Reviews for This Monster Wants to Eat Me

Now with the release of The Summer Hikaru Died as the definitive yaoi of the year it was only natural that the Yuri gods would bestow it's counterpart with This Monster wants to eat me. The only surprise is that it came this early. So far the anime is exceptionally well produced and directed being able to match the manga in tone and seamlessly adapt the panels into motion. The music in particular is a standout with it being to elevate moments of suspense and Hinako's monologues, with the latter being my favourite sequences so far. As a manga reader I can attest that thestory will keep on getting better and better with each episode if they maintain the same quality.

And don't worry if this is not Yuri enough yet. You need to be patient but the Yuri will Yuri.

Oh my will the Yuri Yuri.

When I first started this anime, I really wasn't enjoying it. It felt like a yuri anime that was made to be intentionally edgy and dark. I couldn't have been more wrong. This might be the most emotionally mature anime I've seen in a long time. There's a very realistic depiction of depression that is never used cheaply or shrugged off. One of the characters is basically learning to be human in a way that feels like an allegory for autism and I'm finding it to be very relatable even in a painful way. This anime respects the subject matter it is trying to depictand gives your a healthy feel for the gravity of it. I absolutely love it and I think most people will be hooked by the later half of the show.

This show is sadly one of those that has a really good concept but the way it is portrayed throughout the anime holds it back really hard. Disclaimer, I only started to read the manga now that the show has ended (first two volumes), so I can't say if all the problems are solved in the manga, but from my experience, a lot of the issues I have come from the fact that this is a very bare bones adaptation of the source material. Which is why I still gave this show a 7 but also having "mixed feelings" for it. Because if you canignore the issues with its production, then there are a lot of interesting things about it that you can appreciate and which I want to highlight here as well.

As you probably already read from the summary, the show is about Hinako, a girl that lost her family in an accident years ago and who became depressed as a result. However, because of her families final wishes, she doesn't allow herself to commit suicide (as that would go against that wish) and is therefore only waiting for someone or something to end her life. And one day, this seems to be the case as a Yokai (a mermaid) appears before her and promises Hinako to eat her. But not after she doesn't become more tasty and that includes that she has to become happier. So you can already gauge the idea of the show through that description. Hinako tries to live a happier life in order to then be eaten once she isn't depressed anymore. It's a kind of cruel premise, but one that could work.

And it isn't like the show is completely basic either. Because while that sounds very simple and the main text is sometimes simple as well, there are things for the viewer to interpret for themselves which are not just spelled out but where the show often uses visuals and metaphors. For example, it is revealed relatively early on that Hinako became a Yokai magnet after the accident, so her being constantly attacked by Yokai is a metaphor for her suicidal thoughts that are dealt with by her friends (Shiori and Miko). At the same time, the ocean isn't just used as a representation for her depression, because it is also what she believes will give her peace in the end. It's the reason why she wants to be eaten by Shiori. A monster that comes from the sea, the same sea that swallowed her family. There is more, but to not spoil, I think you get my point. This show has a lot of details that can be analysed and that give the characters and story (which can appear a bit simple on the surface) more layers. The problem with all these metaphors however is that at least the anime isn't very good at presenting them.

Which brings me to the biggest issue I have with the show: the production. And no, I don't just mean the animations, but the direction as well. Because the anime isn't able to actually build upon these metaphors in any interesting way. For example, in the manga, the drowning in the ocean is used in more ways than just literally describing it. It has words flowing out of the speech bubbles or the speech bubbles themselves are getting drown by the ocean. This is obviously something that you can't do the same way in an anime, but the problem is that the anime doesn't replace it with anything that works in its medium. There is a moment in episode 1, where the voices are slowly getting muzzled but that is the only instance where the ocean is used in more ways than it just being there to portray Hinako's depression. Otherwise, the metaphor just isn't developed interestingly enough which can lead to it even feeling repetitive by the end of the season as the same imagery is just just time and time again (though, there is another problem that plays into that, but we'll get to that in a moment). Similarly, the manga tries to get its atmosphere across by sometimes using no words. There are complete pages with just pictures that translate the atmosphere. The anime tries to copy that idea by just having a sequence of pictures as well, but the effect is obviously not the same compared to the manga, because these pictures don't "flow" into one another as they do in a comic format. Sure, the anime has an atmospheric soundtrack that helps a bit, but it isn't able to actually solve the problem.

But the biggest issue the anime has is its pacing. As mentioned, the manga has pages with no words, so it's obviously a bit hard to gauge what the pacing for an animated show is supposed to be as you can't just use the amount of words spoken. And a series with a topic like depression wouldn't have a problem with a slower pace. But the pacing gets so slow that it actively detracts from the story. Because the pacing isn't just slow in the ways you imagine, taking its time for you to take in the atmosphere. The anime also slows down the pacing by having a lot of flashbacks. Flashbacks to scenes you already saw in the same episode or that you have seen several times already. Which leads to it repeating itself quite often and since there isn't so much dialogue, that one gets old pretty quickly (and since it also includes repetition of metaphors, this is where they start to fall flat as well). But that's not even all, the anime also slows down the pacing by just reducing the speed of the dialogue. I don't mind Hinako speeking slower, but sometimes the show just adds these weird pauses between responses that are also present when the characters don't talk with Hinako but between themselves. This all gives this feeling of the show dragging in certain aspects and that is definitely not a thing you would want with a topic like that.

One last thing that I really dislike about the anime is the lack of tonal consistency. And don't get me wrong, I don't dislike Miko. In fact, I think her personality works quite well as a contrast, because you know that she is just putting on a happy face in the hopes of achieving something with it. But I am sorry, whoever thought that adding that side story from the ending of manga volume 1 to the end of episode 4 (an episode that wants to build a mystery towards Miko's character) and then even adding a super happy Miko ED song afterwards, just needs to rethink what they are doing. That just didn't work at all. That side story, I could see added to the show at some other point. It's at the end of volume 1 for a reason after all. Just not there when it totally detracts from what you want the finale of the episode to be. But that Miko ending song just felt so out of place for the tone of the show. It felt like they just wanted to add this Miko ending and only afterwards realized: Wait, this doesn't fit anywhere, so let's just add it here in episode 4 where it's at least somewhat fitting, when we add that side story (that shouldn't be at that point either). Which made that whole episode's tone feel really jarring.

