Final Impressions / First Impressions / Mirai Nikki

「初期化」 (Shokika)
“Initialization”

Now that’s what I call a time skip…

I’m just going to address the elephant in the room straight ahead – yes, they changed the ending. Except they didn’t, really. But they did. Manga readers will know what I mean.

Anime-only viewers – did you understand that ending? Did it make sense? Here at the end of all things, I thought it would finally be safe to spoil away – but no, Asread and Hosoda-sensei have foiled me yet again and put me in what amounts to a unique position as a blogger – unique in my history as one, anyway. I really don’t want to spoil this for you if you haven’t read the manga but I think some context is necessary here. Simply put – the ending is mostly faithful – to a point. But there’s a section of the last chapter – an epilogue – that for whatever reason, Asread elected not to animate. So why not just blab the details to you, now that the series is over? Well, first of all you might want to go ahead and read that, and why should I ruin that experience for you? But there’s also that funny little message at the end of the anime – “Next Project!!” An announcement is rumored to be coming during the 7/29 (the date is obviously not coincidental) “Mirai Nikki Live World” event.

So here’s how I see it. Go ahead and read the final chapter if you want to, and while I’d love you to read the whole manga and appreciate the differences, you can feel safe in assuming that things are materially quite faithful right up until the epilogue. But then again, this new project is very likely an anime sequel of some sort as the live-action is old news at this point. It could be a movie, or “Mirai Nikki Mosac”, or “Paradox” (basically MN with Akise as the protagonist) – but the changes Asread made could very easily be interpreted as being executed for the purposes of setting up an anime-original sequel. So if you’d rather be unspoiled under the assumption that could happen, you might want to avoid the manga ending. As is, I’m going to talk about the anime ending only, and if you want to discuss the manga ending in the comments, go ahead – but please use spoiler tags.

The hilarious part is that Asread took what was already a highly controversial manga ending (which I liked, BTW) and made it even more controversial with the change – so you have an ending sure to split both manga readers and anime-original viewers, for different reasons. I’m going to talk about what I liked first, and there was a lot of it. The main thing is for me, the episode emotionally connected even more than the manga’s version did – from Yuno’s heartbreak at seeing her Third World self untainted by the darkness that was consuming her, to Yukiteru’s conflict at finally having the happy life he’d dreamed of with his parents, but knowing in his true heart that it was all a lie, and the quiet innocence of the Third Yuno, it was all very effective. Terrific work by the voice cast here, especially Murata Tomosa as Yuno and Togashi Misuzu as Yukiteru.

Perhaps my favorite part of the finale was the way Hosoda took one of the best parts of the last manga volume and worked it into the finale, only better. Esuno-sensei used the last volume (the intercut between the “ending” and the epilogue, as it happens) to thank the members of his support team individually, a very classy move. Asread gave us a really powerful montage of all the diary holders in the Third World, and singled out the seiyuu as they did so. Really stylish and well-done, and a very nice coda for all those characters. And really, the Third World represents a triumph of the butterfly effect and the power of love. We see the impact small changes have on the future magnifying like waves as they travel across the surface of time (much to Murumuru #1’s chagrin) but we also see what Yukiteru was able to accomplish as a result of his love for Yuno. The romantic in me prefers to think that Yuki was finally able to see the true Yuno – effectively the Third Yuno – trapped inside the warped shell of insanity and hatred that her experiences had built around her.

There’s a lot of Evangelion in Yuki’s ending, no question, the same sort of musing on the nature of reality and the bubble of unreality we construct around ourselves to try and be happy. Ultimately Yukiteru gave up his happiness and was willing to give up his life itself to make a place for Yuno – despite being inured to killing he couldn’t bring himself to kill her, and asked her to kill him so she could return to the Second World as God and restore order. He was also prepared to accept this fate as punishment for what he’d allowed Yuno to lead him to do, but selflessness being the theme here, Yuno – perhaps moved by the sight of herself before she and her parents became the hateful people they would become in her world – instead decided to sacrifice herself. Obviously the whole drama here, built around Yuki trying to scream out Yuno’s name, was much more impactful in anime form, and Asread did a really nice job with this scene. The music and animation was dramatic, but not so much so as to overwhelm the drama inherent in the moment itself.

One question you have to ask yourself is, would Yuno have done what it appeared she was going to do when Fourth fired that gun – and Murumuru #2 (now you know what the Band-aid was all about) stopped time, and the bullet? I think Esuno-sensei intentionally left that vague – my own feeling is that Yuno, while not unmoved by what she was seeing, had already given up all hope for redemption for herself and would have killed the three of them. It was only Yukkii’s arrival that inspired her to what she saw as a redemptive act. It could just as easily be argued that she knew Fourth would shoot her before she could kill her Third World family, and simply wanted to die – ultimately, we’ll never know.

And even more ultimately, we’re left with a few certainties. Murumuru #1 is now (fittingly) a strap for Yuno #3’s cell phone – a phone on which she’s decided to keep a diary. And it seems that while Yuno gave her life for Yukiteru, in the end she cursed him to the worse fate of the doomed pair, for now he’s existed for 10,000 years as a lonely God, forever 14, with only “his” Murumuru for company. She likes her Master, but she’s bored having read the same manga thousands of times already. Yukiteru ex Machina is too sad to be bored – if he can’t create a world with his Yuno in it, he feels no need to use his powers beyond what’s necessary to keep this World functioning. Perhaps this is the fate of all Gods, a lonely existence removed from contact with those whose existence depends on them. And so we leave them,Yukiteru and Murumuru, where it’s always July 28, alone with a manga and a forever unchanging cell phone diary. Or is it…

 

Epilogue

Final Impressions:

I love Mirai Nikki, and watching an anime of a series you love is always a scary prospect. As odd a series as this is, I really wasn’t sure how it would make the transition to anime. It’s highly visual, even in manga form, and full of non-stop action and suspense. So on paper (no pun intended) it seemed like a natural fit. But it’s also a highly individualistic series that reflects the very peculiar narrative style of its author, and I worried that somehow Esuno-sensei’s magic would be lost in translation. As to studio, Asread wasn’t my first preference but neither did that fill me with dread. As always, the choice of writer and director is more important than the studio, and things seemed to be in pretty good shape there.

