Translation courtesy of ANN said:

Stand against the false gods!

A grand tale across three volumes, of the fate of mankind after obtaining “God's Power”! An extraordinary work of entertainment, forging a new world for cinema!

The original work is a lengthy novel written by Yūsuke Kishi, and winner of the Japanese Science Fiction Award. While the award winning, critically acclaimed, and highly praised work published in 2008 gathered attention, it was claimed to be impossible to adapt to cinema due to its one-of-kind, grand story depicting a world brimming with imagination and overwhelming breadth. Yet now, four years after its publication, thanks to TV Asahi and the tag team between world renowned animation studio, A-1 Pictures and the new ace of the next anime generation, Director Masashi Ishihama, this work has finally been animated! The setting is the future, the protagonists, 5 young boys and girls. Their story starts when these 12 year olds begin school to learn “magic”, the power of telekinesis. Together, the five of them learn about mankind's bloodstained history, and begin their heroic, life-threatening adventure.

...

Humanity, with “magic”, the power of the gods, rat-beasts, a new species with the intelligence of man, and other monsters who've undergone a twisted evolution—as these forces and their plots begin to clash in this unpredictable story, the tale of our protagonists spreads across three eras and books. Yet beneath this thrilling adventure lie deep themes about the driving forces in life.

Here is the birth of an extraordinary piece of entertainment, unlike any before-a new world, a new age in animation.

http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/anime-spotlight/2012/fall/from-the-new-world

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Yūsuke Kishi is an author who has written many masterpieces such as Dark Home, Locked Room, Evil Scriptures, and the Japan Science Fiction Award winning novel, From the New World. Today we're here to ask Mr. Kishi about his hopes for the upcoming anime, and about how he went about writing From the New World, a masterpiece that took over 30 years of planning.

Could you please tell us what made you decide to write this book?

I first had the idea for it over 30 years ago when I'd just entered university. It came to me after I read the book, On Aggression, published in 1970 by Australian ethologist Roland Lorenz. In his book he wrote that because humans were weak creatures to begin with, the checks against intraspecies aggression were also very weak. I took my idea from that description, and spent the next 30 years refining into this novel.

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What were your reasons for setting the story 1,000 years in the future?

I was considering many time periods as possibilities, but 1,000 years in the future was the only compromise I could reach. One of my main reasons is that I wanted to depict plants and animals which had undergone an irregular evolution. To do that, 1,000 years honestly isn't enough time. It would take ten or a hundred thousand years for that, and I wanted to place it in that future, but if I did so, then elements of the story, such as the ruins of modern civilization, would not be around anymore. I researched many things, like the longevity of concrete, and 1,000 years was about the only point where they might all come together, so that's the time period I set it in.

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What feelings do you have towards the animation of your work?

I believe that animation is likely the best way to visually depict this story. Animation is a medium that holds unlimited possibilities. Though we can use modern techniques to create many kinds of images with live photography, the viewer is always bothered by the gap between what is and isn't real. The biggest problem is when you watch a film and suddenly think, “This is special effects.” But in animation, there is no such divide.
Plus, I also think that animation is better suited to the depiction of cruelty and combat scenes. In animation it's less jarring to depict a gruesome scene shortly after making the audience laugh, than it is in live photography. And even if you depict a scene with blood spraying everywhere, it doesn't seem as grotesque or gruesome as it would in live photography.

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Any message for our audience?

I've placed the setting of this story 1,000 years in the future of our modern society, so I would like them to imagine what it would be like if they were born in this age, if they were Saki, or Satoru, as they watch this animation. If they can place themselves in the protagonists' positions as they enjoy this work, then I think it will be a wonderful visual experience.

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Branduil said:

From the New World 1

The opening sequence is simply breathtaking. From the

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massacre

, to the haunting purple sunset, to the introductory montage for the village set against the backdrop of the eerie choral chanting, and then the title card- that's the way to firmly establish an epic tone, and create the expectation for a grand story with an expansive scale.

Of course, this type of story tends to start small, and FtnW is no different. This episode serves the function of setup, and as a setup it is very effective in building anticipation for what comes next. We are introduced here to Saki, her friends, her family, and her educators. For the vast majority of the episode, we follow Saki's viewpoint as she goes through something like coming-of-age event. This is pretty smart writing because it allows for the presence of exposition that isn't obnoxious. It's also helpful to give us a character we can identify with when the setting is so strange; the obvious similarities to a medieval Japanese village only make the differences more pronounced.