There are also some other points I could go into, but they would go a bit too much into spoiler territory, but the tldr is that I feel that a lot of the show's problem stem from the fact that the studio just didn't have an idea of how to properly translate the atmosphere of the manga and its metaphors into an anime format and it just "overcorrects" by slowing down the pace in ways that actively work against it. There are also some things that I feel are issues with the story. For example, there is a big character moment towards the end of the show, where I felt this lacked a bit of set up to properly work, but I don't want to go into spoilers. The point is that I think the show CAN be really interesting, but you need to overlook a lot of the flaws in the adaptation and from my first experience, you are probably better by just reading the manga. Maybe watch the first episodes, so you have a voice in mind when reading (if that is something you want). Other than that, I have to say that I am a bit disappointed because I felt this show could have been really great. I still give it a 7 for all the underlying aspects it has, but be aware that this is heavily biased towards me being invested in the topic of the show (as someone who knew a person with depression and who also ultimately took their own life), so I can see that there is a lot, especially in the details that make the show interesting to analyse, but if you are not that kind of person, this can easily feel like a drag at points. Which is honestly a shame.

Do yourself a favor and don't watch this. Not for the "yuri" that never actually progresses in any interesting way, not for the "cultural aspect" of it which has the depth of an american blockbuster movie featuring a japanese character, not for the drama which is ONLY bait and switch with some awful direction, and definitely not for the animation that revolves so god damn much on static face-shots while the characters (mostly Shiori) just vomits the plot for you in a nonstop yapping session, because show don't tell is not a thing.. right guys? Overused flashbacks, almost making me question how much did they reallywanted to animate from the manga, jokes in the middle of somewhat-serious or intense scenes that WILL take out any immersion you could have, a plot that could have so much drama and even toxicity in it, but in the end only revolves around no one really wanting to commit too far into anything - but also not doing it because "it's the right thing, you know" but more so because "eh, you're such a bother!! but i guess i'll let it happen.. so things stay nice and samey ofc ofc." and a bunch more problems that i really can't explain besides "potential writing" because good lord, if you're not constantly thinking up scenarios for this anime, you will not enjoy it. There's more fun to be had in made up scenarios in your own head than whatever they churned with these 13 episodes.. and again, there's no actual yuri in here.

Watch. Something. Better. This is a sack full of nothing besides good voice acting, which cannot save a show, even if i love Fairouz Ai's range.

This Monster Wants to Eat Me — Calm down, girl, and move on with life, for death is but only an ocean floor away. 2025 has been a year where we've been blessed by the supernatural genre, though like years past, not for all of the forsakings that many authors try to execute in the genre that is seemingly very difficult to balance and get right, say for even the tamest of series that tries so hard to induce its theme but just could not make heads nor tails of it. Leaning more specifically towards horror, though, it's the back-to-back feature of 2 shows that trulymakes the mark that despite the homophobic, LGBT-toxic nature that has come to be the incessant pushback for time now and then to come, it's a showcase that only the most open of hearts can accept, not just the Yuri girls' love aspect, but even the Yaoi boys' love series in general.

And following up from Summer's impressive showing of mangaka Mokumokuren's Yaoi series Hikaru ga Shinda Natsu a.k.a. The Summer Hikaru Died, with CyGames Pictures's incredible production, with the Fall 2025 season trading places back to the Yuri trend with mangaka Sai Naekawa's Watashi wo Tabetai, Hitodenashi a.k.a. This Monster Wants to Eat Me, I swear that there's a lot for both ends of the Yaoi and Yuri spectrum to really love about the respective series, and for very good reasons at that.

Depression, for the sake of reasoning to live on and live life, even if it's blatantly full of lies and promises that end up being overpromised to underdeliver. This is the tragedy of the blonde-haired girl Hinako Yaotose, who starts off as the lone girl who was miraculously saved out of an accident that plunged her unfortunate happy family into the ocean. And as she lives on, the perchance of wanting to meet death at its wide open space becomes more prevalent. That's until she got a chance to commit suicide by looking at herself within the far depths of the ocean's surface, only to get closer and be met by a monster hiding within the ocean floor to be eaten. The problem is the saving grace itself, when someone reaches out to Hinako and deals with the underwater monsters that are yokai waiting for humans to go knee-deep into the waters with the chance that they do not know what caused their own suicide. And that saving grace is a high school girl who goes by Shiori Oumi, who seemingly knows her by the bare skin of her teeth and treats her as if it's the reunion between old friends. Little does Hinako know that Shiori is not the girl who she claims to be: a monster yokai who looks just like other yokai, but one belonging to the mermaid family, with just one simple wish from the dead girl: Please don't kill yourself out of nothing, but be my sacrificial pawn for some tasty human meat.

With just one simeple premise, you thought that this would spell disaster for Hinako being the female equivalent of HikaNatsu's Yoshiki Tsujinaka, as to their spellbound counterpart ofsimple Shiori (as is Hikaru Indou). But in a twist of fate, both Mokumokuren and Sai Naekawa are dealing with similar circumstances, yet they have the creative capabilities to offer different solutions for the issues that they face. It's just simply gold for going deep down the rabbit hole where true horror is the limit for all things supernatural, not for the sake of being tame and untruthful, but for being both raw and powerful at that.

For a series that prioritizes characters above everything, I have to say that this show truly understands how depression works and is unabashedly unashamed of it. Hinako is already depicted as someone who seemed normal on the surface, yet someone who constantly wears a noose around her neck from the start with her deep desire to die and to still live on the sins of her family's passing while she remains the only one alive. Some will say that there's hope in living a new life to honour a family's legacy, but most of the time, in the case of Hinako, where family is first and foremost, to truly lose them and lose sight of her being, it's powerful transcendence that she's even able to feel like this life was not hers to begin with. That's where Shiori comes in as the one who feeds her the notion that she will feed on her when her time is ripe, though that depends on how well the mermaid yokai can sustain the depressive girl who warrants death when she's given life anew to breathe in. And one look at the relationship between the girls really shows how much animosity Hinako has for Shiori in her yokai form; as bizarre as it looks when typical humans are supposed to be afraid of supernatural beings, she can be considered quite the outlier at that. If that wasn't enough, Hinako has another deity protecting her ever since the accident, and it comes as no surprise that it would be yet another one of the monsters, which in this case, would be Miko Yashiro as the kitsune (i.e., fox) yokai. The friend that helps keep her sanity alive, after a series of incidents that broke her yokai spirit to live peacefully amongst the humans, Miko is quite the hilarious 2nd-party character in Hinako's life, being the light of her life that not just stems from her protection but also from being jealous of Shiori's relationship with her, so that both yokai constantly butt heads against each other. Together, the cast of the 3 central girls may be small, but never ever underestimate the levels of relationships that they go through for the monster yokais to keep their human friend sane in the process of their delicious meal.