In the final analysis the most important question for me as a manga reader is, am I happy with the adaptation? And the answer is a resounding “yes”. There are things I would have done differently, but taken as a whole I think this was a resounding success (and hopefully the “Next Project” means it indeed was). There are many things that were flat-out better in the anime version – for example, the character of Ninth, Uryuu Minene, as voiced by Aizawa Mai. I always liked Minene, but a good manga character became a great anime character, stealing virtually every scene she was in (and way to go, getting a “Good End”). Among the many nods to Evangelion in this series, the anime Ninth felt a lot like Misato Katsuragi to Yukiteru’s Shinji Ikari. It could easily be argued that she had the most comprehensive arc of any of the characters in the series, or at least that it was on a par with Yukiteru’s. When things started to spiral out of control Minene was a splash of cold water in the face, a no BS dose of common sense from her skewed perspective. She was great.

I think Esuno, from the beginning, wanted to make Mirai Nikki a deconstruction of the tropes that pervade anime – taking all the things otaku love and others complain about and making them the center of his story. The magical girlfriend (except this one is a psychotic killer), the deux ex machina, dead characters reborn, alternate worlds, body doubles – effectively, Esuno took the shark, stuck a leather jacket on it and put it on a motorcycle. And the means he chose to explore this idea with was a kind of re-imagining of NGE – a look at morose and self-absorbed adolescence, taken to it’s karmic and practical extreme. This became even more apparent in the anime via the clever use of Togashi Misuzu’s very Ogata Megumi-like (she played Shinji) performance, and pairing it with Ishida Akira as Akise. If Minene filled the Misato role Akise certainly filled the Kaoru one, and this is another example of how the anime was able to cleverly take something that was subtle in the manga and make it that much more alive.

I’m not going to say this series was a technical masterpiece, or that Asread is a studio to rival P.A. Works or Production I.G. with their lavish animation. But for this trashy, absurdist comic book come to life, they may just have been the right choice. What the animation lacked in fluidity and detail it made up for with wit and style, creating a look that was both faithful to the manga and uniquely it’s own. More importantly, Hosoda and writer Takayama Katsuhiko made unconventional but ultimately brilliant decisions with regards to pacing, flying through the middle sections of the manga and giving them a breathless, exhilarating quality while in the process saving themselves enough time to slow down and really savor the last arc. Those middle sections are best reacted to rather than analyzed, a visceral rather than a cerebral experience – while the final arc is more emotional, and demands to be considered and made sense of both emotionally and intellectually. It would have been easier to adapt the manga at a consistent clip – 59 chapters divided by 26 episodes – but it would have been wrong, and I’m glad the creative staff were smart enough to realize that.

I suspected going in that Mirai Nikki would be a divisive show, among those who haven’t read the manga especially, and I think that’s turned out to be true. It’s all about taking the series as I think the author intended, and the things you most often hear about – namely, plot holes and Yukiteru’s personality – are exactly the point. Those aren’t plot holes, that’s the plot – and it’s Yukiteru’s loneliness, timidity and lack of self-confidence that drives the entire story. He’s probably not a self-projection to the extent that Shinji was for Anno Hideki, but more an everyman (everyboy) – someone who longs for nothing more exciting than to be normal, who reacts as any normal boy would when things spiral more and more out of his control. Mirai Nikki is the story of Yukiteru’s attempt – and failure, and ultimately success – at trying to be a decent human being in an indecent world. It’s taken to ridiculous extremes, but surely symbolic of the struggle we face in own lives, especially during those years when we’re trying to decide who we want to be.

I don’t think I need to say much more about Yuno, because it’s surely all been said by now. She’s a brilliant and bizarre construction, just as Mirai Nikki is – there’s nothing else quite like either of them. If Yukiteru is the urge for normalcy, Yuno is the living embodiment of extremity. She’s pure emotion, with every one of them outsized to the point of disorder. Yuno is “what happens when” – when self-assuredness is unchecked by humility. When love is unchecked by realism. When determination is unchecked by restraint. She’s a gun with no safety, a supercar with no brakes. Every boy probably worries about losing control of their life when they enter into the world of relationships with girls, and Yuno is that worry given form – the best and the worst the adolescent imagination can muster (and that’s a lot). Like so much else about this series, she’s the trope intentionally magnified and put at the heart of the story. It’s not a choice many authors would have thought of, or made even if they had.

And ultimately, that points up what makes this a very successful adaptation. Asread and the creative team had the guts not to try and change what Mirai Nikki was, to make it more conventional and “broaden its appeal”. They stayed true to the unconventional, difficult, sometimes awkward and ridiculous but always inventive and visceral nature of what Esuno’s manga is. It would have been easier to cop out – to smooth the edges a little, to make the narrative more orthodox and the characters less extreme. But they were smart enough to realize that doing so would have ensured a failed adaptation, and to present Mirai Nikki in a form that was faithful to the spirit of the original. I love the manga for being bold and bizarre and wild and insane, and I love the anime for seeing those things not as flaws, but as desirable qualities and the reason why this is a great series.

114 Comments

    1. As I said, if you’re going to spoil the manga ending, please use tags. I’m not going to delete anything at this stage, but let’s at least give folks the option of whether they want to see it here, read it themselves, or wait till “the day after the end of the world”.

