CONTENT WARNING: Graphic Depictions of Suicide, Bullying, Abuse, Implied Animal Cruelty, Self-Harm, and Death
Bullying and abuse, especially when children are involved, invite some of the most primal reactions from even the most passive observers. From tearful sympathy to passionate anger, a uniting sentiment between the two is, “What do we do to make this stop?”
Synopsis
Takopi’s Original Sin, written by Taizan 5, is a psychological drama with dark comedic elements centering on the therapeutic relationship between the titular Doreamon parody, Takopi (Kurumi Mamiya), and a severely depressed 10-year-old child, Shizuka (Reina Ueda). After witnessing Shizuka isolating herself from the rest of the class, Takopi swears to help this child get her life together and put a real smile on her face.
Story Review
Takopi’s Original Sin is a mystery story. A very uncomfortable and upsetting one, but one that ultimately does have some answers to the suffering.
The content warning should already brace you for what Episode 1’s big turning point is, and you’d be convinced that the plot would be more straightforward from there. But episode after episode, you are met with constant, huge status quo shifts that focus the narrative less on building to a grand twist and more on discovering the motivations and conditions that drive these characters’ lives.
Why is Shizuku so depressed? What is she being bullied for? What exactly will make her smile? And if she does, what comes after? What is the “Original Sin”?
All this results in a very engaging six-episode run where each episode feels substantial. With each twist and turn, more crucial details piece together. The deeper it goes, the more it creeps up on you that this conflict might be unsolvable.
Initially, you might question why a story this dark and oppressive needs a comic relief like Takopi. However, as the show progressed, his infantile perception of Shizuku and humanity started to make more sense. Takopi isn’t stupid for believing in people; we are for letting this level of societal neglect get this far.
Animation and Music
Everything about the aesthetic of Takopi’s Original Sin implies that everything is ok when really, nothing is.
A huge boon towards studio ENISHIYA’s adaptation is how much more they’re allowed to play around with tonal juxtaposition with Taizan 5’s character designs and the graphic content.
One of the more immediate examples of this is through the ill-fitting, lighthearted soundtrack. Despite how tense the story becomes at times, there are whimsical tunes that play in between and sometimes forget to leave during darker moments. All of this is done purposefully to help you figure out how these children are processing what’s happening in front of them.
Studio ENISHIYA’s beautiful, cinematic animation elevates this material considerably.
There are tons of small, lifelike details in the way every character moves. The small moments of authentic, childish joy clash all the more with the darker, voyeuristic scenes that make you feel like you’ve invaded something you weren’t supposed to see.
Episode 4 is the big standout, featuring ultra-fluid POV shots and nightmare sequences that perfectly immerse you in the anxiety of the main character.
Outro
Like with any piece of media tackling extreme material, take the content warning very seriously. While I believe that Takopi’s Original Sin handles its subject matter critically with a very engaging narrative, it is not for everyone.
However, for those who can sit through it, this is a highly inventive narrative that is guaranteed to elicit some powerful emotions.
Takopi’s Original Sin is available to watch on Crunchyroll.
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