Adapted into anime by TBS Television and Enishiya, Taizan 5’s Takopi’s Original Sin ran as a mini-series with a total of six episodes. Tackling dark themes such as bullying, suicide, and depression, the series began dark and only grew darker as it progressed. What makes it stand out even among other dark-themed anime is the fact that the main cast and core elements revolved around children, showing how even young kids could be at the center of such tragic events.
With each episode growing darker, the series continued to gain audience attention, and fans praised it for reaching heights no anime had achieved before. Takopi’s Original Sin’s episodes all secured ratings of more than nine stars on the IMDb platform. This stands as a testament to how perfect the series was; however, some episodes clearly stood out more than others in this otherwise flawless anime, defining the crux of its impact.
6) Episode 3, “Takopi’s Confession”
Episode 3 of Takopi’s Original Sin could be considered the weakest of the series, primarily because it had to follow up on the twist from the previous episode, where Takopi accidentally kills Marina with the gadget and is unable to reverse time. The episode begins on a grim note, with Naoki and Shizuka crossing a sinister line by coming up with a plan to hide Marina’s body.
The story then focuses on Naoki, exploring how his household environment influenced him and ultimately led him to help Shizuka conceal Marina’s body. It also delves into Takopi living as Marina and realizing how wrong his latest action was. Lacking a major twist, something almost every other episode delivers, this installment is not ranked as highly as the others. However, that does not mean it is in any way bad.
5) Episode 4, “Azuma-kun’s Salvation”
It was evident that at some point, one of the three children would have to let it all out and confess the burden they were carrying. Episode 4 delivers exactly this with the male lead, as Azuma comes to the verge of breaking down, caught in the dilemma of falsely confessing to killing Marina for Shizuka. The episode centers entirely on Naoki, showing how he has dedicated his life to living up to his mother’s standards, yet is unable to do so because of the lingering truth about Marina’s death coming to light.
Amid the continuing dark tones of the series, this episode serves as a rare moment of light when Azuma finally breaks down in front of his brother, realizing that to be freed from the burden he carries, all he has to do is rely on him. With its cathartic ending, this episode is the first to hint at how the series will conclude, making it an outstanding installment.
4) Episode 6, “To All of You in 2016”
After the big twist in the penultimate episode, it became somewhat evident how the series would end, as it had already been shown through Naoki, who experienced psychological relief. Takopi, after regaining all his memories, reflected on the complexity of human emotions and actions. Realizing that both Shizuka and Marina were peas from the same pod, he understood that all he needed to do was help them understand each other’s pain.
Takopi’s magical presence becomes the catalyst for the bond between the two, bringing the story to a bittersweet close. This doesn’t magically heal their scars but allows them to find solace in each other’s wounds. With the ending becoming somewhat predictable, the finale doesn’t rank as highly as fans might have expected, as it was essentially the dark twists throughout the series that had captivated them.
3) Episode 2, “Takopi’s Salvation”
The second episode of the series initially suggests that Takopi’s attempts to bring Shizuka and Marina together will continue without much change, with Takopi now being more cautious due to Marina’s violent behavior. With the camera gadget that allows him to reverse time as often as he wants, it is never hinted that such an unbelievable twist would occur. As Marina prepares to deliver the final push that would drive Shizuka to take her life, Takopi grows anxious about how he will stop it.
However, in the moment when Marina pushes Shizuka to the edge, Takopi, fearful for her, unintentionally ends up killing Marina. While fans might have expected him to reverse time, the twist reveals that Takopi struck Marina with the happy camera, the very device used for time reversal, making it impossible to undo. This stands as the third-best dark twist in the anime, sealing the course of the narrative, which is why this episode is the third-best of the series.
2) Episode 5, “To You in 2022”
Before the finale, it was clear that the penultimate episode would feature a twist that would set the stage for the conclusion. However, the dark twist exceeded fans’ expectations, revealing that Takopi had originally descended to Earth in 2022 to help Marina, the antagonist the series had portrayed up to that point. This episode clearly illustrates how difficult it is to judge what is morally right and how complex human emotions can be, something Takopi has begun to understand.
This twist, coupled with Shizuka completely losing control, verbally stating she will cut open her step-siblings and later striking Takopi, solidifies the series’ central theme. For its portrayal of the complexity of human nature, this episode is truly one of the best and would have been the standout of Takopi’s Original Sin had it not been for the opening episode that stunned fans with its dark tone.
1) Episode 1, “To You in 2016”
The pilot episode of Takopi’s Original Sin stands out as the best of the anime. At the start, with its warm-themed animation featuring children, though tinged with a depressing tone, it suggests a coming-of-age narrative, with Takopi as the catalyst to help Shizuka thrive in her life. However, midway through the episode, after Takopi gives Shizuka a rope-structure gadget meant to help her befriend Marina, the shocking twist of Shizuka taking her own life with this gadget delivers a jaw-dropping moment for viewers.
No one would have expected a child under the age of ten to even contemplate such an act, and with Shizuka actually committing suicide, it underscores how negative emotions can overwhelm even children so young. This is where the series establishes its most compelling hook: what could have driven a mere child to such a tragic decision? For this brilliant setup, which draws viewers in while gradually revealing details, the first episode of Takopi’s Original Sin is truly the series’s best and ensures audiences will stay invested until the very end.
