Reviews for Pet

This is another title from Studio Geno, which until now has always brought great anime, even though it is a recent studio, and I can say that Pet is probably the best one ever made by him. Pet is one of the best animes of this season, the anime production surprised me a lot, all the elements that were created to give the illusion of the mind according to the work are incredible, it is easy to understand the mystic that happens here, thanks to the script of the anime, which maintains a great evolution until it reaches the final episodes. After understanding the rules imposed bythe anime, the story begins to develop, working and linking each of its main characters that make the plot roll almost like a suspense. The characters are not exceptional, but they are useful in the context of the work.

The anime lets us look at the two sides of the coin, and go on to formulate how everything can end. We see characters being deceived in front of us, others being manipulated for their own interests, whether for good or evil.

Pet is certainly the most wronged anime of that time, and deserved more recognition.

Pet is something hard to describe concisely, but the biggest praise I can give it is "respect for the audience." Pet so far is not for the faint of heart, it is a show that requires you to pay attention to a number of scenes very intently and sometimes potentially to rewind a few scenes depending on how the dense the information is. But it is a kind of challenge someone like me can genuinely appreciate. Unlike many anime that hold your hand and make you sit through 10+ minute long exposition dumps with nothing happening, Pet is going to methodically tell you things when relevant,and allow you to use that knowledge to understand the characters even more. Pet in that sense is a breath of fresh air, it is a show about adults—for adults.

Even so, I've seen a staggering amount of people on the internet still absolutely flabbergasted as to what exactly is going on. Eventually I think there needs to be a Pet messiah that will succinctly explain the world in a way that those who don't have the ability to make the connections the show requires you to can understand. But because of that, a show like Pet can only dream to be above a 7 by the end of the season since so many fail to understand it, which is a crime if I do say so myself.

The characters are complex in their own ways so far, all getting their opportunities to further expose another layer as to how exactly people like them exist. The nature of their job as psychics inherently means they have their own trauma they need to cope with in order to function normally, let alone use their powers to manipulate others with backstories as potentially dark as their own. Of course not every character is perfect, especially a certain annoying one, but that doesn't mean one doesn't look forward to when their backstory is revealed.

The art and animation are nothing exemplary in fact a bit of a foil to the term. It is a bit ugly, very modern anime but without the time or talent to polish the gem into something astonishing or even great, it gets the job done nonetheless. That doesn't mean the whole show is roughly animated or looks bad, there are some pretty well crafted transformation sequences that leave even a jaded man like me impressed. Pet feels like a passion project, an attitude that emanates through its directing, which while not perfect at times, definitely doesn't leave one bored or bewildered. In fact it can be intoxicating, with some episodes leaving you desperately wanting more.

Pet is genuinely creative, a show trying to say something interesting with its narrative and characters. And if you don't give it a chance then I say you are definitely missing out this season.

I am a huge drama fan and I really loved this show. What a beautiful ride throughout the whole show. I am really ashamed that there are people ignoring this show just because of its art style etc. This is a must watch show from the director of Baccano and Durara. I knew from the beginning that the story will be explained episode by episode and before they will play with your mind. It is a rare kind of show and unique also weird in a good way. I have my most favorite character from this show Tsukasa. This is years old manga yet ithad the ability to amaze us just like Dororo. This woman(author) deserves the popularity because of her works. I will indeed rewatch this show again for better understanding because I feel there were minor lack issues but not the major one. I hoped that director should have done more better directing for this anime to be the best one but any ways I am fine.

Story-9

It is a mind tripping anime but it will remove your all stress in the end. The story was just great and beautiful in its own ways.

Art-8

Well I don't actually care about the animation style that much because I am a story lover but the thing is that there were some scenes that weren't animated great just like some expressions. I don't get this why but although they did a good job animating the water scenes and mostly the finale scene I hoped that would have been amazing if the whole series was animated like that. I think the budget was low or some kind of issues. It was decent for me.

Sound-10:

Tk never fails to amaze us. The openings and endings were really amazing and also matched with the anime if we look at the lyrics. Also the major thing about this show which I personally loved was the voice acting of the character Tsukasa. Others had fine voice acting but this Tsukasa one was really legendary. Probs to this guy and deserves the seiyuu award.

Character-9:

Loved every character and their designs. Their ideas and their weird good attitude. Amazing just amazing!

Enjoyment-9:

It was great ride for me but I don't know about the taste of action lovers if they will watch the anime carefully and by focusing.

To the starters don't miss even a single scene and understand it carefully. This show is just mind blowing just watch it. You are locked down right? Get out and watch it today if you can and also have a nice day and nice sleep. Thanks for reading this review of mine and sorry for childish kind of english because I am still learning english.

Pet: Compelling psychological thriller, with bizarre, mind-bending scenarios, flawed and interesting characters, and satisfying twists and turns the whole way through. It's mature, surreal, unique, and shamefully underrated. Even so: 6/10 Many people will drop it after episode one, because the narrative withholds too much information. That's understandable. And many others will drop it because the characters are unlikable. That's fair, too. The show focuses on some selfish and ugly people, and that can be hard to watch. But I think the story is worth pushing through those things. Honestly, though? I kinda wish I'd dropped it, too. Not for the reasons above, but because Pet's visuals are soVERY disappointing. I sense a very troubled production schedule. The characters are often off-model, butchering some really cool-looking original designs. The color choices can be jarring. And even if things were rough behind the scenes, I doubt there was any strong artistic vision to begin with. So many scenes are framed in a boring way, sapping all the tension away, the characters' expressions lack nuance...

