Charlotte (シャーロット Shārotto) is a 2015 Japanese anime television series produced by P.A.Works and Aniplex and directed by Yoshiyuki Asai. The anime aired 13 episodes in Japan between July 5 and September 27, 2015. An original video animation episode was released in March 2016. Two manga series are serialized in ASCII Media Works' Dengeki G's Comic. The story takes place in an alternate reality where a small percentage of children manifest superhuman abilities upon reaching puberty. A focus is placed on Yuu Otosaka, a high school boy who awakens the ability to temporarily possess others, which brings him to the attention of Nao Tomori, the student council president of a school founded as a haven for children with such abilities.
The story was originally conceived by Jun Maeda, who also wrote the screenplay and composed some of the music, with original character design by Na-Ga. Both Maeda and Na-Ga are from the visual novel brand Key, and Charlotte is the second original anime series created by Key following Angel Beats! in 2010. Maeda had thought up the concept for Charlotte long before he was approached in early 2012 to work on another anime series after Angel Beats!. Maeda narrowed down the number of main characters compared to Angel Beats! and attempted to put more of a focus on their behavior. Instead of employing the same staff that had worked on Angel Beats!, the aim for Charlotte was to bring together a staff that would add a new variety to the creative process to prevent being influenced by the work done on Angel Beats!.
Charlotte was praised for its unpredictability and evocative moments, but its pacing and structure have been criticized as inefficient. It has been described as approachable for a wide audience and for defying the "moe anime" stereotype. Although the comedic elements have been called dumb and corny, they have overall been lauded for offering some relief from the serious moments, which one reviewer likened to a palate cleanser. P.A.Works' production was praised for its beautiful animation sequences and expressive cinematography.
TRAILER:
SYNOPSIS:
Charlotte takes place in an alternate reality where a short-period comet called Charlotte passes near Earth once every 75 years. As this happens, it spreads dust onto the Earth, which causes a small percentage of preadolescent children who inhale the dust to manifest superhuman abilities upon reaching puberty. The story follows the protagonist Yuu Otosaka, a boy who awakens the ability to temporarily possess another person for five seconds. Although hoping to use his ability to fraudulently live a carefree high school life, he is unexpectedly exposed by Nao Tomori, a girl who can make herself invisible to a specific target. She forces him to transfer to Hoshinoumi Academy (星ノ海学園 Hoshinoumi Gakuen, "Sea of Stars Academy") and join its student council, of which she is the president. Also on the student council is Jōjirō Takajō, a boy who can move at uncontrollably high speeds. The student council's main objective is to ensure the safety of ability users from organizations who seek to exploit their powers. In doing so, the student council warns ability users of the potential danger of using their abilities openly. This leads the student council to Yusa Nishimori, a pop singer who has the ability to channel the spirits of the dead as a medium. Yusa's dead older sister Misa frequently makes use of this ability to freely possess her at any time, which allows Misa to use her own ability, pyrokinesis. Nao soon arranges for Yusa to transfer to Hoshinoumi Academy and join the student council.
EPISODE GUIDE:
No.
|
Title
|
1
|
"I Think About
Others"
"Ware Tanin o Omou" (我他人を思う) |
Yuu Otosaka, a boy with
the ability to temporarily possess anyone in his line of sight for five
seconds, abuses his power by looking at other students' answers during exams.
He manages to enter the prestigious Hinomori High School, where he once again
uses his ability to woo the school's madonna, Yumi Shirayanagi. Yuu's perfect
scores catch the attention of student council president Yoshiyuki Ōmura, who
challenges him to retake the exam on his own or to face expulsion on grounds
of cheating. This turns out to be a trap set up by a girl named Nao Tomori, who has been
observing his abilities in action. Yuu attempts to flee but is caught
by Jōjirō Takajō, who can
move at uncontrollably high speeds, after which Nao, who can make herself
invisible to a specific target, beats up Yuu. Nao arranges for him and his
little sister Ayumi Otosaka to be
transferred to Hoshinoumi Academy, a school for those with abilities like
him. Getting dumped by Yumi as a result of the restrictions forced upon him,
Yuu reluctantly prepares for his new life as a member of Hoshinoumi Academy's
student council.
