Darwin Jihen • The Darwin Incident

Darwin Jihen • The Darwin Incident - Episode 1 discussion

*Darwin Jihen*, episode 1

**Reminder:** Please do not discuss plot points not yet seen or skipped in the show. Failing to follow the rules may result in a ban.

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**Show information**

* [MyAnimeList](https://myanimelist.net/anime/58886/)
* [AniList](https://anilist.co/anime/177679)
* [AniDB](https://anidb.net/perl-bin/animedb.pl?show=anime&aid=18646)
* [Anime-Planet](https://www.anime-planet.com/anime/the-darwin-incident)
* [Official Website](https://darwinsincident.net/)

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**All discussions**

Episode|Link
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1|[Link](https://www.reddit.com/r/anime/comments/1q5lwny)

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Commentaires

AnimeMod2026-01-06 16:39

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Paks-of-Three-Firs2026-01-06 16:46

First time seeing anything about this show and I am so curious why theirs a random ass monkey lol def have to check this out

biggie_way_smaller2026-01-06 16:50

Imma check that out but is obama evil in this anime or nah?

szalhi2026-01-06 16:50

[How long did it take them to come up with this name?](https://i.imgur.com/b6IkVQ4.jpeg) [Maybe as long as this name too.](https://i.imgur.com/tPk26d5.jpeg)

[I'm glad they said what I was thinking.](https://i.imgur.com/yEhYDRk.jpeg)

The fact that this is licensed by Amazon of all things is hilarious.

Emi_Ibarazakiii2026-01-09 17:09

>Dr Grossman

I can't believe they didn't make the joke "How did the doctor have a child with a chimpanzee? That's gross, man!"

[](#flustered)

Purposelygentle2026-01-06 17:07

There’s kind of an insane number of Tuesday shows this season.

mmcjawa_reborn2026-01-06 19:51

There's kind of an insane number of shows period...

NanDemoKnaives2026-01-07 00:29

Tuesdays aren't usually supposed to be this packed lol.

BosuW2026-01-07 02:27

Yeah stacked day is supposed to be Saturday haha

mekerpan2026-01-07 03:17

Saturdays -- followed by Thursday and/or Sunday in MOST seasons the last few years.

ObvsThrowaway51202026-01-06 17:23

When I first read the synopsis of this, my first thought was “I sure hope Chuck’s some kinda test tube baby and not the product of some scientist going balls deep into a chimp.” Glad to know it’s basically the former lol.

But all joking aside, this was pretty interesting. It’ll be fun to see things through Charlie’s eyes as a “humanzee.” This whole animal rights terrorist plot is interesting too. Killing humans to protest the death of animals makes tons of sense. Totally not insane and moronic. Those idiots are gonna be dragging ol Chuck into their bullshit when dude just wants to live life.

eastgaston2026-01-06 20:06

> Killing humans to protest the death of animals makes tons of sense. Totally not insane and moronic.

Promised Neverland ending haters be like:

Astan922026-01-07 04:31

>“I sure hope Chuck’s some kinda test tube baby and not the product of some scientist going balls deep into a chimp.” Glad to know it’s basically the former lol.

I'm the opposite. My disappointment is a measurable and my day is ruined by the fact that Dr Grossman did not in fact go balls deep in a chimp.

Erectosaures2026-01-06 17:24

Monke

FarCritical2026-01-06 17:24

The OP Makes Me Wonder if anything will manage to top it for catchiness this season.

Premise is insanely cool but I just hope PETA doesn't start taking notes.

moichispa2026-01-06 19:18

ED is sick too, they're going it all with cool music there

Snoo913112026-01-07 01:48

I'm trying to watch every EP 1 as it comes out, and my biggest question right now is why is the humanzee anime the contender for best OP *and* ED so far?

BosuW2026-01-07 02:24

Unique premise begets a unique presentation card

Terrible-Dig73112026-01-07 06:13

Bc everything else so far is isekai slop

jerodimus2026-01-10 05:35

Hey, can I ask - every ep 1 of what? (Forgive me, kinda new to anime!)

melvinlee882026-01-07 14:11

They got Ako of all people to sing the ED. Crazy pull

gabechuck01292026-01-07 07:35

PETA: *starts watching the show* WRITE THAT DOWN..WRITE THAT DOWN!

HolyDragSwd25002026-01-06 17:25

My Gym Partner is a Monkey the anime

LordVaderVader2026-01-10 05:03

Lmao that's really good take xd

thisisdropd2026-01-06 17:27

Seemed like it's the first time Charlie had ever been in school and previously he'd been educated at home with the Steins. He's missing out on social development. He failed to register how some of the students looked at him. Being "different", he's bound to be discriminated a lot. Having said that, there's a silver lining in Lucy, who looked set to be his ally.

