History Literature / FromTheNewWorld

** Inverted when you consider the anime is LighterAndSofter than the original novel, which depicted sex scenes fairly graphically. In the novel there's mention of oral sex between two boys and Saki mentions that at the age of 12 she already had experience sexually pleasuring another girl (in a scene where she's trying to figure out how to pleasure Satoru, no less). That being said, it's not done for the sake of fanservice, and is described in an almost clinical manner.

''From the New World'' (新世界より ''Shin Sekai Yori'') is a Japanese science fiction novel by Yūsuke Kishi. It was adapted into a 25-episode anime television series by Creator/A1Pictures that aired from September 2012 to March 2013. The anime has been picked up for [[http://www.hulu.com/from-the-new-world streaming]] and home video release in North America by Creator/SentaiFilmworks, and is available on [[http://www.crunchyroll.com/shin-sekai-yori-from-the-new-world Crunchyroll]] as well. There is also a manga adaptation that was serialized in Kodansha's ''Bessatsu Shounen Magazine'' from May 2012 until June 2014 and is now licensed by Vertical. The manga differs considerably from both the anime and the original novel in plot and characterization.

A millennium from now, in Japan, there exists a utopia. [[TheProtagonist Saki Watanabe]] lives in an idyllic village barred from the outside world. Her world is ruled by the people who possess the "gods' power" of psychokinesis. After finally obtaining her own powers, Saki enters the Zenjin Academy to train along with five other children: [[ChildhoodFriend Satoru Asahina]], [[TeamMom Maria Akizuki]], [[ShrinkingViolet Mamoru Itou]], [[TheSmartGuy Shun Aonuma]], and [[ProneToTears Reiko Amano]].

** This is largely the justification for [[spoiler:the pseudo-religious social engineering in Kamisu 66. The story treats humanity as an inherently violent species, which only gets worse due to how easily PK users can use it for violence. They are considered so dangerous that, after the fall of the slave empires & raider groups, the remaining PK group decided to genetically alter themselves to make killing humans impossible.]]

* CallBack: Shun asks the false minoshiro what happened to the non-PK users from 500 years ago. The interface doesn't know the answer but the audience discovers it near the end. [[spoiler:Their genes were spliced with naked mole rat DNA, creating the monster rats.]]

** In Episode 21, [[spoiler:Shisei gets utterly destroyed by Yakomaru's ogre, no thanks to Shisei's subconscious PK leakage--the ogre quickly uses it to his advantage and eventually snaps his opponent in two.]]

* DaysOfFuturePast: Not in the modern world, but before then, the Slave Dynasties were basically Heian-era Japan with AxCrazy psychokinetic rulers.

* EveryoneIsASuper: Deconstructed. In a world where every human has the power of psychokinesis, extreme measures have been taken to hold some semblance of civilization together.
* EveryoneIsBi: [[spoiler:According to the library]], sexual acts are used as stress relief and deepening of intimacy. The original example were bonobos. It's a society that depends on DistractedByTheSexy to continue existing.
** However, there are also very strict social rules regarding sex: heterosexual sex is all but forbidden until early adulthood. As such, homosexual relationships are the norm for children until they are adolescents. They can still have romantic feelings for members of the opposite sex, though.
* ExtranormalInstitute: The Zenjin Academy, where the students are taught to master their [[PsychicPower ability]].

* GlassCannon: Every human being in the series has the destructive potential of a nuke, if not more, thanks to their PK ability, but can be killed by a single bullet as easily as any normal person.

* GrotesqueCute: Monster rats are ugly, small, anthropoid creatures that worship humans with psychokinesis as gods.

* HumansAreBastards: A major theme of the story. Humans are presented as an extremely violent species, often using oppression and cruelty to get their way, or for no reason at all. They're even worse with PK, if only due to how easy Power makes everything. As such, Kamisu 66 is centered around controlling their violent impulses, as human nature alone can destroy the world again.

* HumansArePsychicInTheFuture: One thousand years from the present, everyone develops psychokinetic power when they reach adolescence.

