Ajin: Demi-Human

In this anime adaptation based on Gamon Sakurai's manga about a breed of immortal beings who appear to be human but have the ability to continuously regenerate, the titular Ajin can immobilize enemies with their screams and they manifest powerful spectral entities called “black ghosts,” which are normally invisible to all but their own kind. These supernatural powers come in handy because the Ajin have been declared dangerous by the government and must now defend themselves against both ordinary people who are seduced by rewards offered for identifying Ajin and agents who aim to confine them in torturous testing facilities. Kei Nagai is a teen who discovers that he is an Ajin when he emerges unscathed after being run down by a truck. Kei must go on the run, targeted by both government agents and Sato, the leader of an Ajin resistance group who considers the boy insufficiently dedicated to their cause. Compiling all 13 episodes from 2016 in separate dual-language DVD and Blu-ray editions, rated TV-MA, extras include a bonus feature film (covering the same ground as the series), and a featurette on the animatic storyboarding process. An exciting Fugitive-style series with a surprisingly dark, cynical tone and striking animation, this is recommended. (F. Swietek)