Meanwhile, Ozzy's an absolute bellend. Was quite satisfying to see Charlie shut him up that way. Even better was how nonchalant he said those words.

As if school's not tough enough, he's about to be thrust into the world of politics with the animal rights group looking to get hold of him. Turned out this won't exactly be a slice-of-life show.

Myrkrvaldyr2026-01-06 17:58

>Even better was how nonchalant he said those words.

We don't know yet because it's the first episode, but either that means he's still learning empathy, or he knew the implications of what he said and did it anyway to scare him.

Viktorv222026-01-06 17:27

I can't get over Charlie's design, how out of place he looks in this normal ass US school lmao. But it's definitely an interesting premise, I wonder what the writing be like.

avboden2026-01-07 04:41

although all the students look like they're at least 20

ShawnHeatherly2026-01-07 05:58

Really feels like it's a college setting and they're just calling it highschool.

avboden2026-01-07 06:00

agreed

PhilyJFry2026-01-08 22:49

from what i've seen, it's rare an anime is set in the US so i'm willing to bet it's just the writers not knowing entirely how things are here.

Both-Variation21222026-01-07 07:16

Like in true US school drama. They always look closer to 30 in those. :P

Emi_Ibarazakiii2026-01-09 17:00

I was a bit worried about it myself (I sometimes struggle with anything that's not "conventional"), but I don't find it so bad!

I love the writing too, the way they float questions and let people decide and all.

caiusto2026-01-06 17:33

I'm a big fan of the manga, would never have expected it to receive an anime adaptation. Wish people would take it seriously but from what I've seen they're just use it to make racist jokes 🤷

Edit: IRT the anime itself, that was a very solid first episode, iirc this is the first anime from studio Bellnox right? For Kadokawa's first foray in anime this is looking promising.

Other than some whacky CGI with cars moving around it looked solid, I particularly liked the scene where Charlie lifts Lucy with his foot, grabs her with his hand then throws her on his shoulder, very smooth movement.

JohanLiebheart2026-01-07 08:38

I was about to drop it after 5 minutes, wasnt a fan of the animation. But when he went to the school it just grabbed my whole attention and i enjoyed the episode a lot! ill keep watching it

Myrkrvaldyr2026-01-06 18:00

Vegans as terrorists, it fits. I wonder if PETA will make an appearance. Charlie's personality is very subdued. His comment towards the asshole was logical but it understandably scared him since it came from a half-human. It seems the subs are dubtitles, though.

abandoned_idol2026-01-07 04:17

Ugh, I hate dubtitles.

Friggin dubs spilling into subs. They actively hurt the subtitle experience.

JoelMahon2026-01-06 18:08

great premise, so far great execution. first vegan protagonist in anime ever? Aang isn't technically an anime protagonist nor actually a Vegan iirc 🤔.

There's probably some protagonists that are plant based because they're like, an animal, like Haru from Beastars is almost a protagonist and she's plant based, but I wouldn't consider her Vegan because it's not really an ethically driven for her.

onions_can_be_sweet2026-01-06 19:44

Charlie claimed he'd never eaten meat, that he was raised by vegan parents.

He never claimed to be a vegan.

I'm getting the sense from this episode that details like this will be important.

JoelMahon2026-01-06 20:16

I mean he didn't chose to eat meat for lunch and clearly cares for animals as he's concerned about denying a spider food.

if he chooses consistently not to eat meat/eggs/etc outside his household then he's vegan even if he doesn't identify it but yes this is possibly his only meal ever ordered himself for himself so we'll see, I'd be very surprised if he eats meat except maybe once and then regretting it, or as a necessity for some reason (which isn't not vegan FWIW).

abandoned_idol2026-01-07 04:16

**intimidating Charlie stare**

polycontrale2026-01-07 10:27

Yep. And the obnoxious dude jumped to the conclusion that all life was valuable to Charlie, but Charlie said no, he'd shoot the mouse and the guy if he had to. I expect that when Charlie is eventually confronted by the animal rights terrorists they're probably going to have different beliefs regarding how they value lives.

Reemys2026-01-06 18:11

Don't take me wrong, this has extremist activists wiling to commit terror in the name of liberating X - couldn't be a better premise for a serious drama. However, this is some buffoonery.

If one is Japanese, one does not go about creating a USA settings if they want a serious story. This has been done time and again, if the Japanese try to touch on a) foreign countries b) international relations then they get a total clownage, a circus of cosmic proportions, an idiocy that is as stupid as it is benign in its essence.

And this seems to be exactly it. I have no idea WHY they would even try to make this a slice-of-life kind of series and not a straight thriller. The whole idea reminds me of cult propaganda animations that were being produced a while ago, with general score between 3 to 5 out of 10 on some websites like MAL. Or Hero Mask. It just makes no sense why would you make it if you were a genuinely aspiring animation studio. And if you aren't a genuinely aspiring animation studio, why would I watch whatever you produced? Do I want to watch monkeys excrete? You get the point. I will give it exactly one more episode.

