Review: “Good Night World,” a family finds solace in a virtual world

Watching “Good Night World” was an experience that I did not expect to have from a Netflix original anime: I was speechless. The dark anime series exceeded my expectations with all of the plot twists and the perfect use of dramatic irony. It will keep you at the edge of your seat.

The show is an adaptation of the manga of the same name written and illustrated by Uru Okabe. The manga has 52 chapters spread across five volumes, which the anime adapts in its 12 episodes.

“Good Night World” is about a dysfunctional family that forms a close bond in a virtual reality game they play called Planet. The storyline follows the oldest son, Tachiro Arima, a shut-in who hates his family due to all the pain that he has suffered, as he deals with issues in both the real world and in Planet. Tachiro’s hatred towards the real world is a key point that ends up affecting multiple aspects of the story.

The contrast between the real world and Planet is done really well and shows just how different the characters act depending on which world they are in. This is best shown as the series progresses and more and more is revealed about the family.

However, for some of the characters it feels like the directors rushed and the character development is forced in order to fit within those 12 episodes.

For example, the side characters come and go, with little character development. They appear just because they are important to a main character in a scene and for no other reason than to drive a main character’s trajectory. They offer no value to the overall story; there isn’t much substance to them and then they disappear.

Another complaint I have with this show is that the pacing is a little off and it seemed like certain characters and events don’t get enough screen time. For example, in certain parts, like when there was a major plot twist, viewers were not given time to digest it. It’s as if the viewer is expected to just move on, like nothing happened.

The series has a dark tone, but despite that there are still some parts that got a chuckle out of me. Unlike most dark anime the ending is relatively standard and I think it might be the weakest part of the show, which is a disappointing way to end. And it is more of a let down because one of the best parts was in the episodes leading up to the final one. But even though the ending is of middling quality I highly recommend “Good Night World” for people who like science-fiction and darker anime.