NieA Under 7 (NieA_7)

Niea doesn’t have spectacular fights or epic quests or fan service or dozens of characters or a Big Mystery… If you need some of these qualities to like an anime, look elsewhere. This show isn’t for you. Although the plot includes: (literally) alien immigrants, exams to cram for, a bath-house business to save, and a possible love interest, the show is really about feeling alone and forgotten, but getting by with a couple of laughs and a friend or two.

Niea_7 is a subtle show that you think about later. Although ostensibly a comedy, the comedy is the weakest part of the show. Like many of the best shows (or the shows I like, anyway), it’s all about the feeling. The mood is downbeat and nostalgic, and very much influenced by the time it was made, i.e. the 1990s recession in Japan. Although set in the future, this show reflects present-day concerns, but also references the Japanese post-WW2 period of poverty and struggle. Some music played during the show reflects this period, but most is based on 1930s blues, thus also referencing the Great Depression. The main characters are all struggling, they are all outsiders that society has dismissed, and they live in a place where everything feels discarded or out of date. But they keep going, with a happy/sad feeling that characterises the show.

I should advise that I don’t think the show really settles in until episode 4 – before that it is just trying to be a comedy. Also, you should try to watch the show in 1 or 2 sittings, as there are some continued plot elements that you will miss otherwise, e.g. the real reason for Mayuko’s melancholy in the second half of the series.

On the negative side:
*The opening theme is pretty hard to get used to, though I did warm to it eventually when rewatching the show. On the other hand, the ending theme is really nice.
*The regular Indian “gag” ending was annoying and unfunny.
*They obviously ran out of time while making the last episode, so a few frames are crude animated watercolour pictures.
*And the series ended, dammit! But the ending felt natural, it didn’t seem that anything was missing or cut short. Which is a nice change.

To sum up: if you think you’ll enjoy a show that’s slow, thoughtful and a bit melancholy (with a few crazy gags thrown in), Niea_7 may be for you. But if this all sounds like anime hell, don’t say I didn’t warn you!