ThaOppanHaimar2026-01-06 18:32

I'm also a bit confused. I haven't read the story, but from the few glimpses I got from the comments, it just goes from radical anarchist drama to... slice of life in USA? For example, Anarchism would be against schools (as it exists now) (I'm assuming they tried referencing the Animal Liberation Front, which is/was an anarchist organization, the synopsis says ALA)

I wonder, does this touch any political stuff at all beyond the surface level in episode 1? Since it's on Amazon, I assume it isn't.

Plus doing a modern story related to anarchism in USA is gonna be hard. USA is a highly evolved military state, and at the intermediate state of technological surveillance.

Edit 1: I found out more information, gonna give this a go myself for a few episodes to judge correctly. It's gonna be better than most isekai nonsense anyways, so might as well give it a go

onions_can_be_sweet2026-01-06 20:04

The characters at school seemed pretty immature with the bullying. That was particularly jarring because they were drawn as adults. The animation was fine, and kids do act like that... but not when they look like university students.

The way that felt a bit wrong was a sort-of uncanny valley thing. And the whole vegan terrorist thing feels a bit wrong too, in the same way.

This is supposed to be a SOL? About vegan terrorists?

Anyway it was entertaining enough, and I'll be back next week to see how this goes.

NationalStrategy2026-01-06 18:49

It's rare to have an anime set in America, I'm honestly more surprised at that than MC being half-chimpanzee.

alpacamegafan2026-01-06 22:01

If I had a nickel for every time a Winter 2026 anime was set in America, I’d have 3 nickels. Which isn’t a lot, but it’s weird it happened thrice.

Few-Sound-75592026-01-06 22:24

I know there is this anime and steel ball run.

alpacamegafan2026-01-06 22:29

Fate Strange Fake, Darwin, and JoJo Steel Ball Run in March.

bakato2026-01-07 01:07

Banana Fish, 91 days.

zairaner2026-01-06 23:45

I hope I get to see a "I love amy" adaption in my lifetime, that's a series where it took me half the manga (well, manhwa) to realize it really plays in america because I just never assume it.

abandoned_idol2026-01-07 04:15

"Write this down!"

"I'm a humanzee but I was thrown out of the hero's party, I'm thirty and just want to life a suroo~ laifu~, I cook food and my skittles makes me omnipotent?!"

"Yamada... you are going to make us so stinking rich, we'll be able to milk this franchise by catering it to both tweens and suicidal salarymen for the next 3 decades! You've done it again!"

Reemys2026-01-07 08:59

It's rare because they don't know how to work with the US setting, same as US doesn't know how to work with modern Japanese one. It will devolve into cringe, an axiom.

XRotNRollX2026-01-08 08:01

Nah, they nailed the 90210 feel.

zen_872026-01-08 16:04

i already felt this in episode 1. Even the japanese was written in a way thats trying to 'american' sounding. The main thing was using unnecessary english loan words, which you wouldn't use in normal Japanese. Some other phrasing sounded like 'translation japanese' you get when you directly translate from English.

I get why they do it, it does make it feel more like a foreign setting to Japanese audience, but there are many other anime set in English speaking places that don't do this, there's no need. If you know English and American culture it takes away immersion and makes you laugh

NoHead17152026-01-07 10:02

Didn't we just have *Let's Play* last season?

ChairForceOne2026-01-08 04:33

I was surprised to see a crappy jeep SUV in the opening, then slightly disappointing when I realized it was in the US and the ALA are using AK's instead of AR's. But based on what someone said, the OG author learned of the US through movies, and terrorists always used AK's in the older ones. Also, its weird seeing stereo typically American houses in an anime. It'll be interesting to see how it all goes. So far its pretty entertaining.

Togusa_S92026-01-08 08:29

I chose to watch the dub because of this but it was kinda lame

Queue_Jumping_Quack2026-01-06 19:08

I'm watching this because of the hype the source material had. The story was feeling pretty implausible until luckily one of the kids noted that no animal could move like Charlie did, so there is something else going on with him. Though them just putting him into what looks like a completely ordinary high school still seems pretty outlandish.

I'm intrigued most by Charlie himself, his reactions to things and his rather non-emotive personality, matter of fact personality and coldly rational takes. I wonder why there is what seems to be almost like horror background music sometimes happening when the camera is tracking him...

All in all a fine, solid start, though I hope the jock guy demonstrates some depth to him soon. And those eco terrorists seem rather trite too, almost obsolete to today's world and like something from a 20 year old Tom Clancy book or something. But this was just the first episode.

