No. 6
Title: No. 6
Type: Anime, Manga, Novel
Author(s): ASANO Atsuko
Artist(s): KINO Hinoki
Status in Home Country: Ongoing - 0 Volumes
Scanslation Status: Ongoing, Ch 4+
Scan Groups: Fallen Syndicate, Twisted Curiosity
Novel Status: Ongoing, Vol 2, Ch 3+
Novel Translator: http://9th-ave.blogspot.com
Novel Summaries: http://hiriajuu.livejournal.com
Anime: Ongoing 8/11?
Genre(s): Action, Drama, Mystery, Sci-fi, Shoujo, Shounen Ai
Summary: The story is set in "No. 6," a future model city in 2013. Raised as a top-ranking elite since the age of 2, a boy named Shion lives in an exclusive area in No. 6. On the night of his 12th birthday, he rescues a boy who calls himself "Nezumi" ("Rat"). Nezumi ran away from the city's Special Security Area. From that moment on, Shion's life is changed forever...
Review: If you haven't watched or read this series, I'd highly recommend it. Technically, this series is supposed to be shoujo and it does sort of have a hetero love interest. However, it's kind of quasi shounen-ai. I love the artwork on this.
Shion, the main character is like a cross between Allen from "D. Grayman" and Nai from "Karneval". He's got a wide eyed naive innocence because of his sheltered upbringing, but he's a quick learner on how to fight despite the odds. I really loved his personality on how he can completely spout out the most embarrassing confessions w/o shame or any hidden intent. It's amusing how those confessions can be construed.
Nezumi, on the other hand, is like a cross between Kanda from "D. Grayman" & Mukuro from "Hitman Reborn". I guess you'd call him the tsundere type? He's sarcastic and rough, but shows a lot of caring in his own ways.
The story is about a genius boy who has been cruising by life and spoiled by the government w/ all his financial and schooling needs. However, on his 12th birthday, he looses his placement in the hierarchy of the government system when he intentionally shelters and saves a runaway convict. Four years later, he's barely making ends meet as a Park maintence technician. Trouble ensues when he finds a dead corpse in his park that has been aged mysteriously. When he gets framed for his co-worker's death, the young convict he once saved comes to save him and takes him to live outside the city where the dregs of society and trash from the city gets thrown.
It's a fascinating sci-fi'ish story that really keeps the mystery going on. No. 6 represents the utopic city Shion grew up. Despite the perfect veneer of the city, people are categorized for how useful they are to the city. The ones that contribute the most like the geniuses, are part of the upper echelon, while the others enjoy only part of the city benefits. It's a completely repressive society where citizens are completely controled by the officials and no one is allowed to voice any dissenting thoughts against the system.
There's quite a lot to the mystery and the story line so I'm curious if the anime can wrap up the storyline in 11-12 episodes. I first started watching the anime, and ended up getting hooked because of my love for Nezumi and Shion. I was curious whether the novel gave off the same shounen-ai'ish haze and it sort of does. Shion is deeply fascinated by Nezumi, and doesn't quite understand his attachment to him. Part of it is because Nezumi represents that hidden resentment at a Utopia society and finding something foreign in his plain world.
Nezumi, as a tough slightly sadistic type of guy is a really well developed character. His job as a shakespear actor is oddly amusing as well. I'm glad that he's not the stereotypical good looking and withdrawn emo guy.
It's a shoujo type of series, so the there is a female love interest. She's mostly a side character that will have a greater importance at the end of the series in a tragic way. I like that she's kind of an unemotional character. Demanding Shion's sperm as a push for copulation was hilarious. It's rare to find a shoujo heroine that isn't clingy & whiny. Overall, its a definite great series.
Rate: 10