|
|
2
|
"Melody of
Despair"
"Zetsubō no Senritsu" (絶望の旋律) |
Yuu is tasked as a
member of the student council to ensure the safety of students with special
abilities. During lunch, Jōjirō seemingly gets hurt after demonstrating his
developing teleportation skills to Yuu in the cafeteria to grab some
sandwiches. He tells Yuu that Nao has no female friends due to her selective
invisibility power. A boy named Takehito Kumagami, who
can detect people with abilities, guides Yuu, Nao and Jōjirō to Nanba High
School. The three of them catch a student named Udō, who uses his thoughtographyability to produce X-ray photos
of girls in their underwear, selling them for a profit to support his ill
parents. After they threaten him, Udō agrees to stop using his ability. The
next day, Nao takes Yuu to see her big brother, Kazuki Tomori, a musician who
was experimented on for his ability to manipulate sound waves and has been
left unstable and insane ever since then. Nao explains that, thanks to a
particular person she trusts, she was able to escape from the school that
experimented on her brother and to bring him to a healthier
environment.
|
|
3
|
"Love and
Flame"
"Koi to Honō" (恋と炎) |
Yuu eats lunch at
the cafeteria again with Jōjirō, who risks injury by using his teleportation
ability to get the best beef curry for the both of them. In their mission to
find a user supposedly with two abilities, Yuu, Nao and Jōjirō encounter
popular singing idol and vocalist of the band How-Low-Hello, Yusa Nishimori, who is
being chased. With the help of her friend Shō, the three fight off her pursuer,
finding out afterwards that Yusa is a medium, frequently being possessed by her
deceased elder sister Misa Kurobane, who
has pyrokinesis. Yusa
explains that she was pursued for having accidentally brought home a
television producer's phone, which holds shady facts against him. Nao devises
a threatening plan to deal with the television producer. That night, Misa, in
the guise of Yusa, confronts the television producer. With help from the
others, she convinces the television producer to leave Yusa alone and returns
the phone to him. Afterwards, Nao arranges for Yusa to transfer to Hoshinoumi
Academy, while Shō confesses his feelings for Misa, who advises him to live
his own life and thanks him for everything.
|
|
4
|
"A Moment of
Honesty"
"Setsuna no Honki" (刹那の本気) |
Following Yusa's
conspicuous transfer to Yuu's class, Nao brings her and the boys to their
third task in Kannai Academy, where a student is believed to have telekinesis. Nao shows them footage of a
baseball pitcher, Arifumi Fukuyama, who pitches knuckleballs with his ability instead of
his grip. They confront Arifumi, who refuses to stop using his ability. Nao
organizes a baseball match between the two academies' baseball teams, with
the condition that Arifumi will stop using his ability if Hoshinoumi Academy
wins. After eight innings, both teams are evenly scored. In the ninth inning,
Yuu hits a few foul balls, and Misa runs from second base to home plate.
Hoshinoumi subsequently wins against Kannai, two to one. Arifumi admits to
using his ability only to help Takato, who is the catcher and his best
friend, train to qualify for the national league. The others assure that
Arifumi can still be of much help to Takato, and Arifumi agrees to stop using
his ability.
|
|
5
|
"The Sound Once
Heard"
"Itsuka Kiita Oto" (いつか聴いた音) |
Learning of a user
capable of flight, the student council camps out in the mountains, where the
user has been training to master his ability. During the first two nights,
Yusa tells the other members about her close relationship with Misa, while
Nao tells Yuu about her dream of filming her favorite band named Zhiend.
Jōjirō later tells Yuu that their abilities will only last for two more
years. The day after, the student council is confronted by Saitō, the ability
user, who threatens them into leaving, but Nao dismisses his threat as bluff.