Good OP and ED too!

hjordisa2026-01-09 02:09

They did mention it was genetic experiments or something, even though apparently all the human stuff came from one guy.

majestic_rainbows2026-01-06 19:11

Episode was storyboarded by the series director and director, Katsuichi Nakayama (中山勝一) and Naokatsu Tsuda (津田尚克) respectively. Nobody is credited as the episode director. Chances are one of them directed it, or both, if I had to guess.

Additional notes on the Production:

- Production Supervisor (制作統括) on the project is the CEO of the animation studio (Bellnox Films), Koji Kajita (梶田浩司). For those that weren't aware: Kajita was one of the founders of david production. He left the studio in 2021 and founded this studio later on.

- Animation Producer on board is Taichi Harakawa (原川太一). Harakawa previously worked at Seven Arcs.

- Production Manager (制作管理) on the show is Tsuyoshi Wakamatsu (若松剛). Wakamatsu came from david production, having been there since it started out. He was the animation producer on its first show, Ristorante Paradiso, alongside other works. Last work Wakamatsu did there was as one of the animation producers on cour 1 of the Urusei Yatsura remake.

- The opening animation was storyboarded by Katsuichi Nakayama and directed by Ryota Kawahara (河原龍太). Studios Rhinokino and Transdyne were credited for Production Assistance (制作協力).

- Ending animation was storyboarded and directed by Naokatsu Tsuda.

Zetafunction642026-01-06 19:20

'What if PETA was a terrorist group' sounds a gag concept ngl, but the episode showed promise.

I like how they characterized Charlie, his entire personality highlights how he's very different from others, but it's entirely possible that his mind works just like ours and the distant, cold behavior stems from, well, being a humanzee.

The other kids felt real, valid rage from the guy who's parents own a diner after hearing the word 'vegan'

1000-MAT2026-01-06 22:15

>What if PETA was a terrorist group'

Freedom as a Museum

CatInALaundryBin2026-01-06 23:35

if?

Prof_Acorn2026-01-07 06:53

It's probably just a fictionalized version of the ALF. Hence being called the ALA.

Niwaka_Samurai2026-01-06 19:28

This looks so interesting. Animal lovers turning into terrorists is a new one lol

Charlie is really mysterious. What really goes on in his mind since he's part human and part animal ? How does he really view the world ? When he said that he would shoot Ozzy did he really mean that 'cause he seems to be the guy who doesn't want to hurt even a fly and what if he only said that to scare him off.
So the guys at the end are they the ones who saved Charlie years back. I wonder how Charlie ended up with Hanna and Bert. He was rescued by the ALA. I couldn't read much of the info on those newspaper clippings about the incident.

Lucy seems to be a decent girl who respects Charlie. At least Charlie is attracting all girls even if the guys hate him.

Arzhart2026-01-06 22:08

I don't think he would want to hurt Ozzy. But if it's his life against the rat, he would prioritize his. If it's his life against Ozzy's, the same. Exactly because he doesn't see a difference between human and animal lives, the reaction is the same. I think this is the "moral" of the scene. But, if he had an option, he would not hurt any of them

PrismShadowSketcher2026-01-07 04:08

> Animal lovers turning into terrorists is a new one lol

While the ALA is the fictional creation of the anime, the ALF is a real international terrorist organization. They bombed quite a few places just a couple decades ago.

Niwaka_Samurai2026-01-07 14:34

Wow! Didn't know such an organisation exists.

VVTFan2026-01-07 09:36

Well the two girls likely think he’s creepy after his comment to the guy which is dumb because the guy deserved it.

Niwaka_Samurai2026-01-07 14:36

Ikr.. those girls were fawning over Charlie and all of a sudden 'cause of a single comment they started to fear Charlie

MonaganX2026-01-08 04:53

I think Charlie really meant it because it's disproving Ozzy's point.

Ozzy claimed Charlie putting his life over an animal's meant he doesn't care equally about all living beings. By saying he'd also shoot Ozzy because he'd die otherwise, Charlie made it clear that it's not about valuing one class of living beings over another, but simply self-preservation. It would only prove Charlie values lives differently if he'd shoot the mouse but wouldn't shoot Ozzy.

To put it differently, if the question was "would you shoot a human running at you with a knife" would answering yes mean you don't really value human lives? Under many legal systems all human lives are (ostensibly) of equal value but they still have self-defense laws under which someone can even kill another person to protect their own life. It's just such a dumb strawman of an argument in the first place.

moichispa2026-01-06 19:29

The premise is great and the plot is interesting but the first episode did not give a great first impression, it look a little bland in general? Specially the bad guys they feel kinda one dimensional

Yet we are on the first episode, it might get better later on. I'll still watch it to see how it goes even if I did not like it as much as I though from the PVs

OP/ED songs are amazing. I'll loop them to hell. Any idea what is the speaking words at the end of the ending?

