Review: Mirai Nikki

The Future Diary

Oh boy. Where do I start here? If you’re going to be offended easily and aren’t into deep, dark things, then you should probably turn back now. Mirai Nikki has some of the sickest, freakiest and plain disgusting characters and events throughout it’s 26 episodes, and it isn’t for the faint hearted.

Mirai Nikki is a survival game, where humans who have some form of future-predicting diary all compete to be a god. As you can guess from that, it’s gritty, it’s dark and it’s got the wimpiest male lead ever, complimented by the most psychotic female lead ever. But you know, I don’t think I should talk about the rest of Mirai Nikki. It’s a thriller, and it’s one of the more easily spoilt ones, so I don’t want to give any hints that might give it away.

Granted, at some times it may feel like it tries too hard, but that’s all part of the mood…and Mirai Nikki sets a great one, making many other  thrillers, horrors or any form of roller-coaster style anime look bad. Sorry that this review is kinda crappy, but I honestly have no idea what to say. I hated the ending (or lack of), yet the finale was so insane it was good, like the rest of the show.

If anything I mentioned interests you, give it a try. You’ll be surprised by how good it actually is.

Mimi: I just wanted to add that the OST is flipping amazing and you should check it out on YT. My favorite song would have to be Sixth Battle (track 1) on vol 4! x3

Alex’s Score: 8.5 Meeps out of Ten (Very Good)

Mirai Nikki Episode 18

Alex: What with Kie having left the blog, and myself having read ahead in the manga and spoiling myself, I won’t resume coverage of Mirai Nikki. I’ll post a review at the end of it’s run, and i’ll keep the category, but there won’t be any more posts. Sorryyy.

Crossed Lines

Kie: This reminds me of the first few episodes of Mirai Nikki, when Yuno & Yuki worked together, even if it was for just a few minutes this time. At first I thought it was going to be a flashback episode worth nothing, but remembering last weeks, it could probably be good. It was really, it showed us whats probably the reason Yuno is so crazy. If my parents treated me like that I’d be out of there. Can’t say I’m too concerned about Yuki’s dad, I never really liked him before we found out he was an idiot. At least we get to see Yuki grow some balls, that scene reminded me why I loved this anime so much.

It pretty much shows the start of another Yuki & Yuno team up, and it looks like Yuno would let Yuki kill her once the other diary holders are gone. I hope it isn’t as simple as that though, I still want both of them to live. Oh yeah, where are those kids now? Kousaka, Akise? They haven’t even been mentioned for the past few episodes, since Yuki was in hospital. It’s good to see a possible turn around now though. Hopefully the episodes will be full of more action now Yuki actually wants to become God. Eleventh is a tramp for sending people out.

Mirai Nikki Episode 17

Family Discount

Kie: This week just keeps getting better. This episode was full of some amazing drama, and I mean sad drama. Really sad. For me, anyway. I was waiting for this to improve, but I didn’t expect it to be like this. I think a lot of focus now will go onto Yuki’s dad, which I really don’t want. I’d prefer them to take up the next 6 episodes on getting rid of 11th & 8th, then the last few with Yuki & Yuno’s finale, whatever that’s going to be. I’m still concerned about Yuki since he’s still a wimp even though I thought he was going to man up this episode after almost dying. He did manage to tell Yuno what to do which is a start I guess.

After the ending I can only hope that it gets him in gear. I doubt they can take down 11th & 8th with even more lucky events. And, Yuki actually attacks with his darts today. Not that it did much, but whatever. Also; flashback scene touched me. It’s one of the things I really do hate, even in an anime. It’s just so sad to see, especially when the whole episode is a sob story. It impressed me, but I still think they should have done something else with it.

Mirai Nikki Episode 16

Repairs

Alex: Average episode was average. Sure, it was different to the usual stuff, but that didn’t make it good. It just made it..average. Not good but not bad. Kinda inbetween. If that makes sense. Yuki’s father turns up to break his diary, probably sent by 11th, the guy we havn’t met yet. Then there are all the plotholes with Seventh’s duo and Ninth being a double agent…and yeah. I’m not sure if it worked for me.

