TV评测：《Gnosia》是一部令人出乎意料的动画改编

“Do you understand?”

That question is the first thing protagonist Yuri hears when they foggily wake from a medically induced slumber onboard a spacecraft fleeing in the aftermath of a devastating battle. Within minutes, they learn that only a handful of other survivors made it onboard and that there’s also a problem to be addressed before the ship can find safe harbor. Before the confusion has even fled Yuri’s mind, they’re informed of a potential infestation from a hostile alien known as the Gnosia. The Gnosia has taken on the identity of one of the ship’s survivors and, if not stopped, could kill the remaining humans onboard and infect other worlds.

That’s the basic premise introduced in the anime adaptation of Gnosia, originally a sci-fi visual novel with RPG undertones that Aubrey Bryn and I both found immensely enjoyable and thought-provoking. Of course, the situation in the game and anime versions of Gnosia proves far more complex, adding complications to the task of figuring out who the Gnosia are as they hide in plain sight. Plot twists also keep the audience on the edge of their seats as they invest time in the story’s imperfectly colorful characters.

To be honest, I was surprised when developer Petit Depotto first announced plans to adapt Gnosia into an anime. The inherent randomness of the narrative, and the fact that it’s a deduction game where the cast debate amongst themselves until the time to vote characters into cold sleep, don’t seem likely to translate well outside of the game format. Not to mention, video game anime adaptations can be hit or miss. Even though it was difficult to find time to get through all of its 21 episodes, I found the anime adaptation of Gnosia to be a compelling take on the game’s events, albeit perhaps it’s best to consider it a spinoff retelling rather than a direct adaptation.

This “spinoff” sense comes from Yuri, since the original game featured a player self-insert protagonist you didn’t see or get to know outside of in-game choices. Sometimes, when an anime attempts to create a protagonist for a video game adaptation, it can be a truly wrong or even frustrating direction. I can happily say that’s not the case in Gnosia. Yuri fits into the story fairly well, though their inclusion does remove it from being a straight 1:1 adaptation, as their reactions make sense for a character thrown into a repetitive looping journey of betrayal.

Yuri goes from initially unsure and trying to assess the situation to actively manipulating events to get results they want. Their interactions with other characters are fitting and insightful, and the anime adaptation further explores the game’s LGBT themes through Yuri, as their character has a distinct gender-fluid quality. They often present as male and seem to identify with that gender more closely; however, in some of the repeat loops they actually present as female and identify more directly as such, resulting in the nonbinary Raqio commenting on how gender isn’t the big issue people often make it out to be in one very insightful scene. From a narrative standpoint, Yuri isn’t overpowering, yet they still have presence. Visually, their design also fits with the other characters’ more outlandish, futuristic fashion designs.

Of course, because of the inherent random element in the Gnosia games, there’s no way for any one playthrough to be the same. As such, you can simply view the anime version of Gnosia as another take on a story playthrough. Since I’ve already played the game, I can’t look at the anime as a fully separate entity, so I’m not sure how enjoyable it would be for someone unfamiliar with it. Given how distinctly the anime throws in game terms and elements, I’m fairly certain those unfamiliar with Gnosia might get overwhelmed or confused. For those who know the premise beforehand, it’s far from a bad adaptation, even managing at times to shed more light on the various characters’ mindsets and backstories. A later episode even shows more of the story-verse than you see in the game as a whole, further fleshing out Gnosia’s worldbuilding.

Considering both story and characters, Gnosia is a cleverly creative sci-fi anime with a memorable cast and thought-provoking themes and commentary at its core. The Gnosia themselves are far from completely “evil” and “irredeemable,” making episodes where even Yuri is cast in the role truly fascinating. That said, the later episodes get bogged down in heavy terminology and jargon. A few later episodes also feel like the Gnosia concept is forgotten for a time, but the narrative course-corrects before the finale.

Even more disturbing moments and mysteries build on each other, resolving in a satisfying way as the tale loops in slightly different directions. The characters all grow on you, too. I low-key adore Raqio and how you warm up to them despite their being so full of confident snark and suspicion towards Yuri’s “oh-so-convenient memory loss” early on. The cast also has some of the most unique designs and varied/original backstories I’ve encountered in a sci-fi setting. Yuri’s developing bonds with the cast as they’re introduced in the anime’s various arcs, especially Yuri’s relationship with the valiant Setsu, are phenomenal to witness coming to satisfying fruition.

I’d be hard-pressed not to mention some trigger warnings given the story’s contents. There are some graphic moments of extreme violence and death, with one character in particular having been “owned” by another person and the decidedly traumatic implications of what occurred from that. Characters even try to, or actually do, commit suicide on occasion to prevent certain outcomes from repeating in a given loop, with the anime showing how brutal death in space can be. The anime also has noticeable misgendering throughout, including the infamous shower scene I mentioned in my game review. However, those moments are either quickly corrected or done by a truly sadistic monster of an antagonist intentionally to get a rise out of others. Given all that, the anime adaptation of Gnosia is definitely not for the faint of heart.

As for how Gnosia translates to an animated medium, this adaptation’s character designs and settings are colorful and vibrant. The game often centers on characters conversing, so the anime relies on odd angles to show the high stakes of the conversation, such as in the final episode, where the focus shifts noticeably to the characters’ eyes. There’s plenty of fanservice for the female characters through those odd angles as well, though it comes across as more amusing than anything that needs to be taken seriously. Crunchyroll‘s English translation is relatively decent, though certain character name spelling changes from the game to the anime might take time to get used to. For instance, Raqio and Gina become Racio and Jina respectively.

Auditorily, the Gnosia anime has excellent voice acting, with emotive and passionate deliveries from the entire cast. Though, again, given the story’s focus on simply talking, that would have to be a given. I also appreciate the occasional inclusion of music from the game’s soundtrack, and how the opening and ending themes often change depending on what’s happening instead of remaining static, as many anime series’ openings and endings tend to do. You can check out some of the openings and endings in this Aniplex playlist.

The anime version of Gnosia is flawless. Given the terminology so casually thrown out, I’d be hard-pressed to recommend this for a newcomer over the game. The last few episodes also feel like they stumble compared to the intensely strong first and middle portions, though it still lands a pretty satisfactory conclusion. It also overrelies on CG at times when it isn’t necessary.

Gnosia is a fascinating, wholly creative sci-fi tale in any form, and this anime adaptation is much the same. There’s plenty of high-stakes drama and thought-provoking commentary within Gnosia’s narrative, and I appreciate getting to experience it in a different-but-no-less ultimately fulfilling format. I certainly wish developer Petit Depotto the best in whatever future endeavors they pursue, Gnosia-related or not. Definitely give the Gnosia game a chance if you haven’t already and, if you like it, Yuri’s anime adventure is certainly worth visiting for a deeper understanding. You want to go into each episode asking, “Who is the Gnosia?” Whatever shape an episode takes will be high-stakes and intense.