      Guardian Enzo
      Reply

    2. For me I was find with the epilogue not being shown as faithful as the manga since the manga one was somewhat ridiculous and didnt really fit the gloomy mood, plus as GuardianEnzo pointed out that there might be an original anime sequel/epilogue to it.

      However, even though the anime followed almost faithfully to the manga, but they did NOT properly animate the scene when Yukiteru hugged Yuno and told her to kill him. I thought the scene in the manga was a lot better and had more impact? Why? (I’ll put spoiler tags just in case, but it is really MINOR detail) Show Spoiler ▼

      I thought that the anime should not have modified this scene since it was a better impact for us, the audience, thinking that Yuno might actually stab/kill Yuki as her diary predicted, and this scene of her stabbing herself would made such a better impact when she even defied her future cuz of her love for him. Oh well, overall the scene was awesomely animated, gotta love the BG after when Yukiteru stepped in to stop Yuno and Murumuru #2 stopped the bullet.

      PS. I watched two subbed versions and the diary Yuno looked at before stabbing herself as it made the future change sound was empty, but I guessed

      Ryner
      Reply

    2. Still A WHOLE LOT INFINITELY BETTER than the ending of Guilty Crown, WHAT A HORRIBLE END to a HORRIBLE series! Quite BEFITTING OF IT! Yukiteru manned up and proved himself by saving Yuno while Shu never did crap for Inori even the ending scene didnt make any much sense since she saved him instead, booo!

      viirox
      Reply

  7. I watched the episode, then decided to read the final chapter to see if there was anything about the To Be Continued, and what do you know, there is…well kind of. In all honesty though, I liked the anime ending better. The manga ending just seemed, well, strange.

    Thanks for covering this series, Enzo. I looked forward to reading your thoughts every week. And you did a great job of not spoiling anything, or even really hinting at anything, despite knowing everything.

    Bass.EXE
    Reply

      1. I can actually see them padding it out though; it could be a short 12-episode thing, with chapters being split up between episodes and maybe even adding in Minene’s side adventure in the beauty contest from Mosaic, since that was so self-contained it could be included in either story.

        Donyo
        Reply

    1. Sorry, it seems I messed up on the spoiler tags.

      Well I’ll just say that I can’t believe that Yukki did nothing for so long. Being God isn’t really that fun I guess when being lonely

      L002
      Reply

  11. can anybody explain why murumuru#2 appear? who create her
    as my understanding muru was created by yuno sice she became winner
    but in second game the winner isn’t decide yet?

    black
    Reply

    1. Murumuru#2 already existed and was imprisoned when Murumuru#1 when her and Ynuo#1 crashed the second world to change the timeline. When Yuki freed himself from the time prison he also freed Murumuru#2.

      Ani_BEE
      Reply

  12. Mmm, I can’t say I was too happy with this final chapter.

    Mirai Nikki certainly had some strong points here and there, but these were so few and scattered that this series was more frustration than pleasure to watch.

    I for one hated the voice actors till the very end, especially the main duo. Unfortunately, I can’t recall a single moment in the entire series that was glorious–After the first six episodes or so at least. Will I tell my friends to go and watch this? No.

    And that ending…So sudden 🙁 I do not care if there’s gonna be a sequel or small OVA that continues with the story, but to leave it at that was horrible. Now that I think about it, it reminds me of FLCL’s ending, where the bass’ strings moved by themselves in the last few seconds, just as Yuki’s cellphone ringed one last time. There’s a huge difference though: FLCL had perfectly wrapped up by then, the bass was some eyecandy to make one sit down and ponder what it could really mean. Mirai Nikki did not wrap up, and you’d expect Yuki to get his happy ending by then, but only the first step to it was shown to us during the last 5 seconds.

    I could rant and rant, but I fear that’d spoil the people’s excitement, the ones who actually enjoyed this finale ofc.

    I found it funny, really: we are shown each Diary member’s happy ending in the Third World (but not the main character’s happy ending, though…) but that doesn’t change the fact that those people aren’t actually the ones we got to know through the series. They’re altered beings, however slight the change may be. So in the end, if you’re asked how this series ends, you could say EVERYBODY DIES.

    Some cool stuff this episode had: Murumuru number 2, Diary members’ happy ending & Yuki with long hair.

    Justinnnnnn
    Reply

    2. I think you’re confusing wrapped up ending and happy ending.

      I agree every story should wrap up to some extent at the end, but it doesn’t have to be happy for all involved especially not the main character.

      Tez
      Reply

    3. I agree with a lot of this – especially that this series became more of a frustration than a pleasure to watch. Those of us who started watching this show without reading the manga probably had much different expectations after the first few episodes than those who did. Personally, what I found most intriguing about the show was the shock value and the mix of violence/humor – I kinda compared them to what I liked about Pulp Fiction. Given this initial setup, that’s why, after the show devolves to a point where “certain events” happen, I and many other viewers felt like the writer was jumping the shark (REGARDLESS of his intentions in doing so and whether or not the shark is equipped with laser beams and riding a spaceship). It’s just plain inconsistent with what we got out of all the previous episodes.

      In comparison, Kore wa Zombie desuka? is a series that mashes up a bunch of tropes and cliches, throws them in a blender, and somehow comes out with a surprisingly enjoyable story – but the show makes it very clear what its goals are from episode one. Mirai Nikki‘s attempt to do the same ended up as a train wreck instead. Ultimately, I think what leaves that feeling of dissatisfaction is that I felt like this series had so much potential after the first few episodes (kind of like Guilty Crown, and yes I am comparing them), but ends up somewhere completely different.

      But apparently it was the author’s intention from the very beginning, so I guess I just don’t appreciate it.

      skizz
      Reply

  13. Who else feels bad for Murumuru #1? All she was doing was following order and trying not to destroy the established timeline. Did she really deserve to turn into a cell phone strap for all eternity?