And that may have been Sai Naekawa's intent all along, because the marriage of the concept of love/obsession through the premise of "consuming" someone in both literal and metaphorical terms, alongside the theme of the sea with yokai being of association, is one that's not really explored before. Based in Ehime, Shikoku, where the "nice, calm, countryside place" is where the mangaka herself grew up, her putting together the basis for a "beautiful and scary" ominous-flavoured ningyo, a.k.a. fish-monster, alongside the reference to the priestess Yaobikuni, who lived for 800 years since eating mermaid flesh, you can see why this story marries tradition with the ever-after theme of love, working together as enemies towards the same goal as such, to a degree that even her editor, Takumi Kamemaru, even praised her for the edits and her talent to draw expressions.

It's no surprise that the anime adaptation is just THAT good, thanks to Studio Lings (with production company Infinite) for the animation and production, and for an animation company that, at that point, mostly relied on co-productions with other studios as a stand-in, with this show being its 3rd anime production overall and its first independent work, it stands to reason why it's tantalizing for great production overall. Despite the existence of 2 directors, with chief director Naoyuki Kuzuya having experience directing shows that are for the most part rather average, alongside the inexperienced Yusuke Suzuki, whose directorial record is with Duel Masters's latest entries, it's the latter who took note of the source material due to its "life and theme" of deaths and attempts to make the impossible work.

Of course, this is not a lone effort from the directors alone, but with the producers as well, one of them namely Ena Hamabe, who also resonated with Sai Naekawa's story and motifs that are worth sharing with the world, that "silence is beautiful" is its most important element, as well as the realism that's ingrained into the series. And for a twist, both the supernatural and slice-of-life moments were integrated as one since they serve dual duties telling the same story, with the ocean theme being prevalent not just in its setting but also in how Hinako contends with her inner thoughts, with the visual style resembling emotional landscapes in a "timeless (and) serene" setting. In the end, it was a surreal effort from not just the staff team, but even Sai Naekawa herself being involved in the production from a supervisory role that truly brought out one of Fall 2025's star attractions.

With music producer Keiji Inai helming the series' OST, his idea of creating music to fit the atmosphere of specific scenes, based on the moods of the original source material, even had director Yusuke Suzuki's approval to the point of good impressions, stating that his portrayal of "emotional subtleties" allowed the story's emotions to "come alive." And I have to really agree that the music here gives a rather ambient approach to both emotion and reality; take either one aspect out, and the show overall would not be the same. The same can be said for Yoshino's OP and Reina Ueda's ED (as Hinako), which they perfectly suit the overall themes really quite well.

With Summer 2025 having a great yaoi horror premise, Fall 2025 coming in with an equally just-as-impressive yuri horror story plot, horror fans sure are experiencing back-to-back quality series, that (I hope) can keep the momentum going, especially since there aren't many supernatural works that can live up to what both HikaNatsu and this show are doing.

Truly, it's a great time to be a horror fanatic, and both shows prove why they're the king and queen of the same-sex romance shtick, adding darkness for some pop that'll get your bones rattling.

I'm a little mixed with this to be quite frank. One hand, I did enjoy it quite a bit and the concept is pretty cool too, but on the other hand, it didn't play out how I thought it would and I'm a little disappointed (however this is more my own issue rather than the series). The beginning of the series really hooked me and caught my attention with the concept and the characters but over time it started to feel a little dull and I wasn't enjoying it as much as before. (however, the one thing I wanted to happen did slightly occur soI can't be mad there).

Animation for this is a little plain. It's decent enough but nothing remarkable and noteworthy. It did feel kind of stiff at times with some moments but I wasn't expecting insane animation from this series anyways.

Plot is super straightforward, and the story it develops along the way isn't super complicated or anything, very direct and to the point. Wish it had some more oomph to it though. But it was alright.

Overall, not a bad series by any means but I didn't end up enjoying it as much as I thought I would from the beginning. So for me, I'm a little disappointed but I feel for most this series would be quite adequate.

Without entering major spoilers, Shiori in EP 1-2 was presented like a heartless monster and very selfish that only care for herself and she only wants to eat Hinako, but in EP 8 there is something the people dont talk about enough and underrate it, is about Shiori was hiding a lot more depth than we though, that made the show much more interesting giving me a lot of question as to why did Shiori appear in EP 1 and not before, what does Shiori thinks of Hinako, Why Shiori wants to make Hinako happy?, is true that Shiori wants to eat Hinako?, why Shiorisays she wants to eat Hinako, why can't Shiori be friend with Hinako or is it really true that she doesn't want to be friends with Hinako.

Also don't think this is a yuri anime or at least not in the 8 episodes I watched, I dont see any romantic relationship between the girls in the 8 episodes

Lastly I will talk about what I think of the show, I think its great and very interesting, I like the touch of mystery this show, the animations is not god tier but its very good

This one its a must watch of this season

I score this: 8.5/10

PD: I do think the opening is peak and the best of this season

Best yuri show their season, no contest. It is also very hard hitting for anyone who suffered from depression at any point in their life. These two combined do not sound like formula for success but you will be surprised at how well it meshes up together. Animation and music: top notch in both departments. The animation is nice and fluid, despite not being high budget like some shows it definitely had enough to bring some very memorable scenes. Especially with scenes involving rain or emotional moments. And the music... The music is amazing and it really increases the enjoyment factor a lot. This show isprime example of what music should be, playing the right song and the right moment so that the scene itself bring out the desired emotion. And in this case whoever has done the OST deserves an oscar for it.

Overall: excellent in both categories. Prime example how to make a great anime with medium sized budget.

