One of the new anime currently airing is Jinrui wa Suitai Shimashita, also known as Humanity has Declined. It takes place several centuries after the height of human civilization. The Earth’s natural resources have been depleted and human birthrates have declined so much that we are no longer the dominant species on the planet. Small creatures known as “fairies” or “neo-humans” have appeared and possess great knowledge and highly advanced technology. They are now the most successful species on the planet.
The series focuses on a girl who has returned to her home village after becoming a UN mediator. Her job is to maintain a good relationship between the fairies and humans. She thought the job would be easy – after all, she just has to give the fairies candy and they’ll help humans with anything from fixing food shortages to navigating through a maze. Not everything is as simple as it seems though; fairy technology is so advanced that it can sometimes cause unintended side-effects.
While Jinrui wa Suitai Shimashita sounds and looks like a fairytale anime for children, it is actually a comedy targeted at an older audience. While the nameless main character appears sweet and innocent on the outside, her monologues throughout the first few episodes reveal that she is actually rather observant and somewhat manipulative. There is a reason why she became a UN mediator and it shows when she uses her tact to get herself out of trouble, though it doesn’t always work.
One of the more humorous scenes from the first episode involved a talking loaf of bread committing suicide by splitting his head open. As he is crawling on the floor dying from blood loss, he explains that he actually isn’t a loaf of white bread, but carrot juice bread that was developed for children that didn’t like carrots. Other comedic moments include the revelation that the fairies had cut off the heads of some escaped chickens and de-feathered them for the humans so that they wouldn’t have to kill the chickens themselves. The only problem was that the headless, featherless chickens were still alive and running around in the wild.
The seemingly random events that happen in the series make it a joy to watch, and the mysteries behind fairy technology make nearly everything possible. Jinrui wa Suitai Shimashita looks like it will be a great series for anyone who likes cute, random comedy and doesn’t mind a little senseless killing along the way.