* ImaginationBasedSuperpower: Psychokinesis can be used to effect whatever result the user visualizes.

* KidsAreCruel: Downplayed. Children with Power are responsible for many of the atrocities that occurred when PK first appeared, and even Group One can be callous towards others, such as threatening to rip the false minoshiro or almost leaving a drowning monster rat.

** Downplayed in the case of Saki's group. They "only" have their PK sealed. [[spoiler:Possibly thanks to Tomiko's intervention.]]

* MindOverMatter: Everyone can use psychokinesis starting from adolescence.

* MundaneUtility: People mostly use their PK abilities for extremely simple tasks, such as picking weeds or writing on a blackboard. Pretty simple stuff for a Power that has the potential to destroy continents.

* RatMen: The monster rats are rat-faced humanoids, [[spoiler:implied to have been genetically altered or subconsciously evolved from normal humans using the psychokinetic powers common in the setting.]]

* ShrineMaiden: The uniform of the main characters has this motif. For all purpose, they ''are'' Shrine Maiden and Kannushi, power of the gods and all.

* SmugSuper: {{Defied}} in the most disturbing way. [[spoiler:The moment a child with PK shows even the slightest hint of smugness, he or she is dealt with. Permanently. One example is when a student cheats at a telekinetic game by pushing the ball when players are only allowed to push clay wedges around its base - violating safety regulations.]]
* SoundtrackDissonance: The opening of the first episode is [[spoiler:psychokinetic kids [[YourHeadAsplode exploding heads]] to [[Music/AntoninDvorak The New World Symphony]]'s [[SoundtrackDissonance Second Movement]].]]
* SpaceAmish[=/=]EnforcedTechnologyLevels: Though not in space, the people of Kamisu 66 follow a simple lifestyle and although they have plenty of understanding of modern technology, including the ability to generate electricity with waterwheels, they actively avoid the use of technological contraptions in favour of their innate PK powers. Flashbacks imply that they used to be more lenient with technology but changed their minds about it for some reason.

** It's one of the methods [[spoiler:the scientists use to prevent those with PK from destroying society.]]

* BadassNormal: Despite the horrors that powered humans could bring about, [[spoiler:the reason unpowered children are executed is because they’re immune to the same safeguards that prevent powered humans from killing each other. In a sense, a unpowered human could operate as an assassin. While they’re protected by the Death of Shame, they don’t suffer from it.]]

* ButNotTooGay: Despite everyone being bisexual, the {{Official Couple}}s [[spoiler:(Saki/Satoru, Maria/Mamoru)]] are heterosexual ones. Male same-sex relationships are also depicted more tamely than female same-sex ones. In the manga, the [[DoubleStandard male same-sex relationship of Satoru/Shun is completely excised]] while the [[GirlOnGirlIsHot female same-sex relationship of Saki/Maria becomes incredibly raunchy]].

* CypherLanguage: In the anime at least, the Queerats speak what looks to be some type of runes. They are actually speaking something that is vocally slurred-and-stuttered Japanese, and the text subtitles give a cypher of English. They say what can be substituted as "help", "thank you", "gods" (while the Queerat says "k-a-a-mi"), and "goat moth colony" in their first encounter with humans, proving they understand humans but [[spoiler:their language has intentionally been garbled so they can't be readily understood.]]

** In the manga, it turns out that Saki and Maria see their relationship as this during [[spoiler:the False Minoshiro's revelation that the children of Kamisu 66 are conditioned to engage in homosexual relationships with each other during adolescence.]] Also, while Maria is very much in love with Saki, she is, by her own admission, somewhat [[ObliviousToLove oblivious]] to the extent of Maria's feelings, but still enjoys sleeping with her.

* NonHeteronormativeSociety: The story takes place years and years in the future. Japan has been reduced to a fraction of its population and what is left has psychic powers. In this society, people are encouraged into having plenty of sex to keep their stress levels low, and in order to improve everyone's chances, teenagers are encouraged into trying same-sex relationship, while relationships between people of the opposite sex are forbidden until later in life, prompting an entire society of bisexuals. There are though people who are exclusively attracted to one gender or one person in the setting.