Characters: This show has 3 of them. Hinako is MFC who is highly depressed due to being only survivor from the family of 4. Her day is filled with trying her best to function normally as a human being and being lost in depression (which is nicely presented by her being engulfed in endless ocean). Throughout the series her only intention is to die in order to end her suffering and be with her family again, and anime resolves around her finding her will to live again. Then we have Shiori who is a japanese mermaid. She is cunning, selfish and prideful. Her main interest is to be beside Hinako and do her best to nurture and protect her while teasing her as much as possible. In the end we have Miko who is to me the best girl in this show. She is energetic, silly, kindhearted and a bit of a dum-dum. But it is her cheerful and caring spirit that is caring not only her best friend Hinako but also everyone else. Truly the prime waifu material. The rest of the characters are just appearing for an episode or two and have no big impact on the story.

Overall: The main trio is excellent and their development and interactions are really enjoyable to watch.

Story: the story is about Hinako meeting Shiori who tells her that she will ear her one day (hence the title) and from there is shifting to various situations and events that slowly but surely reveals not just other interesting stuff but also dark secrets from the past. The story is slow burn but in this case this goes in her advantage. The main theme of the story is yuri (but of course :D) and depression. And the show really likes to explore the depression side, and it does it really, really well. To those who do not get it or have never expirianced it (like Freshest Anime on Youtube) this will seem like a boring anime to watch. To those who did experience it this will click so many times and it will be quite an enjoyable ride seeing how will Hinako struggle trough all of that pain. Now, some people would say that this is just yuri version of "Summer when Hikaru died", which is somewhat true but not really. This show stands on it's own and it deals with themes of depression and not sexual orientation or trying to find out who you really are. Both shows are amazing and they stood strong on their own unique strengths.

Overall: the story is slow burn but excellent, and it deals with it's main themes quite good.

Overall grade: 9, and well deserved. 10 form me personally, but overall this show grade is either strong 8 or 9. The animation, the music, the characters and the story all line up nicely and present us with this amazing experience, which in this "disappointing" season is a real breather.

It is an easy recommendation from me, if you manage to deal with slow but and watch all 13 episodes I am sure you will be more than delighted by the end. Chances for season 2 are slim right now as manga did not ended yet and this anime covered over half of released material so far. But if they ever release it I will watch it for sure.

This Monster Wants to Eat Me started out with I premise I find relatable and a direction that intrigued me, but as the story progressed and still as it concluded, I don't feel that it had any satisfying development of that concept and ultimately won't be a memorable show. Tl;dr, my issues stem from a feeling of too much telling and not enough showing when it comes to the characters and their relationships. As a result, it's difficult for me to believe they affect one another or have any natural progression towards the conclusion and the initially intriguing concept begins to feel flat. Themes/concept: The show's depiction ofdepression is something I find relatable--the feeling of wanting to sink into nothingness or disappear while also not wanting to feel like you've taken the cowardly option or troubled those around you--so I appreciate the way they were able to capture that feeling.

However, past the first couple episodes, it was rare that I felt they did anything interesting with that.

The premise of the show seems to have two parts: (1) Hinako is depressed and (2) her meeting with a yokai and the promise of being eaten becomes the catalyst for some development.

Part (1) is definitely there, but even after seeing the end, I'm unclear on how (2) played a role in what happened. With that second part being unclear, it's also difficult to understand whether the yokai aspect meant anything in relation to any broader themes.

What was ultimately said about depression? That it's difficult to break out of and... you need to let yourself move on? It's good to enjoy life? That having friends can help? Those all come across as platitudes that anyone who's depressed will be told hundreds of times. This show doesn't do anything more to make them feel real.

Maybe there's something to be said about attempts to manipulate someone out of depression backfiring, but that's not where the story ultimately lands. Maybe it's that Hinako was helped by understanding that she's had a positive effect on someone else's life? Even that only really comes out in the end rather than being woven through the show or built up to.

Perhaps I'm missing something, but if there was a central concept, I feel like there could have been a better development.

I'm not even sure what I would call the climax of the show with the odd pacing towards the end.

It also feels like there's very little development coming from Hinako herself. Miko and Shiori try to do things for her and want her to get better, but Hinako feels really static through it all. We keep coming back to the same flashbacks and same rebuttals. Can that be realistic? Sure, but it doesn't make for much of a story and (if depiction of the struggle is the goal) doesn't feel effective without more introspection on Hinako's internal struggle. Even if she's depressed, shouldn't the things happening around her affect her more strongly and give the character something to respond to? You can be depressed and also dynamic.

Maybe this is a tangent, but the way they depict Hinako's tragedy also irritated me. This seems to come up fairly often in anime, but I've never been able to really care for the "family/group of children that never does anything but smile, laugh, and call out each other's names". Even if they're given names, without real distinct personalities or meaningful screentime, they feel like nothing more than cardboard cutouts and I have difficulty connecting to a feeling of sadness when something inevitably happens to them. In this show, the more those flashbacks are used, the more it seems cheesy and I feel disconnected from Hinako as a character. Unfortunately, they were shown often. I feel like it would have been more effective to have a couple flashback scenes of a meaningful interaction between Hinako and her family and then maybe call back to it with a more subtle symbol, but perhaps that wasn't in the source material.

When Hinako goes to a festival and sees a happy family, for example, there's nothing to offer insight into how this affects Hinako's mentality. Just static image "Hinakooooo :D" "Oniiiiichaaaaan :D" "Ahahahaha :D" again. Okay, I get that she's thinking about her missing family, but what does that actually feel like? Does she feel an inadequacy or shame within herself? An inability to connect with the people she wants to connect with? A struggle to move on from childhood or a feeling of never having had a childhood? Show me something that helps me understand on a deeper level. As it is, it's just flatly telling me "Hinako is sad because her family is gone." This means that I can project my own history with depression onto Hinako's situation, but nothing in the show makes me feel like I'm connecting with someone else's experience and emotions depicted through the medium.

Characters and relationships:

I know the show was discussed and labeled as a GL (and the ED kind of signposts it), but there wasn't enough here for me to think that it warrants being called a romance. I've rooted for F/F relationships in other stories--that's not a barrier for me. There just isn't much chemistry between any of the leads. Aside from a couple moments of very dry hand-holding and an off-screen mouth contact in a non-romantic context, there isn't much here to suggest a deeper connection than good friends. From the way the characters act around each other, I was never made to believe that Character A values Character B more than life itself, or that Characters A and B have a cute dynamic and feel like a couple, just as examples. What about any dynamic makes me feel like "I want these two to be able to stay together?" Nothing.