It looks like ass, is what I'm trying to say.

It sounds like a petty complaint. But in this medium, visual storytelling is important. Pet has an interesting story to tell, but so often fails to deliver. Because outside of a few key moments, what I'm looking at is just so...

... bleh.

STORY: 8/10

ART: 4/10

SOUND: 6/10 (sound design is actually VERY strong in the first half of the show)

CHAR: 7/10

ENJOY: 6/10

Overall: 6/10

I'd say read the manga, but the series is obscure enough that I can't find an English translation anywhere. If you can't read Japanese, this is the only version of Pet you got. Sorry.

The 3rd and final list of Geno Studio's works after Studio Manglobe's bankruptcy demise with Kokkoku in 2017 (the less popular one) and Golden Kamuy in 2018 (the more popular one and still going forward with Season 3), with this show, we have seen enough of Geno Studio's capabilities as a whole maintaining a less stellar version of Manglobe, but it's definitely a ride to say the least. This season, the mystery-psychological mash-up of genres produced 2 similar shows: ID:Invaded (the more noticeable but underrated) and this show (the less noticeable but forgotten after the 3-episode rule), both focusing on the human psyche and the psychics'ability to control and manipulate minds, on the context of you the audience, having to pay ABSOLUTE attention to what's going on in the surroundings and not spoon-feeding you with information right-away (which unfortunately the major of the anime community these days don't appreciate such shows where exposition is everything you need to know, and there and then done). It's this element of mystery that creates a niche for the minority (like myself) to really appreciate by flexing our human brains and figuring out the connections behind all the terminologies and why the entire situation exists in the first place.

This review will have spoilers (in the terminological sense), but I will try my best to keep it as plain as possible:

"Peaks and valleys", or so do the ancient Chinese martial artists have a psychotic way to enter into their enemies minds and trying to manipulate their good and bad memories respectively, the "Peak" being visible and the "Valley" being hidden to the extreme.

"The Company", wanting to use this to their benefit, opposes this idea to make these same martial artists to do their bidding for them, or so call the human-slave binding, or what's effectively called a "pet". In any case, think of it like a mafia group using these "pets" into doing their business unconsciously, with the "Crusher" as the master to wipe off their enemies "Peaks" and replace them with "Valleys" so to kill their subconscious minds.

For the "pets", they have an "image" where they can make "babies", objectively creating another kind of their own and together with the "peaks" of others, help share a bond together to create something new. But for people whose "images" are easily broken, a "lock" is created so as to stop enemies to pursue manipulating the "peak" and keeping their minds safe from harm, especially useful to the weak and easily manipulated.

The story takes place in a conspiracy of times where (as mentioned) the Chinese martial artists have proven their track record over using "peaks and valleys" to crush their enemies, and the hidden organization "The Company" is attempting to do the same, for mafia-related reasons. At once, characters seemingly unrelated to each other are now connected to this rabbit hole of a gargantuan plot device, the mindless naïve characters seemingly pointing hands at each other whilst fighting to survive in this rough organization.

As for the characters, as complex as they can be, their minds easily being targets at thinking for the well-being of one another, you can take it as a cluttered mess, or (after watching the entire show in a binge) a toxicated relationship that makes sense at the end of it all.

Hiroki and Tsukasa, the primary "pet"/master terminology, both are characters easily woven into this toxic plot that has one naïve boy with his "image" working for an easily manipulatable master "crusher", being friends at the start and slowly progressing, mind-numbing counterfeit that has one saving the other out of this mess. More than a rough relationship, it's one that has gone through thick and thin for one party to realize what's up and salvage before it's too late.

Hayashi the "Peak Giver", he is the one who started the chain of events down the rabbit hole that was once useful to "The Company" for creating "babies with images" and was labelled a traitor to be taken down, regardless of his contributions and being a free man who wanted the best for the organization. Really kinda feel bad for this man whose intentions for the good have gone so wrong.

And like Hiroki, Satoru who was once a family's child, taken in for an experiment and being labelled a "pet" immediately, it's not hard to see one's loyalty for the Father (Hayashi) who breathed life into him, only for an unfortunate series of events that has him being used by other people. The classic example of being a parrot in other's eyes.

Overall, there is a lot in common with the characters, but the way that they're utilized isn't bad it all, not the best, but for what it's worth I can give it that.

As is with Geno Studio's presentation, I'd imagine this to be a total psychedelic experience from start to finish. All those weird colour palettes and foreboding graphic imagery that proves the topsy-turvy visuals (especially in the "peak and valley" psyche minds), it was definitely something that takes time to get used to, and definitely is NOT for the faint of heart. Visuals are mediocre in the real world, but in the psychological world they do get to be freaking bold (as is the case with imagery) depending on the mind states of the characters. Overall, not the best, but decent at best.

Sound-wise, while the OST doesn't really rock the soul, I truely dig TK's OP as one of (if not) the best this season. Same as is with Tokyo Ghoul, this song might not be as bombastic as the former's but regardless it's a banger of an OP with the overly display of confusing but best psychological visuals of how much the characters are mind-controlled to their demise. The ED is just fine of the many representations (in different languages) of mind perception. As the anime community will say: "Anime doesn't make TK famous, TK makes anime famous."

