An Anime Review of 'Pet'

Pet was a fascinating project that I was interested in watching from the moment I saw the poster for it. Based on the manga of the same name that ran from 2002 till 2003, lasting 55 chapters collected into five volumes, and produced by Geno Studio, the same studio behind one of my favourite films over the past few years, Genocidal Organ. The show was directed by the fantastic Oomori Takahiro, who also worked on Baccano, and Durarara among others.

The narrative is fascinating as there are shades of The Cell present within it, and thematically shares some similarities to ID:INVADED, which also aired the same anime season. Pet on the other hand differentiates itself by way of making the mind diving antics a supernatural phenomenon as opposed to a technological one. Furthermore the narrative is something that I find myself in the middle of two sides of a coin. On the one hand the story is treated in a serious manner with distinct consequences to the actions of certain characters, there is also a certain intrigue that is posited by means of the company that the characters are working under, the plot twists are believable, and the characters themselves are interesting, performing the roles that are required of them for the narrative.

Despite the praise, there are times when the show chose to over explain the mechanics of the abilities and how they would be used. In addition there are instances where the narrative would feel as if it is far more complex than it actually is and proceed to continue to over explain this too. During these instances I found myself counting the time till the next significant event takes place. That being said, there are instances where things are explained enough to where you are left wanting more and are filled in later on in the show to correlate with a revelatory moment in the narrative and these instances are well handled.

The narrative is about a group of individuals who have the ability to enter other people’s mind and change aspects of their memories in order to affect their personalities, control their minds, and even completely decimate their consciousness leaving them as a husk of their former self.

The characters are a fascinating lot, as they all have distinct personalities and desires that are all unique to them. While some of the characters goals may at times overlap, the methods by which they want to achieve their goals would put them at odds with each other, creating great drama in the show. There is a diverse range of characters to pay attention to from the standpoint of their personality, that in one form or another,at one point each of them will feel relatable.

One of the highlights of the show, in addition to the list above, is the depiction of the mindscapes and the methods by which the characters interact with them. From a visual standpoint it is breathtaking to look at, and the sheer imagination that is being filtered into the show is fantastic. They manage to transition between images of wonder to images of pure horror at the flip of a coin without the immersion being broken. The range of colors being used are great, so as to further the visuals being depicted on screen, and the 3D aspects of the show are integrated in a way that helps it blend into the frame rather than standing out. The images are detailed and the characters all have a unique design that helps them stand out on the frame so that you would be able to distinguish between them visually. Plus the show does not hold back in the gore factor, and visual aspects that would be uncomfortable to look at. This is an aesthetically pleasing show to look at.

The music was interesting to listen to as they complimented the type of show that this is, and the fascinating mindscapes that we end up visiting. Also the opening and endings to the show are fantastic, the opening in particular being a highlight. The song by TK and the visuals create a fantastic piece to experience.

What I really enjoyed about this show is the fact that the show had a fantastic ending that left me completely satisfied, and had me completely riveted to the events unfolding.

While there are aspects of the show that left me wanting, overall this is a show that I very much enjoyed, and was satisfied with. As mentioned earlier, there is a fair amount of gore and some uncomfortable imagery. Beyond that, this is a show that I fully recommend. It is interesting, and incredibly imaginative visually. Pet is available to stream on Amazon Prime.