    As for the manga ending,
    Show Spoiler ▼

    And the Next Project. How about a spin-off in the future starring Minene’s demigod children?

    Moeronic
    Reply

    1. Show Spoiler ▼

      Guardian Enzo
      Reply

      1. Show Spoiler ▼

        Oh and something I picked up from the wiki page:

        “A live action drama will premiere in April 2012”
        Probably not related because of the 7/28 but just putting it out there.

        Moeronic
        Reply

  14. Well after finding out form you that this wasn’t the whole ending in the Manga I decided to go check it out, and I ended up confused. Did they decide to hint the ending instead of showing it, or are they going to change it further, I wonder?
    Anyway glad that the Minene we been shown since the beginning got her happy ending.

    xephx
    Reply

  16. it’s a long story…

    finally after this yea so much all things indeed most of is still ONORE DECADE yet things sorta end mix-ok of hmm?

    yuki still in ball dream world gonig watch star with parents
    murmur trying keep it all quite heal 3rd world yuno”s dad & tell yuno get rid of her 3rd version.
    yuno looking at 3rd version of self then see she awake then tell harsh future of what could be.
    then 3rd yuno said you’re wrong give her parents issues one day still care.
    yuno more bit confuse about she said then something happening from the dream ball.
    where yuki said he can’t go cause of something.
    meanwhile cops arrive see damage notice someone with 3rd yuno’s mom see husband.
    murmur all panic tell yuno do it cause random changes.
    9th all hurt see 3rd Nishijima wonder have he seen her.
    more cameo of 3rd world’s 6th & etc notice bomb & stop the evil person, 5th all nappy with parents together, mask 12th caught 3rd, 10th & hinata all together with dogs, big 8th get call to meet mayor 11th, 7th called to check back to nap, & mayor 11th cancel it cause he saw future being “bye-bye” with telling deus yea new idea to work.
    murmur more panic to do yet yuno want yuki.
    go stab but her 3rd world’s dad to save block.
    yuki said he got something do cause for that “female”.
    then yuno see her 3rd world parents together worry on 3rd yuno.
    while dream world yuki’s parents understand yuki must do.
    then after dream world parents saying with go with heart leads.
    yuno going what to do go charge 3rd world then yuki scream yuno!!!
    3rd world cop shoot then yuki shout YUNO!!! to unleash 2nd murmur?!
    to block bullet & save catch yuno.
    yea murmur going what is 2nd world murmur who murmur lock-up in ball dream.
    so grab & reveal no.1 on bandage on murmur-1.
    now all look safe & well then give one more thing to do yuno stab herself to stay.
    & get kiss of yuki cause of that game set yuki & murmur 2 return to their world.
    give 2nd world is safe still damage give yuki bit sad.

    some time later in 3rd world
    9th now stuck in 3rd world see world self on the loose now with Nishijima & have kids also fly!!!
    random cameos 4th cop calling Nishijima with his kid all ok, 12th visit jailed 3rd, 7th got “bun oven”, happy 5th, 6th napping with parents put blanket she all happy happy, big 8th & mayor 11th on a date?! , staredown with kosuda & dog with hinata, mao, akise, & 10th, deus & murmur-3 see all hmm from other world is gone.
    3rd yuno showing phone with pic family all good.
    then see 3rd yuki with parents all together with female look like yuki’s mom.
    oh her phone now got murmur-1 on it.

    back in world 2
    yuki all wonder how 3rd world with murmur 2 all bored for 10000 years with long & look at phone.
    then some wonder saying then show phone “new message” & light is shown?!

    “next project starting!”

    ok now yea after watching is all yea whole series indeed very so hmm-hmm must see dub version of it & yet it “next project” hmm i wonder could be something either continue, spin-off, etc (give live action on the way).

    overall yea all this indeed so much ONORE DECADE for this yet worth a watch.

    MAR-KLAC-VELOUS DE-KLAC-CADE
    Reply

    1. Okay…So I actually read it all.

      Hey Mar-Klac, I needed to reply. I’ve seen some of your comments in previous entries, and they really stick out from the rest…

      I don’t want to be mean with this, but you really need to space things more if you want to make it easier for others to read your comments, Mar-Klac. And some grammar too would help yknow 😛 Still, this is the Internet of course, so English may perfectly not be your first language (Spanish guy talking here 🙂 !).

      Anyway, that huuuuuge text wall was just a summary man? 🙁 If I may have a say in this, it’d be awesome if you shortened that summary and expanded on what your impressions were about the episode (only the last two lines were impressions, I think).

      Seriously, I hope I didn’t come off as rude, that’s just my two cents…Peace man!

      Justinnnnnn
      Reply

      1. huh well give i make shorter if know make spolier tags in here random curiosity.

        besides give did my best sum it up yea to quote a line from rosario vampire “It’s a long story…” so yea unless i know how make spoiler tags in here yea i figure to shorten it.

        yet still wonder it’s “next project” & still most of it still ONORE DECADE!!!

        MAR-KLAC-VELOUS DE-KLAC-CADE
        Reply

    2. Why do you keep trying to force a way to say onore decade every week? There is no way whatsoever that phrase even fits, so I don’t know how you see fit to try to say so. I’ve looked it up in several different places and have tried my best to understand just why you think it fits, especially when Enzo even clearly stated (very accurately) that the theme of this week’s episode and the whole ending was, well, selflessness and taking responsibility for your actions. Just stop.

      And Justinnnnnn has the gist of it; no one wants to see a second summary when Enzo has already gone through the trouble of writing down the most notable parts of the episode, especially when the summary is hard to follow and not very consistent at that. People tend to just leave their opinions overall and ask about the parts that interested them the most. That’s why you’ve been consistently rated down from week to week; unnecessary walls of text aren’t appreciated when loads of users are here to leave their own impressions and read through others; if they can’t get through your typing they’d rather rate it down and just move on.

