Is 'Re:LIFE' A Good Anime To Watch?
Kaizaki and Friends
What’s Good?
The majority of the story is solid. It’s a slice of life with romance weaved in. It takes a hard look at Japanese “working culture,” and builds a story from a likable protagonist. Re:Life has strong “watchability” to it, and you won’t feel bored watching. It balances comedy, romance, and seriousness at the same time.
The good…
Characters
Themes
Concept
Romance
Plot Twists
What’s Bad?
The Re:Life anime is an adaptation of a 222 chapter webtoon manga by So Yayoi. Instead of fitting 222 chapters worth of material into 17 episodes, some backstory and character developments get pushed to the side. However, the story told by the anime is very fitting, and does not feel out of place.
The bad…
222 chapters of manga don’t fit perfectly into 17 anime episodes
Character backstories left out for the sake of time
An Onoya
Synopsis
Re:Life follows the life of a 27 year old man named Arata Kaizaki who has no job. He lives very dependently upon his parents until one day they cut him off financially. Kaizaki—now in need of money—is approached to become a test subject for the “Re:Life” program. Upon taking a special pill, Kaizaki’s appearance reverts back to the way he looked 10 years prior! He looks like a high schooler.
Re:Life is meant to be a rehabilitation experiment for NEETs (those who are “Not in Education, Employment, or Training) in Japan.
The series follows Kaizaki going through the trials and tribulations of being in high school, while also being 10 years older than everyone around him.
Kaizaki and Hishiro
Short Answer
The 17 episode Re:Life might not be the “perfect” anime, but it gets the job done, and it’s pretty dang entertaining. I would recommend this show to those who are interested in the slice of life and romance genres.
Re:Life has a strong cast of characters, and it packs a punch when things get emotional. The story takes a few twists and turns, but it never gets too dark (maybe a little). The ending leaves no questions asked, and wraps things up nicely.
Watch it!
Long Answer (slight spoilers)
The first 13 episodes of Re:Life aired in 2016. The last four episodes (14-17 called 'Re:Life: Kanketsu-hen') came out as OVA’s in 2018. Re:Life is also based on a Japanese webtoon manga of the same name.
Kaizaki is a 27 year old man who chose to quit his job for a very specific reason. He hated his working environment, and instead chose to live a life, different than his peers.
This “reason” is why the story has ground to stand on. Re:Life, takes a hard look at the slice of life genre. While many anime series in the same category start their world building in high school, Re:Life starts in the adult world.
Kaizaki at his old job
Kaizaki wants to push his new friends out of their comfort zones, so they don’t have to face the same world he did. The show does a good job of telling small story arcs in the span of 17 episodes.
The first 13 episodes are primarily about Kaizaki influencing events that happen in his circle of friends. Re:Life is therapeutic for him in this sense because it’s almost like he’s giving advice to himself. Over the course of 13 episode we see Kaizaki grow as a person, and come to terms with his past. This is all done while an overarching romance story is keenly weaved in.
The final four episodes are focused on the final arc of the manga which is heavily romance centric. For much of the series, Kaizaki denies any romantic relationship because of his age, but due to some developments in the story, one begins to blossom naturally despite it being unrequited (don’t worry everything is wholesome and nothing gets weird).
Many fans of Re:Life say that the manga handles the final arc much better than the anime does, but in my opinion, the anime’s ending does enough to satisfy. In fact, on My Anime List, the OVAs are listed with a higher rating than the first 13 episodes.
This is a show that begins and ends properly. There are no plot threads left for more story. A second series would be needed to tell more, not a second season.
17 episodes does the job, but 24 could have made it even better. The only weak point Re:Life has is the amount of material that has to get covered in a short amount of time. Instead of overstuffing, some things are just left out completely.
I understand why the manga readers favor it over the anime.
Even though it falls short in some aspects, Re:Life is a very good show. It’s a must watch for anyone who likes slice of life. It’s a must watch for anyone who likes romance anime! I say give it a go!
RATING
SWEET!
