Shin Sekai Yori Episode 9

The Gale Game

Shin Sekai Yori is getting creepy again…in so many awesome ways! It’s been a little while since Saki and the others have heard from Shun, so they go searching for his relatives and friends. It turns out that they’re all missing, and Saki’s parents warn her not to get involved…or rather, to accept that one’s friends suddenly disappearing is a normal side of life. Then Maria brings some startling news to her in the  middle of the night–that she discovered their teacher, among other adults, releasing these giant creatures in the inner yard of the school. What a pity, they say. Shun must be stopped before he turns into a full Karma demon…

Although this isn’t too surprising based off of last week’s episode, it’s still a great plot twist. Those scary stories they read as younger children weren’t meant to just brainwash them, they actually come true in some sorta way. To what extent would Shun become a demon, I wonder? How is Saki going to take care of this all by herself? I don’t see any point of return this time. And for the first time, Saki remembers bits and pieces of her big sister. Now I want a full flashback of what happened to her… Just what kind of person was she?

If you ask me, this is the best episode since their encounter with the False Minoshiro. It’s eerie and imaginative in it’s own special way, reminding me ever so often of The Twilight Zone show from the 1960s. I especially love the creature’s designs. However, I’d actually like to see the private lives of Saki’s friends for once. It feels somewhat unbalanced when Saki gets fleshed out, yet all her friends depend on their interactions at school or in extreme situations to learn about them. Or perhaps the point is to keep them shrouded in mystery… It works well for Shun, at least. Still deeply curious about Maria…