Grisaia no Meikyuu (The Labyrinth of Grisaia) – Recap/ Review (with Spoilers)

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Overview

The prequel to Grisaia no Kajitsu (Le Fruit de la Grisaia) is much darker, a bit more shocking, and definitely more screwed up. Though, it certainly gets the job done in providing us how come Yuuji is the way he is.

Trigger Warning(s): Rape Scene, Suicide, Incest, and Pedophilia

Review (with Spoilers) – Below

Characters & Story

As Yuuji pursues a promotion, J.B. coerces him to reveal his past to her, from before he worked under her, to the present. This leads us on a journey which starts off seeming dedicated to Kazuki, and her strange relationship with Yuuji; to post-Kazuki’s death, in which we learn about how his family disintegrated once that happened; then you have after his family death, in which he ended up under a man named Oslo who would abuse him; and then it goes to his military training and finally when he met Asako.

Praise

Like with the original series, what I walked in expecting, and what I was given, ended up two completely different things. For while I was expecting a sob story, since the girls of the series all had one, I was not expecting seeing Kazuki have feelings for her brother, seeing his mother raped and beaten, nor him dressed up as a girl and molested. I mean, I’ve watched horror anime like Corpse Party and yet I felt shocked by what was presented.

Though, with what we see of Yuuji’s past, it does explain why his face is so deadpan and why he goes so far out of his way to protect this girls, as well as his pseudo-father/ daughter relationship with Makina. Also, it does show why he so badly wanted to prove himself worthy of the girls trust since, from what it appears, Kazuki really slowed him down from having female friends, and it seems the boy never was much for male friendship. So while the show screams Harem, it seems it is more so about friendship than possible romance.

Criticism

I feel so hard pressed to find a series issues. I mean, granted, I got uncomfortable with the way Oslo treated him, especially since it reminded me of this twisted anime I watched, which turned out to be hentai, but sometimes media has to make people uncomfortable. I may not like it, and I’m sure others may question why it had to be done, but it makes Yuuji’s story a bit more deeper by showing he went through hell and back, and yet hasn’t been destroyed by it. In fact, it has made him stronger and more complex. For he can as easily tap into his anger to push himself to kill as he can tap into his sadness to show empathy and give comfort.

Overall: Watch It

If I was to make a recommended list for the TV Series page, this anime, and all I have seen of it thus far, would definitely be up there alongside quite a few others. For while sometimes the beginning leads to misjudgments that perhaps this maybe something boring, or worse than you expected, it tricks you with that slap in the face and jabs you hard in the stomach. Leading to a deeper viewing experience that, since it caught you off guard, wiggles its way into your emotions and sometimes hits a nerve so hard you are left affected even after the show is over.