Anime Hajime Review: Pupa

***Warning, the following may contain spoilers for Pupa. Reader discretion is advised.***

Series Synopsis

This is the story of Utsutsu Hasegawa (voiced by Nobunaga Shimazaki) and his younger sister Yume (voiced by Ibuki Kido). The siblings have lived a difficult life. One that has made them close. As such Utsutsu has vowed to protect his sister no matter what.

Then on one fateful day, his words are put to the test.

Yume transforms into a terrifying monster with a craving for human meat. Watching his sister go on a feeding spree, Utsutsu tries to reach out to her. Yume can hear her brother, but the monster has no part of it and attacks.

Hours later, Utsutsu wakes up in some kind of laboratory. Here he learns he and his sister are hosts for the Pupa virus. Poor Yume has succumbed to the full brunt of its monstrous effects. But Utsutsu has gained the ability of regeneration.

Yume is beyond saving. However, there is a way to satisfy her appetite. She must feed on the flesh of her own brother.

Series Positives

When coming across this series, I thought this had the makings of a memorable horror anime. I stand by that assertion.

The idea of Pupa was an interesting one. All the makings of something outstanding were present.

Two kids grew up in an abusive environment. During that time, they came to rely on each other. Their faith, trust, and love for one another were the only things they had. Together they could survive the nightmare that had befallen them.

A devoted older brother must sacrifice his own body to protect his little sister. In turn, a young girl knows there is nothing she can do to stop the darkness inside her.

The suffering these two would have to go through is difficult to imagine. Thus, it will make it all the more powerful should anything wondrous happen. And all the more devastating should that thing be catastrophic.

The tense atmosphere that can arise whenever the girl succumbs to the demon is a tragic tale. Then combine that with raw brutality.

There is something here. Something at the core of this concept worthy of recognition, praise, and admiration.

Plus, the animation looked alright too.

Series Negatives

The idea behind Pupa was good. But Pupa was not.

This was bad. Like oh my God this was bad. Aside from the animation, this show didn't do anything right. And that's me giving more credit to this artwork than it otherwise deserves.

The Characters

The two leads’ names were Utsutsu and Yume. That’s all I know about them. And to tell you the truth, I’m not sure if Utsutsu’s name was even mentioned. I'm willing to bet I’m blowing that tidbit out of proportion. Yet considering everything else we don’t know about him, it’s not hard to imagine.

Appearance wise, Utsutsu was an interesting character. He had many cuts and scars that I’m sure had a very sad story to them. We never got to find out what those stories were, so that sucked.

For example, there were these strange markings on his arms and legs. Never once were they addressed.

As it turns out, those were cigarette burns made by Utsutsu's father. In fact, all the injuries on his body were the result of his father’s abuse. I only know that because I had to look it up on my own. This begs the question, why was this not used?

Make me feel something for this character. Show me why I should give a damn about what is happening to him. This series is already violent, so what's going a little further going to do?

And no, stupid teddy bear reenactments don’t count.

Utsutsu was a lost cause and Yume wasn't any better. She had something intriguing about her as well. She had lived with the Pupa virus her entire life. What that virus was, is still any one’s guess.

The sibling’s mother knew Yume was a monster when she was pregnant with her. We saw the mistrust she harbored toward her infant daughter. The problem, babies have a tendency not to talk.

The "story" established that the mother spent a few years with Yume as a child. We saw almost none of this. There was no indication of Yume’s feelings towards her mother. What we could gather was her love for her brother who was willing to do anything to protect her.

This brings me back to Utsutsu because he didn't do anything to demonstrate that resolve. He said it every chance he had, but never once followed through. In fact, it was Utsutsu who was usually the one in danger. Strange since Yume, one would think, was the more interesting one in terms of research.

This story wanted us to feel for these characters. It wanted us to feel sorry for them. Except it didn't give us anyone to feel sorry for.

Way Too Fast

Pupa needed to slow the hell down. Things happen way too fast. There was never any build up. There was no chance for you to get invested. Everything simply happened, and I can't even begin to tell you why.

For starters, what was the Pupa virus? We already touched on that, but let's go deeper, shall we? Where did it come from? How did it spread? Why did Utsutsu get it? Why has Yume always had it? Is Yume actually a human? How was she able to transform into some kind of bug creature at one point and stay human at another? Why did she only turn into the bug creature once?

Its fundamental questions like these that need answers.

Pupa's final episode wasn’t just stupid, it was worthless as well. Why was this here? Why was it so cutesy? Yes, I used that word for this show. This was time that could have gone into, oh I don't know, making a story.

I refuse to believe this was due to the short episode run length. Yamishibai made it clear that you don’t need that much time to establish atmosphere. It wasn't like Pupa had nothing to work with. As I pointed out, it had material to pull from.

Inconsistencies

Even though it was fast and short, Pupa still didn't follow its own rules.

I do not understand Yume. I don’t understand the disease she had, how she got it, or how it worked.

What I do understand is that Yum had no discernible power over it. She was a slave to her carnivorous appetite. She could kill without hesitation despite her desire to the contrary.

Therefore, why was it when her brother was being tortured, Yume could sit there and not have the monster come out? This should have been instinctual. The beast could have taken hold. I imagine she would have let that occur. Why at this moment did she have control? Particularly since when she first turned, she couldn't stop herself from attacking Utsutsu.

Also, to the organization who captured the siblings, the f@#$ are you on? You knew Yume was dangerous. So, your brilliant plan was to have her detained while you experimented with her brother. Which was dumb on its own since he was not the one you should have been focusing on.

That aside, you detained Yume, experimented on her brother, and while you were doing that, you left in earshot. You put a ticking time bomb in your facility. Then you started playing grab ass with the detonator. What did you think was going to happen? 

Oh, and I love how you thought four chains and a couple of guns would be enough to stop her. Spoilers, they weren't.

I am able to tolerate a lot of bull, but Pupa went above and beyond even what I can stomach.

Final Thoughts

Shows like Onegai Teacher piss me off. Pupa, on the other hand, was...amazing.

It is so awful, that you can’t help but laugh at it. The complete disregard for basic cohesiveness was a marvel. Never before have I seen such a brilliant idea squandered.

On principle, I will never, ever recommend this show. It is utter garbage. That said, what you do with an unexpected half hour of free time is completely up to you. But I warn you, choose wrong and there no going back.

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