One of the primary obstacles to this is Hinako herself.

Hinako, through the vast majority of the show, is just depressed and wanting to keep to herself. That's fine in isolation, but it's not conducive to a plot/subplot about relationships and being affected by them. If you're looking for romantic developments, this is going to put a damper on them, and as touched on above, I think she's too static for telling an effective story about depression as well. If having her show more emotion would detract from the way they want to depict her experience with depression, they should have dropped the hinting at romance elements entirely IMO.

Hinako shows little to no interest in improving or understanding her relationships with the other characters. Most interactions are driven by Miko or Shiori trying to help her or get her to do something.

Hinako shows very little emotional response to the things they say or do. It makes sense to an extent given the premise, but it leads to most interactions feeling one-sided. If the intent is to show how that hurts or strains her relationships, the show should lean into that. It doesn't.

Maybe this is an unfair comparison, but I can't help but think of Shinji from NGE. He often doesn't want to be there and has to get dragged around by others, but he shows emotions, reacts to the situations of the people around him, initiates interactions, struggles with his own weakness, sometimes breaks down and has to deal with the consequences... To me, this feels like a much more relatable and well-realized character. I think also of Shizuka (voiced by the same actor) from Takopi's Original Sin just a few months ago. There, her flatness was to demonstrate how futile she understood the situation to be in contrast to Takopi's naivete. Even then, she had moments of feeling and losing hope, and her perspective was grounded by interesting dialogue.

It feels distancing to have Hinako be so static.

There's a scene where Shiori and Miko have a serious fight. Miko reveals a huge secret about herself and makes a major decision about her own life. Hinako barely seems to react after that beyond "gee, glad you guys are cool now." It just feels unrealistic for her to react so little to seeing her best friend and supporter for years be wounded, insulted, and struggling. She barely reaches out to Miko after that point to show interest in what happened, or to Shiori to see why she was so harsh.

It's unclear what's going on in Hinako's mind, but at the same time, the show's focus is all on Hinako. Because of that, Hinako as a character feels less real.

Shiori kind of expresses interest in Hinako but with the way it's depicted, I don't really feel it, and the reciprocation (or even basic response) from Hinako is barely there at all. Doesn't help that the flashbacks establishing her motivation show Hinako as a generic child. Besides a vague sense of devotion stemming from this one event, how does she feel about Hinako now? What, specifically, does she think about Hinako now? There is a little development in this towards the end, but because it takes so long to build up, I couldn't get invested in Shiori as either a friend or potential partner to Hinako in the earlier episodes. Her aloof-yet-cheerful attitude felt kind of off-putting. I got no sense of the sort of inherent charisma that might make Hinako feel immediately drawn to her. Maybe it's just my personal tastes.

Miko is a character I did end up enjoying and was perhaps the highlight of the show for me. Seeing how much effort and patience she's put into supporting Hinako (and even Shiori), it's hard to not appreciate her, and her antics and expressions provide some sparks of levity. Reina Ueda and Yui Ishikawa are great VAs, but despite these two being given more emotional scenes, I felt that Ai Fairouz was able to show more range of expression in a way that rounded out her character's personality.

Art and animation:

Unfortunately, the simplistic and unremarkable art style seemed like it was also dragging the show down.

I feel like I could have seen this same art style used for any other high school anime of any other genre. It's not distractingly bad, but it doesn't do anything to add to what the show is trying to say.

There's little interesting about the way the show is directed, so what happens comes across very matter-of-factly.

If the show wants to deal with an internal subject like depression, I think it would be helpful to make more of an effort to bring Hinako's mental state into the visuals. All we really get is the ocean imagery, which gets stale as it's repeated and can only represent one idea. They could show things looking slightly distorted, use a lower saturation color pallet, or even just have more nuance in facial expressions, just for some random ideas. The art just isn't doing anything to justify having this in a visual medium.

The animation is limited, which isn't the worst for a show of this nature, but it isn't doing anything noteworthy or creative either.

Conclusion:

I feel like I've been harsh on the show in what I've written, so it may seem strange that I still gave it a 5. I appreciate the concept and do feel that it had some moments. It's inoffensive and perhaps some people will connect in ways that I couldn't. Perhaps I'm being harsh because I'm disappointed by the execution of an intriguing premise. I just came away without feeling anything or thinking about anything besides why I wasn't feeling anything, so it's hard for me to justify any more.

I hate to go for the pun, but despite the imagery of falling into the ocean's depths, the show ended up feeling very surface level.

I think the biggest praise I can give to this show is that it portrays depression and suicidal ideation very well. The way they portray what it’s like to be in that mindset is spot on. I also think the nature and designs of the “monsters” in the show are intriguing. However, if you’re looking for any character growth/development or any kind of satisfying conclusion by the end of these 13 episodes, you will be sorely disappointed. You find out more about the characters throughout the show, but their feelings and motivations remain the same from episode 1 to episode 13even if you as the audience didn’t know what they were initially. When I finished the show, I felt very hollow and empty inside. I don’t know if they’re going to make another season, but as it is right now, I can’t say I really recommend it.

This was an interesting anime. I liked its exploration of depression, grief, and suicidal ideaation. The characters were interesting though a little tropey but easy to like and the story was compelling. I wanted to know what would happen to Hinako and how she might change by the end of the story. The ending was also good for the material covered and I like dhow it closed things out but also left us open to the possibility of more someday. If you like monster lover plots and don't mind dark topics then you'll likely enjoy this anime. If you're looking for wholesome femslash where nothingterrible happens ever, you will probably want to skip this one.