IntroductionRare52712026-01-06 19:37

Just when you think you've seen every anime premise, from vending machines isekai's, to zombie girl idols, and now we have... Humanzee's in america.

What a time to be alive, apes together strong.

mmcjawa_reborn2026-01-06 19:56

Honestly compared to those shows you mentioned this isn't even that weird...

mmcjawa_reborn2026-01-06 19:50

Random Thoughts

Maybe it's just me, but Charlies design kind of creeps me out a bit, with how flat his head is. Weird feature to give him but I guess it does make him fairly inhuman, especially with the relatively emotionless voice. Although the dialogue, at least in the English dub, feels a bit stilted at times, which might not help matters

Went in blind and didn't expect all the vegan stuff. I'm...I'm sorry but I can't take vegan terrorists all that seriously. Of all the groups you could turn into villains. I mean I get thematically why they would be chosen, to tie in the character with the group that liberated him. Still an odd choice.

Wondering if this will have some romance to it with all the focus on the hoodie girl. and in the ED her feet...

Prof_Acorn2026-01-07 07:08

This is a modern retelling of Frankenstein, so yeah, he's supposed to be a bit uncanny .

HolyDragSwd25002026-01-06 20:04

All For One causing another war in this universe

Either-Band-56522026-01-06 20:23

The first episode is a pretty solid adaptation. Having read the manga, I'm glad to see it doesn’t rush the setup or sand down how uncomfortable the premise is. Charlie comes across less like a concept and more like a person immediately, and the episode balances everyday school life with a underlying sense of tension really well. It’s a little unsettling and feels confident about where it’s going. Strong start, especially if they keep respecting the source material.

mulahey2026-01-06 20:24

I thought this could be an interesting concept and ideas based show.

But to the extent we get ideas, it's by people making some of the dumbest arguments possible with no challenge? Like you can have dumb arguments by characters... But the show doesn't have any *other* arguments, just an unbearable stream of straw men?

With this writing think that's a one and done for me.

gsurfer042026-01-06 20:28

Is the English dub any good? The Japanese VAs are good but it feels unfitting watching this one with Japanese voices considering the setting.

BosuW2026-01-07 02:43

Same I'll probably be checking out the dub. I dunno how else to explain it but while many anime have depicted the US before this one seems to _really_ emphasize that "this is America". It feels wrong somehow to watch it in Japanese.

Jas_God2026-01-07 03:26

It’s bad but I’m gonna stick with it for now cause of the setting.

abandoned_idol2026-01-07 04:10

You don't reuse the JP voice in order to piece together an english equivalent in your head in realtime?

It's just me... I'm all alone... in my last-minute audio remix experience.

Astan922026-01-07 04:32

It seems very bad and there's a couple of background characters who I'm like 80% sure Amazon is dubbing with AI again.

Trying to sneak it in to see if people notice

AWSGooogle7772026-01-06 20:40

I haven’t read the original manga, but I decided to watch the anime since it’s been such a hot topic, and it’s really interesting. I never imagined the protagonist would be a "humanzee"—a half-human, half-chimpanzee. Even though he looks different, he might see the world in the same way we do. He doesn't show much emotion, but he has a hidden kindness, like when he saved Lucy and the cat, or even a butterfly.

I wonder if the story will follow Charlie, this humanzee, and Lucy as they get caught up in various incidents while confronting the discrimination and prejudice that come with being what he is. I really enjoy these kinds of socially conscious suspense stories. I’m looking forward to seeing how Charlie grows as he navigates his way through human society.

abandoned_idol2026-01-07 04:08

"Humanzee"

Those cheesy dad scientists and their lame jokes/naming!

I love suspense too.

cleaulem2026-01-06 20:41

I find it funny that our MC's name is Charlie, because years ago there was a German TV show with a chimpanzee with the same name.

Very interesting premise that seems to strive into philosophical questions territory.what is the value of human life compared to that of animals? And where exactly does Charlie fit in, as he has human intelligence, but obviously is not human?

Charlie would shoot a mouse dead to save his own life?! So he would do to a human. Yet he saved a little "insignificant" butterfly from being eaten by a spider. Was this out of compassion or what was his reason?

I like Charlie's character design. They didn't make him "cute", but instead he has this uncanny look that is slightly offputting. This emphasizes him being alien/nonhuman in an effective way.

cppn022026-01-06 21:29

>I find it funny that our MC's name is Charlie, because years ago there was a German TV show with a chimpanzee with the same name.

Lol I also had to think of that show. Remember watching a bit of it as a kid.

