The hit psychological horror manga series Ajin: Demi-Human, written and illustrated by Gamon Sakurai, has finally become an anime adaption, but is the new adaption really as good the manga series?  Although the series previously already had three anime films made, as well as an OVA (original video animation), the televised serial was greatly anticipated by fans of the manga and horror genre, but many expectations were shattered by the series that had become one of the most anticipated series of the 2016 winter anime season.  The anime series consisting of 13 episodes and running from January 16, 2016 to April 9, 2016 featured 3D animations that were relatively new in anime adaptions, but was viewed as something that required an acquired taste and didn’t work well for all series.

Ajin: Demi-Human was and still is one of my favorite manga series.  The series, currently consisting of 7 volumes and running from 2012 to present, follows the story of young Kei Nagai, who had aspired to be a doctor but found his dreams dashed when he was hit by a truck.  Now, he didn’t die because what main character dies?  What he discovers is that he is an immortal demi-human referred to as an ajin, who were seen as less than human and were branded criminals in order to ensure their capture so that authorities could put them through cruel experimentation.  So, when Kei discovers he is an ajin and the authorities come after him, he runs.  He can trust no one.  Well, he can trust no one but his old friend, an outcast and the son of a convict, named Kaito, who rushed to help Kei escape.  The series follows them through their journey, dealing with the fact that there was a bounty on their heads.

The manga series was amazing and gave me quite a thrill, but the anime was quite a let down, the 3D animation not doing the story or the characters justice.  I do highly recommend the manga series to all fans of the horror genre, and even some fans of the supernatural and action genres.  With great illustrations, an intricate and engaging plot, and interesting characters, the series will hook almost any fan and will surely be a page turner.
I do not, however, recommend the anime series (sub. or dub) to any fan of the manga, or fan of the genre, as I believe it would be a let down.  The story itself stays relatively true to the manga it is based on, the visuals were a major turn off for me.  For those reasons I do not recommend the anime series, but some might enjoy the series, and I do encourage anyone to try things and judge them on their own.  If you are looking to buy the manga, Amazon does sell both used and new copies of the series in various languages.  If you are looking to stream the anime, YouTube and Netflix (as the series is a Netflix original series) both have the series in both subbed and dubbed versions.  If you are looking to buy the anime series, it has only been released to buy online as of April 12, 2016 on various sites, but is sure to be released on Blu-Ray and DVD in the near future.  The series is one of the classics in my opinion, but everyone has different tastes, so don’t take my word for it and try it for yourself.