In most cases, I’m perfectly happy to chalk up a difference in opinion as such and not get too hot-headed about it. As an anime fan, I’ve seen plenty of flame wars blow up over inconsequential nonsense over the years and I like to think I’ve learned my lesson. But there are still some times where I find myself grumbling over “people being wrong on the internet,” and the commentary surrounding the 2016 TV anime series The Lost Village was one of those situations.
The Lost Village tells the story of a group of tourists who are traveling to go off-grid in Nanaki village, a place spoken of in urban legends as a utopia. Each of the 30 participants in the trip have their own reasons for going – some are there for idealistic reasons, while others are traveling to escape issues at home. Whatever their motivation, though, they begin the bus ride to Nanaki with a collectively upbeat mood.
Soon after they arrive, however, strange things begin to occur. People start disappearing and others witness terrifying hallucinations that echo the troubles that they were experiencing in their former lives. Factions begin to form among the remaining group members. And it becomes clear that Nanaki Village has the power to take strange hold over the people who manage to visit it.
I’ll be the first to admit, this series has a really strange tone. The character acting and story are often so over-the-top that the show reads like a parody of horror films. I imagine it’s these peculiarities, coupled with what appear to have been expectations that the show would be more straightforward and scary, that seem to have confounded and frustrated a lot of people watching it. I specifically recall the Anime News Network episode reviews being particularly scathing, eventually devolving into weekly dunking on the series.
I personally have a soft spot for anime series like this, especially because I feel like, due to the consistent trashing of the series online, folks overlooked a lot of what made the series interesting and enjoyable. I’m of the opinion that the over-the-top tone is fully intentional. Not only is it strikingly different than one might expect, it also causes the viewer to drop their guard. The series is also an interesting metaphor about people being willing or unwilling to actually engage with reality. The village causes what might be described as a kind of lethargy in the people who hang around too long. The allure of escaping one’s problems is so strong, that it’s easy to be hypnotized by the prospect of never having to interface with them again. It’s only making the active choice to accept life, warts and all, that allows one to leave the village.
I don’t know if I’ve convinced anyone to give this series a second try by writing about it. It was incredibly polarizing at the time it was broadcast and despite any of my arguments to the contrary I can understand the negative feelings that surface when viewers are anticipating one thing but get something else instead. But I really enjoyed it, and I’m sad that I didn’t say more positive things about it when I saw it getting poo-pooed. It’s a horror series of a different sort that speaks to anxieties that are familiar to many of us. It’s weird and funny and memorable – I’m glad I gave it a chance, and maybe you will too!
The Lost Village is available to watch on Crunchyroll.
One reply on “It’s Spooky Season! – Day 15: The Lost Village”
Lost Village is on my list of “infamous” shows I watched before hearing any community discussion about it (alongside Fractale and a couple others). I liked it pretty well, and was really surprised by how strong of a negative reaction it had received.