3ET: Kamisama no Iniai Nichiyoubi

Digging up the dead with a shovel and a pick, it's a job. It's a job

Studio: Madhouse

Director: Kumazawa Yuuji (Debut)

Main Cast: Toyosaki Aki as Ai, Namikawa Daisuke as Hambart, Hampnie

Writer: Konparu Tomoko (Kimi ni Todoke, Nana)

Music: Mizutani Hiromi (Jigoku Shoujo, Hyakko)


Anime has a tendency to take an idea and run with it. In fact, I think that's one of its strengths as a medium. Take Kamisama no Inai Nichiyoubi, a story where the dead don't die unless they get buried by special Gravekeepers. This seems like a plot that in the West would get made into an independent film that might scrape the surface of the resulting world. But, in anime, it's getting a thirteen episode television show. And that gives it the opportunity to explore the depths of not only the world, but the characters who live in it. Of course, whether or not it works depends on how well the story is told beyond the intriguing hook.

Bloody moon rising a plague and a flood, join the mob. Join the mob

In this case, it works thanks to great writing and  stellar voice acting. Konparu Tomoko has shown a consistent ability to squeeze as much development as possible out of her characters through dialogue, and this show is no exception. While there are many great conversations that get us to feel like we know these characters as people, my favorite occurs early in episode three. Hampnie has been established as the resident badass, and he's talking with the young Gravekeeper Ai about why he wants to find a way to die, as he is immortal and all. We see how frightened he is at the idea of being the last person on earth, and his voice actor, Namikawa Daisuke kills this scene even more than he does in the rest of the show where Hampnie is just a charming bastard. Of the reasons I passed this show, the dialogue is the biggest one.

The first time director, Kumazawa Yuuji, shows some promise as well. The three episodes I watch form the first arc of the series. And while the order of things in the first episode were a bit confusing, and while I did not like how he told what amounts to the epilogue for the first arc, he does a solid job. There is a lot of exposition to get out there, which is done by both Ai's basic knowledge of God's abondonment and Hampnie's worldly knowledge getting passed on to her (and to the audience). It can feel a bit spoonfeedy at times, but it works well. Also, he does a good job with choosing what not to show us, for example the guy with half his head blown off, but who isn't dead. We don't need to be shown a gross image of that, our minds can come up with it on our own. And in this case, I think it was more effective. The arc itself closes in a satisfying way, and sets up a launching point for the rest of the story. I really can't ask for much more as far as the first three episodes are concerned.

It's all over. It's all over. It's all over.

This has been the best first three episodes of a show I've seen this season. It's not really close, to be honest. Yes, there are minor quibbles I have with the directing, but they are plastered over by the writing, the voice acting, and the promise of exploring the world itself. I'm imagining it's the lyrics of the Tom Waits song "God's Away on Business" brought to life, complete with some horrors of the undead brought into it. I have a lot of faith in this show right now, and while there is always room for the show to fall apart, I feel like I'm in good hands this time.