This is one of the best tragedies out there. The character writing is off the charts incredible even with the small cast of 3 girls. The storytelling is great, the soundtrack to each moment is perfect and the direction is shockingly good. The only thing holding it back is the lack of Miko after the halfway point and the stilted animation which can put off some people. However, personally the animation suits the mood quite adequately and a more flashy style would draw attention away from the characters and the story. I recommend to anyone who loves tragedies, anyone with a soft spot for gentle pianoand anyone who loves great characters who care for eachother deeply and hurt eachother just as much. Emphasis on the soundtrack btw, shoutout Keiji Inai

Very few shows have captured the intricacies of depression and suicidal individuals as well as Watatabe. What I love most about this show is that underneath the yuri, there’s actually a very realistic depiction of what living with depression is like. Depression isn’t just about being sad, it’s a constant struggle to stay above water and not getting sucked up by the current. Basic tasks like getting out of bed, going to school and eating are hard to do. While it’s become somewhat romanticized in recent years because of social media, it’s a truly horrible thing that I wouldn’t wish on anyone. While this ananime, it gets the daily struggle of that right and packages it with a great yuri story with good character development and a soundtrack that’ll make you tear up on multiple occasions. I cannot recommend this show enough for any yuri fan or anyone who likes well written characters and drama. It’s a mystery to me how it went so under the radar in a rather quiet season, but it’s unequivocally one of the best shows this season.

It’s actually been a great year for supernatural LGBT horror stories with both this and The Summer Hikaru Died airing in back to back seasons. Both deal with queerness, longing, depression and use supernatural concepts as allegories for real world issues. They also both have hauntingly beautiful atmospheres that persist throughout. There’s just this eerie traditional Japanese horror vibe that hangs over this entire show and makes every episode feel so tense. The cool thing is the Yokai aren’t even the scary part of this show. It’s Hinako’s inner struggle, her desire to take her life and Miko/Shiori trying to help her regain her will to live. The real “monster that wants to eat me” is the depression that Hinako has been battling for so long. I think it’s so wonderfully handled because that’s really how it is for people battling depression. Every day is a struggle, existing is a horror story. Wanting to die, but feeling guilty for potentially leaving your friends and family behind. It’s like you’re trapped in a prison and you can’t win no matter what you do because someone will be hurt.

This is definitely a heavy story, but it’s not all depressing. There’s actually a lot of light moments and really sweet interactions between our main cast. My best girl Miko brought some much needed warmth to the story and her unwavering devotion to Hinako warmed my heart. Just seeing the lengths she’s willing to go to in order to keep Hinako smiling, even sacrificing some of her own personal happiness, was just beautiful. She personified what it means to be a true friend. This show features one of the best love triangles you’ll see in anime because most anime will just have the two rivals get closer with the MC, but Watatabe intimately explores Shiori and Miko’s relationship and makes that a focal point of the story. Their gradual progression from enemies to putting their differences aside and prioritizing Hinako’s happiness over both of theirs was so beautifully done. Real love isn’t selfish, it’s willing to make sacrifices and we definitely see that from both of our love interests! I haven’t read the manga, but this would be the ideal set up for a polyamorous relationship. Shiori and Miko provide some of the funniest moments this season, their banter and the way they mess with each other is so good! By the end of the show, they’ve both become indispensable to Hinako’s life and bring her two distinct but equally important types of relationships. Almost as if Miko represents the sun and Shiori the moon. You can’t have life on earth without the two.

Production values are really good, but they aren’t flashy. They manifest in the ost, the direction, the incredible voice acting, etc. This feels like a J-drama and even though there’s only a handful of action scenes in the show, every episode feels action packed because of how the direction heightens the emotional tension and brings it to the forefront.

This was one of my fave weekly watching experiences this year. I had so much fun picking apart every aspect of every episode on twitter. The voice acting, the direction, the reveals at the end, the ship teasing, the queerness, ah it’s all perfect. I definitely understand why people hyped this up so much. Hinako is one of the most realistically written MCs I’ve seen in a while and I wish for nothing but her happiness. Miko always left me with a smile on my face after she showed up on screen, and Shiori was such a great multi faceted character who represented Hinako’s romantic and mental liberation from her years of suffering! Very well written story and peak yuri.

Watatabe gets 10 out of 10.

"Traumatic tale " What to say or what to not , this shit felt really hard specially the bgm part . This is captivating and charming in a unsettling way .If you appreciate introspective, shadowy narratives blending slice-of-life with horror and folklore, this anime is made for you unless you don't like yuri and anime with mc as girl . I liked the timing of shori flashback , it was executed perfectly but the overuse of hinako tragic past is a little bit weird , we don't need to get remind about it on each and every ep that's why this is 9/10 for instead ofa perfect 10/10. If we talk about details like animation , op , ed , art style etc is pretty good even choices for dressing are great .

The theme that author tried to show perfectly potrays his ideas of sadness and emptiness that characters carry is well done . Nothing looks fake , every interaction is real . This is not an easy watch , the series touches on heavy themes, including idolizing suicide, thoughts about it, suicide attempts, It doesn't shy away from discomfort, and viewers should be aware of that going in. Hope yuri curse won't affect it and we get a another season because we yet to see more characters in future .

This anime has an interesting idea behind it: a girl with severe depression meets a youkai who can seemingly help her end her suffering. It could tell a romantic story (suggested by the girls' love tag), a story about character growth and overcoming a trauma, maybe at least a story about the japanese folklore and youkai - so the first few episodes seemed really promising, backed by good reviews, beautiful artstyle and heavy atmosphere. Unfortunately, the anime does none of that. Over the span of 13 episodes, there was little to none character development anywhere and no romance whatsoever - the execution is just plain boring.Although the music and the direction do a great job at setting up the atmosphere, it does not matter when there is no plot behind it. The plot mainly consists of flashbacks and unexpected reveals - which can be interesting if used moderately, but since there is nothing else in the story, it feels like a documentary.

Another point worth noting is that this anime is advertised as yuri, while there is none of it anywhere at all. There is friendship, there is care for another person and even a little bit of rivalry, but not a hint of romantic feelings. Damn, call of the night 2 (which is not girls' love by the way) had more yuri in a single episode than this had in an entire season.

If you want to watch it for romance - this is a total waste of time and you should search for something else; if it's for trauma/depression - you may or may noy find this a good watch, depending on the expectations. Overall, I would not recommend watching this show, and I don't understand why its rating is so high.