Mr_Rock-haley2026-01-07 00:30

You wrote beautifully, tbh there's a chance I'll watch it because of you

cleaulem2026-01-07 02:14

Aww, thanks! Now I have to hope that the show lives up to our expectations, so you won't bash me for false advertising. :-)

danlong872026-01-07 01:57

the female protag being named Lucy is not a coincidence as well, since the fossil that once considered the earliest known member of the human family was named Lucy

yawnman2402026-01-07 02:17

I see it as: he saved the butterfly out of compassion, it wasn't threatening his own life so he wouldn't have to risk anything to do it. Charlie views all life as the same in terms of worth, which means he also values his own, he's not completely selfless and that's why he'd kill the mouse.

abandoned_idol2026-01-07 04:07

Or maybe they will give us a cool edgy reveal later on.

I'm excited either way!

yawnman2402026-01-07 04:33

This could also very well be the case!

succesfulway2026-01-08 00:19

By saving the butterfly he deprived the spider of its food. It was contradictory

BosuW2026-01-07 02:25

> Yet he saved a little "insignificant" butterfly from being eaten by a spider.

Ain't monarch butterflies poisonous? He may have saved the spider there. Well both really.

Prof_Acorn2026-01-07 06:49

The butterfly wasn't trying to kill him.

Could just be a modus operandi of "help things that are hurting, save things about to die." The premise was "kill mouse or you die." And Charlie responded by saying that yeah obviously he would save himself, and the type of threat wouldn't matter.

He'd save his own life, and would save the butterfly's too.

AngelRefuse2026-01-06 21:32

Oh wow. 4 hours after release, this thread is pretty dead. Considering the upvotes and comments the key visual posts have, I thought this was going to be really popular on this sub.

darthvall2026-01-07 17:07

It aired in Prime in my region. So the choice is whether to subscribe or sail to the high sea.

MyraBannerTatlock2026-01-06 21:43

I can't. I can't see this character as anything but an anencephalic infant, and it's just way too off-putting

SopmodTew2026-01-06 21:50

Why is Obama the leader of a vegan eco-terrorist group 😅

abandoned_idol2026-01-07 04:06

And voiced by Thorkell?!

Gahahahahah!!!!

Broken_DMG2026-01-07 16:50

Zehahahahahaha

pseudonymous282026-01-07 09:26

Obamna

SopmodTew2026-01-07 10:10

SODA

polycontrale2026-01-07 10:18

New conspiracy theory just dropped.

TheCrimsonFuccker2026-01-11 00:31

Openly racist in the big 2026 is honestly pathetic at this point

Daemoniklesreddit2026-01-06 21:59

Switched from dub to sub because It was way better.

Astan922026-01-07 04:35

It definitely was and I'm pretty sure most of the background terrorist in the final scene are actually AI voiced in the dub.

Zado1912026-01-06 22:09

So.... im 8 minutes in and very scared of what im about to see in this show but...

Do Japanese just see Americans as looking way older than themselves? Or is it a spoof on those 70s musicals and shows with those old ass actors cosplaying as high schoolers? The truck looked pretty old

BosuW2026-01-07 02:35

I dunno how Japanese seem themselves in respect to Americans or the rest of the world. What I do know from watching anime is how they want to present themselves or what they view as ideal, and youth is definitely it highly valued.

abandoned_idol2026-01-07 04:06

Japanese adults (asian ethnicities in general) look like children.

It only makes sense that non-Japanese look like adults.

At least that is the trope I am familiar with.

Yes, big Japanese and tiny westerners also exist. But see, Charlie is pretty short as an American! (snort)

SitInCorner_Yo22026-01-07 14:58

To be honest that’s the case for lot of us Asian, I remember a video of American expert explaining this phenomenon , because we Asian didn’t go through the drastic facial structure change like other ethnic groups, i.e. our facial features stay flat and smooth like kid of other ethnic so we look younger to them, and the reverse is white or black teens look older in our eyes.

As an extreme example, bouncer and bar tender still ask my mom for her ID when we’re on vacation, at the time her oldest kid(me) already graduated from college, she was in her mid forties.

The joke of “Asian women look young till the day they suddenly look 300yo” kinda have a reverse of “white peoples suddenly look 30yo when they graduate high school”.

tanakasaito2026-01-07 17:15

>Do Japanese just see Americans as looking way older than themselves?

Yes, there are many TV shows in Japan that features people from overseas(non-asian), and it's very common for middle schoolers/high schoolers showing up in those TV shows and people commenting that they look like adults.

I know that non-asian people think asian people look like children, so I think it's not too strange that the opposite is also true. To asian people, non-asian people look older than they are.

Doomroar2026-01-06 22:25

Lord Freeza's favorite anime

FirstSea2026-01-06 22:49

I can see how some people would like this show, but it's honestly very unrealistic.

If such a creature existed:

1. it would be killed, or

2. you would never hear about it, since it would be in a "research institute" somewhere

Plus, the whole "PETA" is terrorist organization led by a black dude, while vegans adopted Charlie and raised as a human to "integrate" him into society, is beyond laughable.

