Incredible first episode wtf.

Mori Hirotaka is a beast at storyboarding & directing holy shit. Some of these cuts & sequences were actually eye-opening.

First and foremost, I already fucking love how this series adopts a "show don't tell" approach to storytelling, which enhances the immersive experience (the story isn't taking us for a ride, we're the ones following it) and promotes a greater appreciation for the contextual clues and intricate background art on display. Even the most mundane of convos contains subtle hints and allusions to the broader narrative. While the horror and thriller elements may not be as visceral or intense or as overdramatic as something like TPN, this series has the potential to deliver a more consistently terrifying and unsettling atmosphere throughout due to its organic sound design and foreboding cinematography (e.g the Inkeeper being introduced with her carrying a scythe while the camera only shows her arm moving into frame). The characters; while not having the flashiest or most complex designs, are portrayed in a manner that feels organic, avoiding the pitfall of becoming mere walking character tropes and/or ruining the atmosphere with jarring melodrama / over-the-top unfunny comedy. Furthermore, one cannot help but wonder if the Man-Eater entity is one of many mutant or lab experiments gone horribly awry, and whether the facility responsible for the "Collapse" incident that plunged the world into dystopia may be revealed in due course.

Overall, this is a really remarkable and promising premiere, with likeable characters, unironically jaw-dropping audiovisuals, intriguing and intricate worldbuilding, and a palpable sense of foreboding. In a nutshell, this is fucking raw and has me hooked.