Shoulda been 11 eps no post-credit no recaps lil faster pacing plz. Stop comparing this to Hikaru ga Shinda Natsu oh wow 2 mc who wanna die so proud of you for noticing ED jarringly cheerful. Didn’t need all the cuts to Hinako in the ocean maybe mix them up w/ cuts to anything else idk. Liked the ending (last couple eps) most. Good story, neat characters. Shiori:complex, interesting

Miko:

way too genki like why? When she’s a foil to someone who literally wants to die she doesn’t gotta be so hyper. Maybe it played better in the manga. Good VA-ing, shame they used all the most exaggerated takes

Hinako:

Really good depression depiction. Kinda the opposite of Bochi the Rock’s agoraphobia/social anxiety one in that respect. Kinda accurate, unlike Bochi the Rock. Picture Bochi rolling around on the ground twitching outside b/c she’s embarrassed, which would attract everyone’s attention. Then picture Hinako, who cant help but want to die because she feels she deserved to die with her family in a car crash. She’s so broken that the only way she can cling to life is by being promised it’ll be easier, e.g., by being promised that it’ll be cut shorter, & she’s self conscious enough to mask so she doesn’t hurt her friends.

Anyway really looking forward to reading the manga, & it was overall a good show.

You know when a yuri work is truly good when you could remove the yuri from it and still have it be a great story. The last time a yuri made me feel that way was with Yagakimi, which should say something. It's true that if you go in expecting certain things out of this series it's not as enjoyable. Before being about romantic love, it's just about love in general. Love for your friends, your family, your neighbors, and for life itself. And it's about how hard it is to love anything anymore when what you loved most was taken from you in an instantlong ago. When you feel survivor's guilt and wonder if you'd be better off dead. When you feel bad for those who love you but still sometimes can't take the pain of living in the cruel, nightmarish reality that you wake up in every day.

The people who will truly enjoy this are people who have suffered from depression and suicidal thoughts, or know others who have. I have never seen a character in anime depict depression so realistically before. Those who can't relate might find the MC a bit repetitive, but for those people I would say, try harder to place yourself in her shoes. People cannot change overnight. And sometimes, instead of time healing wounds, it only makes them worse.

The series is so beautifully sad and haunting in all the right ways. The water imagery is used as a metaphor for depression and dissociation, as the MC feels like she is drowning and not living in the same world as those around her, those who are on the surface. I cried at least three times while watching, even as a manga reader who already knew what would happen. The comedic scenes are sometimes a bit awkwardly placed, but that, too, is realistic. People with depression can still find things funny between their feelings of wanting to die.

As someone who suffers from depression, who lost a parent and suffers from chronic pain and many food intolerances that don't allow me to participate "normally" in society anymore, I can relate to the MC on so many levels. Those intense negative feelings that come from going to normal places where everyone is going about their lives happily, "normally". When I lost my dad I hated seeing fathers with their children outside. Now imagine the entire idea of family being a trigger. Every time the MC goes outside she is forced to be reminded that those around her still have siblings and parents. Especially in "happy" locations where people go to have fun, they have the exact opposite effect on her. And the same applies to me for food, since I can't eat 90% of food from outside these days and I'm living in a world where people take being able to eat outside for granted. The MC, Hinako, is living in the same world as others in theory, but in reality, it's totally different. Which is also a kind of parallel to the world the Yokai in this series live in.

And on that note, the fact that the series chooses to keep the main cast small is also a great choice and reflection of what living with depression is like. It is as if those three are in their own world, or at least, the other two try to be in Hinako's world as much as they can. Her small, suffocating world, which no one can see and understand except the two closest to her who constantly strive to.

I really love this series. The three main characters are all very different, complex, sometimes morally gray, and yet they work together very well, and they grow and change, even if only a bit. The twists were gradually foreshadowed and executed well, the music was not masterpiece-level but added to the atmosphere, and the dialogues were smooth and linger in your head after you watch. The series is extremely good in almost every way and I highly recommend it.

Okay, here we go for the fifty-second time: Characters: -Main characters: Hinako is my favorite of all the potentially depressing characters, as it is well written how what happens to her affects her way of thinking and acting. And speaking of Miko and Shiori, the truth is that characters with backgrounds that act in accordance with them and yet are so likable make them, along with Hinako, one of the best girl trios of this year when compared to other anime full of women as well. (6/7) -Supporting characters: Ayame is the most important of all the supporting characters for the simple reason that she reveals facts thatallow the relationship between the protagonists to change suddenly. Among the other somewhat relevant supporting characters, we have Hinako's family and surely some other important characters from the protagonists' past. (2/3)

Logic:

The only thing I didn't understand was why Shiori revealed to Hinako that Miko was a yokai and then said that now that she had discovered the truth, she couldn't be friends with her anymore because Miko would surely eat her. These words should also work against her, but once you discover later on that Shiori has been alone most of her life and may not understand the true meaning of “friendship,” you understand why the mermaid believed that revealing that the fox was a threat to Hinako would be enough to make them fight, as well as give her a reason to kill Miko. (11/10)

Entertainment (Personal):

At first, Hinako's poetic nature would make anyone who is new to acting hesitate, but as the plot progresses, she knows how to create tension, thanks to Hinako; excitement, thanks to Shiori; and laughter, thanks to Miko. This anime simply knows how to create a good atmosphere. (8/10)

The basics in an anime:

-Animation: The truth is that the drawing is good between the protagonists and the yokai, but I did notice that in the last episode the quality of the drawing decreased a little. (2/2)

-Music: The music is top-notch, especially since I didn't expect such timely OSTs in such emotional scenes. (3/2)

-Addictiveness: I would watch a summary on YouTube if a second season is confirmed, as it has left me wanting more. (2/2)

-Tag development (genres, themes, etc.): This anime is definitely “Seinen,” simply because it suddenly shifts from moments of happiness to tense moments where everything discussed is related to Hinako's desire to die. (3/2)

-Ending: The story can't have ended here, right? I hope they release a sequel, because even though the ending gives me peace for now, it's necessary to see how Hinako's best friends seek a solution to Hinako's suicidal desire, if there is one. (2/2)

Plot development (or initial premise):

The fact that the anime shows that the friends of the girl with suicidal desires know about her desires, which this anime also explains very well, is related to the trauma she has from the day she went on a trip with her family and how, at dusk, she is suddenly covered in blood while her family drowns in the sea inside their burning car, which would leave anyone who experienced it in their childhood scarred. But then the anime also shows how these friends did not come out of nowhere, but have a past with her that forces them to appear in her life given the delicate mental state that this depressed girl shows. Incidentally, these two friends are yokai who protect their special friend by killing yokai and other beings from Japanese folklore that she had no idea existed, including hands in the ocean belonging to people who drowned, which will be important later on. However, the main character of this anime is not the only one with problems. She has to face things like the truth about her childhood friend's real identity and the fact that she was not existing because of her family's wishes, but because of someone else's. Her friends also suffer a little, because one had to sacrifice her power to lessen her desire to eat her, and the other had to try very hard to at least be empathetic with her and see beyond a piece of rotten meat to find the girl who once saved her from her loneliness.