Don't get me wrong, the premise and questions raised in the show are very good, but everything else is just so damn unrealistic, it kills the seriousness of the show.

abandoned_idol2026-01-07 04:03

It's such a shame that they downvoted you without commenting.

Your points are right. That said, they don't bother me at all. I somehow managed to accept all the issues and deploy my suspension of disbelief field. I am rarely able to do this!

I like the "rule of cool" of the super soldier cyborg-strength chimpanzee. I am very excited for the next cheesy American episode of Darwin Incident.

Astan922026-01-07 04:43

He would not be killed. There are those who may want to kill him but it would not be anyone in the scientific community who would be the ones that are present at its birth. It's easy enough to believe that they have been able to keep him away from anybody who would seek to harm him.

Whether or not you hear about it would be completely up to the media. The scientific papers that would be spawned from it would not be covered up or hidden. The only question is if they would make headlines, And honestly that's not even a question of course they would.

The only part that's maybe a stretch is Charlie getting adopted and integrating into society but it's not even that much of a stretch when his mental capabilities appear to be fully human. It would be inhumane to keep him locked up his entire life.

Prestigious_Bug55322026-01-06 23:06

sooo who was the one who got the monkey pregnant? xD

Fortress-Maximus2026-01-07 01:07

Allegedly, Dr. *Gross*man

BosuW2026-01-07 02:37

I see the Japanese apply their love if pun names in foreign names as well

Astan922026-01-07 04:28

Unfortunately the bit where the kids were reading Wikipedia seem to make it sound like Dr Grossman artificially got her pregnant using his own DNA

NanDemoKnaives2026-01-07 00:28

I'm intrigued by the direction this will go in, I thought Ozzy was making a hyperbole about vegan terrorists but they actually exist, the ALA has changed from not taking any lives to not caring about who dies to send a message. I wonder how Charlie will deal with them.

I do like how much Charlie likes to observe his surroundings, it seems like he has keener senses so I do wonder what kind of things he'll pick up on. It's interesting to see the different reactions from the people in school, there was quite a variety.

I do like how the father is so chill about Charlie going to school compared to the mother lol.

Drill_Dr_ill2026-01-07 00:29

Interesting premise, but the philosophy parts are leaving me underwhelmed.

Like, I love that they reference Thomas Nagel's famous "What Is It Like to be a Bat?", but they really did not do it justice. But that's not that bad.

What's really bad is how it is handling veganism and animal activists. Maybe they'll get more nuanced later, but right now it's just an ultra strawman version. If it was ONLY the terrorist group taking the strawman version, then that would be tolerable. But the random asshole student takes a strawman version and doesn't get any of the actual responses to that back.

Prof_Acorn2026-01-07 07:01

The manga... well I'm not sure if it's okay to say anything about the manga in this sub. But in terms of different viewpoints... uh... yeah.

WednesdaysFoole2026-01-07 07:31

You can mention things about the manga in the [Source Corner.](https://www.reddit.com/r/anime/comments/1q5lwny/darwin_jihen_the_darwin_incident_episode_1/ny0twxx/) Should be the comment pinned to the top, but haven't checked that it is on sh.reddit or mobile. Just make sure to properly spoiler tag anything not yet covered by the anime as well.

I *am* curious about what you were wanting to say here.

Drill_Dr_ill2026-01-07 15:06

I am also curious, and if they want to make a comment explaining it in the source corner I would love to read it.

CosmicPenguin_OV1032026-01-07 00:59

This really has an intriguing premise but I just find the existence of a vegan terrorist organization rather baffling LOL, yes I know about Greenpeace and PETA and stuff but this is just on another level. This definitely will be something that I would ponder for the rest of the season…

mekerpan2026-01-07 03:21

I felt the writing (story AND dialog) felt really "off". Like a bad *actually* American "serious" cartoon (or cheapish live-action movie). I felt this even more strongly here than in the American source-based Let's Play. As science fiction, this is coming across as pretty naive and cringey.

Smoothw2026-01-07 04:11

It's almost worse when a show aims for profundity and totally misses the mark, couldn't take the first episode seriously at all.

mekerpan2026-01-07 04:12

Bad in almost every significant respect.

soviet-sobriquet2026-01-07 04:15

You've never heard of the [ALF](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Animal_Liberation_Front)?

VVTFan2026-01-07 09:37

[a lot like opening scene pic](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:BritchesALF4.jpg)

Intelligent_Eye21912026-01-07 01:01

Worth watching?

