Un-Go

=updated after episode 11= If you were to ask me what I though about Un-Go after watching the first few episodes I probably would've said "boring, horrible character development, terrible pacing and lack of a plot. If you were to ask me now after seeing all the episodes I would say "brilliant, unique storytelling and interesting characters". Un-Go starts off from the generic 'future Japan' setting, using guess work you try to make sense of the plot and characters which is difficult and leaves you feeling like it's taking off from a prequel series. Though the backstory shines through little by little each episode and you canpiece it together (which fits into the detective mystery genre nicely). The main issue i had with the early episodes of Un-Go was pacing. It felt as if they were cramming in two-parters into one episode which left a long path of plot holes along the way. At the end of the episode, you'd be thinking "what just happened" "is that the ending?" "Why don't I just drop this crap" but thankfully this issue is resolved later on. I first thought the characters were really boring and bland, probably because the character development was nearly non-existent among the confusing plots and side characters in the first few episodes. Though you soon get attached to them, well most of them anyway. The art style is interesting and the character designs aren't too bad, though I really hated the design for 'that woman' (call her this to avoid spoilers). She looked like some out of proportion alien thing. I liked the OP and the ED wasn't that bad. The voice acting is average. Overall, Un-Go has it's flaws through features the 'detective/mystery' genre at it's best. It starts off as a terrible anime, filled with poor character development, plot holes and pacing issues though finishes off with a nicely polished interesting series which leaves you wanting more.

My expectations for this show was more-or-less like a Japanese equivalent to a BBC Miss Marple or Sherlock Holmes special. And, in a way, it is, but it's so much more than a simple adaptation. While UN-GO is based upon the writing of Ango Sakaguchi (hence, the title) the mysteries are carried out in a very different setting than the original stories. However, it never feels strange or forced in it's new setting of post WWIII Tokyo. If you're expecting a supernatural horror anime, look elsewhere. The supernatural aspects of this show are kept to a bare minimum. In fact there are only two aspectsof this show which are supernatural, one being the nature of Inga, and the other is little more than a magic tool. Other than these two anomalies, Un-go has more in common with the Science Fiction genre. It has cool futuristic technology, hints of a dystopian future, and it even poses the question of how far can artificial intelligence evolve by itself and whether or not it is even right to treat them as machines at that point. What amazed me about UN-GO was just how tight the story was. Sure, it masquerades as a Perry Mason-esque mystery-of-the-week show, but when you look back you see that every episode was necessary to get from each story to the other. You learn the essentials of understanding how the world that Shinjuurou and Inga live in works and its history from each episode while still remaining entertaining. The relationship of our detective duo is straight-forward, especially if you've seen Majin Tantei, yet the nuances of their relationship are very subtle and they are great foils for each other. Shinjuurou is very serious, mature and he steadfastly holds onto his beliefs and his interpretation of justice, but he is also surprisingly compassionate and does show affection for Inga in spite of what he/she is. Inga on the other hand is childish in its boy form, but in its female form she is seductive and in some ways just as serious and mature as Shinjuurou. She shows a deep respect and admiration for him, but male and female Inga both don't mind messing with him. However both of Inga's forms are very savage and determined and they don't mind hurting Shinjuurou if he is getting in the way of a potential meal. I can't say much about the sound design other than it's great, just great. The music is cool and some tracks are catchy and the voice actors deliver really great performances, namely Inga's voice actress, Toyosaki Aki. I have to admit I didn't expect much from her when I heard she was in K-On, but she played a very dynamic Inga. She was able to cycle from innocently childish to frightening and creepy. She also accomplished the hardest thing for a voice actor; she was able to give emotional depth subtly through her voice. The animation is very smooth and rather colourful and stylish for a post-war setting, especially in the opening and ending sequences (which have awesome music by the way). My only complaint is that Shinjuurou's face in particular can look a little lazily drawn in places. I believe this is mainly due to one of the character designers', Pako's, distinctive style which is a little more suited to an otome game than it is an anime. UN-GO is a modest little series. It does not strive to be ground-breaking but in its own little way it challenges your viewpoints on subjects like self-sacrifice and the psychological effects of war and terrorism. This is one of the only shows I have ever seen which was able to show diversity in ideologies. But, as I said, it does not strive to be a masterpiece and thus I feel reluctant to rate it as one. Everything is very low-key and not a lot of risks were taken other than the major change in setting. But, the fact still remains that UN-GO is a great show that feels bigger than it is, and for that I cannot recommend it enough. But note that if you want to truly enjoy this show you must watch UN-GO episode:0 Inga-ron either before or immediately after watching the series. Every single question you could have about UN-GO at the end of the series is answered in Inga-ron. With UN-GO and Inga-ron together the series is this neat little package which has one of the most satisfying endings of any anime series.

Not your traditional mystery anime. [contains some generalized spoilers, suggestive humor and language] UN-GO is by no means a traditional “mystery anime”. If you view it only from that perspective, then UN-GO is relatively mediocre as a whole. What makes UN-GO a “good” anime is the hidden mystery behind all the concurrent “traditional” mysteries. Now, what exactly defines a “traditional mystery” and what sets UN-GO apart from being one? Well a traditional mystery is “best” mediocrely defined as going from the crime scene to interrogating the suspects, to finding the verdict by the end of the episode, this is best comparable to anime like Gosick. UN-GO onthe other hand incorporates a different element. It's the type of behind the scene mystery that's blatant after you learn about it, but rather difficult to discern when you're watching it initially; it's an enjoyable treat. But, it is arguable on whether or not it was actually done well. Unfortunately, UN-GO does suffers from mediocre characters. The entire cast is relatively linear, there's little to no character development. But, strangely enough, the characters aren't generic, they all surprisingly have something that sets them apart from any given cliché archetype. That could be positive or negative depending on how you view it, but you do have to inevitably assume their pasts (although episode zero should answer some questions). But, one character does stand out from the rest, possibly the worst character this season. It's the transvestite heroine addict that stays in the back until she needs her fix at the end of every case, whether he's needed or not. Now, what exactly does he do? Well, she's basically a cheat code. He possesses the ability to make her “victim” answer truthfully once to any of her questions (she does this by essentially sexually harassing his victim and giving them whiplash or something similar). Now, his ability wouldn't be so irritating if the show used his ability logically. Unfortunately, the main character decides to ask some of the most redundant questions using her, it often does aid the case, but there's probably a list of so many other better questions you could have asked (It's like asking do you own this knife rather than do you know who killed the dude in the corner). That being said, UN-GO would definitely be better if it was longer than eleven episodes. There's just too much content to cram into such a short frame of time. Watching this weekly often leads the viewer confused on the previous events. Many of the mysteries take up two episodes, it's a pain to recollect after a week. The maximum experience would probably be catalyzed by watching it after airs, in one or two sittings at the most. Objective Score: 6/10. You'll probably enjoy UN-GO more if you analyze it. On the surface, it's mediocre. The mysteries aren't that good, and the characters are mediocre. But what it does offer is an atmosphere that's relatively rare in anime. The setting of UN-GO and the behind the scenes occurring ultimately adds to the overall “mystery” of the anime. Subjective Score: 4/10: It's pretty bad if you watch it expecting for the obvious mystery. It's riddled with lapses of logic, and the storyline is sporadic. It wasn't really meant to be adapted in eleven episodes, it's way too short. But UN-GO does offer one of the best ED transitions since The Tatami Galaxy.

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