Relife

Is life not going the way you want it to? Do you feel like you've missed out on certain things, or is your past filled with regrets? What if you were given the chance to live everything over from scratch? Kaizaki Arata is a 27-year-old who has quit his first job due to problems related to his past and currently has no purpose in life. Everything has become monotonous for him, and he can no longer find any joy in living. On just such a day, Ryou Yoake, a member of the Relife Research Institute, offers him a job. However, this job is not as simple as it seems. The institute selects individuals who are dissatisfied with their lives and suffering from depression in their daily routines as test subjects, offering them the chance to try their product, Relife pills, to correct their regrets and mistakes. The duration of this agreement is one year. For a year, the subject will test these pills and earn money from it. Additionally, they gain the opportunity to fix the regrets they have experienced and the mistakes they have made. A person who takes the pills returns to the age of 17, and as part of the procedure, they are enrolled in a high school. Their emotions and behavioral patterns are monitored under the guidance of the consultant who introduced the product to them. Initially reluctant to believe it, Kaizaki decides to accept the offer once he realizes the seriousness of the situation and finds himself in financial difficulty. Although it doesn't seem credible, he swallows the pills. When he wakes up the next morning, Kaizaki realizes he has returned to the age of 17, and a new life has begun for him. Let's see if our hero can adapt to the hectic life he lived ten years ago. Will he be able to make up for his mistakes, confront his regrets, and give his life meaning?

Production

One notable feature of this anime is the surprising decision to release all episodes on Netflix on the same day. This approach offered anime fans a unique experience when the series first came out.

Review

Our anime is truly a warm and intimate production that is a must-watch. Works like this are tailor-made for having a genuinely good time. It keeps you engaged without any boredom, and when you finish the anime, a faint smile lingers on your face. However, unlike others, this anime also shares a realistic side of life with us. In particular, it holds values that prompt serious reflection on life for older anime fans. The dilemmas and emotional outbursts experienced by the main character suddenly draw you right into the story, and despite dealing with everyday, mundane topics, you never get bored for even a second.

In terms of the script, I believe it is worth seriously congratulating our Japanese big brothers and sisters. Because expressing ordinary daily events in such an impactful way is not easy. As you can see, imagination is at work again. Weaving such a simple event into an experimental structure increases interest in the anime even further.

In short, if you are looking for a short, intimate, and warm anime that is enjoyable to watch, and if you want to be left lost in thought after finishing it, Relife is the perfect anime for you.