* TheUnreveal: In the anime: where the mutants, used by Earth Spider colony [[spoiler:and later Yakomaru's forces]] come from. In the last episode, there are some taxidermied specimens on display in the museum [[spoiler:commemorating the monster rat-human war]], but the viewers are never shown any information about them.
** In the novel it's explained that they're created by the queen applying modifications to their offspring while they are inside her body. (The queen of the Earth Spider colony was a mutant, herself). At the end Saki theorizes that this [[spoiler:may be evidence for them having low-level Power.]]

* VillainOfAnotherStory: The protagonists and their ancestors. The universe’s history is essentially the aftermath of the worst fears expressed by unpowered humans in virtually every other franchise about super powers. All the mechanisms in place to keep society stable are only meant for clearly human characters. Everything else is essentially under constant threat of {{Eldritch Abomination}}s destroying everything.

* WellIntentionedExtremist: The Ethics & Education Committees, which will use any means necessary to prevent the creation of ogres and karma demons, even if it means [[spoiler:covertly "removing" any child that shows even the slightest hint of instability.]]

* ApeShallNeverKillApe: Using Power to kill another human triggers agonizing, 100% lethal feedback.

** Episode 5 is made of this and OffModel. In a FridgeBrilliance, [[spoiler:it's because the world as familiar to the kids is crumbling upon the revelation of its true, disturbing nature.]]

* OffModel: For episodes 5 and 10 the producers brought in Shigeyasu Yamauchi (''Anime/CasshernSins'') as a guest director and allow him to do everything his way. This included a radical reinterpretation of the character designs.

''From the New World'' (新世界より ''Shin Sekai Yori'') is a Japanese science fiction novel by Yūsuke Kishi. It was adapted into a 25-episode anime television series by Creator/A1Pictures that aired from [[Fall2012Anime September 2012]] to [[Spring2013Anime March 2013]]. The anime has been picked up for [[http://www.hulu.com/from-the-new-world streaming]] and home video release in North America by Creator/SentaiFilmworks, and is available on [[http://www.crunchyroll.com/shin-sekai-yori-from-the-new-world Crunchyroll]] as well. There is also a manga adaptation that was serialized in Kodansha's ''Bessatsu Shounen Magazine'' from May 2012 until June 2014 and is now licensed by Vertical. The manga differs considerably from both the anime and the original novel in plot and characterization.

* UnreliableNarrator: In the novel, Saki warns the reader early on that she could be one of these; although she tries to tell her story as truthfully as she can, she admits that some facts may still be distorted as a result of her own unconscious self-justification, and also because the memory-altering she experienced throughout her life means she can't be sure if what she remembers is accurate or not (she brings up that she and Satoru, as well as all their friends, have conflicting memories on certain events).

* UnreliableNarrator: In the novel, Saki warns the reader early on that she could be one of these; although she tries to tell her story as truthfully as she can, she admits that some facts may still be distorted as a result of her own unconscious self-justification, and also because the memory-altering she experienced throughout her life means she can't be sure if what she remembers is accurate or not (she brings up that she and Satoru have conflicting memories on certain events).

** In-universe: Satoru thinks that the monster rats are becoming too human for comfort in Episode 15.
** Also in-universe: During the climactic attack, [[spoiler:the monster rats use mutants shaped like humans to increase the chaos. According to Saki, they look human from a distance, but are eerie and off-putting up close.]]

* AncientConspiracy: [[spoiler:There is one with [[WellIntentionedExtremist reconstructing society]] as its purpose.]]
* AndIMustScream: [[spoiler:This is Squealer/Yakomaru's punishment for his deeds, until Saki decides to put him out of his misery.]]
* AndManGrewProud: [[spoiler:Psychokinesis is not the power of the gods. It's inherent in every human. Also, ogres and karma demons aren't monsters of legend. Karma demons are people who lose control of their Power, whereas ogres are people with Power whose PowerLimiter doesn't work.]]