Saitō then steals Nao's camcorder from her and attempts to escape by flying
away. However, Saitō is thwarted by Yuu, and Nao convinces Saitō to stop
using his ability. In the evening, Yuu returns home to find Ayumi sick with a
cold while eating dinner.
|
|
6
|
"Overlooked
Happiness"
"Kizukanakatta Shiawase" (気づかなかった幸せ) |
While Ayumi stays at
home to recover, the student council learns of a student with a collapse
ability in the condo complex, and Nao suspects that Ayumi has developed said
ability, as only a sick student would be home from school at that time of
day. Ayumi is visited by Yuu, Nao, and Yusa for dinner and is tucked into bed
at night. After Yuu learns that Ayumi dreamed about the ground suddenly
cracking, a worried Nao instructs Yuu to tell Ayumi to stay home one more
day. Although her temperature has gone down, Ayumi sneaks out and goes to
school. In the corridor, after Nomura prevents Oikawa from talking to Ayumi,
Konishi threatens Ayumi with a box cutter, accusing Ayumi of supposedly
stealing Oikawa from her. Backed into a corner, Ayumi activates her ability,
causing the school wing to disintegrate around her. As Yuu desperately
searches through the wreckage for any sign of his sister, he is knocked
unconscious by a piece of falling rubble.
|
|
7
|
"At the End of
the Escape"
"Tōhikō no Hate ni" (逃避行の果てに) |
Yuu wakes up in
hospital and learns that Ayumi died in the school collapse. He becomes
a recluse into despondency, showing no
interest when Jōjirō and Yusa come to visit. Yumi also comes by and express
her concern, but he refuses her help. When government agents show up at his apartment,
Yuu goes on the run and hides out in a manga café, later using his powers to
pick fights with gangs and growing more unstable over time. Before he can
turn his attention to drugs, he is stopped by Nao, who has been secretly
observing him the entire time. Nao convinces Yuu to eat a proper meal as a
bet, serving him a plate of omurice, which Ayumi had been trying to
perfect using his mother's recipe. Yuu acknowledges that he has lost the bet
and resolves to return to the student council with Nao to work hard in memory
of his sister.
|
|
8
|
"A Chance
Encounter"
"Kaikō" (邂逅) |
After Yuu is
welcomed back at school by Jōjirō and Yusa, the student council assembles to
watch Yusa's new music video. Nao invites Yuu to accompany her to a Zhiend
concert, since Jōjirō and Yusa are not interested. Later that day, Yuu comes
across Sala Shane, Zhiend's blind vocalist, who treats him to okonomiyaki at a restaurant. After she
helps Yuu burn incense on the altar to pay respect for the loss of Ayumi,
Sala later reveals that she overcame her blindness to get to where she is
now. Yuu takes Sala to see Kazuki in the hospital, where she sings one of her
inspirational songs to calm Kazuki from his rage. After seeing Sala off, Nao
thanks Yuu for helping to improve Kazuki's condition, and Yuu wonders why he
feels so nostalgic over Zhiend's music.
|
|
9
|
"A World Not
Here"
"Koko ni Nai Sekai" (ここにない世界) |
At the Zhiend
concert with Nao, Yuu feels a familiar sensation upon hearing what is
supposed to be a brand-new song. He experiences a sudden flashback, in which
he and Ayumi lived in a research institution where they were monitored for
their abilities. When Ayumi's collapse ability caused damage to the
structure, a scientist named Tsutsumiuchi helped Yuu escape and urged him to
use his true ability of plundering other people's powers. Yuu eventually
reached his brother, Shunsuke Otosaka, who
possesses the ability to time travel. Back in the present, Yuu regains
consciousness, now aware of the fact that he has a brother. Yuu and Nao are
then approached by Kumagami, who takes them to a secret underground haven to
meet with Shunsuke.
|
|
10
|
"Plunder"
"Ryakudatsu" (略奪) |
In the past,
Shunsuke and Kumagami, as well as their allied ability users Medoki, Shichino and Maedomari, tried to find
a way to keep ability users safe from researchers with evil intentions. As
Shunsuke time-leaped multiple times to find an answer, he discovered that his
vision grew weaker with each leap. After one final leap which left him blind,
Shunsuke used his idea of establishing a safe haven to buy an educational
facility to serve as a school. To keep them safe, Shunsuke arranged for Yuu
and Ayumi to be hypnotized by Medoki, and have their memories of him be
erased by Maedomari. In the present, Shunsuke instructs Yuu to plunder his
time leap ability and to return to the day before Ayumi died. Yuu promptly
plunders Ayumi's collapse ability, keeping her from accidentally using it.