In all essence, Pet as a show is a niche, a very unique, creative show taking a spin on the mystery-psychological genre, and it's just sad that not many people are taking chances upon trying this show. Not much a Pet messiah, but at least I hope that this review will push you to binging the series in one go (and that's the best way to experience this show) and experiencing a mystery draw that's unlike anything out there.

I know it's too early to give an impression on this anime and I wanted to wait till the show is finished airing, however I really want to make this review and give people a proper idea towards this unique show, so hear me out. I'm aware that this is not everyone's taste but before judging it after watching only the 1st episode and even dropping it, give a chance to have a proper look on it, because everything is explained in a very unique way (for exaple: ep 1 is all explained in ep 2 from a different view/perspective, which I find it veryunique and rare in anime in general) and then slowly the show gives hints and even clear answers by itself, but it also means that we should pay enough attention and make our brains on use. This is that kind of an anime that makes you understand even better after rewatching it, and for me honestly it worked just fine, especially that I've got so invested into the story. Indeed, the plot is very confusing at first and that's the purpuse of the anime but it's not that hard to understand it after all.

Personally I got SO interested since the first trailer came out and I became addicted to it (also because of the first 30 seconds of the op that appeared in the trailer). The trailer looked nothing like some other anime out there, and the visuals are so unique that makes you want to see more of it, of the weirdness.

'Weird' is normal nowadays, so I don't get why people would judge it so easily because of its weird concept, but isn't this what people want NOW?!

I find the entire dark concept of the mind manipulation, a refletion of our reality where the world is mean and want to control over our 'bodies' that affects us emotionally and every aspect of the outside view comes first from our mind.

STORY: 10/10

I've seen nothing like this before in anime and a topic about mind manipulation is something pretty much taboo that not many people are brave to expose and discuss, because it's perhaps a delicate subject that has no right and wrong answers (?) This is a reason why this anime caught my attention from the very beginning.

Indeed it's hella confusing at first, but now, looking closely, ep 1 is actually a full pack of answers that we didn't see at first. That's why it's WORTH rewatching the episodes before going into the next one!!

ART: (8.50) 9/10

I've never seen anything from Geno Studio before so I was a bit sceptical about it. Gladly, it prooved me wrong and indeed the art style is different but pretty much pleasing for the eye. However I can see some lack in the art style when it comes to animation. The initial art is a bit distorted in movement and different angles and makes the jaws look a bit predominant, not like I'd mind but I thought it's a fault/mistake from the creators. Although, this art style appeals very well to the dark concept of it, making everthing look disturbing (THAT'S WHY is rated +17 duuuh)

Sound: 10/10

If I could, I'd give 1000/10, I fell in love with the opening, NOT because ''ooh it's the Tokyo Ghoul's op singer'', NOT because ''ooh it's TK, then it must be good'', I JUST LOVE IT THE WAY IT IS! Yes, I love TK's song and I admire his voice, even though I'm not a huge fan, BUT I'm absolutely obsessed with this song and his range in it. I spammed all the videos on yt that has to do with this OP (lmao). Speaking of opening, the fact that Tsukasa is lip syncing the lyrincs of the song at the beginning is SO COOL & UNIQUE, have you ever seen such a thing in anime openings so far?! The ending song is also STUNNING just like the opening. An anime like this deserves 100% two badass songs like these.

Characters: 10/10

I can't express how much I like that these characters are so diverse and unique on their way. Everyone is struggling with sad backgrounds having a big need for love and respect between each other. It kinda gives a gay vibe to it(but has nothing to do with with gays, so don't worry homophobes, it's safe), because I totally support the strong bond between Tsukasa and Hiroki despite their 'pet-owner' connection/relationship. Shout out to Geno Studio for making Tsukasa SO HANDSOME!!!

Enjoyement: 10/10

I could give it more that 10, my hype for this anime started in summer 2019, so as expected, I'm enjoying it so far a lot. The fact that every episode makes you want to know how it will end up, the whole investment that gives, is incomparable. Its mystery is really on point, and combined with weird and disturbing visuals keeps me excited every week.

PLEASE SUPPORT THIS ANIME AND DON'T JUDGE IT AFTER WATCHING ONLY THE 1st EPISODE! This anime deserve recognition! I hope this little review was helpful, I heard that my hype towards this anime made other people to watch hahaha

ENJOY THE SHOW!

Ahh, new year, new season, new anime. It’s been an interesting season so far. We’ve got plenty of cute girls doing cute things, spirits, the next edition of, “I can’t believe it’s not hentai,” magical girls that are probably going to die in gruesome ways and whatever the f**k Dorohedoro is supposed to be. What a time to be an anime fan. So as the first review of the new decade, I want to talk about the hardest anime to formulate an opinion on this season, Pet. Pet is a strange anime. It’s storytelling and aesthetics remind me of the works of the late, greatSatoshi Kon. Or, if want a more recent example, last year’s horror mystery series, Boogiepop. Much like Boogiepop, the show isn’t exactly an easy show to get into as it isn’t a show you can just sit down for half an hour, watch it and move on. It requires your specific attention; breaking down all of the subtle messages, themes and mysteries the show provides. It ain’t an easy show to follow and is worth going back to specific scenes. So has it actually delivered that?