This may seem obvious from the premise, but an extremely important aspect of the story seems to be TIME. However, the first episode deals with not only the passage of time on a large scale, but on a small scale. The editing is extremely non-linear, with repeated flashbacks and flash forwards at different times. This always has the potential to be extremely confusing, so it was fortunate that the editing was mostly clear and precise. Any momentary confusion is soon relieved as the show does a good job of placing things in a context such that you know more or less when each scene is taking place.

I don't think it's a spoiler to say that as the episode progresses, Saki learns that her village may be hiding some dark secrets. There's a lingering sense of unease that pervades the episode, and the hints towards unknown and magical things are tantalizing. The world-building in this first episode is superb, as the show understands that one of the keys to a believable world is implanting the idea that there's much more to it than the author has chosen to show you, and that if you were to peek behind the curtain, so to speak, you would not see a cluttered studio backlot, but an expansive and wondrous landscape that stretches far beyond the horizon.

So what to say of Masashi Ishihama's directorial debut? Well, as I think these screencaps make clear, he has a fantastic eye for iconic wide shots, and a wonderful grasp of how to use color and solid shapes. The grand and sweeping landscape shots, elaborately composed interior scenes, and the unconventional, low-key cinematography all help to give the episode an extremely cinematic feel. The lighting in particular is truly unlike what you see in the vast majority of anime, it almost feels filmic. The scene which introduces the children is delightful in how it counters the typical expectation of such scenes.

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I mean, we can't even see them, really. Just silhouettes against a violet sunset.

And the animation lives up to expectations, which is to say it's great. I really loved the scene where

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Saki's powers awaken

, there's such a believable impression of chaos and confusion reflected in the movement of the house.

To sum it up, From the New World 1 has spectacular animewatch.

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Ultimadrago said:

From the New World 1

This episode has been covered thoroughly by others, so my impressions will be brief.

This was a strong opener and I hope the show can maintain this atmosphere throughout.

Also I'd like to ask others that have watched it:

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the scene where Saki has her Cantus sealed and burned along with the human emblem. Was this simply an act of displaying power over her regarding a tone akin to, "We (or the gods) can give and take away"?

The moment she is able to move the flames freely, you see joy in her eyes.

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This emotion is quickly distinguished as secular pleasure by Mushin and afterwards extinguished. That is followed immediately by an offer to gain Cantus once more through his hands and teaching.

It's near the very start, but was a neat introduction to the theme of manipulation throughout the episode.

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duckroll said:

From the New World - Episode 1

I've been really looking forward to this one, so it's probably good that it's the first of the Fall shows to start. As expected from Ishihama, this show is really heavy on the visual presentation. It's not so much that it is amazingly well animated or anything, but rather the presence of the visuals is always felt. The way a certain shot is chosen, or the movement of the camera, or the general layout of the scene, all these things are constantly presented in a way where the audience feels that a lot of thought has been put into them. Cinematography at its finest.

The other noteworthy element in the show is the sound design. Everything from the music, to the sound and dialogue, and even the silence, is specifically engineered to complement the scene in a substantial way. It is never just something in the background, but a major part of the presentation. This really helps deliver the sort of tone the show wants to achieve in many of the scenes in the first episode, because when it comes to creating an unsettling feeling or attempting a horror direction, sound is just as important as the visuals.

All in all, I'm pretty intrigued and impressed by the delivery here. The source material is supposed to be well regarded in Japan, and it looks like the A-1 staff on the show are putting a lot of serious effort into the production. It feels less like a regular anime show, and more like something they are really proud of adapting and trying to do justice to.

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cosmicblizzard said:

From the Purple World 1

I went into this almost completely blind. That was a bad idea. This is the kind of the setting that I have a ton of trouble getting into. The whole "civilization regression" thing always seemed dumb to me. Also not a fan of the plot progression. The promising intro made it seem like we would get a more thorough explanation why the world ended up the way it did, but it just jumped ahead meaning it will either be revealed later and/or we'll have to fill in the pieces ourselves. Not a fan of that kind of story-telling, at least not with this setting. Didn't care for it in Utawarerumono either.

It's a shame too, because I really like the cursed ability. It's like a more versatile telekinesis. I just wish it was given more attention rather than taking a backseat to some boring folklore.

If the manga is more like To love Ru, I might just read that. There were a few things in the preview for the next episode that have me intrigued, but I'm 95% sure I won't be keeping up with this.

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BluWacky said:

From The New World 1

A very, very interesting start.