      Donyo
      Reply

      1. I had to google “ONORE DECADE”. Apparently it’s a meme?
        >it became popular due to the character always blaming the main character that it’s his fault for whatever happens.

        And MAR-KLAC, sorry I noticed that you like to use the word “give” a lot, but the way you’re using doesn’t seem to make much sense. I don’t know which is your mother language but why not try looking up the correct word?

        boingman
        Reply

    3. Have to agree with everyone else, posting a summary (that’s almost too confusing to go along with) in reply to an episode on a bloggers recap is basically pointless. I’m not trying to attack your writing abilities (or English if it’s a secondary language to you), but your summary was almost (in my opinion) Non legible. If you have impressions on an episode or if you want to quote a line from a particular scene to discuss it then do that because that’s what we’re interested in when reading the comments. We’re not interested in seeing a second recap to what we’ve already read from a more than capable and excellent blogger.

      So… Moving on, as having read the manga I was actually pretty satisfied with the anime’s ending. Though I’m, like everyone else, eager to see what the studio’s “next project” is. Especially if it’s a continuation of anime original material to the series or possibly something completely else.

      Daramadoc
      Reply

      1. GAH!!!

        really this is really just do my hmm best to say about the eps & of course need to say ONORE DECADE (do anyone watch DECADE) due fact whole give series mix time travel/alternate world good grief got wonder if doc brown, doctor who, den-o, etc all time traveler will react to it.

        besides indeed some ONORE give like thing murmur-1 did oh yea make yuno-1 go kill yuno-2 have her do 2nd world game, etc murmur’s extra so much indeed yea murmur-1 was behind all of it of most.

        yea give besides give i’ve no manga reading on it saw anime version ok.

        oh my stop booing my type saying give i did best to see what i type on keyboard.

        & overall now we’re on wait for “next project” could be ova, spin-off, final plus (if seen seed destiny final plus), recap movie, etc?!

        MAR-KLAC-VELOUS DE-KLAC-CADE
        Reply

  17. The ending was great, although a lil sad, it really shows the the beauty of Yuki’s deep love for Yuno. I’m very satisfied with the ending, Yuno and Yuki shared their last moments together so passionately and Yuki could never replace her despite being a tired out God. Poor guy, lol. Murumuru 2 stopping the bullet was such a badass scene too.

    Nymphetamine2791
    Reply

  18. Fourth paragraph from the end, third sentence, you used the wrong form of “its.” Just figured you might want me to point that out for ya, Enzo. ;3

    As for the ending, I’m feeling a mixed bag of emotions right now, and I’ve mulled over it a bit. Overall the series was interesting, to say the least. It was exhileratingly fast-paced and never gave you a moment to breathe.

    I judge only on the piece itself, and not the studio or artists behind it. A lot of the artwork was very sloppy and rushed, moreso than most anime. Obviously, the artists were in a big time crunch getting out episodes every week, but even then, certain time-saving methods could have been deployed by a more talented group to give the anime a more polished look. However, it got the job done, and really wasn’t overly distracting. Honestly, the crazy plot and characters were the center of this story, not the artwork, so suppose in conclusion the art neither detracts or highly impresses.

    As for characters, I feel that these really were what drove the story. The center of it all was about Yuki’s innocent, optimistic little boy outlook on the world being shattered by reality and turning him into a cold person who believed in only betrayal and hate. The scene where he shoots each of his friends one by one was a powerful demonstration of this, and I, for one, thought it was excellent, though the directing could have made it even more impactful with a simple time change, darker color scheme, and more dramatic angling (perhaps that was the point, though? Perhaps it was trying to say that that the act of killing and betrayal is nothing special or dramatic? Oh wait, no, seriously, that’s looking too deep into it.). Yuno was Yuno, and practically every scene involving her was a pleasure to watch. Plus, each of the diary owners was fleshed out and interesting, and for most of them, it was very easy to sympathize with their reasons for fighting to become a god. Plus, Minene was a tsundere with an eye patch and lots of terrorist tendancies! Yes please! I’m kind of annoyed at Japanese ideals, though, for taking such an awesome character and putting her in the kitchen. Oh, sorry, I meant to say giving her a nice happy family to raise with love. Yeah… Still, I can foresee the floating baby thing and future parent-teacher conferences being a serious issue.

    The plot was weak, but that’s kinda the point of Mirai Nikki, isn’t it? It pushes the bounds of suspension of disbelief more daringly than most shows would ever dream of. It sort of reminds me of the Hunger Games (the first book, because the other two were absolute, unsalageable shit and everyone knows it) in that there’s ALWAYS something going on making you want to know what happens next, never giving you a moment to collect your thoughts. The concept itself is innovative and fun, making everything feel like some kind of absurd, amusing game played by emotionless gods. All those cliches and plot holes? Hit me with em, I say. So long as a story is executed well, such things are easily overlooked, and Mirai Nikki certainly never fails to retain interest.

    As for the ending… It was… Meh. I can’t really say I saw it ending any other way, really. It’s cynicala, in that while it gives the feeling of a happy ending for everyone, in reality, all the true characters from the other worlds are dead. It’s nice to see that instead of repeating the endless cycle, however, the third world gets to enjoy a nice, happy conclusion where everyone finally has a bright future. See what they did there? They avoided everyone’s DEAD ENDs and gave them FUTURES? Eh? Clever. Still, the ending didn’t really feel as conclusive or impactful as it could have. It just didn’t have that “umph” to it that could have made it a really mind-blowing conclusion. Ah well, it was good enough.