So far at least, the show has done an alright job at giving us an idea of what the show is like. As the story and setting goes, every human has a “Peak” and a “Valley.” A Peak is a moment of pure happiness and is that person’s most cherished memory. A Valley is something that should be locked up and harbours all of your worst memories. Now I tell you this because some humans have the ability to manipulate the minds and memories of other humans for their liking. As such, certain individuals, only known so far as “The Company” use these powers to manipulate targets that they get assigned to. Our two main leads, Hiroki and Tsukasa are employed at The Company to deal with these targets by manipulating their memories or destroying their minds.

The term “Psychological” really does apply to this show. No doubt the first episode I imagine left a lot of viewers confused as to what the f**k is going on. Only to get explained in the next episode. It goes for a show then tell structure by the looks of things as it want the viewer to guess before giving us the answers that we seek and the full extent of these powers our characters have, for better and for worse. No doubt that method of this storytelling is intriguing as it isn’t always straightforward with what the show is trying to say. Is that a good or a bad thing? Well it depends on how much you want to pay attention to it. Same about the characters really, we don’t know anything about their backstory or their agendas at the moment. All we focus on at the moment is the now. Which leads to something that I want to point out that is both clever character writing and a rather constant irritation in my opinion. Hiroki has a rather annoying personality. He’s very emotional and stubborn and never seems to act like a grown up. But it seems intentional. The way he acts, he talks, how the story unfolds and how he is treated. It’s almost like he is a dog waiting for his master to come back. A “pet” as it were. Which when you think about it with the way Tsukasa acts, calm and rational, it definitely makes you think.

Now to make sure that this preliminary doesn’t got for too long, I’ll quickly go over the animation and sound. So far the animation has done its job and actually has looked good in some places. It hasn’t looked sloppy so at least that’s a positive. Same with the ost. It’s varied depending on who’s mind our characters enter although there is a great emphasis on calm, jazz music which I always like. The ost shouldn’t get in the way of a story like this because it would a distraction otherwise so it’s good they didn’t do anything bombastic. And of course, any opening with TK in it is always good and they help deliever a very good opening here with its style and visuals.

So should you check out Pet if you haven’t already? Well depends on how much you want to commit to it. You really have to pay attention of what the show is trying to say and explain to get the most enjoyment out of it. It’s a very niche kind of show that would only be enjoyed to it’s fullest by people who are willing to break it down, speculate and come to conclusions. But for me, it doesn’t have a charm to it that makes it enjoyable. For example, with Boogiepop, the supernatural horror aspect of it made it more intriguing than it was and the world building through different perspectives was interesting enough for it to be enjoyable. Pet lacks this at the moment and I’m struggling to get invested into this show. Without a hook, it lacks something. And I feel that could be the show’s downfall in the long run.

First Impression

Story: 6/10

While there are still plenty of questions that need to be explained or hinted at badly, the way the show delivers it’s story is very intriguing so far.

Characters : 5.5/10

I would say that the character writing has been good so far but some of their personalities can be irritating.

Animation: 7/10

Does its job and looks good doing it.

Sound: 7.5/10

Stays in the background while also setting an atmosphere. Done well.

My personal enjoyment: 4.5/10

It lacks a hook and charm that makes me want to dig into it more with each new episode

Overall score: 6.1/10 Recommendation: Consider it.

Honestly I was interested to see this type of anime because it had an oddball name and I just wanted to watch something at least different! When I first watched the first episode and was greeted by TK's amazing opening song (hadn't heard the dude since watching Tokyo Ghoul a few years back), I was immediately heavily invested with this series. I even thought Hiroki and Tsukasa were pretty likeable bois, having the power to brainwashing people based on their sins. It does give you the big picture of what every individual went through in a LSD type of sense... However I think assoon as I watched episode 5 , the story was kinda missing and becoming vague to the point on what we are actually concentrating here. Yeah I know, this anime series is meant to confuse us viewers but I felt it was dodging the important points on what's the main goal of each main characters here? Maybe I'm the only one missing the point of this anime? Who knows?

Anyways I honestly thought I had high hopes for this anime series, the music, the characters, the Japanese voice actors and the art were just so so good, why oh why did they waste these on a very vague as well as a badly developed storyline?!?! I definitely am disappointed with this anime :/

Ah...Pet. I'm not really totally sure what to say on Pet. While it has a massive interest factor with it's concept of the mind, it's been presented so far in the most weird ways, that's just feeling like a trip to look at sometimes. Not that makes it bad by any stretch. Since it makes it stand out in it's own way. But even still, there are a few things that are good that are going for it. The opening song is honestly one of my faves of the season. It's really a great listen. The sound is great for each scene too, they really set it.They also do well with the transitions. Every frame, every bit of art looks well detailed and pleasing to the eye. Even if it can get disturbing looking at times.

For characters themselves, I guess it's different? Like we're introduced to our main cast, and what we're presented with, it's different, I'll give it that. Really seems they were going all out with something different and creative, I'll give the anime props for that.

Overall Pet can seem like one big acid trip. But has very much a ton of interest from me, and hopefully you too. I'm curious to see how further the story goes throughout this journey. So give it a shot!

Well, when you see some reviews saying that Pet is underrated or that it is poorly executed, it is not at all. In this review, I will explain why Pet is one of the best anime in years. Story: 10 The first chapters of Pet begin by explaining what the trajectory of the other episodes will be like. That people have peaks and valleys, in which people called "pet" will be able to manipulate people's memories. During these 13 chapters, we see the evolution of many characters, such as Tsukasa, which begins with the objective of destroying Hayashi's mind, since they were orders from the company, andalso destroying Satoru, already as Tsukasa's personal objective. In itself, the story is worth it, really.

