Adapted from Taizan 5’s Shonen Jump+ manga,Takopi’s Original Sinis an unprecedented hit that tackles bleak psychological themes through the daily lives of an ensemble of mentally fractured individuals. It’s easy to see why the sleeper hit show garners highly positive reviews from critics and geek culture enthusiasts;Takopi’s Original Sinpaints a picture that is dauntingly realistic.
Breaking away from the “escapism” constraints most anime are governed by, the unconventional show is grounded in grittiness thatsimultaneously draws and unnerves viewers, creating an unparalleled, addictive bittersweet experience. The premise of the story is simple, or so it seems, until the anime painstakingly unravels the grim difficulty of young children securing happiness in unstable and abusive homes.
Takopi’s Original Sin Is Based On A Simple Goal That Is Impossible To Achieve, More So For Takopi
Not Everything Can Be Solved, And That’s Okay
Right fromTakopi’s Original Sindebut episode, the anime is eerily different, wasting no time in establishing the story’s pillars. Nueinukf, renamed “Takopi” alluding to his octopi appearance, is a chipper alien from the Planet Happy whose goal is to create happiness through “Happy” gadgets.
Takopi’s first human connection is Shizuka, the story’s pessimistic protagonist, who ticks all the boxes for his mission on Earth. She’s unhappy, teetering on the edge of depression, with the only positive presence in her life being her furry companion, Chappy. From the first interactions between the duo, it’s apparent that Takopi has zero knowledge of the intricacies of humanity.
Coming from a simple monofunctional world, Takopi fails to grasp the complex nature of man and is soon confronted with a daunting glimpse into Shizuka’s incomprehensible characterisation through suicide in episode 1. To solve this problem, the shocked alien resets time, hardening his resolve to make Shizuka happy by narrowing down the motive behind her suicide in his warped timeline.
Takopi is a positive extremist; he is willing to go the extra mile(s) to secure his beneficiary’s happiness. However, Takopi’s actions, from his happy gadgets to his reality-warping strategies, fail to achieve an ostensibly simple goal: Shizuka’s happiness. Despite his constant observation of humanity’s darker sides, Takopi still adopts a skewed, gratingly obtuse perspective on earthly matters.
The enthusiastic alien’s boundless need to please Shizuka creates a litany of problems, such as the death of Marina, underscoring his myopic understanding of the concepts of actions and consequences and moral restraints. His actions culminate in Shizuka’s elated and manipulative character development, which pushes her into making violent decisions, relying on Takopi and Azuma to clean up her mess.
Takopi’s Original Sinpeers into the background of Shizuka, exemplifying that true happiness is difficult for some to achieve.
Through the narrations between Takopi and Shizuka,Takopi’s Original Sinteaches a bitter lesson: not everything can be fixed. Even when one bears the noblest of intentions, one cannot always change a person’s outlook on life.Takopi’s Original Sinpeers into the background of Shizuka, exemplifying that true happiness is difficult for some to achieve.
Takopi’s Original Sin Is Anime’s Boldest Take On Family-Induced Trauma
It Explores The Psyche of Children from Broken Homes
Broken homes birth broken children;Takopi’s Original Sinbrings this disconcerting consequence to the anime’s center stage.Takopi’s Original Sinuses three children to accentuate the far-reaching effects of unstable marriages and families: Shizuka Kuze, Marina Kirarazaka, and Naoki Azuma.
For Shizuka Kuze, life is bleak when her father abandons his family to create another in the city. Her mum neglects her, even though she’s marked by bruises from bullies or is poorly groomed. The only ray of sunshine in Shizuka’s life is Chappy, a mutt that she raised from birth — her sole consolation in a bleak world.
Understandably so, Shizuka loses her mind after Chappy’s impounding, and when confronted with the comforting thought of a reunion, she’s willing to manipulate others to satisfy her selfish interest. Shizuka’s bothersome trait flows from the apparent lack of a comforting familial presence to rely on in challenging moments.
On the other hand, Naoki Azuma wasgroomed by an overly critical mother, who relentlessly hinted at his inadequacy to display excellence like his elder brother. This mentally harsh treatment, alongside an unjust performance-reward parenting style, creates Naoki’s inferiority complex, hinging on his mother’s recognition.
Consequently, it’s easy to understand the character’s obsessive actions towards Kuze, who he says looks like his mother. His infatuation with Kuze overrides his conscience, or perhaps distracts Akuma from the horrific actions of Kuze and Takopi.
Marina Kirarazaka, Shizuka’s nemesis, literally takes the brunt of her mother’s physically abusive actions for a failed marriage. Time and again, Marina has to deal with her mother’s abusive schizophrenic personality, leading her to bully Shizuka as a coping mechanism; Shizuka is Marina’s punching-bag outlet for deep-seated frustration from Marina’s father’s affair with Shizuka’s mother.
It shapes the darker side of personality, molding her characterization to mirror that of her mothers without her realization. Children are one-half of their parents; they are reflections, and Marina’s cruel treatment of Shizuka furnishes this point.
These unfortunate characters show the inevitable effects of unstable homes on the psyche of younger family members and how it can influence the momentum of their lives. It is a horrific display of distasteful events that are compelling to watch and have lessons to teach.
Takopi’s Original Sin Gives Viewers A Bittersweet Ending, Without Eliminating The Problems Of The Characters
The finale ofTakopi’s Original Sinkicks off with Takopi switching grantees. The change happens after Shizuka’s wishful hope of Chappy’s reunion is upturned by the soul-crushing weight of disappointment after discovering her father’s other family, and Chappy’s nonexistence pushes Shizuka to the edge of insanity. Unable to introspectively sort out her dark thoughts, she kills Takopi.
Fortunately for Takopi, by a traumatic life-resetting ability, he switches his happiness candidacy to Marina, turning against Shizuka. The unsettling change highlights Takopi’s hollow outlook on humanity—his sense of identity is one-dimensional, functional, and bends almost absolutely to his beneficiary’s will. Eventually, Takopi is caught up in a conflicting moral quagmire; he comes tounderstand humans' morally gray personalities.
Through Azuma’s guidance, he discovers the duality of man, understanding that a person can be both good and bad, triggering a reset in his mentality. Although he still retains the same naive outlook on happiness and conflict resolution, he manages to evoke emotions buried deep within Shizuka; the release of Shizuka’s pent-up emotions is her first step towards self-healing.
Through this emotionally stirring scene, viewers get a good look at Shizuka’s rebirth; it is the first step the character takes towards confronting her problems instead of tuning them out. The change lays the groundwork forTakopi’s Original Sin’s bittersweet ending, undergirding a poignant truth: not everything can be fixed, and even an imperfect ending can still be meaningful.
