Boogiepop and Others Episode 1 Review: Boogiepop Does Not Laugh 1

After so many years, Boogiepop is back with what it seems to be an intriguing and engaging story both for those who already know and love its concept and for those who have no idea what this series is about. Creepy, profound, and complicating as hell, Boogiepop will certainly be a weird experience for everyone. Boogiepop does not laugh but she sure has a smug face during the entire first episode.

Japanese Original Episode Title: ブギーポップは笑わない 1

Plot

Seiji Takeda is going on a date with Touka Miyashita, but as he waits for her in the appointed date and time, she never shows up. On his way back home, he sees a pale man stumbling through the crowd, who is saved from falling by someone dressed as Boogiepop, whom Seiji recognizes as Touka. The next day Touka is absent from school, texting Seiji that she was not feeling so well. The students are told that four girls have gone missing and that everyone must be on their guard. As Seiji is getting ready to leave school, he eventually finds Touka dressed as Boogiepop who reveals to him that she has a split personality, and that Touka has no knowledge of her Boogiepop persona which has surfaced to the world in order to save humanity. She tells Seiji that a man-eating monster resides within someone at the school, while rumors spread that Boogiepop is the actual killer. Kamikishiro goes missing, however Boogiepop tells Seiji that the danger has passed and that she will disappear for now.

Episode Highlights

Is this what you call a civilized society? Preach it, sister. I don’t know if you are familiar with the previous anime named Boogiepop Phantom, but in that show Boogiepop was not that cool. Seriously, the things she said in that scene are so accurate and real that make you feel so much pain for the way people are and act in this day and age, which brings me to the point of how timeless this show actually is, but let’s leave that for later. ‘None of you feel anything when you see someone crying?’

Miyashita Touka is Boogiepop: I liked how they started the anime by establishing the situation between Touka and Boogiepop. She mentions to Seiji that she has a split personality disorder and that the real Touka has no idea about the existence of Boogiepop, but on the contrary Boogiepop seems to know everything about her and her life (which makes Boogiepop look evil and suspicious). She is an existence that appears whenever she detects adversity in her surroundings; she pops up naturally, hence her name Boogiepop. ‘I rise to the surface like an eerie bubble.’

Was that the beginning and the end of the anime? The Boogiepop series is well-known for its mystery vibes and complicated switches of time and events, so it’s safe to assume that we just witnessed the beginning of the anime as well as its ending (maybe from Seiji’s perspective). All the horrifying and gore-y scenes popping out every time the ‘day’ changed, can act as a hint that during this introductory episode, many events have already occurred.

Themes & Trivia

Let’s make some things more clear: First of all, Boogiepop is a light novel series by Kouhei Kadono. There are 22 novels in Japan and this anime will be adapting at least the first three novels.

What is Boogiepop Phantom? Boogiepop Phantom was an anime original series back in 2000 and is pretty different from the source material. It acted as a sequel to the first novel, and contains many spoilers from the first and sixth novel. You do not need to have watched the old series to follow the new one. It will make more sense to watch it after finishing the new series.

Boogiepop was the originator of the light novel genre: When it came out, the term ‘light novel’ did not exist and the novels became a huge hit that later inspired a whole generation of light novel writers who grew up reading these books. It influenced writers like Ryohgo Narita and Nisio Isin, as well as many video games like the Persona series.

Comments

The first episode definitely puts you in the mood of Boogiepop and I liked how they throw some random scenes of slaughtered girls every now and then to remind you that this show will involve a lot of brutality in it. The lightning and color palette chosen for some of the scenes (like the lamp with the moths) is surely reminiscent of the Boogiepop Phantom aesthetics, which brings a nice touch.

Where the killer’s mind changes.

I have not read the light novels but I have seen the previous season of Boogiepop, so I am very intrigued to learn more and understand the story and its characters. This is going to be so good.

NEXT TIME: Boogiepop Does Not Laugh 2