What would the world be like if civilization had crumbled and the human population was slowly dwindling in numbers? At the same time, the earth is quickly being dominated by a new race with a keen sense of ingenuity, that is capable of developing advanced technology overnight, and acts with reckless abandon. What kind of chaos would erupt between the last remaining humans and this seemingly dangerous force?
Jinrui wa Suitai Shimashita is a colorful, hilarious anime chock-full of satirical jokes, poking fun at human civilization. I suppose if you were just looking at promotional pictures of this anime, it's easy to pass it off as a cutesy, fantasy anime, which is fair enough. The vibrant color palette and the little elf-like characters act as a pretty good façade. But when you find out the literal translation of the title is “Humanity Has Declined,” then it might raise some flags.
The story behind Humanity Has Declined is rather episodic most of the time—usually with various skits revolving around the main protagonist and the problems that those fairies concocted. The protagonist, who is nameless, has become a newly appointed mediator between the humans and the fairies. These fairies happen to pop out of nowhere in recent times. While they are small in size, they make up for it with their terrible appetite for sweets and trouble. The fairies have strange, inconceivable powers that they use to create disasters for the sake of sating their amusement. Thus, the protagonist is dragged into the messes, ranging from stopping skinned headless chickens plotting revenge against humans, to getting trapped in a manga serialization dream world, to being stuck in an endless time loop.
Because of the constant misadventures that this unfortunate protagonist has been subjected to, she takes everything in stride with a sigh and a healthy touch of deadpan. Unlike many anime that may rely on over-the-top and exaggerated reactions, the humor is carried by the sharp, witty jabs at how ludicrous each situation is. The protagonist also takes the role as a narrator of sorts, but she's so used to these bizarre occurrences that it becomes a dry social commentary. The fact that Humanity Has Declined is set in a post-apocalyptic world adds to the satirical flair. It quickly becomes obvious through her commentary that the protagonist is pretty much fed up with the absurdity around her. She's as sarcastic as she is selfish and cynical, making her to be quite an unreliable narrator; that's what makes it so fun to watch.
Aesthetically, it's a very bright and colorful anime. Except it just serves to adds contrast to the dark humor underneath. Like the protagonist, the fairies aren't what they seem at first glance. Their childish behavior and constant huge grins are deceiving; they are actually blatantly honest about human culture and are quick to critique its flaws.
There's an infamous scene of the protagonist investigating an odd factory that the fairies are suspected to have constructed. She finds that the factory produces various types of “food.” When she arrives at the “bread aisle,” a cute robot that looks like a loaf of bread explains to her how bread can be made with anything, even synthetic ingredients. When she declines to sample the bread, the robot rips itself in half, gushing carrot juice out of its head. Its last words explain that it was made as an advertising strategy, recommended for children who don't like to eat carrots.
Yeah. That's an example of social commentary on consumerism. And there's more gold like that inside.
Humanity Has Declined can be counted as one of those eccentric anime with content that might be hard to swallow. The erratic nature of the anime and its presentation might not be as engaging for some viewers. If you're looking for something with a lot of creativity and ingenuity, with copious amounts of brazen satire, then I would encourage you to take a chance with this.