Art: 10

The artistic drawings that this beautiful anime gives us is beautiful. How well the landscapes, rivers, key moments are represented, everything is great.

Sound: 10

For me, the best part of this great anime. Already the opening of Pet (the group is Tk from Ling Tosite Sigure), is for me the best of the year, without a doubt, since it reminds me a lot of the first opening of Tokyo Ghoul. And then the ending (the group is Memai Siren) is also great. Then we move on to anime, where the sound effects, the music, everything. It is perfect.

Characters: 10

The characters, a very important point to capture the attention of those who watch any anime. In my case, the Pet characters are well designed, look Tsukasa, who for me is the best. But then there is Hiroki, Satoru, Hayashi, Jin, Katsuragi, etc. They are all well designed.

Enjoyment: 10

It is true that, at first, I had my few expectations of Pet, since on YouTube they had meaningless trailers, but, thanks to fate, Pet was an anime that I enjoyed too much. I even saw each episode twice, because FUCK, it was beautiful. And it became for me and many, THE BEST ANIME OF THE YEAR.

Overall: 10

Man, I definitely wasn't expecting that when I started watching pet. I was willing to see some interesting concept about psychological manipulation, much more of a thriller in a Code Geass style, and what I found was completely different- in a mostly positive way. I'll try to analyze the main points of why I think Pet deserves a 9 (or maybe an 8 if you're more moderated that me), and how does the anime get to be one of my favorite ever. Story - 9 As far as Pet doesn't have the magnificent and impactful plot of some other animes such as Code Geass, it still doespretty well by setting a very well-based worldbuilding that- at least from my point of view- the anime actually took time to explain and explore, concerning the concept of peaks and valleys and how their interdependance is the fundamental relation of our psyche. Thus, by manipulating them we can either change the whole memories of a person or cause it to have a breakdown. It's really appliable to our lifes in a sense that what we usually preserve in our memory for a long time are harsh and significant feelings, and our perception of life mostly depend on these important experiences.

From there on, the plot develops with Hayashi suddenly going back to Japan to escape with Satoru while the Company tries to eliminate him and the consequences this has on our main characters. I will not spoil nothing here, but it manages to keep you interested until the end of the story, that is really satisfactory.

Art - 6

Well, Pet definitely had a rushed and instable production. There were some chapters by the middle of the anime (7 and 8, I think), where the series really appeared to be some kind of new abomination from Studio Deen. I can see that there were some factors involved, such as preventive measures due to the coronavirus that affected anime studios, lack of budget for this scenes and some character designs changing drastically in order to take the mission assigned by the Company. But actually there are only few high quality scenes, while the character design is sometimes inconsistent. I would expect more from this director, but it's pretty obvious that the production faced some big problems.

Sound- 8

No further considerations about this topic. The Op and ending are great and the OST kinda fits with what's happening on the screen, but it's not on the level of other titles of this season such as ID:Invaded or Eizouken. Seiyuus are very expressive as well, they made a great deal with their voice acting.

Character - 10

I truly don't want to spoil some possible new watcher (even if considering how the anime is underrated I don't think many people will get to know it), but Pet has probably the best character development I've ever seen in a twelve chapter anime, specially considering that it isn't mainly focused on drama - even if it ends being a shitload of times better in this aspect than in the action part-. I wouldn't say that I relate to the characters and I thank God because of that, but the way the anime portraits the feeling of Hiroki, Satoru and, specially, Tsukasa, really touched me and I find it wonderful.

Enjoyment - 9

Well, Pet might not be hyping at all, but it was a pretty nice time that I have trying to unravel the way the world worked in the first episodes, and then watching the unique relation between it's characters. It really deserved this 9 out of ten.

Overall - 9

If you get to see my list, you'll notice that I actually have more tens than grades below seven. I'm a guy that really likes to see the good part and enjoy what I'm watching, so, with some exceptions, my rate will be always above the average. Anyways, you can trust me when I say that Pet is really worth-watching and that, if you can get involved in the complicated plot of the first four episodes, then you'll certainly have a good time with it.

PD: I'm sorry about some English mistakes that I may commit, since it's not my first language. Also, this is my first review on MAL so I hope you enjoyed it!

This show is so unbelievably underrated. It gets a bad reputation due to the slow and complex startup. Also, I feel like this show tries to set itself up as how the character's use their powers for evil. It may be quite confusing at first, but the show isn't really about how the characters use their abilities, it's about how their lives and relationships were affected as a result of gaining their powers. Plot - As stated above, this show isn't about how the characters complete tasks by manipulating memories, it is about how the character's lives has changed. This is a very good thing,because the explanation for "images" (power used in this show) and "pets" (image users) is explained gradually and can be hard to pick up on. Also, I can't really explain the plot because it gets more and more complex as the show progresses so I would just be spoiling everything if I did that. (minor spoilers ahead) I'll just say it branches out from a murder cover up. The plot development was really enjoyable however,I felt that at a certain point, every episode was a lot better than the last. It was very confusing at first, but I find that figuring out what was happening was part of the fun, at least for me. Definitely one of my favorite plot lines I've seen, and the end of the show is also one of my favorite conclusions.