Astan922026-01-07 04:30

The only show this season with a unique enough premise to contend for AOTS right out the gate

Fortress-Maximus2026-01-07 01:06

If "Charlie" is named after Charles Darwin, then is "Lucy" named after the famous Australopithecus fossil?

shadebug2026-01-11 18:26

Lucy is also the name of a chimpanzee that was raised by humans as if she were a human child

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucy_(chimpanzee)?wprov=sfti1#

dfiekslafjks2026-01-07 01:32

I get the impression this is the type of story that works better in manga format.

abandoned_idol2026-01-07 03:57

I can picture this working just as well given a sufficient anime budget.

The adaptation looks very conservative (cutting corners where it can).

minnieboss2026-01-07 01:51

So unique and actually has something to say. Charlie is instantly the standout character of the season for me. Love this!

abandoned_idol2026-01-07 03:57

And the bullies are so intellectual.

"If you're a Vegan, then surely you prioritize all life equally!"

XD

Melodic_Total86572026-01-08 08:29

that was so camp for me esp the bully looking like such a punk but asking annoyingly valid questions 😂

yawnman2402026-01-07 02:14

This rocked. Unique vibe and a little unsettling, gave me a similar type of excitement that I had from the first episode of Sanda.

Sensitive-Bid79622026-01-07 02:43

ik there differnet genres with different goals and different plots but this so much better than the furry one last season[ ](https://kimi-to-koete-koi-ni-naru.fandom.com/)Kimi to koete . Obisouly no shade on that show and its watchers but yeah. More i think about it it really is an apple to oranges comprasion.

I do like the american setting, it feels nice and the character designs look like something you see in Invincible

Top-Remote45232026-01-07 05:08

This is a great premise and stands out from the rest of the shows this season. It's evident that there is a lot going on in Charlie's mind, more so than he lets on to those around him. Here are some of the character traits that he displayed in this episode:

* He may not be adept at social cues or he may simply not feel the need to as seen from how he reacted to Lucy's attempt at making a joke
* He is brutally honest as seen from how he answered Ozzy's taunt
* He can be deceitful at times as seen from how he chose to not reveal the complete truth to his adoptive mother in the car
* He does not necessarily view all lives as equal, but he does want to protect lives if he is presented with the chance to do so, as seen from him saving both Lucy and the kitten as well as the butterfly, but not the bird as it had already been ingested by the snake

The ALA has definitely grown to be more drastic in their approach over the 15 year period, as the members were unwilling to kill at the start of the episode and are now full fledged terrorists. I wonder if Charlie's adoptive parents, in particular the father, have ties to the ALA at this point.

Togusa_S92026-01-08 08:36

He gave me school shooter vibes when he said he'd kill him too if he was the one with the disease

buccs8222026-01-08 09:46

Not school shooter vibes, more animalistic instinct.

Emi_Ibarazakiii2026-01-09 17:04

More like utilitarianism, the way I see it!

(Then again perhaps utilitarianism is animal instinct applied to humans..)

[](#bigthink)

SciFiXhi2026-01-08 18:45

School shooters are usually social rejects who break down and kill for attention. Charlie's answer comes from a cruel but honest calculus of the worth of a life, and he seems smart enough that I think the social distance he's creating is at least partially intentional.

Important-Shame-10062026-01-07 05:19

Has no one here seen 12 monkeys??
Bro the we did it sign at 19:53 was a dead giveaway

Terrible-Dig73112026-01-07 06:10

Finally an original idea and not isekai with 400 word title. Im super hyped for this one didnt even know it was coming out. It seems like charlie hasnt understood if he is human or chimp yet. Can he live as both. I hope hes an anti hero and fights against the terrorists.

NoHead17152026-01-07 10:27

This has a very uncanny feel, and it's not because of Charlie. Every other side character feels like a caricature. I have no problem understanding Charlie's viewpoint and actions as they're all pretty logical. I think he's very similar to the same-name protagonist of *Flowers for Algernon*. It makes me wonder what direction the story will take.

melvinlee882026-01-07 14:14

Interesting first episode. Something new at least.

The whole school sequence was pretty engrossing.

aqueleponeirosa2026-01-08 03:28

The premise is cool af, but if it stays at this ALA stuff i can see it not being the anime for me, it's more of that "cure the symptom and not the disease", veganism and all revolutionary movements can go nowhere without the surpassing of capitalism as a mode of production.

I guess in the end i'm just being nitpicky, but every media i see that does this just bores me.

In the end scene, the ALA guys are drinking beer, you think that doesn't influence the meat industry aswell? And the answer its not to not drink beer, but you get the idea, they aren't menacing villains, they're just kinda dumb idk

I also found it a little preachy, but when Charlie said he'd kill the rat in the dilema, i found him to be more interesting.

But it's just episode 1, i hope it gets way better

XRotNRollX2026-01-08 08:08

The ALA seem philosophically pretty shallow, while Charlie seems more nuanced while also remaining compassionate. As for not talking about capitalism, I agree, but it's not what the anime is about, so they'll probably ignore it for the sake of clarity.