Later on, Yuu and Nao use their powers to scare off Konishi so that she
cannot harm Ayumi. With Ayumi finally safe, Kumagami takes her and Yuu to
Shunsuke.
|
|
11
|
"Charlotte"
"Shārotto" (シャーロット) |
Shunsuke urges Yuu
to stay with Ayumi at the safe haven until his abilities disappear. In the
research facility, Tsutsumiuchi explains that people possess their special
abilities as a result of inhaling particles spread by a short-period comet called Charlotte,
which passes Earth every 75 years. A vaccine is being prepared before the
next pass of the comet. Shunsuke's aide, Furuki, is threatened into handing
Kumagami over to a group of foreign terrorists in a factory. The terrorists
torture Kumagami to inquire information about ability users, allowing the terrorists
to hold Nao and Kumagami hostage in exchange for Yuu. Upon ensuring the
safety of Furuki's family, Yuu goes to the factory to ransom Nao and
Kumagumi, but is attacked by a female ability user who slashes his right eye,
preventing him from time-leaping. Yuu activates his collapse ability,
disintegrating the factory on top of them all. Although Yuu manages to use
telekinesis to protect himself and the female ability user, Kumagami is
impaled by a metal pipe as he shields Nao from the wreckage.
|
|
12
|
"Promise"
"Yakusoku" (約束) |
Yuu wakes up in the
hospital with Medoki, Shichino, Maedomari at his bedside. He learns of the
permanent loss of his right eye and the devastating death of Kumagumi. Ayumi,
Jōjirō and Yusa each come by to visit during his rehabilitation. Also, he
encourages Misa to express appreciation for her parents while she still has a
chance, being given this opportunity when Yusa host a television food report
on their family restaurant. After Shunsuke explains that Japan will be
involved in terrorist attacks soon, Nao suggests for Yuu to travel overseas
to plunder the powers of all ability users worldwide, though this could risk
his sanity. He accepts this challenge and confesses his love to her, and they
make a promise that he will come home safely. She offers him to plunder her
ability so she can live a normal life. He then plunders the abilities of Jōjirō,
Yusa, and Misa, the latter of whom leaves behind a letter for Yusa expressing
how much fun she had with them all. Nao gives some foreign language
flashcards to Yuu, and he gives back her MP3 player as a vow that he will come
back to her once the mission is over.
|
|
13
|
"What I'll
Become From Here On Out"
"Korekara no Kiroku" (これからの記録) |
Beginning his
journey abroad, Yuu plunders an ability for seeking out other users and
slowly starts taking the abilities from each user he meets, earning him a
reputation as the dreaded "One-Eyed Grim Reaper". At a paramilitary
facility that exploits adolescent ability users, he gains an ability to
detect those with dormant abilities, using an illness-worsening ability to
accelerate the abilities' development in order to plunder them. As he travels
to various countries, he begins to suffer from extreme stress and borderline
insanity from acquiring so much power, yet seeing the flashcards prevents him
from going haywire. Upon discovering the last active ability user, Yuu is
critically injured from an attack by a male bounty hunter, but Yuu defends
the young female ability user before being recovered by Shunsuke. An amnesiac
Yuu wakes up in the hospital back in Japan with Nao at his bedside. Nao
informs him that they are lovers and expresses gratitude that he has kept the
flashcards and their promise after all this time. With no other ability users
present in the world, Yuu, Nao, Jōjirō, Yusa and Ayumi look forward to the
memories they will make from now on.
|
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