Shin Sekai Yori - Episode 8

I don't know what to say.

First off, take what you want from it, but my review is by no means intended to be homophobic in any way. With that being said, I was left speechless at the explicit shōnen-ai and shōjo-ai relationships portrayed in this episode. Even the narrator's (presumably Saki) note at the beginning regarding the degree of change that can take place in two years for a teenager was not enough to prepare me for the impending shock. For a community norm to change from heterosexuality to homosexuality in a mere two years was far beyond unexpected. But I think the worst aspect of all this is the fact that it involves the characters whom viewers have started to or have already become familiar with. All past conceptions you had about a particular character were essentially shattered with this episode. And don't even get me started on the bad artwork—arguably the worst of all the episodes so far. When even a artistically-indifferent person like me notices a decline in animation quality, you know it has to be bad.

Now for some positives. Looking at the big picture, I do admit it was interesting to see this "new world" that's seemingly the complete opposite of ours today, particularly when it comes to socially-accepted relationships. While the pairings of Shun x Satoru and Saki x Maria were seen as "normal", it was implied that Mamoru's pursuit of Maria was something that went against the social norm. In other words, what we would consider "straight" in the real world is not the case in the new world. Of course, all this is just in addition to the fact that they are able to use Juryoku while we can't, further emphasizing the contrast.

Back to the story, after two years of thinking that they got away with what happened during their trip at summer camp, the five (or Shun, at least) realize that this might not be the case. In fact, this might be the last time we see Shun. And so, trouble brews once again, plunging Shin Sekai Yori back into the dark atmosphere that it had set at the beginning of the series. I truly hope the shōnen-ai and shōjo-ai was just a one-time thing and that the relationships return back to normal in the future episodes.