Takopi’s Original Sin Is Crunchyroll’s 2025 Sleeper Hit Dystopian Anime

While it didn’t get the marketing blitz of other Summer 2025 anime like The Summer Hikaru Died or Lord of Mysteries, Takopi’s Original Sin has quickly become the series everyone is talking about. The word-of-mouth praise spread like wildfire, much like it did for Puella Magi Madoka Magica, captivating and emotionally devastating audiences in equal measure.

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In a crowded field where dozens of new anime debut each season, it’s tough for a lesser-known title to stand out. Yet, Studio Enishiya’s tragic sci-fi drama has managed to do just that. It’s the only anime on IMDb where every single episode holds a rating of 9/10 or higher. The series also shot up the ranks on MyAnimeList, briefly surpassing even the highly anticipated Season 2 of The Apothecary Diaries.

What Exactly Is Takopi’s Original Sin?

Takopi’s Original Sin is a psychological sci-fi drama created by Taizan 5. Despite featuring an alien and advanced technology, its narrative is distinct from many of its genre peers. Instead of mecha battles or extraterrestrial warfare, the series focuses on the heartbreaking and tragic lives of its child characters, exploring the themes of abuse and neglect they face from their parents.

The story is primarily told through the eyes of the titular character, Takopi, a cartoonish, squid-like alien with a simplistic, childlike worldview. He befriends a young girl named Shizuka Kuze. While the audience immediately understands the severity of Shizuka’s situation, Takopi cannot. The daily horrors Shizuka endures eventually lead her to suicide. Using an alien device, Takopi rewinds time, and the rest of the series follows his desperate attempts to understand what led to her death and, hopefully, prevent it.

A Brutal and Perfect Story from Start to Finish

Takopi’s Original Sin brilliantly executes a difficult narrative, allowing the audience to grasp the children’s complex situations while highlighting Takopi’s inability to do the same. The first episode masterfully sets this up, using subtle visual cues to illustrate the neglect and bullying Shizuka experiences—from the graffiti on her backpack to her unkempt appearance.

While bullying isn’t a new topic in media, the show depicts it with a terrifying authenticity. Shizuka’s bully, Marina Kirarazaka, is more than just a tormentor; her rage-fueled actions raise questions about her motives. We learn early on that Marina’s behavior is rooted in her own trauma. Her family was torn apart by her father’s affair with Shizuka’s mother, causing Marina to unfairly blame Shizuka. This aggression is compounded by Marina’s residual memories of a previous timeline, a direct result of Takopi’s actions.

The mid-series plot twist completely upends the narrative, revealing that no character is truly innocent. Shizuka, in her desperation, manipulates a friend. He, in turn, makes a conscious choice to cover up a murder because of his feelings for her. Meanwhile, Marina’s misguided actions lead directly to Shizuka’s death.

The finale doesn’t offer a fairytale ending, but a believable and bittersweet one. Takopi’s final solution doesn’t magically fix everything—Shizuka’s parents don’t become loving, Marina’s parents don’t reconcile, and Naoki’s mother doesn’t stop belittling him. Instead, Takopi helps all three children find the one thing they truly needed: a support system and friendship to get them through their harrowing lives, filling the void left by their neglectful parents.

Takopi Made for the Perfect Central Character

Each of the children—Shizuka, Marina, and Naoki—represents a different form of parental failure. They are left to navigate their difficult lives alone, believing no one could possibly understand their suffering. This is precisely what makes Takopi such an excellent central character.

His simple, doodle-like design is a visual representation of his well-meaning but naive nature. Takopi tries his best to help, but his species interprets the world through an optimistic, though surprisingly mature, lens. When things go wrong, he blames himself or uses childish logic to find a solution. He and his species believe that communication can solve any problem. It’s this simple logic—the idea of just talking things out—that ultimately provides the children with the support and connection they needed most.

A Masterpiece Well Worth Its Six Episodes

While Takopi’s Original Sin may not have the cinematic animation of a series like Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End, its art style is loyal to the source material and focuses on what matters most. The simplistic visuals occasionally give way to hyper-detailed shots that emphasize the characters’ despair. Studio Enishiya makes the fear and pain palpable, whether it’s a focus on Shizuka’s bruised face or the terror in Marina’s eyes.

Takopi’s Original Sin surprised fans by telling a great, memorable story in just six episodes—half the length of a typical anime season. It earned a spot on MyAnimeList’s top-rated anime list, a feat that has previously only been achieved by titans like Attack on Titan and Fullmetal Alchemist. Despite attempts by “review-bombers,” the anime has maintained its position in the top twenty. The show also provides a satisfying and complete conclusion, much like Fullmetal Alchemist did. It’s a solid adaptation of its source material, perfectly capturing the tragic tale Taizan 5 wanted to tell.

The complete series of Takopi’s Original Sin is available to stream now on Crunchyroll.