KUZU NO HONKAI

DESCRIPTION

CAST

MANGA DramaKuzu no Honkai

REVIEWS

• 

  ItzToxic

  85/100
  A good representation of how some relationships are not always sunshine and rainbows

  Love can come in many forms. It can hurt, destroy, build up relationships, and share desires. Love is a beautiful thing, but sometimes behind that beauty lurks darkness, despair, loneliness.

  I will be reviewing Kuzu no Honkai or Scum’s wish as a Manga reader. Hope you enjoy.
  (Possible Spoilers)

  In many anime’s lies a relationship between two people that seem to always work, relationships that are happy, flawless, and beautiful. It always seems to work the way it’s supposed to. It is the depiction of what you would call a perfect love story. However, in this anime lies a relationship that…well…works in a sense. Just not what would be the usual idea of a “perfect relationship.”

  The story revolves around your not-so-typical relationship between the two main characters. Them being Hana and Mugi. They are characters that love someone else. For instance, Hana loves Narumi, a “brother” figure that’s been there for Hana ever since childhood. Because Narumi was there when she wanted him to be there, she basically gained feelings for him. On the other side we have Mugi, who loves Akane, a tutor that was with him for some time. As you all know, they’re both teachers in the same school. However because Mugi and Hana are not able to gain those they cherish, they now have to fill the void inside their hearts and “love” each other as substitutes. While of course, not loving each other like they do with their significant others.

  “You can have everything…but my feelings.”

  Basically “You can do anything you want to me, but I still won’t love you.”

  Men lust, I have lusted as well. I’m sure many others have as well. Because Mugi is a man, he has that sexual drive with Hana, that certain desire that makes him want her more and more. Hana accepts his desires, willingly.

  This anime…has characters. They are characters that probably won’t be on your favourites list.

  These characters suck, they’re personalities drive you up a wall. However, it’s as real as you can get. These are characters you see in the real world. I’ve even seen them before.

  You may hate these characters, you may want to kill these characters, just remember that they exist.

  I mean especially Mugi. He’s a man, just your regular human being right? Even though he knows everything about his love, Akane, he got lost in the sea of pleasure. Even though she’s broken, deceiving, disgusting, and downright narcissistic, he still desires her, he still wants her body.

  People’s words sometimes never matches the actions they portray. Mugi knows, but his actions represent someone who lost to lust and desire.

  So I’m glad the writer decided to make an oddly accurate representation of what we see in reality. The types of messed up relationships we see, the types of desires they have, the kinds of sides they hide. The kinds of situations they have. It exists. It’s just this anime decided to dive deep and show us what happens in these types of relationships.

  But in this anime, love is twisted in a way where it just get glares and disgust looks from people.

  However the characters are a reason I see a lot that people decide to hate on this show. Which, in a sense I can understand. Maybe they’re not used to seeing these types of characters, but that’s just an assumption.

  But I like to see something different, something that you wouldn't usually see in anime. Scummy and crappy characters, hence the title. The depth and emotion these characters share to each other gives a solid picture of light and darkness. At first, things may be just jolly well, but then boom. Reality hits.

  See, the thing is, you can see this as mature or non-mature. I don’t see how people see this as just a crappy fan service series, when cleary it’s not. You either conclude this as hentai or not hentai.

  I don’t mind mature subjects, nor mature scenes. Because I find it interesting. The environment they create and the uneasy atmosphere is definitely what makes me hooked unto the show. I love it. Way more than I should. It’s such a dark atmosphere, I wouldn't blame anyone who hates this show.

  Speaking of hate, It’s already obvious that this show will not be for everyone. But I have to disagree with people stating that this show doesn't represent real love or that this show is unrealistic or that it’s just for fan service purposes. But let’s remember that they’re human beings like us. I know I say that a lot but I can’t stress it enough.

  Characters in the anime do what people do in actuality.
  -People lust
  -People make mistakes
  -People have desires for other people
  -People act recklessly
  -People love to toy with others
  -People have sides they don't show to others
  -People want sex
  -People have dark emotions
  -People have bad thoughts
  -People have evil intentions.
  -People steal

  The list that I just stated were characters that exist in this anime and real life. Because it’s a real thing. So I disagree with those who think this is unrealistic and just for fanservice.

