Ajin is a television series about a boy who should be dead and the world that will not let him live. The show, a 2016 TBS production, follows Kei Nagai, a Japanese high school student who is revived after a traffic accident and instantly becomes a wanted man. It runs two seasons, 26 episodes, and it never lets you forget that the title, “Ajin” (demi-human), is a label for someone who does not belong. The series is an anime, with Mamoru Miyano voicing Kei and an ensemble cast including Yoshimasa Hosoya, Aya Suzaki, and Hiroyuki Kinoshita.
The premise is simple on paper: a boy is killed, brought back, and hunted. In practice, it is a slow-burn conspiracy thriller wrapped in sci-fi trappings, and the show earns its slow pace through patient world-building. The first season spends its early episodes establishing the rules of the Ajin, the mysterious immortal lifeforms that have appeared among humans, and the government’s fear of what they might do if left unchecked. Kei is not a villain; he is a victim of circumstance who is forced to run from a world that no longer trusts him.
Trailer, via All the Anime.
Kei at the Center
Kei Nagai is the heart of Ajin. He is a quiet, unremarkable student whose life is upended in an instant. Mamoru Miyano’s voice work captures the character’s confusion and resolve, and the show lets him carry the early episodes on his own. Kei’s journey is not a heroic arc; it is a desperate one. He is not trying to save the world, he is trying to stay alive long enough to understand why he was brought back.
The supporting cast is strong. Kaito, voiced by Yoshimasa Hosoya, provides the show’s comic relief and its grounding in normal human relationships. Eriko Nagai, voiced by Aya Suzaki, is Kei’s younger sister, and her fear and loyalty anchor the emotional stakes. The show spends its first season building a bond between Kei and Kaito, and that partnership carries the second season through its darkest moments.
The Government’s Fear
The Ajin are the show’s central mystery, and the government’s fear of them drives the plot. The Ajin are rare, unknown new immortal lifeforms that began appearing among humans 17 years ago, first on the battlefields of Africa. The government’s response is to hunt them, to study them, and to eliminate them. This creates a world where Kei, an Ajin, is a valuable subject and a dangerous unknown. The show does not explain the Ajin’s origins or their abilities in detail. It leaves them as a mystery, and that mystery is the engine of the story.
The show’s strength is its atmosphere. It is dark, tense, and often bleak. It does not soften its violence or its politics with easy answers. Kei is hunted by police and scientists alike, and he is forced to hide, to fight, and to accept that he is not wanted anywhere. The show’s willingness to keep Kei on the run, to deny him a safe place, keeps the tension high.
The Pacing Problem
The pacing is the show’s biggest flaw. The first season is slow, and it takes its time getting to the action. The show spends several episodes on Kei’s initial escape, the government’s investigation, and the first encounters with other Ajin. This can be frustrating, especially when the show’s visual style is so striking. The animation is clean, the action is fluid, and the character designs are expressive. But the story does not always match the quality of the visuals.
The show improves in its second season, which is more focused and more willing to commit to its central conflict. The season raises the stakes by introducing new Ajin, new dangers, and new threats to Kei’s life. It also deepens the mystery of why Kei was revived. The payoff comes in the final episode, which delivers a twist that reframes the entire series.
The Ensemble Cast
The ensemble cast is a strength, but it is also a weakness. The show has a large supporting cast, and it does not always give them room to breathe. Kōji Tanaka, voiced by Daisuke Hirakawa, and Ikukya Ogura, voiced by Hiroyuki Kinoshita, are both important characters, but their arcs are underdeveloped. The show is so focused on Kei that it sometimes forgets to give the other characters their own moments in the spotlight.
The show also relies heavily on voice acting to carry its emotional weight. Aya Suzaki’s performance as Eriko is a standout, and the show’s ability to make the audience care about her fate is a credit to the writing. The show’s use of voice acting is a strength in a genre where visuals often dominate over character development. The show’s sound design and music also contribute to its tense atmosphere.
The Ending
The final episode of the second season is the show’s most ambitious. It refuses to tie everything up neatly, and it leaves Kei’s fate unresolved. This is a bold choice, and it is a credit to the show’s confidence. The show trusts its audience to sit with the ambiguity of Kei’s situation. It is not a happy ending, but it is a fitting one.
The show’s refusal to explain everything is a strength, not a weakness. It leaves the audience with questions, and it respects their intelligence by not answering every one of them. The show’s final image is Kei running, as he has been running for the entire series. It is a fitting end to a show about a boy who can never stop running.
The Verdict
Ajin is a flawed but compelling series. Its slow pacing in the first season and its underdeveloped supporting cast are weaknesses, but its atmosphere, its central mystery, and its final twist are strengths. The show is a solid entry in the anime genre, and it is worth watching for fans of the genre. It is a show that rewards patience and rewards attention.
The show’s themes of fear, prejudice, and the value of life are relevant, and they are handled with a maturity that is rare in the genre. The show does not shy away from the moral implications of its premise, and it asks the audience to consider what it means to be human. The show’s treatment of the Ajin is nuanced, and it refuses to reduce them to simple villains or simple victims. The show’s refusal to provide easy answers is a strength.
Key Facts
- Network: TBS
- Seasons: 2, total of 26 episodes
- First aired: 2016-01-16
- Last aired: 2016-12-23
- Genres: Animation, Action & Adventure, Mystery
- Main voice cast: Mamoru Miyano, Yoshimasa Hosoya, Aya Suzaki, Daisuke Hirakawa, Hiroyuki Kinoshita, Hochu Otsuka, Jun Fukuyama, Kenichi Suzumura, Mikako Komatsu, Takahiro Sakurai, Toru Sakurai, Sho Koneri
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