Characters - This is where the show shines. like I've said a lot of the show looks at how the characters deal with their situation in a psychological way, and as a result grow as people. Most of this happens within the last few episodes, so it's hard to mention without literally spoiling the last 3 episodes. But beyond their actual development, the characters and their relations were very fun to watch even if the show could be dialogue heavy at times. This show has one of my favorite casts of characters I've seen in awhile, even though at the beginning of the show they come off very bland.

Aesthetics (art, animation, sound) - The art was pretty good, although not the greatest I've seen. The CGI, which isn't around a whole lot, was horrible. Sometimes laughably bad. But everything else was pretty well done. The show seemed to have a somewhat more realistic art style, at least I think so. Everything else looked solid, although the color palette could've been darker. As for sound, this show was glorious. The voice actors nailed it, especially Hiroki, and the noire style background music complimented the story very well. But the best part is definitely the opening and ending themes, each of which are now some of my favorite songs of all time. I listen to them to an almost unhealthy amount.

Overall - This show was very enjoyable, especially with its' entertaining and well developed cast, and the very complex storyline. As for the confusion and poor explanation of concepts, just remember, it isn't exactly the main part of the show, and it's eventually explained anyhow. Also, the show gets better in episode 9 (or at least that is when it really got going), although it's still pretty good beforehand. I think if one can keep an open mind and pay attention, this show can be a great watch. Truly a hidden gem among hidden gems. It was truly a masterpiece I absolutely love!

I'm pretty sure the low rating is from people that dropped during the first few episodes. Pet is unique in a world of clones; it develops slowly and the characters are quite deep. For the first 3-4 episodes it was just good enough for me to watch the next episode, but only barely. I had no idea who the kid from the first scene was, or much of what was happening. There were breadcrumbs here and there, but not enough to have any real sense of who, what, or why. Fortunately, episodes 5-7 have done very good at answering many of my questions without massiveexposition dumps. The characters backstories are starting to fill-in, all the while new questions are being raised with answers to hopefully come.

I've upgraded my opinion from a 7 to 8, but it's hard to know where it'll settle until this ends. Pet is a dark mystery without being cliche or predictable. It is a mystery because there are many questions that are nearly impossible to predict.

Pet is an outlier anime in that it attempts a thriller. Let's be honest here, there isn't a lot of thriller anime out there, and the ones out there that do exist tend to be trash. Pet definitely surpassed my expectations on many fronts, because it was actually quite a good watch. Well, first of all, before I talk about the actual plot and characters, I've got to talk about the most interesting aspect of this show: mind controlling powers. It's the obvious focal point of this show, and if it didn't exist, this show would be a disaster. However, with the addition of this uniqueplot point, Pet gets elevated to a level that is well made. It's not a "quirk" nor is it just a random bestowed "power." It's a power as much as it is a curse, and balancing the way you use the power is difficult and one bad move can lead to mental disintegration. It's basically the most important thing in the show, and it gets discussed about the entire time. I personally love it. Figuring how the powers work, how people cope with the powers, how people can control it, the extent of the powers, and how it evolved from the very first generation of "mind control users" was very entertaining.

Anyways, lets move on to the plot. The beginning is very strong. I couldn't find any fault in it. It eases you into how the mind control power works, and the story associated with it is also very in depth and makes so much sense and cohesion. I didn't feel like I was rushed into the introduction of the powers because of this beginning. Afterwards, it kind of devolves into a "evil organization" trying to control people with mind control powers. Pretty much the most used trope of all time. The only anime I can think of right off the bat is Phantom: Requiem for the Phantom, which was just...terrible, so being able to see it done well is a good change. The plot is kind of complicated in that it focuses on characters that have varying levels of what is going on, but it still keeps an overall simple and linear style. This relatively simple plot, to me, is just playing it kind of safe. That being said though, it still made me wonder what was going to happen and kept a steady level of suspense.

The fact that this show focuses a lot about mind control powers makes me think that there's going to be some mind games, some psychological warfare, and some intricate plots. While some of these do come up a little bit, it isn't the focal point of the plot for the most part, which really disappoints me. Instead, characters kind of get their information by almost sheer luck and plot armor. There isn't a lot of depth to the plot in that respect, which is honestly a shame. The finale was alright, the very end was very well made, but the events leading up to it are kind predictable. In the end, the plot playing it safe, focusing more on the mind control powers and the emotion control of characters, which i guess is fine. I'll just leave my final note that Satoru is definitely the weak link in the plot. He kind of just goes along with the plot to ensure it makes sense. He exhibits basically no awareness at all for most of the entire story and is being led along like a baby. The fact that he was introduced to be pretty intelligent is just a fat lie. Other than Satoru, though, the other characters are well made. You've got cynical, childish, and regret-stricken characters with completely different motivations that change throughout the series that truly make the story come to life. Of course, all of the important characters have the mind control powers, so you really get to know their mental state of mind and motivations throughout the entire series.

Lastly, and it's not TOO important, but there is quite a lot of Chinese being spoken in the anime, and holy crap. The Chinese is literally garbage. It's gibberish. You could have told me, a fluent Chinese speaker, that the Chinese spoken was Tibetan and I would have believed it. At first, I thought it was just a weird dialect because I truly could barely understand anything. "Oh, it's probably Cantonese or something." Nope. By episode 8. EIGHT. I figured out that it was Mandarin because there was this one kid who spoke actual Chinese. Everyone else on the show clearly did not know Chinese at all and were just reading off a script. Is it that hard to hire a few Chinese voice actors? Come on now. It's been done before. The anime was just lazy. Just like how broken English is cancer to my ears, so is broken Chinese, and it's not like it was just a few lines of Chinese. Almost every single episode features a lengthy amount of Chinese, so it just doesn't make sense.