Yukki – First
Yuno – Second
Takao Hiyama(Teacher) – Third. 
Keigo Kurusu(Detective) – Fourth
Reisuke Houjou(Kid) – Fifth
Tsubaki Kasugano(Shrine Lady) – Sixth.
Marco & Ai(Gangster Couple) – Seventh
Kamado Ueshita(Large lady who makes apprentice diaries). – Eighth
Minene Uryu(Bomber) – Ninth
Karyuudo Tsukishima(Dog guy) – Tenth
11th? – Sent Yuki’s dad to break his phone?
Yomotsu Hirasaka(Weird superhero guy) – Twelfth

Mirai Nikki Episode 15

Couples Plan

Kie: I can’t think of much to say about this. It was better than the previous two episodes, but it still felt lacking. It’s mainly down to the fact I hate where the plot is going right now. I loved the Yuno action scenes, and usually all the twists. But it felt like the twists in this episode were just making it worse. I would’ve preferred the apprentices to show up rather than Seventh. I don’t understand why they took Yuki & Yuno’s diaries but haven’t broken them yet. Obviously there’s going to be a reason, but I still don’t like it. To top it all off, Yuno knows Yuki was pretending. Why can’t romance work out in a great anime for once? I’m hoping what Seventh said to Yuki at the end will help though, it really showed how unreliable he is compared to Yuno. Ninth is back too, what a surprise.

Alex: I may have handed the series over to Kie, but I disagree with this episode. It was much more fun than the previous episodes, even though it didn’t make much sense. Anyway, I created my own little log of diary owners and thought I should share it; since I can’t be the only person baffled by all the characters and getting them mixed up.

Yukki – First
Yuno – Second
Takao Hiyama(Teacher) – Third. 
Keigo Kurusu(Detective) – Fourth
Reisuke Houjou(Kid) – Fifth
Tsubaki Kasugano(Shrine Lady) – Sixth.
Marco & Ai(Gangster Couple) – Seventh
Kamado Ueshita(Large lady who makes apprentice diaries). – Eighth
Minene Uryu(Bomber) – Ninth
Karyuudo Tsukishima(Dog guy) – Tenth
11th? – We havn’t met him yet.
Yomotsu Hirasaka(Weird superhero guy) – Twelfth

Mirai Nikki Episode 14

Memory Reset

Kie: I can’t believe Yuki’s finally given up on Yuno. Well, he had good enough reason too after she went completely over board just to protect him & herself. That really has annoyed me though. If this continues with Yuno & Yukki being enemies then it isn’t going to be as enjoyable at all. Also; apprentice future diaries. What is going on. Are they trying to ruin the whole series in just this one episode? Kousaka gets a message on his phone telling him he’s now got an apprentice future diary, and he can know see any successes he makes up to a certain point in the future. Did they really have to do this to allow them to escape? According to the diary he would’ve found the air vent anyway. But it doesn’t really matter, from the looks of things theres another three apprentices with diaries, and they’re after killing Yuno & Yukki.

I’m starting to worry about this series. It could’ve been so good but now it’s just going down hill. Unless these apprentice diaries are all pretty much useless like Kousaka’s, and Yuno & Yukki being enemies is only temporary, then this will just get worse. The only positive thing is that Yuno at least does still love Yuki, just a bit too much. How she let Kousaka & Hinata just walk out with Yuki is beyond me though. She went against his will to protect him, so why not go against him now? It also looks like the chef hat woman is going to be a diary holder. A pretty powerful one too, especially since it looks like she may be the boss of these apprentices. Well I’ve done a good job of making out this episode was terrible. But it wasn’t bad, I just disagree with where the plot is going completely. It really is a shame. If they fix the beyond huge changes they just made then it may live up to the potential I expected from it.

