*Contains spoilers

Released: 2011
Genres: Mystery, Psychological, Supernatural
Studio: BONES
Episodes: 11 + Special

It’s been a while since I wanted to rewatch this anime because on the first watch, I didn’t really understand it fully. But after sitting through the series in one go, I can say that it was worth seeing it again.

Here I bring a brief review of Un-Go anime!

Un-Go’s Plot

In post-war Japan, the infamous detective named Shinjuurou Yuuki seeks to find the truth behind all mysterious cases. 

Although Shinjuurou usually succeeds in solving the mysteries, one way or another, he would frequently lose to his “rival”, Rinroku Kaishou. Yet, Shinjuurou never gives up and together with his mysterious assistant Inga, he continues solving all crimes, despite the adversities he may face.

Story

“People want beauty, favour luxury and crave pleasure, but at the same time they know and love what is right” – Shinjuurou Yuki

Un-Go is set in a dystopian Japan where our protagonist Shinjuurou works as a detective with an assistant shrouded in secrecy. Even if he’s known as the defeated detective, he would somehow manage to solve the cases he was recruited for. But the truth about the crimes never come to light as there’s someone pulling the strings behind the scenes and ends up covering everything. It’s kind of realistic because the truth can sometimes be bitter and the corrupted humans would prefer to cover it up to take advantage of the situation.

Un-Go’s story focuses on mystery mixed with supernatural elements. But it also involves themes like terrorism, blind patriotism, corruption and conspiracies. All these elements give the anime a solid story with realistic undertones. We could notice how the government controls media to manipulate the citizens’ minds and make them believe what is advantageous for them.

But the anime doesn’t easily show its true potential, therefore, you need to pay close attention to every detail to understand it properly. That’s why I needed to watch this anime again because the first time confused me a lot. 

The first few episodes show us a simple story with aleatory cases, and I think that’s why this anime can be puzzling. These episodes are packed with information and let me highlight this, there’s A LOT of information, so that can seem a bit annoying. But as the story progressed, all those aleatory cases and information started to make sense because everything was connected, even if wasn’t that noticeable at first sight. Little by little, the anime began to take an interesting turn. 

There are many meaningful dialogues that try to explore the humans’ true nature that make us realise that we are complex beings and it’s hard to fully understand ourselves. Humans can be selfish and sometimes they would prefer to tell sweet lies rather than bitter truths because they’re afraid to expose themselves to others. Their souls can be easily corrupted and they live with things hidden in their hearts that they can’t put into words. But Shinjuurou wanted to see the true beauty that hides behind humans and that’s why he exposed their souls.

Still, the anime didn’t develop some aspects of its story, such as the characters’ backgrounds and why they do what they do. So it left me with many doubts for a while till I watched its special. That episode gives us a deeper perspective about the main characters, how they met and what purpose they have. Fortunately, with the special episode, all my doubts and questions disappeared. 

Un-Go is an interesting anime with great potential, but still, I must clarify that not everyone will find the series enjoyable. It’s not easy to figure out what’s so appealing about the story, so it’s not for everyone. But as someone who likes detective anime with realistic themes, I’ve to say that it was worth all the time I put into it.

Characters

Shinjuurou Yuuki

Shinjuurou, also known as the “Defeated Detective”, is the main protagonist. He’s a serious man who seeks to expose the truth and only the truth of all cases in which he’s involved. 

To be honest, I thought that Shinjuurou would be the type of anime detective who would resolve every single case on the first try. But he didn’t and that gave his character a touch of realism. This character was like any other ordinary human being because he had limitations and couldn’t achieve everything perfectly. For that reason, I liked this character, he had his flaws and like anyone else, he made mistakes and learned from them.

Inga

Since the beginning, Inga is surrounded by a mysterious aura that warns you she’s not normal and is hiding something. I’m not going to lie, she was the first thing that caught my attention in the anime and I was intrigued about her origins. But in the anime, they barely develop what she was or where she came from… 

Fortunately, in the special, all my questions about Inga were answered. I’m glad they did it because the 11 episodes of the anime don’t delve deep into the characters’ backstories.

The fact that Inga could ask just one question to expose the true desires of the people’s hearts was interesting. Also, I liked that she could change her looks. She could take the form of an innocent and childish boy but also a seductive yet creepy female form. Inga was like the two sides of the same coin and that duality gave her a more intriguing air.

Rinroku Kaishou

In my opinion, one of the most enigmatic characters in the anime was the one who played the role of the “successful detective” and information dealer, Kaishou. 

Kaishou is the president of a company that helped the Japanese government rebuild the country after the war. But he used nasty methods and lies to hide the truth from the citizens, taking advantage of his “hero reputation” to move the pieces as he pleased. 

Kaishou had no qualms about covering up the truth of the crimes. As long as there was a benefit to him in covering the truth, he’d do it, even if that meant he’d leave the culprit free.

Art and animation

The only thing that I disliked about Un-Go was its art style… It was disappointing to some extent and the characters looked disproportionate at times, which kind of ruined my viewing experience. 

The character designs didn’t convince me at first, but after a while, I found their aesthetics somewhat eye-catching, perhaps because I was getting used to them… But if I have to praise something, it’d be the palette of colours used because the cold tones matched the post-war atmosphere. 

The animation doesn’t stand out, but it wasn’t bad either. At least it was fluid and well-executed in some scenes.

Soundtrack

In a few words, I must say that I loved Un-Go soundtrack. The tracks blended splendidly with the scenes and managed to set and even enhance the mysterious atmosphere of the anime.

The OP “How To Go” by School Food Punishment and the ED “Fantasy” by LAMA are catchy songs that I couldn’t skip, not even once. I liked them and I think they matched well with the anime vibes.

Final Score

If I wrote this Un-Go review the first time I watched the series, I’d have given it a 4/10 because I didn’t find it entertaining. But now, after rewatching it, I must say it shines in its own way with its unique storytelling, so I’ll give it an 8/10. 

The mysteries aren’t that complicated, but the characters and the context of the situations make it entertaining. I really like the anime perspective regarding human nature, the truth and politics. It may not be for everyone, but I’d suggest giving it a try, especially if you are into detective stories!

Have you watched Un-Go?