    Overall, I’d give Mirai Nikki a solid A-, and recommend it strongly to anyone looking for something out of the ordinary.

    pieprsn
    Reply

  19. Lesson learned: it’s okay to kill a bunch of people including your friends. Just win the darn game in the end and everyone will be happily live in laughter for ever after and unicorns will dance in the rainbow with mighty joy. The classic “end result justifies every sin, no matter how vile”.

    meh. The only saving grace for this show was the birth of yandere, Yuno (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/Yandere) before the writer gave up on the plot towards the end. Sure there were some characters that resemble yandere trope before Yuno, but Yuno is the real deal. Why else her face is on the front page for yandere tvtropes page?

    RC fan56
    Reply

    1. Except for the fact that his friends stay dead and no one is happy ever after (in world #2 where Yuki wins the game). He then spends the next 10,000 years mulling over the last line on his phone where the person who he came to love kills herself.

      It is true that in world line 3 there is a ‘happy ever after’ but Yuki #2 never got to see it.

      Scruffy
      Reply

      1. well second world Minene got a happy ending. So at least two people from the second world get their happy endings. Still it doesn’t come across as “everyone died” the story even though it has a “tragic” ending ends on a relatively happy note.

        Bijyu
        Reply

      2. Well every one in world #1 and #2 did die. Reset world #3 avoided the game at the cost of Yuki paying in purgatory/solitary confinement to sustain World #3 for winning the game in a world that was already starting to fall apart when he started it.

        Ani_BEE
        Reply

  22. I really wanted to see the actual ending animated. Would it have killed them to take the 2 minutes needed to animate the next 3-4 pages? They could have just taken out the ending credits if time was an issue. However, if they do an OVA or something to animate the actual end they will need to add more to the ending. As 2 minutes are not worth animating on their own.

    Bijyu
    Reply

  24. It must be torture for Mumururu. Reading the SAME MANGA for so long. Poor her, THIS IS THE ONE THAT WASN’T EVIL. At least do this punishment to the evil one, don’t punish horrible boredom to our evil Mururu

    L002
    Reply

  25. …..; – ;
    the ending…
    the epilogue.
    the lines are driving me mad
    did Yuno actually come back to Yuki
    ._____.
    or is it one of those “this doesn’t actually have any sense, but let’s screw with your mind” T_T

    FindMuck
    Reply

  27. Well, this ending wasn’t bad actually, I kind of liked it. After all the fuss people were making I was expecting a second Mass Effect 3, but this was nothing like that atrocity. Seeing their little actions causing a ripple effect and seeing these two messed up people from a messed up another world finally achieving some good in a third world was actually quite heartwarming. Laughed out loud at the part where Murmur #1 got turned into a cellphone strap. And well, Yukki’s fate kinda sucks for him, but it was kinda bittersweet, and the only person he cared about did come back at the end.

    Speaking of the series as a whole, I freaking loved this big ball of insanity. I never had any problems with the fast-paced plot and all its random events (this is a game set up by a bored god, remember?) or all its flawed characters (I loved them all, and they are a far more interesting bunch than all those cookie-cutter shonen heroes who, as Ike would say, ‘fight for their friends’). Never thought they’d be able to make a child-murdering terrorist one of my favourite characters from the last seasons (also have to say that all these new voice actors did a wonderful job). This show is crazy, unconventional and a crapload of fun. It kind of reminds me of shows like Hellsing in a way; they’re both following the same principle.

    In the end, I don’t care what people say about this show, because this one is on a fast-track to become one of my favourites of the year.

    Dvalinn
    Reply

  28. My only problem with the ending — of both the anime and the manga — is that Minene never seems to think about what happens to her little “dipshit” in her happy ending. She survives and has a happy family. Great. But I would have thought that her sibling-like relationship with Yukki would have amounted to something. I wanted just one line where she says something along the lines of, “Gee, I wonder where Yukki is now?” It’s almost like she forgot Yukki.

    I had no problem with the manga ending. I mean, Show Spoiler ▼

    butterbean
    Reply

    1. She kind of gets a little brief scene in the manga with this; she catches her children floating and looks out of her window. And she’s fondly smiling at something that she and her children see.
      Show Spoiler ▼

      Donyo
      Reply

  30. And so it end. For now.

    I definitely love the way the anime ends. Sure, there are some alterations here and there, but hey, I’m pretty content with it. And yet, I can’t believe that there are people who are actually disappointed with the ending (look at Sankaku). And why? Because it ends the same way (more or less) as the manga? Hey, at least it’s better than Mass Effect 3’s ending(s).

    As for the Next Project, I’m betting on Paradox OVA/movie. I would love to see Mosaic being adapted as well, but I don’t think it would be necessary considering that they’ve used a bit of it in the anime. Still, would be nice that too.

    Terrorhunt
    Reply

  31. What a wonderful synopsis and review of the show, Guardian Enzo. I think I will do one of my own, but you’ve done a fantastic job of blogging this show with a consistently positive outlook! Every anime blogger should learn from you how to analyze a show without projecting themselves allover the material.

    I agree on many points, that the strength of this series was in its execution, rather than a technical one (animation), that the plot-holes were the plot itself, and Yukiteru’s defeatist attitude was central to the series.

    I’m also glad that you pointed out how much this show parallels Anno’s masterpiece, Evangelion (main character as losers) and how much it takes classic anime tropes and turns them inside out.

    Most of all, the crux of the show is how much of an anima Yuno is for Yukiteru. When I have the time, I will link up the names in mythology and expand on them (Yuno as Juno, the Roman queen of the goddesses, for example).

