Disappointment is a common feeling when observing something that you have high or even mild expectations for. As one gets older, I believe that many individuals learn to dampen expectations, in all areas of life. But that does not mean we are immune to being disappointed in something all over again. For myself, Ajin is one scenario of disappointment. A show that had an interesting premise and manga background, being created by Polygun Studios whose_ Knights of Sidiona_ was a mild surprise for me. But in the ways that Knights succeeded, Ajin has stumbled on itself repeatedly turning my viewing of the show into one of a burden rather then one of anticipation.

Ajin tells the story of a boy, Nagai Kei, who finds out he is a “demi-human” or Ajin. These demi-humans are essentially individuals that appear to be immortal, while possessing a handful of abilities. Within the journey of the show, we are treated to Kei’s transition from overwhelmed teenager with powers, to an ajin who has some slight control of his new self.

However, Kei is an emotionally amoral and selfish person, who is only concerned with being a “good human”. This becomes problematic for the show as it attempts to weave a story of three parties: Satou an Ajin who wants to start a war, the government and private companies that want to profit from brutal Ajin experiments, and Kei’s quest to be left alone. There are a handful of other side characters in the show, but they disappear so quickly it feels as though they are tossed aside as trash once they have fulfilled their portion of the story.

The show yearns to be an ambitious attempt at the age old question of what it means to be human, and the struggle of humanities beast within. But the show goes out of its way to make the audience feel unconnected to any character in the story. Satous characterization as a mysterious manipulator, comes off as just a man who loves to murder. Tosaki –the shows representative of the governments side– is given small quirk’s that disappear after one episode, along with a wife in a medical situation subplot that may or may not be motivating him to capture Ajin. We as the audience don’t know for certain because the information the show convey’s is too obtuse, or poorly represented to feel confident in making such an assumption.

All of this just tells me that the show and it’s characters are selfish. Kei, Satou and Tosaki all want something and don’t care how they obtain their goal, just so long as they get their own personal happiness. The show wants a dark universe where the three points of view don’t contrast each other in black and white. Instead the show presents three views on different shades of gray, without anything to act as a counter balance to it all.

This ultimately made the show feel like a chore to sit through. Individually the characters work, but presented as the three main view points of the story and the whole show collapses under the monotony of murder, and lugubrious insinuations that are offered. Again, this is not to say the show is incomprehensible, because I believe the premise of the show is interesting. But I couldn’t recommend this show when I know that there are a handful of other stories that have already successful examined the same themes as Ajin.

Things of Interest
The 3D animation may bother some, but I personally had no issues with it. It did not distraught me when watching the show.

The lack of music or even a notable theme really disappointed me. I found myself wanting a background music to plot exposition but I find myself struggling to recall anything noteworthy.

I recommend giving the manga version of the story a chance. It could be that the pacing and overall all tension benefit from this format as opposed to a show.