It's clearly a show directed by an excellent animator - there's a huge amount of attention paid to how everything looks, not just in terms of the world design or whatever but the colours, shots, even the changes in visual style throughout the episode. It all combines to make what is, in some ways, quite a "low key" story very interesting to watch - and that goes without mentioning the good voice acting and the very evocative music.

I say "low key", but the first few minutes show

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psychic children destroying modern civilisation in a fairly graphic manner

and then settles into an extremely creepy vibe.

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Even if calling the Nekodamashi "DeceptiCat" in my head takes some of the tension out of it.

. The atmosphere - and the narrative - are deliberately unsettling.

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yami4ct said:

Ok, finally back from checking out part of my first batch of recommendations. Guess I'll tackle the reviews in the order I checked them out.

From the New World 01
Opening was absolutely amazing. The grizzly scenes paired with classical music pulled off the mood they were going for really well. So far, don't really like too many of the characters, but I could easily see that changing. Animation looked fantastic. Great setting as well. Overall, episode did well building tension for what I can only assume are the horrors to come. Excited to check out more.

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Jexhius said:

[From The New World ]- 1

*first part of post omitted for space reason, click the link to read it*

Now, I know that I've barely touched on this visuals or the music which is a shame because the production is really excellent in these areas. Not only is the score affective but there's some good sound cues as well, such as the noise that plays when Reika fails to paint her picture. Without spending too much time on it, I'll just point out a sequence that I like. At the start it seems like a perfectly normal conversation between Saki and her parents, and it's shot fairly normally. As the conversation becomes more uncomfortable the family break apart into different frames of the image:

This is an extremely promising opening episode: if the rest of the series is up to this calibre then we're going to have a really great show on our hands.

Also, the character designs actually look perfectly fine in the show - which is what I attempted to argue for earlier! Doubters. The animation isn't too sloppy either:

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hosannainexcelsis said:

From the New World 1

As Jexhius has already elaborated at length about this, I'll just say that I absolutely loved it. The production is sharp in every aspect and the atmosphere is incredibly strong; I was glued to my seat for the entire episode. Mesmerizing. I've seen someone elsewhere say this is the moodiest show since Casshern Sins, and they could very well be right.

I do want to comment briefly on the structure of the episode. There's a certain amount of leaping around in time the episode does, but it keeps the viewer from getting confused through one simple technique - linking the time skips through one character, usually Saki, recalling an earlier experience relevant to what she's currently going through. So there's no random cuts for the sake of it; everything is logically and carefully laid out for us - which is a vital thing to do when you're trying to introduce a complicated fictional world like this one.

And while the visuals overall were quite impressive, Shingo Yamashita's "Demon Story" sequence deserves special mention.

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Dedication Through Light said:

From the New World 1

The magic/cursed power in this universe is really well done. I like all their uses for it as seen thus far in their school setting. The background for what happened between present and the past is rather intriguing based off the first few minutes to what was briefly mentioned in their history class. I really anticipate having more details given on how the power developed over time.

Plot had some predictable moments in it,

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especially regarding some of the Filthy cat or whatever moments. The mothers reaction to Saki discussing it on the bed with her kind of gave away the fact that it as in fact real at least to me, and then further I think they hinted pretty well that Reiko would definitely vanish. Just what powers does this education board have?

Satoru Asahina is by far the best character. Personality and antics keep the story from feeling way too over serious at times and keeps it enjoyable. Shun and Momoru are good too.

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PoeticProse22 said:

From the New World 1

This was a terrific, brilliantly stylistic episode that served as a great introduction into this strange, unsettling tale, as it immediately immerses the viewers into the bizarre nature of their world. Although this episode contained a rather lengthy amount of informative exposition and world-building, it was woven into the story very well, never slipping into an uninteresting lull.

The opening sequence was incredible. Firstly, we're temporarily shown the

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phenomenon that permanently altered the course of their world, as a portion of humans suddenly acquire unique powers, and then proceed to slaughter the others, while then showcasing brief, gruesome flashes of the resulting carnage

. I particularly enjoyed the practical effect of distorting the visuals as a means to portray the oppressive madness of the situation. Following these scenes is a surprisingly mature, beautifully simplistic introduction of the children, as their silhouettes converse beneath the purple sunset. The music used for the opening, then leading to the appearance of the title card, was simply phenomenal.

Saki's continual perspective throughout the episode was a necessary viewpoint, as it created a masterfully depicted cohesion out of many disparate developments, never losing focus or dragging on a specific point for too long.

