While the anime takes place in Japan, its themes can be universally applied. In recent years, addictions to games, the internet, and cell phones have been considered a health crisis (we’re not here to debate whether or not it is, just give you the fact that medical associations around the world have declared that). It’s severe to the point that China and South Korea now have treatment centers for those that are addicted to technology. The world of Darwin’s Game takes that concept and dials it to 11!

As we shared in the intro, as opposed to the player using their screen to play, they must physically engage in combat with other players or they die! Considering a lot of traffic accidents in some countries are caused by people who can’t put down their phone, the gimmick of Darwin’s Game is a good stepping stone in allowing viewers to re-evaluate the responsibility we have in owning a cell phone.

Though our first entry explores the negatives of having a cell phone, it doesn’t mean that there are positives. Thanks to all the features our phones presently have, they allow us to be more connected than ever. Through gaming and the internet, we can make new enemies or we can make new friends. During Kaname’s journey, as we’ve seen thus far, while he initially engages in combat with Shuka, Rein, Ichiro, Ryuji, and Sui, he decides to befriend them knowing that killing them is wrong. As they participate in the campaign event, they also see how cameras and GPS on phones can be helpful and save their lives.

OK, so the power of “nakama,” or your friends, has been done to death in anime and manga but it gets to be a repeated theme because it also applies in real life. If you’re facing a life-and-death situation, would you rather try to figure it out on your own? Or would you try and overcome the problem with a group of people you can trust? Not only are two heads better than one, but so are three or four heads. Thanks to Kaname’s simple schoolboy morals, he’s able to connect with the people he encounters and by learning to rely on each other’s sigils, not only do they learn to apply teamwork, but reap its benefits.

Beyond having cell phones, all of the protagonists in Darwin’s Game are relatable to the audience. Kaname may just be a teenager, but his straightforwardness along with his clear-cut morals are something viewers can also relate to. If you’re a teenager now or—for some of you adults—remember your teenage years, you probably think/thought of the world in simpler terms and you learn/learned as you went along.

While Kaname’s journey into Darwin’s Game takes that notion to higher extremities, you do feel a genuine sense of teenage purity from him and that’s something we’ve all experienced as he tries to see the best of everyone in a dire situation. As for the supporting cast, they all have their reasons and motivations as to why they’re playing Darwin’s Game. For example, Ichiro is hoping to use the prize money to treat his daughter’s illness and, what parent wouldn’t sacrifice for their child?