This Monster Wants to Eat Me is Fantastic

Article at a glance:

• Anime’s always had a knack for diving deep into heavy emotions, from Berserk to modern hits, it’s never shied away from trauma and depression.
• But This Monster Wants to Eat Me takes it to another level, capturing survivor’s guilt and the will to live with raw, unsettling honesty.
• It’s dark, it’s twisted, it’s heartbreakingly human, and easily one of the best portrayals of depression I’ve seen in anime.

Anime has always been pretty good at depicting trauma and depression. It has been a thing ever since Berserk has existed, and mind you, Berserk is ancient. But even knowing all that, I think that This Monster Wants to Eat Me is one of the best representations of depression and survivor’s guilt I’ve ever seen in media. And believe me, I am not giving away that praise lightly. Despite the supernatural nature of the show, the emotional core of it feels extremely believable and understandable.

So welcome back to another First Impressions article. And today, I will be glazing the ever-living hell out of This Monster Wants to Eat Me. And believe me, this anime deserves the glaze and you should give it a chance. So let’s talk about it.

What do I think of This Monster Wants to Eat Me so far?

Survivor’s guilt is the emotional distress that arises when someone survives a situation in which others did not, often marked by feelings of guilt, unworthiness, or self-blame. This is the core of Hinako’s character. But here’s the thing, it’s not just that. She really wants to join her family, and she is depressed, but she also thinks that she has to live for her family, too. And so, despite wanting to disappear and join her family, Hinako can’t do that. This contrast is what makes her such a compelling protagonist.

And again, she does not even flinch when attacked by supernatural creatures; she just accepts her fate. When Shiori, a youkai herself, told her that she wanted to eat Hinako, Hinako didn’t even budge. In fact, Hinako wants to be eaten as soon as possible. But that wouldn’t work now, would it? Shiori is kind of picky about her meals, and the people who want to die give off a bad stench to the youkai. So we find ourselves in a situation where, to die faster, Hinako has to learn to live faster and come to love her life.

It is sick, it is twisted, and it makes for peak doomed yuri. The characters are so compelling that you don’t even need a plot. And yeah, that’s really all there is to the plot. Just a butcher fattening up her pig before eating it. I cannot wait to see where the show goes from here on. I hope that Miko has a bit more to do in the future. She helped Hinako through a very tough time, so hopefully, she’ll get more to do soon. Because so far, the show has been dominated by Hinako and Shiori. GOATed cast for the main trio by the way: Reina Ueda, Yui Ishikawa, and Ai Fairouz.

That is all for now

I am honestly impressed by how good This Monster Wants to Eat Me has been so far. Yeah, this show’s been living rent-free in my brain since episode one. It’s dark, it’s weird, it’s painfully human, and I’m absolutely eating it up. If you’re not watching this anime yet, fix that. Right now. With that said, I will take my leave here. See ya!

Also, check out my thoughts on May I Ask for One Final Thing here!