  The thing is, Kuzu no Honkai represents visually what some anime’s do not. A messed up relationship with the crappiest characters you can think of. Scummy characters, selfish characters, lustful characters, evil characters, lesbian characters I guess. Or just a lesbian character.
  This story represents what would happen if you would put these types of characters into one anime series. I can tell you one thing: It ain’t pretty. But if you’re into this type of thing like I am, go for it. Just know that each character have sides they don't show to others. When those sides show, you see them in a new light.

  But before I go into the animation, let’s talk about sex…I know…

  Sex for me is something I see as beautiful, where a husband and wife advance to one of the biggest steps of their relationship. To devote themselves to each other. They join and connect as one, to make a child. It’s a very pretty thing in all honesty.

  Now depending on the morals you have you might be someone who waits until marriage or one who has done pre marital sex before (Basically sex before marriage). Now I never said I hate pre marital, and I won’t bash anyone who’s done it before. I mean, it can be a sensitive topic to discuss about. I mean in this anime there are sex scenes between our characters.

  To be honest here if you think about it, lot’s of time people have sex are for reasons, no matter how big or small they may be.

  I personally don't think that it is meaningless. I mean look at our characters. They do it because they desire eachother, or that they want to fill their loneliness, and needs a partner to give them what they want.

  Hana has Mugi, they want to be intimate because they are alone and need each other to fill that gap.

  ~!!~Akane has a a certain dark side to her. She loves toying with the emotions of men. That is why she has sex.~!!~

  ~!!~Narumi desires Akane, even though he doesn't seem like that kind of person. That is why he has sex.~!!~

  ~!!~Ecchan loves Hana, she wants her all to herself. That is why she has sex.~!!~

  ~!!~Moca loves Mugi because they were childhood friends. She now wanted to touch him and advance. That is why she has sex.~!!~

  See, most reasons can all go back to the reason of desiring another individual. I see where the people come from when they say it’s meaningless. That they just do it because they want to. I mean that in itself might as well be another reason. Just because you want to do it. Small as a reason it may be, it’s still something.

  So let’s talk about the art, the animation, the sound, and the show overall.

  The art is great, it is pretty much faithful to the manga and the colours used are splendid. The animation is great and the use of the moving manga panels definitely gives it a better atmosphere. As colourful as it looks, darkness for sure lurks inside. It ain’t nice looking.

  When we take all these characteristics together we get an imperfect series with bad characters. They’re scum, and they’re meant to be like that. They were made in such a way that they would reflect what we would see in the real world and how the characters portray real people with these existing desires and emotion.

  We can all at least agree that this series is screwed up. It’ll make people uncomfortable and make they urk at this series. But for me, it’s a good kind of screwed up.

  The soundtracks for this series goes beyond human comprehension. The music sets the tone, the emotion, and the overall atmosphere for each scene. It’s done in such a fluid and solid way to make you enticed and hooked. The opening song and the opening animations are like pieces in a puzzle, fitting together. The imagery and little details that are in the OP makes me smile with joy. Same with the ending (Loving that Sayuri god sauce)

  Overall, this is a masterpiece in my book. The realistic character interaction, the realistic situations, the realistic representations, the visuals, and the soundtracks. It’s one of those rare gems you don't see in most anime’s. I’m glad the adaption was satisfactory and I’m glad this was adapted in the first place.

  Of course this anime won’t fit everyone’s taste. People can absolutely love it, or absolutely despise it.

  The thing is my standards for anime aren't that high. I’m not a huge anime critic and I don't try to analyze every single aspect and detail of an anime so I can find ways to rant about it. Nope, I don't have a crazy rubric on what’s a masterpiece and what’s not. If you see how I rate a 10 on anime, it’s either I enjoyed it to the fullest, or that it hit me on a personal level.

  Well for this anime, it was kind of both…

  While it has brought out my full attention, enjoyment, and satisfaction. It has also hit home in some parts.

  Seeing some of the characters in there did remind me of friends I had that were like that. It did make me contemplate about life. It made me cherish my friends again, because the ones I had before were just like Hana or Mugi. I don't see them again however, but It reminded me of them. It kind of hit home yunno? So that’s a reason why I gave this anime a 10. The way it hit me personally and the way the sexual subjects are visually represented were so realistically…real that it made me have a happy feeling inside.