    This episode tied everything up neatly, and satisfactorily, for me. After reading the manga final chapter, once I finished episode 26, I said:

    LOL at manga readers who predicted a “hammering smash” of an ending for Mirai Nikki. Asread trolling Trolls = priceless 🙂

    Zammael
    Reply

    1. Heh, thanks for those nice words. I do confess, I find it very funny that the very stuff people complain about is the point of the series itself. When you try and watch Mirai Nikki through a traditional anime lens, all you see are the flaws – when in fact, Esuno is using readers own biases to make his point. It’s quite clever, but I’m honestly surprised the series has found as many fans as it has considering how few of them seem to understand when he was trying to do.

      Guardian Enzo
      Reply

      1. I too would like to extend my congratulations and commendations to Enzo for covering Mirai Nikki with episodic reviews that were both deeply insightful and even-handed; he never allowed his own biases as a fan of the manga to get in the way of making a fair assessment. And he painstakingly kept everything spoiler-free, always putting the enjoyment of his readers first. Good work, Enzo; as far as anime blogging is concerned, you have consistently set the bar for quality and integrity not only here at RandomC, but also all across the internet. The depth of your analysis and your neutrality is second to none that I’ve ever seen anywhere else in the anime blogging world; everything you say is uncolored by personal bias, and your analyses are always based on fact, never venturing into the realm of baseless conjecture. It may all sound like high praise and flattery, but from the bottom of my heart I say these words with the utmost sincerity unto you who I believe is truly deserving of them.

        As for the show itself, there is little to nothing that I could add that you have not already so astutely pointed out and comprehensively explained, but I will add a few small things.

        It’s quite clever, but I’m honestly surprised the series has found as many fans as it has considering how few of them seem to understand when he was trying to do.

        Mirai Nikki is, as you said, essentially a deconstruction of pervasively used anime tropes that otaku take for granted- few viewers have the requisite insight to understand this, yet it matters little in the big picture because whatever Esuno’s goals, his product ended up being a refreshingly unconventional high-octane thrill ride (due to its unique thematic origins)- one that pushes and walks the boundaries of morality, a show that challenges the values that society holds dear, but never quite crosses that line, and if anything reaffirms them at the very end- sophistication is hardly a prerequisite to appreciating the thriller side of Mirai Nikki, and since it pushes but never crosses the moral line, it remains socially acceptable, and is even arguably very socially desirable because it affirms the value of human decency and morality even in the most desperate of situations- these elements create a great deal of simplistic general appeal notwithstanding the work’s true intellectual depth.

        In this sense Mirai Nikki’s appeal mirrors that of the 1960 hit movie Psycho directed by that devious genius Alfred Hitchcock. The entire construct of Psycho’s narrative was centered upon the subversion of traditional romantic notions and psychoanalysis, themes that typical members of the audience were clearly unequipped to discern. Yet just like Mirai Nikki did over 50 years later, Psycho ended up being a high-octane thriller that challenged but never crossed, and ultimately reaffirmed societal values through the antagonist’s fall- commanding through the presence of these nigh-identical elements the same general, simplistic appeal that Mirai Nikki possesses, notwithstanding its intellectual value. Indeed, if anything were to be crowned as Esuno and Hitchcock’s consummate common achievement as artists in both of these works, it should be none other than this seemingly contradictory (yet under close scrutiny, clearly consistent) dichotomy of mass appeal and intellectual depth…

        ____________________________________________________________________________________________________

        Two minor points about Mirai Nikki itself. Cutting out the manga “post-credits” in the anime seemed like a good decision to me; it magnifies the show’s mystique, promotes fan discussion/rage which inevitably draws more attention to the franchise, and most importantly, significantly enhances the ending’s emotional impact.

        As for the announcement of a “new project” I’m a little bit wary of what might happen if it is indeed an anime-original sequel and not something like a Paradox OVA because unless Esuno himself is heavily involved in the production of this sequel, I have my doubts about it being able to live up to the quality of the original. Asread did a good job adapting Mirai Nikki for TV, but it takes a special kind of person to achieve the contradictory consistency that is the at the heart of both Psycho and Mirai Nikki, and whether Asread is up to that task all on its own is questionable…

        Zen
        Reply

  32. Good ending, but man if only Asread didn’t include the “Next Project” stinger so that they would extend the ending a little bit more!

    Still, despite some QUALITY issues (like the floating baby) I think Asread redeemed themselves over Minami-ke.

    Benigmatica
    Reply

  33. oh dear god. that epilogue. I have to say, It works, but I think my arteries clogged, ghhhk.
    I’ll stick with my Anime ending, for now… .. . .
    Asreed did a brilliant job with the adaptation. I adored the series, and can’t believe I’m actually hooked into wanting to know what the sam-heck this frigging next project cliffhanger is >.D!.

    Kumakaori
    Reply

  35. I liked this ending very much, actually, especially after reading all the hate about it on the net. I just found all the characters likable enough for them all to get their happy endings, and I love how the anime gave them all a bit more spotlight in the final episode.

    About the manga ending: I watched the anime without reading it, so I gave it a try after watching the episode.
    Show Spoiler ▼

    Thank you for blogging this, it was a nice and thoughtful analysis of one of the most underappreciated shows of the last two seasons. It may not have been what I expected (a battle of wits with more brain and less brawn), but it was still an enjoyable ride, and it’s much better to read a fan’s thoughts about it than a rant from yet another hater.

    SingerOfW
    Reply

  36. Show Spoiler ▼

    KamiSama
    Reply

  39. Guardian Enzo, I’ve feel your writing style really progressed since you started writing for RC, and this particular one is, IMHO, your best piece of writing yet (aside from a few too many “ultimately”s). Congratulations and thank you very much for sharing your opinions with us.

    It is very much appreciated.

    Fluca
    Reply

  40. Did not saw tht coming!!! *The assumed reaction if I hv not give in to spoilers*

    Really, the mayor and big-face lady ARE dating!?
    Minene2, how are you going to do household shopping with Minene3 walking around bombing Japan???
    And I assume Yuki3 did not meet Yuno3?
    Dat Murmur1 cellphone strap. Its funny tht no one cares about the number on Murmurs head…..
    Yuki ex. Machina, at least supply some manga for Murmur2…..

