The Year’s Best Dark Fantasy Anime Steals Its Biggest Twist from M. Night Shyamalan

Given that the new series Daemons of the Shadow Realm hails from Hiromu Arakawa—the visionary behind Fullmetal Alchemist—it is only natural to expect a deep focus on sibling bonds, a golden-haired lead, and a complex, rigid magic system. What caught me entirely off guard, however, was its skillful adoption of a narrative twist straight out of an M. Night Shyamalan thriller.

[Editor’s Note: The following contains spoilers for the opening episodes of Daemons of the Shadow Realm.]

I’m not referring to a magical beach that rapidly ages its visitors or the classic realization that a character has been a ghost all along. The story introduces us to Yuru, a blonde youth living a traditional life in a remote Edo-period village. Yet, within a mere ten minutes, the illusion is shattered when he spots modern aircraft soaring overhead. This jarring revelation echoes the central conceit of Shyamalan’s The Village, confirming that despite Yuru’s secluded upbringing, the narrative is firmly anchored in the contemporary world.

 

Source: Polygon