  This anime has a lot of controversies, and it doesn't feel like a one-sided argument. It is one or the other. Bad, or good? Masterpiece? Or Atrocious? Positive? Or Negative?

  Mixed feelings for this show aren't unusual. Even though I loved every aspect of this show, the feelings I had for it were mixed. I mean for a controversial series, it’s only natural.

  But the anime’s representation on love isn't far off from modern society and their representation of love. But like I said, it varies. Once you love someone, it has to be them, as stated by Hana herself.

  Unrequited love, one of the types that can be hated by many people. What Sanae had to go through was rough, since she loved a girl. Eventually, Sanae had to let her go. It was hard to depart from someone she cherished oh so dearly, but it had to be done.

  People can choose who they love. Some guys love guys and some girls love girls. It happens, and to be honest I don’t really agree with the gay and the lesbians, but that by no means do I have anything against them. So don't get me wrong, I don't hate gays nor lesbians, I just don't agree with them too much. So no hate pls ;3;

  Overall, like I said, it’s controversial… You can hate it or you can love it.

  I guess it’s about how you see it.

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• 

  ToxicPunk

  100/100
  You feel the disgust, you feel the dejection but in the end you also feel the bittersweet gratification.

  Reasons to watch Kuzu no Honkai? I don't have any. Then why watch it? Simply because, it isn't a cliched romantic comedy, albeit, the romantic premise is quite cliche itself, considering the love triangle but apart from that, everything else the series does, makes it stand out from the heaps of garbage of rotten romantic slice of life animes. There are 6 main characters, though the existence of one of them might be debated to be there for just 'comic suffering' purpose. By the time you are done with the first episode, you might question the sanity of the two protagonists or it might even be possible that you question your own sanity for watching something as absurd as Scum's wish. But that's exactly what this show is about, a scum's desire. Faced with unrequited love, their only way to ease their suffering and filling the void is through replacement. Replacing the person you desire with someone else and soliciting each other for sexual pleasure, that thought itself seem highly unthinkable and preposterous, but when emotions become the center of gravity for a plot, the line between realistic and unrealistic vanishes.

  After finishing the second episode, i was left with nothing but intense disgust and animosity at their incomprehensible mentality, but I think that is what the show was aiming for, even if it wasn't, it was the type of feeling one need to feel, because we are watching the show from their own perspectives. By the sixth episode, I actually became interested in what will the characters do next? There is so much self-realization, so many fresh dialogues, that you can notice the characters develop, trying to break themselves from their shells.

  Lerche did an awesome job in the visuals, the sexual scenes came in strong, but it never felt like random fanservice, there is pleasure but at the same time there is a repulsiveness for enjoying such scenes. The voice acting was so stunning, it never felt out of place even for once! The melancholy in the voice of the characters, especially of Hanabi's really felt soothing and was perfect with the ambience. The opening and the ending are quite good and the osts are just there when needed, they really get along well with the mood and the tension between the dialogues. In the end, you can see the characters coming to terms with what they did, the change that was brought in their personalities and the decisions they made.

  Overall, I totally enjoyed this repulsive at start, compelling in the middle and totally satisfying near the end unique slice of life. A total refreshment and worth watching.

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• 

  meniel

  40/100
  An interesting premise was ruined by bad directing choices and exaggerated scenes.

  Kuzu no Honkai ("Scum's Wish") had interesting premises. As the title suggests, this series wanted to explore the mean, sick, selfish side of love. To portray an unidolized and more mature view on this subject, the author decided to focus on teenage highschool students. Wait, that must be a mistake... but no, unfortunately it is not. And here lies the first issue I have with this show.

  The protagonists are teenagers - and even those that are adults don't really behave as such. Japanese viewers seem to really like highschool settings, to the point they do not realize it isn't necessarily the right one for every plot. Although some teenagers are certainly capable of mature feelings, whoever watched this series will probably agree it would have been more believable with adult protagonists. One of the main point of the plot is that most characters cannot let go of their long-lasting feelings towards someone who doesn't love them back. If you consider that the protagonists are 16 years old at the start of the story, said long lasting love probably arose when they were very young. It sounds a little weird for them to obsessively hold on to such an immature love, losing their mental health over it, instead of exploring the world and meeting new people like any adolescent would do. And even though one character could be an exception, exactly four behave this way. Isn't that a bit too many? Exploring love from different angles would have been so much more interesting than repeating the same pattern over and over again.

