Bloodshed, murder, mystery - Future Diary review

I was sitting on my sofa faced with a predicament most of us have experienced. I just just completed the second season of Sword Art Online and now I was asking myself; what anime to watch now?

A friend of mine on Twitter suggested a show that goes by the name of Future Diary. After she sold it to me as a roller-coaster ride of brutal murders wrapped up in a love story that involved a psycho pinked haired girl, I was convinced. I thought I’d give the first episode a watch and by the time the clock struck midnight, I was 6 episodes into the series.

Adapted from a manga series by Sakae Esuno, Future Diary (Mirai Nikki) tells the story of two high school lovers fighting to prove their love while stuck in the middle of a survival game to become the new God of Time and Space. Spanning across 26 episodes, viewers are treated to scenes of blood thirst, murders of children, scenes of rape and sex, as well as blood. Lots of blood.

Good - A Gripping Premise

I will come straight out and say it. I LOVED this show. I will stay clear of making this a review from a fanboy, but there were so many twist and turns that happened in each episode, it was nearly impossible to predict which direction our male protagonist was heading in. This made Future Diary a very enjoyable anime to watch, after each episode had ended I was dying to find out the impact that episodes ending had on the one which followed.

Our middle school boy protagonist named Yuki stumbles on a mobile phone diary that tells the future. However, his unique power isn’t so...unique, as eleven other people hold a future diary of their own. The aim of the game is simple. The only way our friend Yuki can survive is if he kills the fellow participants before they kill him.

This instantly gives the show an amazing setup. It generates a sci-fi element that is supported by tense action from the very get go. What makes it even more interesting is that each persons diary tells the future in a different way. One diary informs them on how to escape any given situation while another updates them on everything a certain person does in 10-minute intervals. Thus, this gives the show a feel of sophistication as Yuki not only needs to discover who the other diary holders are but also what aspect their future diaries show in order to defeat them.

Good - An array of unique characters

Future Diary consist of characters that are stark, simple and interesting for the most part. The main leads, Yuno and Yuki, are standard anime archtypes consisting of the yandere and the whiny brat protagonist, respectively. However, the show does a great job in developing them into characters we should genuinely care about and by the end I found myself emotionally invested in their love story a lot more than predicted after the first couple of episodes. The development of the characters is as fast pace as the action, and we are treated to the back stories of the supporting characters that we care about.

For me, Yuno steals the show. She holds all the traits of being smart, strong, beautiful and agile the fellow diary user is also a violently obsessed stalker who will do anything to please her love Yuki. In addition to harbouring some very dark secrets, she is able to go into complete psycho mode as fast as Team Rocket appear in a Pokemon episode. This helps add to the fact you have no idea what is about to happen next and the juxtaposition between the two generates twist after twist.

The other members of the cast are unique in their own right. The backgrounds of each diary holder differ, ranging from serial killer to international terrorist to police officer to a person who believes their a hero to the world in their own right.

There is a hint of a Death Note feel to supporting character Akise, a very skilled detective whose talents would rival those of L. He is a master manipulator and can guess a person's move before they even know, and plays a mental game between himself and Yuno, making their rivalry one of the most exciting moments.

Mixed - From all the unpredictability comes a pretty predictable ending.

***WARNING: Here be spoilers matey***

I found myself with mix feelings as I watched the show wrap up in the final couple of episodes. The climax of Future Diary is orchestrated pretty well and the scenes during the credits showcase the fates of all the characters is a nice touch. However Yuki, the protagonist, is stuck in a world of limbo. A person who we have spent the whole show supporting and wanting to succeed doesn’t get the ultimate payoff that everyone else seems to get. In a way I applaud the writers in turning their noses to a conclusion that followed many anime’s before it, but then a little part of me felt a little cheated. As he is relegated to a dark and lonely world of being the ‘God of Creation’, the show itself finishes on a cliffhanger that raises so many more questions that go left unanswered.

However, since Future Diary has finished the creation of The Future Diary: Redial OVA has been released, something that I’m very interested to sink my teeth into.

Decent - Everything else

Overall, the animation quality is good enough to make the action sequences have you on the edge of the seat. Even though the colour palet of the show varies each episode, the striking pink bubble-gum hair of Yuno and the vibrant red of the blood-shed she leaves a lasting impression.

The music consists of all sorts of electronic blends, occasionally dipping into the world of classical orchestral instruments to support the more eerie moments.

Final thoughts

With a very intriguing concept and characters that are deep and wrapped up in mystery, Future Diary is an excellent sci-fi anime. If you’re a fan of Death Note or Another, you’ll find lots to like about Future Diary. It even has a slight Battle Royale feeling to it due it it’s ‘I need to kill this dude before he kills me’ due to its type of survival game premises. Future Diary was a pleasure to watch and you’ll no doubt have a great time watching this 26 episode series.

7/10

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