With the announcement of To Your Eternity season 2 being released on October 23rd of 2022, I thought I’d take this chance to explain what this show has to offer.

What to Expect

This anime is not your typical “shonen” kind of anime. It belongs in that fantasy & slice-of-life mold. The main protagonist doesn’t even talk and his sole purpose is to essentially protect the world, but not in the way people would normally think. Born out of an orb created by this god-like entity called “The Beholder,” Fushi (不死) is the main character that will be taking you through his emotionally taxing journey of building incredibly fruitful relationships—only to see some not last..

After getting through the very first episode, expect those feelings and emotions that gets elicited from that episode to carry on for the rest of the season. It’s the kind of story that will build you up, only to give you heartbreak later.

Fushi has the ability to shape shift and mimic the abilities of the animals he turns into. Also, he is immortal like the name suggests. Any character he ends up having a deep connection with, he can shape shift into after it passes away. Like a child or baby, Fushi has to learn how to grow and understand all aspects of humanity. His story begins as he shape shifts into a wolf after it passes away.

From the animation style to the fight scenes, there’s plenty enough here to keep you entertained with the action and presentation. However, that won’t be the best part of the anime. It’s truly built brick-by-brick by every character Fushi has an interaction with. Pain, suffering & terrible circumstances—all of these characters that Fushi ends up meeting are derived from their own unique scenarios that makes the viewer immediately latch onto these characters out of empathy and relatability. It’s a painful cycle that Fushi experiences and grows from, that’ll have you asking yourself time and time again, where does this all lead up to?

Stories & Plots

I would deem this anime to be “character-centric.” While there is a main antagonist(s), many of the antagonists of each person that Fushi develops relationships with are the most compelling ones. Each one with their own special situations, stories and tragedies that they must face.

The main antagonist(s) Fushi ends up fighting are called “Nokkers.” This “Nokkers” entity or entities are like a spiritual being that possesses different creatures and things. They are constantly tracking Fushi down to take all of the bodies that Fushi can shapeshift into. As abstract as the main plot and main characters are, the Nokkers are just as much. These Nokkers consistently impede on Fushi’s ability to help save the world throughout season 1.

As these fights are happening with the Nokkers, you’ll constantly put into question The Beholder’s intentions and where these Nokkers are coming from. The Beholder is the protagonist’s only true entity giving Fushi a purpose, guidance and direction. In the end, “Fushi versus these Nokkers” makes you really think metaphorically about what everything really represents.

So, Should I Watch?

If you want to see something different and emotionally taxing, in a good way, I think this anime will surprise many people. I mean, Kenjiro Tsuda plays The Beholder, so you know it has to be good right? In the same way many animated films like from Studio Ghibli and Your Name hit you in the feels with a touching & heartwarming story, To Your Eternity fits a similar pattern. There are plenty of deep characters and relationships that will get you hooked. If you’re looking for more typical shonen and don’t usually like Studio Ghibli kind of movies, then I would pass. However, this anime is definitely a breath of fresh air and will make you emotionally attached onto everything that Fushi is experiencing. I recommend you guys take a shot at the first couple of episodes. If you don’t like it by then, then I would just give it a pass.

One more thing! The manga is available on Crunchyroll if anyone wants to give it a shot as well.