Literature A Way to Kill Time
Otherside Picnic, based on a light novel series, it is about a college student named Sorawo Kamikoshi, someone who loves to frequent abandoned buildings and Japanese urban legends, discovers a door to a place known as the Otherside where urban legends and creepypasta become real. While there, she is saved from nearly dying by a Canadian-Japanese girl, Toriko. She explains to her that she was trying to find her friend Satsuki who disappeared during one of her expeditions months ago. While in the Otherside, they also collect artifacts to then sell them to a researcher of the other world named Kozakura.
The show is not the best, but it has its moments. For one, I feel that the Otherside is not fully realized. They do provide exposition of what the Otherside is, but the way that the anime presents in, we are already launched skin deep into the story without fully explaining how these characters discovered the Otherside, nor how the dimension works as there are many ways that someone could accidentally wind up in the Otherside.
While the Otherside is a very interesting concept, it felt more like a backdrop to establish the setting of the series. Because of this, there isn't much investment that one can take in the story due to it barely scratching below the surface of the inner mechanisms of the world.
Animation. It is serviceable, that I can guarantee, and some shots of the Otherside do look adequate. When it comes to representing the monsters, however, a lot of the action/intense scenes are blatantly CGI-animated that it takes you out of the scene if you think too much about it. With having an intriguing plot such as going to another world, it doesn't live up to its full potential and is barely creative with how the world functions.
But with an uninteresting story, are the characters at least good? Sorawo and Toriko are the lead characters and they do have great chemistry with each other I won't deny that. Sorawo is someone who starts off introverted and would rather be by her lonesome. This does make her hard to like at first because she really isn't much of a "hero" at the beginning. She was someone who could come across as cowardly and would have to be pushed by Toriko to save people. This came as the result of past trauma that is reflected on, but whether the show does a good job at depicting her PTSD is another question. She does get better towards the end of the series, however.
Toriko was a little more interesting. She was trained by her JTF 2 mother in arms and is motivated by her goal of finding her "friend." She tends to be more optimistic and energetic which does serve as a good contrast to Sorawo. There are also some inclinations that she is drifting away from her in favor of Sorawo.
Kozakura is a good supporting character. As mentioned, she collects strange artifacts from the Otherside and mainly does indoor research due to her fear of going out in the field. She is a cute character and is often deadpan in her behavior
There were two others introduced in the middle of the show's run, childhood friends Natsumi and Akari. Akari was taught karate and is involved in two supernatural cases; Natsumi works with cars and other vehicles and is obvious that she is crushing hard on her friend. But they are...kind of there. They don't really contribute much to the overall story and are slightly bland. I had to look up their names again because of how forgettable they were.
The show has that kind of effect on me: aside from interesting character traits and flaws, at the end of the day, are they characters that I would remember long after the show is over?
It isn't a must-see masterpiece, but I do like it for its concept.
Literature Picnicking On The Otherside
Otherside Picnic, a series of Light Novels, is an interesting and compelling read.
The novel series is presented in First Person narrative by main character Sorawo Kamikoshi, and we open with her having a near-death experience on what she tells us is her third visit to the world she refers to as "Otherside". During this visit, she meets, and is saved by another young woman, Toriko Nishina. Toriko tells Sorawo that she's looking for a friend of hers, Satsuki Uruma, who showed her how to find Otherside. They also encounter a bizarre creature of net-lore, known as a Kunekune.
This first story sets up the rules of entering Otherside, gives us the premise of Japanese Creepypasta being the basis for the threats they will encounter, and provides an overarching myth-arc, the search for Satsuki Uruma, that will dominate the early part of the series. It also introduces us to the Mission Control of the series, Kozakura, a researcher into Otherside, and another acquaintance of the missing Satsuki Uruma. The series is also about the relationship between our narrator, Sorawo, and her new friend, Toriko, as they explore Otherside together.
There are those who will be drawn to the series for various reasons. The eerie net-lore manifesting as real-life threats. The mystery of what is actually going on. And of course, the budding relationship between our two main characters.
And budding is the correct word for it. The relationship, while interesting, is also built up slowly and realistically. Those looking for "hot, steamy passion" will have to look elsewhere. It starts with looks and teasing, and grows slowly over time. We finally get a one-sided love confession by the end of the third volume, and it doesn't become mutual until the end of the fourth. But it is genuine and feels real.
When it comes to the Creepypasta net-lore, the author shows their work, and it's suitably sinister and eerie. The Otherside is a compelling world to visit, but it is, by no means, a safe place. Dangerous abound. And for our characters, the further they go into the Otherside, the more it begins to intrude into their own lives in the regular world.
The series is available either as individual volumes for Kindle or other e-readers, or as physical copies released in Omnibus volumes containing two novels each. Each novel consists of three to four individual story arcs, with the overarching arc winding its way through the background of each. I personally find the Omnibus editions to be more satisfying, as it allows one to go through the myth-arc more readily.
There are multiple questions that the reader will ask as they advance through the series, but those questions are answered as you go, like layers of an onion being peeled back one at a time. It is a fun, compelling read.
There is also an anime adaptation that covers the first two novels as well as a single arc of the third. The anime rearranges events from the novels, and it also introduces several comedy beats not in the original series. Though well animated, the overall feel is that it is a watered down version of the novels, opting to be more "fun" than "eerie", and thus feeling more like a kid-friendly version of the more serious and intense scenes of the novels.
Basically, if you liked the Silent Hill games or reading Creepypasta for fun, and don't mind a lesbian relationship that's advancing at a slow simmer rather than a rolling boil, then you'll probably enjoy Otherside Picnic. The novels are engaging and fun. The anime is worth a view, but probably doesn't have a lot in the way of rewatch value.