The Girl from the Other Side

Review:

I watched the first episode of an anime called "The Girl from the Other Side." This show is adapted from a manga, and it is about a world which has two "sides" - one that is normal, and one that has been cursed. A little girl named Shiva somehow ends up on the "other," darker side, and a cursed man without a name takes her under his wing. She calls him "teacher" because he says he has forgotten who he was and what his old name was. They cannot touch because she would become cursed, but they still help each other. She saves him from loneliness and he saves her from being attacked by other cursed ones.

The anime was very different from any anime I've ever seen - the animation was highly stylized with a low frame rate and very unique art style. It was clearly hand-drawn and looks almost like a picture book. It is very dark at times, but the main character Shiva is entirely white, so she seems to glow, which represents how she brings light to the life of her cursed companion. Overall, this anime had a very ethereal and gothic feel but was also quite wholesome. I will definitely watch more of it!

Outcomes of Japanese study:

I was definitely able to recognize some words, including "teacher" because that is what the main character called her companion. I also recognized the word for "house" and basic phrases like "thank you." I could recognize some grammatical structures such as yes or no questions and asking for someone's name.