* BadassNormal: [[spoiler: Despite the horrors that powered humans could bring about, the reason unpowered children are executed, is because they’re immune to the same safeguards that prevent powered humans from killing each other. In a sense, a unpowered human could operate as an assassin. While they’re protected by the Death of Shame, they don’t suffer from it]].

** [[spoiler:This is largely the justification for the pseudo-religious social engineering in Kamisu 66. The story treats humanity as an inherently violent species, which only gets worse due to how easily PK users can use it for violence. They are considered so dangerous that, after the fall of the slave empires & raider groups, the remaining PK group decided to genetically alter themselves to make killing humans impossible.]]

* EverybodysDeadDave: [[spoiler:With the exception of Satoru, Saki, and Inui, every remotely significant human character from Kamisu 66 has died by the end of the summer festival attack. Tokyo dumps another round of this trope on the party, killing Inui, Kiromaru, and Maria's child; Saki eventually performs a MercyKill on Yakomaru. Saki and Satoru are the only named characters who survive the whole bloodbath of a story.]]

** In the manga, it turns out that Saki and Maria see their relationship as this during [[spoiler:the False Minoshiro's revelation that the children of Kamisu 66 are conditioned to engage in homosexual relationships with each other during adolescence]]. Also, while Maria is very much in love with Saki, she is, by her own admission, somewhat [[ObliviousToLove oblivious]] to the extent of Maria's feelings, but still enjoys sleeping with her.

** [[spoiler:Monster rats take the baby monster rats of defeated colonies to be slaves after they defeat rival colones in battle. Not only do they not stop doing this, they then start raising human children as their ogre units. Yet preaching that they deserve equality.]]

* KillEmAll: [[spoiler:In the end of the series, Satoru and Saki are the only named characters to avert a brutal demise.]]

* MirroringFactions: [[spoiler:The current society is not so different from the previous slave empires. The current society mutated humans without Power into monster rats so they can easily control them without suffering from Death Feedback.]]

** [[spoiler:Shun in Episode 8.]]

* PassingTheTorch: [[spoiler:After receiving serious injuries from the monster rat attack, Tomiko realizes that she's not going to last long against Yakomaru, let alone his ogre. Because of this, she gives her position to Saki in Episode 20.]]
* PathOfInspiration: [[spoiler:The Buddhism that teaches the characters their mantras and control of their powers actually includes hypnosis and mantras that are used to seal people's powers where necessary.]]

** [[spoiler:The reason why the committee gets rid of some children is to avoid them becoming karma demons or ogres, as has happened before. Indeed, Yakomaru's war against humans is only possible thanks to Mamoru and Maria defying the committee.]]

** [[spoiler:She did, however, give birth to a son (a daughter in the anime) who would become an ogre. Saki was right: if Maria hadn't been born, she wouldn't have been the mother of the near-apocalypse.]]

** Ryou is [[RememberTheNewGuy suddenly a member]] of Group 1 and Saki's (and Satoru's former) LoveInterest an episode after [[spoiler:Shun dies]], ''literally'' replacing [[spoiler:Shun]] in everyone's mind. [[spoiler:Except not really. Shun has been erased, with Ryou retconned into his former position, but neither Saki nor Satoru are actually interested in Ryou like they were with Shun.]]

** [[TheSociopath K]] has one in Episode 12.

* SpaceAmish / EnforcedTechnologyLevels: Though not in space, the people of Kamisu 66 follow a simple lifestyle and although they have plenty of understanding of modern technology, including the ability to generate electricity with waterwheels, they actively avoid the use of technological contraptions in favour of their innate PK powers. Flashbacks imply that they used to be more lenient with technology but changed their minds about it for some reason.

* TakeOverTheWorld: [[spoiler: Yakomaru's ultimate goal, as revealed in episode 21, is nothing less than to turn all human infants he captures into ogres, and use them to wipe out all humans from the face of the Earth.]]

** [[spoiler:It's one of the methods the scientists use to prevent those with PK from destroying society.]]

* TomatoSurprise: [[spoiler:In the final episode, Saki and Satoru learn that the monster rats are actually descended from humans who were forcefully mutated.]]

