Forum - View topic(The) Darwin Incident (TV).
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Blood-
 Bargain Hunter Posts: 25599 |
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(The) Darwin Incident (TV) Source: Manga (ongoing @ 10 volumes by Shun Umezawa) Demographic: Seinen Animation Studio: Bellnox Films Genres: action, drama, psychological, science fiction, thriller Themes: anthropomorphs, conspiracy, contemplation, crime, demi-humans, discrimination, extremism, genetic engineering, moral dilemma, politics, school, social commentary, terrorism, United States Plot Summary: An attack by an eco-terrorist organization unveils the birth of a half-human, half-chimpanzee named Charlie. After growing up with foster parents and home schooling, Charlie enrolls in a high school and encounters many strange looks, a few bullies, and a friend. Meanwhile, the eco-terrorist organization is getting more extreme and wants to get Charlie involved with them, any way possible. Their involvement makes people even more suspicious of Charlie’s differences in appearance, ability, and worldview. Air Date & Platform: January 06, 2026 (Tuesday) Available on: Amazon Prime Episode Count / Runtime: Pending [EDIT: Fancy opener stuff edited. -TK] |
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Eilavel
Posts: 477 |
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I was interested in this as I am generally interested in high concept, ideas focused sci-fi.
Unfortunately, the ideas were presented were some of the dumbest, strawman arguments I've ever seen. Yes, you can have characters make stupid arguments, but these are non-entities who exist just to express ideas. If those are the ideas the show thinks are its interesting enough to spout, its just not a good sign. This is somewhat subjective and I expect it to have more going on than a lot of shows, but it was just intolerable for me. Hard no. |
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Blood-
Bargain Hunter Posts: 25599 |
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Episode 1
I dug it. I couldn't help but imagine how a Western show would have dealt with this same premise and I like how the Japanese version veers from that. Obviously, Charlie was gonna catch flak from some students, but it was done in a somewhat different way than if it had been a Western show. For sure there would have been fisticuffs in the Western version. This version isn't necessarily better, but it's different, and sometimes different is enough for me. |
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DuskyPredator
 Posts: 15852 Location: Brisbane, Australia |
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Going in, Chimpanzees kind of terrify me. A lot of what I read about them suddenly becoming violent, and in the movie Nope. I am kind of worried if he might suddenly go ape.
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Edjwald
 Posts: 3507 |
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Like Tune in to the Midnight Heart this one didn't give me strong feelings but gave me mildly positive and negative feelings in almost equal measure.
I was just thinking that the show had some of the pathos of Flowers for Algernon when I found out the that MC was named Charlie. I doubt it's a coincidence, and it doesn't speak well for hopes of a happy ending. Well, the word "incident" in the title doesn't bode well either. The quiet moments when the show focuses on Charlie's indecipherable expression are effective. He's alienated on several levels, and when he says he wonders what it would be like to be human, he means it. It looks like his only real bond will be with another person who feels like an outsider. Where the show failed for me is when it tried to make us examine humanity by showing it from Charlie's objective lens. The view is largely negative, and I don't really have a problem with that, but the execution is too simplistic and cliched to be very effective. I think that's part of what Eilavel was reacting to. |
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Eilavel
Posts: 477 |
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I didn't love that but it wouldn't repel me. It was the various mouthpieces on both sides of veganism that I just couldn't take, not that I have a stake in the issue but "lets have both sides use ludicrous rhetoric" is not what I want in a polyphonic work. I understand the concept is to have Charlie play the middle against them but they were so poor and he's so underplayed I think it will mostly just really annoy me; but thats partly my tolerances rather than a pure slam on the show, even hamfisted efforts is going to lead to more to say than most. |
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smurky turkey
Posts: 4995 |
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I have to agree that the show is not one for being subtle. That goes especially for the eco terrorists who are close to foaming at the mouth in their zeal. Charlie being mostly accepted (thus far) and the contrast between him and the fully human students is interesting. Oh right, the exception being that one loudmouth who is trying to bully Charlie despite knowing how strong he is, no idea if he is brave or just plain stupid.
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Animegomaniac
Posts: 4286 |
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The show got me at "Lucy".
Me before the show: "Well, if chimpanzees and humans share around 97% DNA, what's the missing link between humanity and this chimpmanzee Charlie?" Show's answer: Lucy... who shares the same name with a famous specimen of humanity's oldest ancestor, Australopithecus. It's always a good sign when science fiction has some actual science. I've learned that if the science level makes me happy then it crosses the line but keeping it at references should be fine. Right? We're not going to go into the genetic mutation done to further explain how Charlie exceeds both.. And the name of the show is the Darwin Incident and, ok, I'll shut up now. But yes, I have questions. Which tend to circle around the phrase "viable breeding mate". |
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smurky turkey
Posts: 4995 |
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2:
The second episode was good at setting up interesting plot points. There are the eco terrorists blowing stuff up and making things more complicated for Charlie. Then there is Charlie still going to school and giving people some cold hard truth and then you have the incident from ten years ago. Due to the latter that cop is bound to become a problem but I wonder what the truth of the matter is. The show is still very blunt (like that Merry Christmas bit) but it is entertaining. |
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Piglet the Grate
 Posts: 1433 Location: North America |
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I presume by the smartphones and social media use that this is contemporary, but the fuel prices (just prior to the 23 minute mark in Episode 2) look like they are from the 1980s.
Also, when did Georgia become mid-western? |
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Gina Szanboti
 Posts: 12725 |
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Great minds, and all.... 
This is supposed to be set in Georgia?? They made it sound like a quick drive over to the Institute in St. Louis, which is about 500 miles away from even the northwest corner of GA. Even if they flew, this is not a trip you'd take an unrelated kid skipping school along on. Anyway, I dislike Charlie's foster mom and Lucy even more this week than I did last. And this show doesn't know the meaning of the word "subtle," does it. In the sheriff's flashback, why was Charlie in his underwear when he took out the cops? There appears to be much more to his story than he's admitting. |
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Piglet the Grate
Posts: 1433 Location: North America |
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Well, the manga is in Missouri, but I thought they said Georgia in the anime - would have to re-watch. If Nicolas Dupree was still with us, he would be very disappointed in the way Lucy's feet are drawn in the ED. Wonder how many of the young'uns got the Lucy's eyes looking like diamonds reference? |
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Gina Szanboti
Posts: 12725 |
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Yeah, living in the Ozarks makes more sense and fits the background scenery and the conservative mindset Lucy complains of.
Did Lucy get the reference? I really don't like the patronizing and proprietary way she treats Charlie, like he's her personal damsel in distress she must protect. Like she just drags him out of the lunchroom, without giving him a choice, even though he appeared unfazed and even interested in the conversation. I wonder if the author is going to address that, or if they intend her behavior to be seen as admirable. |
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Edjwald
Posts: 3507 |
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Yeah, I think I'm going to drop this one.
I can handle and even enjoy pathos and existential weirdness -Serial Experiments Lain, Sonny Boy, Paranoia Agent, Kowloon Romance etc ...maybe even Playing Death Games for Food though it's too early to tell. I loved Flowers for Algernon (I never saw Charly, but hi Gina!). But something about the clumsy, ham-handed way this anime holds a cracked mirror up to the crap humanity has on offer just irks me. |
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Blood-
Bargain Hunter Posts: 25599 |
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I continue to enjoy this, lack of subtlety and all. For me the big draws are Charlie's disconcerting calm (which obviously has its limits... I'm very curious what made him snap 10 years ago) and just the offbeat tone of the show that I can't even really identify.
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