Boogie Down With Espers and Angst
- Episodes : 18
- Genre : Horror, Mystery, Psychological
- Airing Date : January 2019 – March 2019
- Producers : Madhouse
Contains Spoilers
Boogiepop wa Warawanai (Boogiepop and Others) Introduction and Story
When girls at Shinyo Academy start to go missing, rumors spread that a mysterious entity known as Boogiepop is responsible. In actuality, the Manticore, a man-eating body snatcher, hides amongst and is preying on the students. Boogiepop is, in fact, a protector of the world currently manifesting in the student Touka Miyashita. She becomes involved in the Manticore incident, as well as in Nagi Kirima’s life as they uncover more mysterious happenings like the Imaginator and the King of Distortion.
Boogiepop wa Warawanai begins already in the middle of the Manticore incident and introduces a large cast of characters who fade in and out as relevant. The frenetic pace and jarring action sequences such as the death of Naoko and the fight between Dr. Kisugi and Nagi make it quickly apparent that this world is cruel and merciless. Boogiepop may be an arbiter, though truth and justice are not always what they appear to be.
1. Strong Female Characters Come in Spades.
One thing is certain in Boogiepop wa Warawanai, and it’s that the girls are the driving force. Touka as Boogiepop and Nagi Kirima are forces of nature against the alien and otherworldly events of the series. From the Manticore using Minako Yurihara’s body to Makiko Kisugi’s development into a serial killer, the presence of female characters is felt throughout.
2. It’s a Unique Take on Supernatural Powers.
The mysterious Towa Organization and the synthetic humans created using the alien Echoes are just the beginning for the wildly strange powers that exist in the world of Boogiepop wa Warawanai. While at first it seems as though there are only a few supernatural powers at play, more and more people are revealed to be involved with MLPS, as natural espers, or even things beyond the scope of the systems that had already been introduced.
3. It Challenges the Audience to Think.
Boogiepop wa Warawanai is not a show to watch in the background while doing something else. It is thick with detail and callbacks to things that have or will have happened. It respects that the viewer is paying attention and doesn’t waste time on repeating exposition to catch you up if you aren’t keeping up.
1. Events Don’t Happen in Order.
It’s typical for a story to have flashbacks or glimpses into future events, but Boogiepop wa Warawanai does both at the same time—at times, in the same episode. Scenes jump around and the story arcs are not told in a linear fashion. The first episode takes place after the next few, and the next few story arcs take turns happening before and after those events. The jarring timeline makes things hard to keep track of.
2. The Characterization is Plain.
The characters in Boogiepop wa Warawanai don’t really stand out in their personalities or looks aside from Boogiepop and Nagi Kirima. The cast is mostly students, and because of the nature of the constantly shifting timeline in the storytelling, it can be difficult to parse who is who. The conflicts that arise are also pedestrian despite the supernatural elements of characters being possessed or influenced by outside powers.
3. There is Disturbing Imagery.
Boogiepop wa Warawanai is not for the faint of heart. Dismemberment, pools of blood, and other very violent things are shown throughout. People also are often on the verge of psychological shutdown as shown with Shirou’s trauma in regards to his relationship with Naoko and her death.
Final Thoughts
Through all of Boogiepop wa Warawanai, it’s clear that Boogiepop and Nagi Kirima are up to task of protecting the world from those that threaten it. With an unrelenting pace that demands attention, it’s a lot of detail to keep straight. Terms like The Towa Organization, MLPS, Espers, and others flesh out this psychological thriller, but it’s ultimately the strong presence of Boogiepop and Nagi that holds everything together.
With as much action and character moments as Boogiepop wa Warawanai has, are there any harrowing thoughts or character mentions that you think are important? Tell us what you think in the comments.
Author: Jessica
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