** [[spoiler:After Saki and Satoru give the ogre the slip, they notice the ogre going in another direction, which, with Saki visualizing the hospital entrance and making a half-second face of realization, implies that the ogre went back to kill them.]]
* WhatMeasureIsANonHuman: Kamisu 66 only gives full human rights to indviduals who are over 17 years old, [[spoiler:whereas children under it can be disposed of for any reason]]. The ogres and karma demons are perceived as inhuman monsters in spite of their very human origins. The monster rats are classified as animals in spite of their human-level intelligence and the Robber Fly colony's industrialized society because they don't have any psychic powers. [[spoiler:Also, the monster rats are secretly descended from non-psychic humans with naked mole rat DNA spliced in.]]

* YouDidEverythingYouCould: [[spoiler: Satoru says this to Saki after Maria and Mamoru's defection becomes clear.]]

''From the New World'' (新世界より ''Shin Sekai Yori'') is a Japanese science fiction novel by Yūsuke Kishi. It was adapted into a 25-episode anime television series by Creator/A1Pictures that aired from [[Fall2012Anime September 2012]] to [[Spring2013Anime March 2013]]. The anime has been picked up for [[http://www.hulu.com/from-the-new-world streaming]] and home video release in North America by Creator/SentaiFilmworks, and is available on [[http://www.crunchyroll.com/shin-sekai-yori-from-the-new-world Crunchyroll]] as well. There is also a manga adaptation that was serialized in Kodansha's "Bessatsu Shounen Magazine" from May 2012 until June 2014 and is now licensed by Vertical. The manga differs considerably from both the anime and the original novel in plot and characterization.

* AdultFear:
** The adults who see behind the masquerade are always afraid of [[spoiler:a child becoming an ogre and killing the entire town.]]
** Saki's mother worries Saki will [[spoiler:be ordered to be killed by the Education Committee]] until Saki's Power finally manifests. [[spoiler:She lost one child already.]]
** Mamoru's father is clearly worried sick when [[spoiler:Mamoru disappears from home without a trace.]]

* FriendsWithBenefits: Unlike Shun and Satoru's relationship, which is explicitly romantic, Saki's relationship with Maria appears to be closer to this. Saki is still in love with Shun while with Maria, who knows about her feelings and even [[ShipperOnDeck encourages her]], making their relationship seem more like a RomanticTwoGirlFriendship with a sexual component.

** Episode 5 is made of this and {{QUALITY}}. In a FridgeBrilliance, [[spoiler:it's because the world as familiar to the kids is crumbling upon the revelation of its true, disturbing nature.]]

* NotSoDifferent: [[spoiler:The current society is not so different from the previous slave empires. The current society mutated humans without Power into monster rats so they can easily control them without suffering from Death Feedback.]]

* ButNotTooGay: Despite everyone being bisexual, the {{Official Couple}}s [[spoiler:(Saki/Satoru, Maria/Mamoru)]] are heterosexual ones. Male same-sex relationships are also depicted more tamely than female same-sex ones.

It is unknown if/when the original novel will be translated. Meanwhile, an English fan-translation (completed in 2016) can be found [[https://cadetnine.wordpress.com/ here]].

* BabiesEverAfter: [[spoiler:One of the final scenes shows Satoru embracing a pregnant Saki 10 years after the end of the war.]]

** Saki's mother worries Saki will [[spoiler:be ordered killed by the Education Committee]] until Saki's Power finally manifests. [[spoiler:She lost one child already.]]

* SchizoTech: The monster rats use stone-tipped arrows... and machines that store and release poison gas.

It is unknown if/when the original novel will be translated. Meanwhile, an English fan-translation (completed in 2016) can be found [[http://shinsekai.cadet-nine.org/ here]].

* FamilyUnfriendlyAesop: In-universe, the textbooks that the students read in the Zenjin Academy teach their aesops through very dark and depressing means, usually ending in the horrible death of the main character and sacrificing oneself for the greater good.

* ReplacementLoveInterest: