favors inhuman solutions to an inhuman Nokker problem, whereas Fushi values human life in a way that the Beholder cannot. The two at odds over various moral arguments feature some of my favorite interactions across the series. Speaking of conflict, Fumetsu 's fight scenes pack a hefty punch in the writing department. Fushi's many battles are smartly handled for a character who cannot die. His arsenal of abilities is constantly kept in check due to thoughtful power scaling, and his moral values motivate him to arrive at creative solutions to his problems. Tense sequences range from 1-on-1 combat to epic confrontations of tremendous scale, set to Ryou Kawasaki's impeccable OST. Fumetsu makes a commendable effort in shifting from an intimate anthology format to a serialized epic of world-ending proportions. That being said, at times the series feels awkwardly trapped in the midst of this transition.

Despite my praise of the anime up till this point, I feel that none of the 3 arcs were able to top that incredible first episode. The succinct emotional gravitas of the pilot episode eclipses Fumetsu 's more ambitious ideas with devastating efficacy. And the general consensus surrounding Fumetsu seems to agree, with plenty of viewers claiming that the show went on a downward trend ever since. What the major arcs lack is a sense of novelty, which is what helped the wolf owner's death really hit home. Fumetsu spends plenty of time foreshadowing forthcoming tragedies, with all the subtlety of a battering ram driven into a glass door. It's good to be obvious when building up to sad moments, but audiences will catch on with what's happening. And each time the cycle of heartbreak is repeated across a 20-episode run, the effects tend to diminish over time. Fumetsu 's predictability means viewers can pin-point a death hours before it occurs, which could also diminish investment in the narrative. Now, I wouldn't call Fumetsu a repetitive tearjerker on-par with the likes of the recent 86: Eighty Six, which retreaded and recycled the same sad story beats over-and-over during its otherwise-excellent first cour. Unlike 86, Fumetsu does make efforts to change course and establish a new story structure. However, I don't think such attempts have been a complete success within this anime's season. Even though the script tries to diversify its success outside of that fantastic series premiere, people still tend to associate Fumetsu as that one sad show where the boy and his dog dies. It also doesn't help that the very writing approach that brought the series such universal acclaim had to gradually be left by the wayside in order to put the spotlight on Fushi. The final arc on Jananda is the culmination of these issues and arguably the most messy stretch of the season. The worldbuilding in this strange setting is confusing with its many contradictions, and the ensemble cast that inhabits it lack the time and space to leave a meaningful impact on the viewer. If you're looking to watch Fumetsu for the aspects likened to an emotional rollercoaster, the diminishing returns of each subsequent gutpunch is something to take note of. Another issue present throughout the series' run is the cheesy melodrama. Fumetsu 's reliance on big emotional outbursts and corny comedy does distract from rare glimpses of nuance and reflection. It's quite the far cry from the grace and subtlety Naoko Yamada injected into the gorgeous frames of KnK. Since we're comparing the overall series direction of this author's works, we may as well measure how well this adaptation visually compares to the KyoAni smash hit. Brain's Base efforts here are mostly competent, albeit a bit of a let-down with key frames. Fumetsu looks fine by today's standards, but I can't see it aging all too well several years down the road. A series this epic in scale would have greatly benefitted from a larger budget, further immersing viewers into Fushi's arduous journey. Thankfully, the experience has been largely compelling as is.

Fumetsu no Anata e is devastating by design. It's a story of an immortal, and the heart-wrenching deaths that occur around him. Tragedy and sobering sadness is par for the course, but our pain is not in vain. Fumetsu adopts a Nietzschean philosophy and shows us how our past experiences strengthen us for our future. Alongside the death comes the fascinating growth of our undying protagonist, who's a frontrunner for one of the most interesting MCs of 2021. Fumetsu isn't all sadness, taking ample time to explore several individuals with different backgrounds and dreams. Uplifting moments of daily life are balanced with battle sequences, as Fushi fights for our right to remain human. The series sadly remains lurking in the shadow of a fantastic first episode, and is subject to predictable story beats. But despite its shortcomings, Fumetsu still provides a thought-provoking experience about what it means to be alive.

The life we love is worth cherishing because of the hurt of the past. Hold tight to your memories, and carry on. 7/10~

Well, here we are at the end! To all those who stuck around from start-to-finish, thanks for the memories. Now if you'll excuse me, Imma be listening to PINK BLOOD on-loop until S2 airs (Fall 2022!) If you happen to like my verbose rants, feel free to check out my other reviews for seasons past and present. I also frequently post writeups under my list updates, so definitely take a peek if you'd like to see me mald over anime as they hit the airwaves. Peace~