Anime Review: Humanity Has Declined
In the indefinite future, homo sapiens as we know it is slowly going extinct. Not to worry, though, our successors have already appeared, the New Humans, also commonly referred to as “fairies.” The Mediator is a young woman who works for what’s left of the UN, acting as an intermediary between the Old Humans and the new ones.
This 2012 anime series is based on a series of light novels, Jinrui wa Suitai Shimashita, by Romeo Tanaka. It’s a satire on human behavior, with plenty of dark comedy mixed in with science fiction concepts. The fairies have seemingly miraculous technology but can’t master the concept of making sweets for themselves. No one seems to be terribly fussed about the extinction of humanity, at worst being a bit melancholy about what sort of legacy it will be leaving behind.
The series is told in anachronic order; the first two episodes take place near the end of the storyline, while the last two cover the Mediator’s education. (Very few people in this series have actual names that we hear.)
There’s some slapstick violence, particularly in the first couple of episodes, in which the fairies try to help with a food shortage, and it might not be suitable for viewers with sensitive stomachs. There’s also a couple of incontinence jokes, and a character that’s overly fond of stories where boys become more than friends. Still, it should be okay for most viewers junior high age and up who can handle dark comedy.