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The dinner scene was terrific, as it allowed insight into Saki's emotions, contrasting the moments of veritable peace between her and her parents with the actual anger hidden beneath her due to the inter-woven sequence in which she overhears her parents revealing previously untold and horrifying truths. There seems to be an obvious separation between those who acquire magical abilities and those that are unfortunately left lacking in that area, and their true fate, although hinted at, is still partially obscured. It appears that awakening these abilities creates a sort of traversal into adulthood

.

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The tale of the man crossing the holy barrier was amazingly animated and really interesting, but it seems very possible that his encountering of a fiend upon crossing the barrier is simply a fabrication endlessly recited to keep the children from leaving

, thus creating a heavily restricted society where the children lean on the unchallenged morals and rules of their elders, constantly refraining from wandering across the edge of the super-imposed

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holy barrier

. All of this is partially brought about by a noticeable naivety, since they certainly don't appear to be acutely aware of the

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secrets that surround them

. A disturbing, ominous calm pervaded throughout the entire episode, particularly whenever the story lingered for a moment on

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Reiko

, allowing a subtle dread to creep into the proceedings, culminating with the closing realization that

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she had disappeared

.

I'm really looking forward to seeing how the characters develop, as it seems inevitable that a

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significant darkness will befall them, tearing them out of their relative calm

. As it is, they're basically trapped in this controlled, uniformed isolation, seemingly lacking a considerable amount of knowledge, particularly pertaining to the subtly discomforting nature of their world, thus creating an existence that's teetering on the edge of destruction.

I really enjoyed how a plethora of initially unknown and vague terminology, such as the

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Copycats and Cantus

, were thrown into the narrative right at the beginning, since it adds a mysterious, yet intriguing element to the mix.

I particularly liked the moment when,

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during the ritual, Saki's contained Cantus was pierced, and as the blood siphons out towards the papers edge, there's a momentary glimpse of her anguished expression

, effectively highlighting how difficult and somewhat painful this portion of the

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ritual must have been

. This moment benefited considerably by the very impressive use of rather quick edits.

Another one of my favorite scenes is when

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Saki's abilities initially awaken

, as this once tranquil moment was thrown into a particular chaos and momentary state of turmoil. The excellently dynamic animation allowed this sequence to really shine. The character designs look considerably better in motion, and are actually quite effective in portraying a subtle dichotomy between their relatively innocent exteriors and the seemingly bleak, strictly regulated world they inhabit.

The story is extremely intriguing, as it refrains from divulging too much initially, leaving much of the complexities involving this mysterious world to the speculative imagination. Of course, all of these hidden truths brilliantly foreshadow an unavoidably tragic future, thus constructing a very compelling tale.

The production qualities were thoroughly impressive all around. The direction is probably the best element, as it often elevated rather simple scenes, such as the

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introductory conversation

and the

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dinner scene

, demonstrating a deftly skilled prowess with the visual aspect. This distinctly visual style of storytelling is very impressive, creating an aesthetic that is quite striking in it's diversity, highlighted especially in the fantastic use of coloring. Also, another great aspect of the production is the cinematography, which was understated, but highly effective.

The pacing was handled extremely well, occasionally weaving in significant flashbacks and intermittently cutting to other moments and conversations, while never faltering in it's execution. The tone throughout was consistently foreboding, as a darkly ominous atmosphere permeated the episode, never relinquishing it's tense grip even during the "lighter" moments. The music is quite excellent and suitably haunting, as it really illuminates the eerie ambiance and emotional significance of several sequences. As such, the ED was pretty great, since the song blends quite well with the tone of the rest of the episode.

All in all, this was a highly impressive and thoroughly interesting start to the most promising show of the season.

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Brazil said:

Shinsekai yori 1

I have absolutely no idea of what's going on, but the visuals and soundtrack are top-notch, and I love these shows that give out "everything will go wrong" vibes... So count me in.

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miladesn said:

From The New World - 1

that was very interesting. This was a very very well done opening, without spelling everything out they pretty much set up how the world is now and at the same time it keeps the viewer in mystery of what's actually happening. You can tell that there is a lot more happening than what these kids know yet. I quite liked the overall mood, it felt somewhat heavy to me, I'm half expecting some horrible things to happen later or maybe they want the viewer to think like that, this episode kind of reminded me of The Village (Shyamalan's film) . Really looking forward to see how this unfolds.

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jman2050 said:

From the New World 1

Well, I'm totally on board. Excellent first episode. The mood and tone seems kind of like a cross between a darker Dennou Coil and a less stupid Elfen Lied, and the premise and setup is an immediate hook.