  

  Sex was another part of the show I didn't quite digest. It was refreshing to see an anime that does not shy away from it, and viewers can surely appreciate that it was not portrayed in an overly ecchi manner, but was it really necessary to dwell on it so much? At some point the title of the anime could as well have been switched to "Who's Fucking?" since the main event of each episode was who would be with whom. However, I must give credit to this series for showing sex as an important part of love and life. One reason Kuzu no Honkai was so appreciated is probably because sex in anime is either glossed over or depicted in an extremely silly way. Thus, the viewer is usually deprived of this important part of a couple's story. I hope more romance series will try to incorporate sex in their narratives, perhaps overcoming Kuzu no Honkai's weaknesses and rectifying its shortcomings.

  

  Talking about the characters, I have mixed feelings. The main protagonists, namely Hanabi and Mugi, felt quite real and original. I loved Mugi's tormented relationship with women, which resulted in his love towards his wicked professor. I would have really liked Hanabi's personality, had it been more coherent. I'm not referring to her being both kind and selfish, as I actually found that pretty realistic and fascinating. What I'm talking about is her looking like a completely different person when she is with her friend Sanae. Some of her choices seemed very weird to me, too. However, all in all I think she is a good character. The sadness and loneliness she transmits to the viewer feel very tangible, and I liked that.

  

  The male and female professors... well, that is another matter interely. Obviously the biggest problem is Akane-sensei. She would have been perfect as an evil boss in a shounen. But here? Honestly, she is completely hilarious. Her lack of empathy and guilt, together with her hostility towards people, are worthy of the worst antisocial personality. Since everybody else has a somewhat balanced characterization, her overstated deviance looks very out of place. And her career as a professor is what sounds least believable of it all. The series tries to give it some credibility by telling us she really likes to teach... but it just doesn't work. "Show, don't tell" is one of my favourite techniques. Unfortunately, what Kuzu no Honkai is telling us about Akane-sensei and what it shows are two different things. And now on to Kanai-sensei, our male teacher. As the anime often states, he saw his mother in Akane-sensei... and subconsciously followed Freud's teachings (as a Psychology student that really made me giggle). He is a dull, uninteresting, clichéd "good boy", and although his characterization would have been perfect for a shiba inu, it is no good for a highschool professor. The only moment I felt somewhat close to him was when he stepped on his own glasses.

  

  The other characters are pretty good and, exception made for our two professors, everyone had its fair share of character growth, which was not bad.

  

  So far we have talked about the intricated love triangle square complicated polygon among a bunch of 3deep5u adolescents and some questionable professors. But what about the technical sector? The soundtrack didn't strike me as remarkable, but it was always fitting and some tracks were pretty emotional. I loved the opening and ending of the series; the ending in particular was very creative (although there definitely was some vagina in the background??). The adaptation of the manga art was well done and the characters look pretty, even if similar. What I really had problems with was the direction, or to be more precise some of its choices. Apparently the director wanted this anime to look like a manga, and he kept inserting scenes inside of frames and squares like they were manga panels (picture above). On occasions the old scene was kept as a blurred background, while on others it was splitted into two sections (picture below). Inserting rectangles inside the screen created huge blank areas and made everything feel very asymmetric. As you can probably guess, it just did not work well. Given the result was hard to follow and weird to look at, I can't see the reason for this artistic choice. Exception made for this, direction, art and sounds are all pretty good.

  

  Since we have come to the end of the review, let's sum it up. Kuzu no Honkai succeeded in portraying the inconvenient side of love. In doing so it was at times emotional and realistic, at times excessive and not very belieavable. The protagonists are well done, other important characters are not. The same goes for the artistic part: Kuzu no Honkai was pleasant to look at and to listen to, but the direction messed up badly in some scenes and made them look straight out of Windows Movie Maker. All in all, if you like romance, drama, love polygons and are okay with some feels, you might enjoy this short series. If you would like to watch a similar series but done better, I suggest: White Album 2 (by the same director), Aku no Hana, Paradise Kiss or Natsuyuki Rendezvous. All these series show love from a realistic, mature and sometimes sad perspective.

  ★★☆☆☆
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