Kara Dennison
March 9, 2023 
There’s a ton of fantasy anime out there—in general, but also this season. Ningen Fushin: Adventurers Who Don’t Believe in Humanity Will Save the World may have eluded you in all the hustle and bustle. If it has, we highly recommend backtracking and having a look. Especially if you’re in need of something uplifting.
The series is about a team of adventurers who have all been used, abused, and falsely accused. And yet, these disillusioned heroes are forming up into an amazing team. Here are just a few of the lessons you’ll see scattered throughout this heartfelt winter anime:
Let people like what they like.
The stars of this fantasy anime have a few things in common. They’ve all been through the wringer. They’re all wary of making new friends. And they’ve each found comfort in their own hobbies. That’s why they start adventuring together, in fact: to raise money for their respective good times.
Rule #1 of their team, the Survivors, is that they do not step on the toes of each other’s hobbies. Whether that’s idol singers, good food, gambling, or girls. Everyone’s personal passion is sacred, because everyone needs something to get by. You don’t have to understand it; you just have to appreciate that everyone’s allowed to have their own good time.
Communication is key.
At one point in the series, Nick breaks a necklace that Curran, his Dragonian fellow adventurer, seems to cherish. Collateral damage is a given in fantasy anime (and in any anime), but it weighs on him. Even though Curran seems fine, even happy, about the loss, communication stagnates until he opens up about his guilt.
This little moment shows that communicating with our friends is about more than just ensuring they’re all right. Our feelings are deeper, weirder, and more complex. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to be heard, understood, and certain. Nick could have gotten by just seeing that Curran was fine. But voicing how he felt opened the door to both of them learning more about each other.
It’s okay to be afraid when you’ve been hurt.
Party-based fantasy anime rely on the party members building a community of trust. But in Ningen Fushin, that’s hard at the start. Every member of this party let themselves trust before and were betrayed. When the four outcasts decide to team up, they don’t force themselves to trust each other. Rather, they outline their boundaries and accept that they’re all equally afraid.
Having those rules in place offers all of them a sense of security. In turn, getting to feel comfortable around each other allows trust to grow again, but stronger than before. No one is putting their heart fully on the line to be stomped on. Everyone is respecting themselves and each other. And in that environment, lasting bonds can truly grow.
Want something a little darker? Try these anime out if you’re an Elden Ring fan!
