The Anime “This Monster Wants to Eat Me” is a real hidden gem. However, one must have a penchant for dark themes.
No matter how you look at it, the current anime season is rather disappointing. Especially the new season of One-Punch Man is under fire, so at least I have taken a broader look at what else is out there.
So I clicked through the trailers of the current season on Crunchyroll and my Yuri heart was immediately distracted by “This Monster Wants to Eat Me”. But at that time, I didn’t yet know what kind of dark story awaited me.
A young woman who wants to be eaten
Hinako Yaotose is the sole survivor of a car accident that claimed the lives of her parents and brother many years ago. When the car veered off the road, Hinako was thrown out of the window and had to watch her family sink in the burning car in the sea.
Since then, Hinako longs for her own death. However, she does not consider direct suicide. Because when she tried, she heard a voice asking her to stay alive. But this voice is a torment for Hinako, just like her entire life. She wishes for an end, and if she cannot end it herself, then some force, some misfortune or attack should ensure that she dies, because she would not resist it.
A wish that seems unexpectedly to come true one day. Because while walking along a canal, Hinako is attacked by a monstrous creature from the water, which threatens to devour her. She surrenders to the being but is saved by a second figure that brutally tears the attacker apart.
This second being is Shiori, and she turns out to be a mermaid. However, her human form is merely a disguise. In truth, she is a massive, gluttonous monster with only one thing on her mind: to devour particularly appetizing humans. Her current prey: Hinako.
Hinako sees in this her possible “salvation”: if she is devoured by the mermaid, her life would finally come to an end, and she would find the death she has long wished for.
Shiori promises her that she will kill and eat her in the end. But before that can happen, one thing must change: Hinako must be “ripe” so that she “tastes right,” and according to Shiori, this can only happen if she regains her will to live and her joy of life.
And yes, you understand exactly right. The dark premise of the anime: the death-thirsty Hinako will only find her guaranteed death when she no longer desires it and is freed from those thoughts.
Gruesome beauty in the portrayal of despair
This not only reads harshly but is also impressively shown in the series time and again. The depressive thoughts, the feeling of numbness, and the longing for death are usually depicted in such a way that Hinako suddenly finds herself in the depths of the sea, surrounded only by muffling water and the soft rustle. The oppression and hopelessness are more than palpable in every episode.
That the abandoned Hinako is so convincingly desperate also lies in the brilliant voice actress. This is indeed Reina Ueda, who already voiced the protagonist Miyo Saimori in “My Happy Marriage” – if you know the anime, you know how incredibly desperate and broken a voice can sound.
This portrayal of despair has a certain ethereal beauty that is hard to put into words and even harder to escape from.
Yes, sure: “This Monster Wants to Eat Me” also has some funny or even silly passages that sometimes serve as a relief. You might find these scenes a bit out of place, but I believe that without them, the series would really be too dark, so I can manage with it so far.
Since the series is not yet complete and I did not want to be spoiled, I haven’t looked at the manga, so I cannot say anything about whether the story has a happy ending or ends in pure despair. I really cannot foresee whether the series ends positively or with one or even multiple deaths. I am prepared for both.
If you haven’t found anything for yourself this season, then check out This Monster Wants to Eat Me – but be aware that it will not be a cheerful or pleasant trip. If you prefer something lighter, don’t worry: We also have 5 anime that will prove to your parents that they shouldn’t expect anything from you anymore.
