Ajin

Mysterious immortal humans known as "Ajin" first appeared 17 years ago in Africa. Upon their discovery, they were labeled as a threat to mankind, as they might use their powers for evil and were incapable of being destroyed. Since then, whenever an Ajin is found within society, they are to be arrested and taken into custody immediately.

Studying hard to become a doctor, Kei Nagai is a high schooler who knows very little about Ajin, only having seen them appear in the news every now and then. Students are taught that these creatures are not considered to be human, but Kei doesn't pay much attention in class. As a result, his perilously little grasp on this subject proves to be completely irrelevant when he survives an accident that was supposed to claim his life, signaling his rebirth as an Ajin and the start of his days of torment. However, as he finds himself alone on the run from the entire world, Kei soon realizes that more of his species may be a lot closer than he thinks.

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

Nagai, Kei Main

Miyano, Mamoru Japanese

Satou Supporting

Ootsuka, Houchuu Japanese

Kaito Supporting

Hosoya, Yoshimasa Japanese

Shimomura, Izumi Supporting

Komatsu, Mikako Japanese

Nakano, Kou Supporting

Fukuyama, Jun Japanese

Tosaki, Yuu Supporting

Sakurai, Takahiro Japanese

Ogura, Ikuya Supporting

Kinoshita, Hiroyuki Japanese

Tanaka, Kouji Supporting

Hirakawa, Daisuke Japanese

Nagai, Eriko Supporting

Suzaki, Aya Japanese

Hirasawa Supporting

Miyazaki, Atsuyoshi Japanese

Yoda, Nobutaka Producer

Sudou, Koutarou Producer

Saitou, Masaya Producer

Yamazaki, Yoshihiko Producer

Reviews

May 16, 2025

SDK1903

Recommended

Ajin – 7/10

Is the story unique?
Yes. The concept of immortals being hunted and used for experimentation is dark, intense, and gripping. The moral ambiguity, especially surrounding Kei as a protagonist, adds depth. While the "humans vs. non-humans" conflict isn't new, Ajin brings a fresh brutality and psychological edge to it that makes it stand out.

Do you think the art style is fitting for the story?
The 3D CGI animation is definitely polarizing. Some viewers find it jarring, especially at first, but it suits the cold, unsettling tone of the series. It creates a distinct, eerie atmosphere that enhances the horror and violence, even if it lacks ... the fluidity and detail of traditional 2D.

Were the characters well-rounded?
Kei is an interesting anti-hero—calculating, emotionally detached, and hard to root for in a traditional sense. This makes him compelling, even if not likable. Other characters like Satou bring real menace, but some supporting roles feel underdeveloped or stereotypical.

Did the characters react to situations and events in a realistic way?
For the most part, yes. Reactions to trauma, fear, and survival are often portrayed with a raw, unsettling honesty. Kei’s cold logic may seem extreme, but it makes sense within the ruthless world he lives in. The emotional detachment adds to the tension.

Do you think others will enjoy/dislike this series, even if you didn’t? Why?
Viewers who enjoy dark, morally complex thrillers will likely be drawn to Ajin, especially for its themes of fear, control, and human cruelty. However, the CGI style and emotionally distant characters could be a deal-breaker for some. It’s not a comforting watch—but it is a compelling one.

Reviewer’s Rating: 7

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Mar 29, 2024

Brightly_Lit

Mixed Feelings

Ah, this show had so much potential: Unique and beautiful animation, interesting concept, a very cool vibe, the main character Kei is intriguing. He keeps track of his "friends" in his phone as "Friend 1," "Friend 2," etc., lol, because he is quite the sociopath. He has only one friend, to whom he no longer speaks because it would be a detriment to his social standing at school to do so, but when the shit hits the fan, that friend is the only person who's there for him, and Kei ends up making an incredible sacrifice inspired by him. Is Kei managing to break through ... his sociopathy and grow as a person?? wonders the viewer.

Kei is making his way back to his friend when he gets very temporarily waylaid ... and then he and the show both completely forget about this friend and he is literally NEVER MENTIONED AGAIN, I guess because the show has gotten more interested in the (admittedly pretty awesome) villain. Aaand ... this is pretty much how the show proceeds. There is absolutely no consistency of character, especially in the main character. No consistent motivation -- it becomes clear the sacrifice he made supposedly for his friend was actually just some random reason the show tossed out for him not to have just used his power to get himself right out of a horrific situation as he easily could have.

Nothing he (or really, anyone) does makes any sense. You could say there's no one to root for because they're all equally horrible people, but since the show doesn't even try to have any kind of consistent characterization, it's just that there aren't really any characters at all, just a bunch of people who look different but all act kind of the same, with little logic to anything they do.

I've started season two and it's even worse -- worse issues with characterization, plus considerably lower quality animation, and the writing is loose and lazy. For example, Kei ends season one with a grand declaration regarding his plans. Then in the first episode of season two, he dismisses those same plans, saying they would be "impossible." Whoever wrote this seems to have a short attention span.

It can be quite violent. There's a very high body count. But because pretty much everyone on the show is a terrible person, it's hard to be too troubled by the body count, and the show does have lines it won't cross, which was a relief, because it's extremely brutal.

As I mentioned, the bad guy, Hat, is pretty great. There's a fantastic episode in which Hat breaks into a well defended facility to rescue Kei. In this one episode, the fight scenes are awesome, the unique relationship between Hat and Kei is awesome, all the other interactions with people are interesting and real and unexpected .... If the show had maintained the excellence of that episode, it would have been easily one of the greatest shows of all time. Or if it had developed the relationship between Kei and his one friend. Or if anything about ajins and their powers was particularly interesting. Or even if it had bothered to have any sort of realism or continuity or characters. But it didn't. So I'll give it some stars for the things it did well, but it's just not very good. Pretty entertaining, though, if you don't care about character or story.

Reviewer’s Rating: 4

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Feb 18, 2025

scarleteyes666

Not Recommended

Extremely generic anime.

It uses an interesting system of power, but does not elaborate or develop it, nor does it take advantage of its potential in fights. By the way, the fights are extremely predictable, both in terms of outcome and progress. The 3D is mediocre, not because of the style chosen in the adaptation, but because of the execution or perhaps the budget.
As for the characters, they are quite forgettable apart from the protagonist, and the extremely superficial way in which the author approaches the bonds is regrettable... The plot's biggest effort in this regard was to try to humanize the lady that the protagonist ... had a certain affection for, but that was it.

It's normal for a work to be simpler or "rushed" because it's short, but that's no excuse for being mediocre, and Ajin is far from being a good work. There is a huge lack of details and a total disregard for the characters... In short, it's not worth watching.

Reviewer’s Rating: 6

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