Well, anyways, disregarding my personal gripe about the Chinese in the show, Pet is executed well. It features mind control powers that make a whole lot of sense and has a lot of depth. Characters are done well. Plot plays it safe, but it isn't bad. It's a thriller with supernatural powers that isn't convoluted, incoherent, and terribly paced. So it gets a pass for me.

Pet is a difficult one to explain... experience, and overcome. Story 10/10: It has a convoluted story that will either be the immediate selling point or the dropping point of any new viewer. What's interesting for me is that it is somehow similar to the season's ID: Invaded but tackles the mind through a different avenue. I am admittedly a huge sucker for anything that deals with psychology and thus will come from a viewpoint of encouragement from that angle. This one is heavy in dialogue, but not unnecessarily so. Rich in content, though it sometimes passes the line of being overloaded or being too stressful towatch. Nevertheless, I was able to enjoy it in the form of binge. It's beautiful in all its complex inception.

Sound 8/10:

OP will be an immediate catch for fans of that genre (just check it out). I'm personally more of a fan of the ED, and one I did not skip. As for how the anime itself dealt with sound design, it was cool. I've noticed particular highlights with dramatic backstories more than the intense scenes, which is weird in hindsight. Then again, intense scenes in this anime is different, due to the nature of a psychological approach. Nothing too jarring for my ears, which is a huge plus for immersion in this type of anime.

Character 9/10:

I think I've rarely enjoyed a full season of anime with more nonconventional characters than the ones filled with tropes. Pet also showcases an amazing set of characters that are unique and strong in conviction. There would also be a point where the one to root for would be unclear, and that is a definite plus for me for this kind of anime. I was definitely satisfied in this aspect. It means there were strong setups for characterization that solidified their motives and tendencies.

Art Style 4/10:

I did say Pet was also hard to overcome... mainly due to this aspect. I have to be honest. Pet's art style is ugly, and was certainly difficult to start with. There were some scenes where the visuals (more than the animation itself) were actually beautiful. This is in part due to the nature of the mind and its conceived images, which the anime actually handles well as something distinct. I'll still be hesitant to suggest the anime, solely because of the art style. With the nature of its heavy themes, art style IS a major factor to pull viewers in. It definitely could have been better.

If the idea of a psychological anime is your thing, I strongly urge you to try this one! I don't think this will be the kind of anime for anyone who isn't into the genre. ID: Invaded is a better execution of psychology overall. I'd gladly take you there, but know that Pet could have been something as great and immersive as ID if it had less jarring attributes.

I found this anime very enjoyable to say the least . It isn't a slow-burner by any means , and releases information in a way that makes the viewer think . I think it has an excellent storyline , and character motivations are often explored with different points of view . The anime itself keeps various pieces of information vague , thus keeping the watcher engaged . It is absolutely a pay attention anime , to every single second . It can be a slow starter , but is jam-packed with valuable information. The first episode may throw you off , but it will redeem itself. Thedetails are innumerable , and though the art itself can come off as 'ugly' to some viewers , it will most surely be forgotten when watching the story . I find that some scenes are animated excellently , however , facial expressions at times can be lacking. I almost think that the different art style is refreshing , compared to the very generic animation in most amines nowadays . It isn't a soul eater by any means , but the art style won't hinder your watch very much .

I am definitely excited to see the characters develop in future seasons . So far , we have seen an incredible amount of growth in certain characters , and some are starting to find their own values and morals . I have seen criticism of the characters not being likable , but I find this to be more so a parallel of real life and human interaction . You don't often meet a person who you like straight off the bat in real life , it takes time to learn about them , everyone is morally grey and have their flaws. Characters were complex , and have seemingly started their own individual arcs. Tsukasa in particular , is an interesting study , and I would love to find video essays about him.

One particular aspect of the show I loved was the fact that it didn't contain many (if any ) typical tropes that usually come with anime , and has an AMAZING OP to boot . I loved the element of mystery that was so deeply entangled at it's very roots , and the fact that it was difficult to guess what would happen next , elevated the viewing experience.

Do not be fooled by all the high scores reviews on here. Let me explain, PET is a confusing mess that tries to pass off as a psychological triller. After watching all 13 episodes, I am left puzzled. Here are the questions I had. Who are the good guys, who are the bad guys? The series just had characters show up without explaining who they are. Characters such as Mei Ling are not explained what her power is. One episode they may seem to be good, the next episode seem to be bad (Tsukasa and Katsuragi). It’s confusing because we do not even know who the main character is/are. What is thecompany? An evil organisation?Who is the CEO? Is being asked to join the company as an employee good or bad?

What is the whole plot of the show about?

The series did not provide the characters objective or give any purpose. They just pit a bunch of people who are supposed to have mind control or psychic powers against each other.

What are the meaning of the terms used?

Words such as “babies”,”lock”,”image”,”peak giver”, “door” and “valleys” were constantly used without a proper explanation as to what they mean.

Dialogues in Chinese were hard to understand, I am Chinese and I don’t understand what the characters were saying.