Mirai Nikki Episode 13

Restricted Call

Kie: Even though this is a build up episode, I’m not really satisfied with how much information we get. That being none. It starts off looking like it could be a possible filler, until Akise is suddenly leading a search party to find Yuki & Yuno. For whatever reason, Yuno is again on the run, but this time is suspected to be holding Yuki hostage. I’m going to guess Akise is a big part of Yuno’s actions. To me he’s clearly an enemy to her, especially after the text he sent to Yuki, and this is her way of trapping him. I don’t think Yuki knows he isn’t an actual hostage though. If he knew about the plan, it would probably change peoples future diaries, and someone would find out it was a trap. So this way, as we saw, Akise falls right into it. Well, we think he does at least.

Apart from the pointless hot tub scene, this episode wasn’t too bad. I can understand why Yuno would want to kill Akise, but I doubt Yuki would be too happy when he finds out. I hope I’m not wrong about Yuno’s plan, I’d really hate to see Yuki & her to become enemies so soon, or at all. Especially seeing what Yuno is capable of. We do get a pretty tense moment at the end though, when Deus reveals his bet is on Yuki winning the game. I personally can’t wait to see the happy end.

Mirai Nikki Episode 12

Reception Outside Range

Alex: It’s rare that a show seems to be aware of it’s flaws. Mirai Nikki gives the impression that it knows exactly what’s wrong with it, because it’s constantly improving and making itself better. The ending to this arc was yet another step up in the world of crazy pyscopaths and stalkers, and I remain impressed.

Firstly, and most importantly for me, Yukki took another step to getting over himself. He finally decided that he liked Yuno regardless of everything she’d done, and rightly so. Parents turn into wolves to protect their children, so why should Yuno turning into a wolf to protect Yukki put him off? I know that he wouldn’t have been able to think of it that way, but the concept remains the same.

Secondly, Fourth leaves the game. We’re only at Episode 12, and we’ve got well over half the contestants left. I don’t know if they’ve been killing each other behind the scenes or not, but it’s always welcome to see the badguy take a bow and leave the stage when he’s been “overcooked”.

Mirai Nikki Episode 11

Service Termination

Alex: I don’t know which Yuno I prefer. Cute pyscopathic Yuno, or Crazy pyscophatic Yuno. They both seem horribly skilled with weapons…firearms like that have a sharp recoil if they’re wielded with one hand. She must have undergone some serious training or whatever to become this skilled. o.o

Anyway, fourth turns on them and provokes them to commit a crime so that he can have the police hunt them down and that his diary will hunt them down. Turns out that he changed his mind about becoming god and that he’d actually like to become god after all. And..he’ll start with the easy targets. Yet things don’t go that simple, as through a rather interesting plot twist, Ninth, the crazy bombing girl who we saw last week, forms the New Future Alliance with Yuki and Yuno. I did raise my eyes in surprise, but whateverrr…there’s bound to be a reason behind her continuous changes of heart. Fourth’s change of heart got explained pretty well, so Ninth’s will get explained well in due time.

The episode was tense, and it was back on form. Apart from one scene where they got the BGM all wrong and ruined the mood, the entire episode felt chilling and dashing. Namely the Russian Roulette scene, and the scene with Ninth on the phone to Fourth. Bring on next week~!

Mirai Nikki Episode 10

Family Plan

Alex: The scene with Ninth at the start was actually pretty good, showing the third time that she used her diary. It just makes me wonder what she’s doing, if she’s been ordered to sit in that cabin building bombs. She’s probably the best character so far.

The rest of it was a date for Yuuki and Yuno set up by Akise…almost identical to the earlier event  at the theme park. Just the only difference being that Yuuki hadn’t looked in that room before their last date…and his confusion about how that changes everything for the two of them. He even goes as far as to say that he would probably fall for Yuno if he hadn’t seen that room. Yet Akise’s true intent is shown as he snooped around Yuno’s house all day…probably set up by Fourth, the detective.

There’s now a hugeass hole in the back garden, with the corpses from that room being dragged through the wall and into the hole. A hole so deep that you can’t see the bottom of it.Yet she claims that she has no memory of corpses, any previous visits or anything related to that hole. With the episode ending on a cliffhanger as Fourth turns on Yuno and Yukki, framing them for the murder of dog hunter man whom he shot last episode, i’m left feeling pretty positive about Mirai Nikki’s future now that it’s finally kicked off.