    Its funny tht there is a happy ending, but Yuki2 does not get to enjoy it…..
    Or do he???

    D-LaN
    Reply

  43. Ah, I don’t really think I can add more to what you’ve already stated. Given that the manga readers have already had more than enough time to digest the ending and the series as a whole this is pretty darn inclusive of Mirai Nikki’s whole story. Most important I think is Yukiteru’s change from being so passive and avoidant to actively taking charge in changing the future for the better. And he succeeds as well. I am a bit disappointed that they kind of cut Minene’s small line during her chat with Yukiteru in 24, where she muses that if anyone can create a miracle and change the future, she believes it’s him, just as Deus did. And she was right.

    That said I still wonder how Kousaka got acquainted with Mao and Hinata since he only transferred to their school because Minene bombed his during the survival game. I’m hoping the kids’ final scene was their first meeting since it wouldn’t make much sense otherwise. And they really left the matter of Deus’ ending lifespan hanging in this adaptation, and he doesn’t seem to have chosen a successor. So it follows that this third world might end up with the same fate as the other two unless viewers really stretch the final hints they were given. That is the only thing I’m not content with in this ending, as it means that even though the people in this world obtained happier lives, it’ll still end for all of them soon enough.

    Oh can we pair up 12th and 3rd because Hirasaka comes to check up on Hiyama regularly and I mean dang.

    Also I really like Yukiteru with long hair help.

    Donyo
    Reply

  44. I’ve never read much spoilers about Mirai Nikki here on RC (save for maybe the first few episodes). I’ve always been intrigued by its premise, and the fact that it has what is considered to be the epitome of the Yandere archetype further interests me. The idea that the main character is supposedly a “Shinji-archetype” (to put it loosely) doesn’t really bother most especially since I hear that he undergoes some form development anyway (not to mention I’m not fussy about this kind of character as I cna actually understand their weakness to a degree).

    But since I’ve been considering to marathon this series for so long and only really holding back to wait for it to finish, I would first like to ask the ultimate question now that this series has ended: Would my fellow RC readers recommend me this series?

    ronri
    Reply

    1. I’d actually like hearing speculation on what people think the movie will be about if that was the case.

      I wouldn’t mind a movie following third world Yuno…

      Show Spoiler ▼

      Donyo
      Reply

  48. Holy Batman, Damn flying babies!!!! I just imagine a loose daiper and the baby takes off … Or close: “the windows the baby will float away!” LoL I know they are demi-gods it was such a treat! Also a third world Minene still lurks around. I’m a happy camper for her ending. As for the others ending I don’t mind. After looking at “both” endings I have to say that the anime is more close the “Yuki” we all know. Just hide in darkeness and pity him self… All those years being a God and bored to dead… Yes Yuki as he behaved through all the series.

    Yes!@
    Reply

  52. Thanks Enzo for your insights. Personally I really liked it and I think many of the “plot holes” are necessary in order for the story to progress. But people I know never seem to appreciate the story… They just keep complaining about how poorly constructed the ending was and all the “poor devices” such as the concept of time traveling. Truth is, like what you said, they just simply don’t understand what Esuno was trying to do. Overall, I am pretty satisfied with the anime and I think it did a great job choosing all the right elements from the manga (●＾∀＾●)

    Kaka
    Reply

  55. I get the EVA comps, but the show Mirai Nikki reminds me of the most is Umineko no Naku Koro ni. Both shows were fun at times, tragic at times, wild, unpredictable, and a complete trainwreck of plot holes (and yes, they are plot holes- huge, gaping, mockable ones at that). Both had emotional endings that felt cut short. I enjoyed Umineko, but I got some pretty angry feedback when I recommended it to friends. For me, the wild ride was worth the intellectual incoherence.

    That’s kind of how I feel about this show. Mirai Nikki had a great premise and some great moments. It could have been a great show, but the creator didn’t quite have enough wit to pull it all together into the masterpiece it could have been.

    It was still worth watching purely for the emotional investment. I didn’t like the voice-casting, particularly for Yuki and Yuno. Despite their grating voices and personality types, I still found myself in complete emotional agreement with them at the end. There is something to be said for that. Most shows fail to emotionally connect me to the characters, but Mirai Nikki succeeded.

    Rather than pick the show apart for the dozens of issues I took with it, I choose to focus on the positive and at least acknowledge that it was never boring, it made me care about the characters much more than I should have, and that it was just satisfying enough at the end to keep me from hating myself for committing 10 hours of my life watching this show.

    Did I enjoy it? Yes. Am I glad I watched it? I think so. Would I recommend it to anyone else? Only with the strongest degree of caution possible. Still, it would be nice if every season had a show like Mirai Nikki- a show that actually holds its audiences interest every week, even if it’s sometimes for the wrong reasons.

    Qwaser Beams
    Reply

  56. I like this anime’s ending better since minene, my favorite character, has a great ending with children and masumi!!! I’m glad the ending wasn’t sad:D well except for yukiteru-.- but doesnt yuno, first world, come back since her voice was shown in the last few second of the anime??? Oh well thats what makes mirai nikki a great anime!! I expected everyone to die in the anime so i didnt cry when masumi died, but the ending really is just so awesome!!!

    gabby_sensei
    Reply

  57. Could not resist reading the last 2 chapters of the manga.
    So what happens to the third world yukiteru after the manga-exclusive-for-now-at-least epilogue? Hint, hint, it involves a hammer!
    Do they just shove him out of the picture? Or can 2nd and 3rd world yuki co-exist in the 3rd world?

    JLee
    Reply

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