To summaries, after completing all 13 episodes, I still did not know what this series is about. The only redeeming thing about this horrible series is it’s op and ed which is by TK from Ling Tosite Sigure. 1/10

A great psychological thriller with fantasy/supernatural elements that got buried in a busy season. If you can enjoy an anime where the characters are likeable, but are convincing, or where a lot happens that contradicts itself, but done in the context of the show to make its setting more believable, you'll enjoy this. I wouldn't call this a thought intensive anime like some of the other reviews, that's people stroking their ego. If you can understand basic plot devices and watch attentively (not texting, not gaming second monitor) you will fully understand this show. I think more people should give it a chance, it workswell as a weekend binge.

Good sound design, good voice acting, GREAT animation/artwork, fairly good story, interesting premise that will keep you watching until the end.

This is going to be a brief one. Pet is an amazing show that takes a couple episodes to get going, but once it gets going, it really gets going. The pay off at the end for having got through the first two eps will be well worth it and I highly recommend watching this. It’s not a show that spoon feeds you information and requires you to piece things together as you watch. So, you’ll need to actually pay attention and not be distracted on your phone or anything. The storytelling is really well done and revolves around a gang who utilises people who canenter and alter peoples’ memories for committing crimes, stealing information, etc. The thing is, these “pets” as they’re called aren’t necessarily treated right and begin to harbour suspicions about their employers.

The story is extremely well written and consistently through me for loops throughout which is quite rare these days. Normally, I find stories predictable and am able to deduce what’s going to happen, but with PET I was actually shocked at the end. The characters are very well developed and have their own unique quirks and characteristics that add to the story.

There are some slight yaoi undertones to the series between the two main characters, but it’s nothing too extreme so even if you aren’t into yaoi series, you should still be able to enjoy this.

The art and animation are very good in the show as well. Because it’s not a battle shōnen, there’s no major sakuga or crazy level animation, but when it’s needed, it holds up. The voice actors also all deliver really powerful performances that I felt made the characters and story come alive.

In conclusion, Pet’s easily the most slept on show of Winter 2020 and it’s absolutely criminal. It does start slow, but once you get into it you’ll understand why that is. Give it a chance and you won’t regret it. Pet gets 8 peaks out of 10 from me.

SPOILER WARNING (sorry I couldn't help it, please forgive me) I didn't doubt once to put PET a big 10. I found it so sad the fact it's not well known and not very liked and actually, I can understand why but at the same time I feel people should give it a chance even if it is kind difficult to understand and enjoy plot because all the accelerated psychological matters. Nowadays, it's very rare to bump into an anime series like this, so emotionally dedicated and heartbreaking (in the most beautiful way.) The characters traumas, relationships and developing are so exquisitive exposed that you worry likehell for them. I love how they managed to explain the links between abandonment-protection and abuse-love, and how a little kindness can save a person that would make save another one in the near future, only in just 13 episodes...

The "villain" Katsuragi is so human (his backstory that we get to watch at the end is really sad and heartwhelming, I didn't expected it at all! So that was an enjoyable surprise) I just cried how unfair it is he finished like that at the end. Hayashi is the good person that makes bad decisions but always trying to do all he can with all he knows. Satoru is sensitive but strong, he keeps moving forward because he has hope even if he is hurt. And omg, I let Tsukasa and Hiroki at the end because they are the very SPECIAL to me, they are the core of the series; It had been so long since I didn't watch hella pure pair like this two.

Tsukasa is fragile because he comes from the abandonment but Hayashi showed him love for the first time so of course he loves him too but more from the deep down, that's why he gets corrupted and obsessive, and here is when Hiroki comes in, oh my, you see the way Hiroki sees Tsukasa and it gives you goosebumps, it's an odd love like, it can be from a maternal love as a romantic love, from a brotherly love as a platonic-idyllic one. Even though, Hiroki's love is the purer because even when he was very obsessed with Tsukasa at first, the more the story continues, we realize that Hiroki just wants Tsukasa to be happy and nothing else, he only wants both to be freely together, he doesn't want to hide him or to hold him back, he wants him free.

Hiroki is doing what everyone in this plot should had done since the beginning; go beyond the possesive-obsessive broken love from the inconditional-genuine pure love. Hiroki got to fight alone carrying with the weight of Tsukasa's coldness and indifference in a wise and brave manner (he wants to save him even if Tsukasa don't need him or love him anymore), even getting along with Satoru who Hiroki was so jealous from at first TuT, and this is why Hiroki and Satoru (because he also is obssesive-love free) reach the promise land (the gorgeous dream-like place at the end of episode 13) and Tsukasa stayed behind because he is still trapped inside that suffering spiral of crooked love but he deserves to get to that land too, remember that Tsukasa's love comes from a pure form and he is always fighting albeit he is wrong and Hiroki understands it perfectly; he is the company and influence Tsukasa needs, he is not alone. So I hope we get to see them reunited there one day, it must be.

Well, the rest I didn't mention here is much as good as what I did mention hehe, I love all the characters even the less important ones, they where just necessary and that's cool. I love Jin, the characters design, the sceneries, the psychological-surrealistic stuff and the music are terrific! VIVA TK!

Anyway, i'm not trying to convince anyone just wanted to leave some of my love for this Anime series here, but if I do convince you, then hell yeah, give it one! Hope you love PET as much as i do!