By the way, I forgot to mention that this story does fall into the “Girls Love” category, because even though it is implicit with the depressive girl's advances towards one of her friends, the kiss she had with her in one of the last episodes reminds you that not everyone sees love in the same way. Finally, this season ends with a partial solution, that is, they are only buying time at the expense of continuing to hurt each other with that promise that forces one of her friends to kill this victim, who is mired in depression that no one knows how to treat, in the future. (10/10)

Personal Reflection (Clearly personal):

I remember how they say that remembering is living, but this anime reminds us that for a very depressed person, nostalgia and the end of those moments is what hurts the most. But as they say, knowing how to let go is loving, which is what the main character should have done with her past, but she simply does not see it as an option. At least Shiori, in her mermaid form, knew how to do it with that girl who was full of life.

It's cute and true, sometimes, that phrase Shiori says when she meets Miko, the slut (and I mean that in a good way), which is “My best friend's friend is also my friend,” because despite jealousy, if you really value your friend, you'll appreciate her making good relationships. Although, well, the problem arises when Shiori apparently doesn't understand that feeling of friendship, because in private she rejects Hinako, the girl with suicidal tendencies, and well, at the time she said it, it seemed to make sense, because no one wants to be friends with their food, but as the anime progresses, it becomes clear that this rejection stemmed from a lack of understanding of the feeling of friendship. Later on, we see something that would confuse anyone: the fact that Hinako confuses her mother with a stranger who was being kind to her. Well, it could be a coincidence or also one of her abilities, since she wasn't human, but it could also be for a more human reason that has to do with psychology, which is that in the absence of something essential to us, we reflect it in other things or people, whether on purpose or not.

As the anime continues, it shows something that we should all already know: you can't hide the truth forever, and that's what happens to Shiori with Hinako, who discovers the truth about her past and her friend's false promise, which is a heavy blow to the mental stability of this depressed girl. A few days later, on a rainy morning, when she sees those hands in the ocean that I hope you remember because I've already mentioned them, she sees hope, and we are told a truth that many will deny but is really true: For some, their hope is that death will end it all. In Hinako's case, it would be her described meaningless existence after surviving that accident in which her heart sank to the bottom of the sea forever. Although all this sounds sad, her friends' hope of saving her still exists, because even though Hinako has suicidal thoughts, that doesn't mean she's thinking about them all the time, as she can also have fun, especially when she's having a good time with her friends. Their current challenge is to buy time while they find a solution, hoping that one exists. (10/10)

Comments:

I totally agree with the final score for this anime because, despite being a hidden gem that I have taken to heart, I feel that there have been episodes in which it lacked a little more relevance. In other words, I loved the anime in general, but there have been a couple of episodes that I could have skipped and it would not have affected my overall impression of this anime at all. And as I keep repeating, please release a second season and make it as good as this one, although I say this from a position of ignorance since I haven't read the manga. Even so, I can't deny that this is the kind of work that creates a community that supports it, but outside of that, no one will give it as much support except open-minded people who can appreciate this type of work that combines so many different things, from “CGDCT” moments between friends to “Seinen” moments where the protagonist's greatest desire is to be dragged to her death.

Final score: 9.9.

(Note: As I am very tolerant of anime, my minimum score for all of them is currently 4).

This anime is One of the most underrated anime anime. The story it's well done and keeps you engaged. Even when some parts felt predictable, I still enjoyed it. The pacing and emotional moments were handled effectively. The art style suits the story, and the animation brings both the calm and intense scenes to life without being excessive. The characters feel realistic and well developed. They have clear strengths and weaknesses. Their reactions to events make sense, which helps the story feel natural instead of forced. The character development is subtle but meaningful, making me care about their journeys. This anime deserves much more attention, ittruly saddens me to see how few people have watched it. The mood, tempo, and poignant moments are all perfectly timed. Everything is much more impactful than I anticipated!

Overall, I'd rate it 8 out of 10. It deserves more viewers, and I genuinely hope a sequel is on the way.

"To be loved is to be changed", yes, but loving someone changes oneself, too. I like to believe love changes people for the better. Hinako is a very well-written character, though it's easy to think of her apathy as lack of depth. I understand why some people may dislike her and the show itself. It is a very introspective show, so not everyone will like it. That is a good thing. I understood Hinako far more than I expected I would and she might be the best depiction of grief and depression I've seen in anime. I can't believe I'm saying this but... by the end ofit, I ended up relating a lot with Shiori... More than I would like to. Trust me, she's only a cool character if you're not like her.

There's an overall atmosphere of uneasiness that permeates this entire work, like the smell of brine on a shore, I can't put my finger on where it comes from, but it's there and it's inescapable. Is it Hinako's feelings? Or her situation? Is the setting unsettling? I wouldn't consider this horror. Not for any supernatural reason, anyway. So then... is Shiori haunting the narrative? I don't think so.

Whatever it is, there's this sense of finality throughout the entire story, as if something terrible was going to happen at any time. I think it's very well done. I've already talked about what a beautiful and faithful portrayal of grief, depression, infatuation, isolation and longing this show has, so I'll close this off by saying that, in these oceanic depths of unease and finality there's one single ray of subtext timidly piercing through: The only person who can save you is yourself. It's you. It is you.

You can have purpose, friends, people you love, people who love you... But ultimately, the only person who can truly save yourself is you. Not because no one will come to help, but because you must choose to live. It is a choice for you alone, and you will have to take it day, after day, after day, after day. And you must always remember why you chose to live, because you will always forget.

Phew, I love yuri so much I could die,,, but then again,,,, (⁠｡⁠•̀⁠ᴗ⁠-⁠)⁠✧