The character designs look far better in motion too.

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cajunator said:

From The New world 01

The music, the characters, the atmosphere...this all feels pretty fresh and intriguing.
theres mystery behind these powers that people possess and how all this came to be, what those apparitions are and so forth. And now

Spoiler

Reiko is apparently about to disappear

.
This is pretty awesome.

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Grzi said:

From the New World - 1

A really solid first episode, I'm intrigued by the premise, the setting and the atmosphere are unique and very interesting and the audiovisual presentation is top-notch. Can't wait to see more.

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duckroll said:

The proper ED is pretty cool. It's by Shingo Yamashita, the same animator who did the demon story segment in the first episode. Matches the song pretty well too!

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Dresden said:

Looks pretty good, seems to have gone under the radar in the anime thread.

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Branduil said:

It's severely lacking in waifu potential and overpowered Gary Stus compared to Sword Art Online, unfortunately. You know how those are the only things we talk about in the anime thread.

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Dresden said:

It's a pity, really. I'm glad you managed to find those impressions off another site.

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duckroll said:

The proper ED is pretty cool. It's by Shingo Yamashita, the same animator who did the demon story segment in the first episode. Matches the song pretty well too!

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Azar said:

Those character portraits couldn't look much more generic. Thankfully they don't seem to be indicative of the overall style of the show. Sounds interesting.

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Jexhius said:

After the lack of support that the Tsuritama thread got in Off-Topic last time I feel compelled to support this thread.

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hosannainexcelsis said:

The character designs aren't generic if for no other reason than their deliberate and consistent avoidance of shadows.

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PoeticProse22 said:

Great OT.

This is an extremely promising show.

Also, the full ED is amazing; probably one of my favorites ever.

A couple of my favorite shots from the ED:

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cosmicblizzard said:

I'm not arguing whether they're generic or not, but I would think there would have to be more to it than that. General shape is more important than shadows imo.

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Branduil said:

Those aren't the only two character designs in the show.

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PdotMichael said:

well, the "main girl" doesn't look better/more creative

I could post screens of all characters just to show how uncreative the designs are. Or I accept that the character designs are the weakest part of From The New World.

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Unknown Soldier said:

The use of lighting in that first episode is pretty amazing.

I guess I'm not supposed to know what is happening just yet. Please just don't be another Another.

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icarus-daedelus said:

Outside of the pretty fantastic hook of the first thirty seconds, where it's implied that masses of people suddenly have powers of psychokinesis awakened (or something) and heads start a-popping left and right in such a carefully edited and framed manner as to intrigue while not feeling too exploitative, I felt like the show went a little too out of its way to play up the mystique of the already interesting concepts laid out here - this episode is obviously hiding a world with a fascinating societal structure and history, so there's no need for intrusions from prototypically creepy mysterious music here, nor is there a particular need to rush to portray the malevolence of this society right up-front. Instead of the awakening from naivete that the characters, or at least Saki, must realize as they grow up and clash with those things that the adult world accepts as necessary harm (e.g.

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disappearing children, the quashing of psychic powers upon assumption of puberty

), we are immediately aware that something is awfully wrong here. Curiously, the final line of the episode is presented as something of a cliffhanger when it was not only painfully foreshadowed and utterly predictable, but also unnecessary: the show itself is a good enough draw to not have to resort to typical tawdry TV marketing techniques in order to sell itself.

That said, these are all fairly light complaints, because although I disagree with a few storytelling choices here and there, the atmosphere of omnipresent unease and a kind of slow death is carried through exceptionally well by the aesthetics and writing. Most notably, the effort to present the places portrayed as if they were being filmed, so to speak, at the magic hour of dusk at all times - even during daylight inside buildings, which are apparently lacking in light sources of the electric variety instead relying on the glow of candlelight, a hint towards the technologically deteriorated nature of the setting - gives the show's present the feeling of being situated at the decaying twilight of humanity even as the title and its appropriated classical theme music suggest a point of view looking forward towards the future.

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Last, but not least, I would like to express my mild dissatisfaction in Crunchyroll for taking a week to "simulcast" this in spite of my paying them for essentially nothing for, like, half a year now. Hmmph.

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icarus-daedelus said:

Curiously, the final line of the episode is presented as something of a cliffhanger when it was not only painfully foreshadowed and utterly predictable, but also unnecessary: the show itself is a good enough draw to not have to resort to typical tawdry TV marketing techniques in order to sell itself.

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