Yikes, what a long winded title. With joking aside, the title of this post reflects my opinion perfect about the first episode of the Denpateki na Kanojo OVA perfectly. The psychological thriller genre is one that holds a very special place in my heart. From the early days of Hitchcock, to the masterpieces of Kubrick, I have been infatuated with the twisted inner workings of the human mind, and the profoundly dark and often times destructive nature of human beings. When it comes to films, psychological horror is dime a dozen, but when it comes to anime the genre is quite scarce, so when I first learned about Denpateki na Kanojo, I approached to OVA with high hopes, and for my faith, I was rewarded with one of the most atmospherically engrossing thrillers I have seen in a long time. While the OVA is not on par with Monster or Serial Experiments Lain, Denpateki na Kanojo remains as one of my favorite recent endeavors. Denpateki na Kanojo, is certainly treading familiar ground, but is doing it with confidence and gusto.
A brief synopsis taken from MAL: Juuzawa Juu is a delinquent high school boy who just wants to be left alone. One day, he is approached by Ochibana Ame, who claims that she knew him in a previous life, and now wants to serve him as his “knight”. At first Juu wants nothing to do with Ame, but after a classmate is murdered, he accepts her help as he looks for the killer.
The story is something we’ve seen before in some form or another. But where the story lacks in originality, it certainly makes up for it with atmosphere. Very rarely does a show have tha ability to really grip the audience without clonking us over the head with blatant and in your face plot twists. It takes quite a bit of skill to move a story forward with atmosphere, excellent pacing, and masterful characterization. If these three concepts are understood and successfully executed, then we have a great show on our hands. The plot, as important as it is, will become second nature, and flow more naturally. That said, there are plenty of plot driven anime that deliver the same enjoyment, but that’s not where I’m looking today.
What I’m looking for is an anime that oozes atmosphere from every orophous and has the ability to make my hairs stand on end without so much as a word from the main characters. Oddly enough Denpateki na Kanojo does NOT, accomplish this. Putting in the same cateogry as Aria (which has unbelievable atmosphere) and Monster (which not only provides a dark, brooding tone, but also a masterfully crafted story), would be a diservice to these masterpieces. However, Denpateki na Kanojo does try it’s hand at this difficult artform and comes out with impressive results.
Although it’s a step behind the masterpieces mentioned before, it does take a step forward when compared to the countless anime that are released every season. It surely isn’t a masterpiece, but it is definitely something to look into. Every once in a while, taking the road less traveled with produce rewarding results.
