Alien from the Darkness (1996) Anime Review

Posted on by Jim Cox

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Alien from the Darkness (Inju alien) is a 1996 adult sci-fi horror anime OVA, written by Shino Taira and directed by Norio Takanami, and distributed by Pink Pineapple. This title is the only title worked on by director Takanami, whilst Taira worked on a handful of other titles including the adult anime Kowaremono (2002).

Whilst on a deep space mission, the all-female crew of the transport ship, Muse, receives a distress signal emanating from a derelict space cruiser. Once aboard, they realize that all the women died under mysterious circumstances. However, they managed to find a lone survivor, a young girl named Flair, and detonate the ghost ship as they leave. Unfortunately, the danger followed them to the Muse, and the crew members are attacked by a mysterious alien presence, desperate to find a  way to reproduce with humans.

 

The story is remarkably reminiscent of Ridley Scott’s Alien (1979) as a crew unwittingly brings an alien creature back onto their ship, killing most of the crew off bar one and her animal companion who struggle to fight back and kill this monstrous being. However, Alien from the Darkness can hardly be considered derivative of that work, introducing its own unique story elements to provide an individual take on the formula; the likes of an otherworldly virus, interstellar contraband smuggling, mutiny, and, of course, uncensored shokushu assault undoubtedly diverge away from the original source material.

Surprising for adult animation, Alien from the Darkness features a roster of defined, well-written characters. From their distinct looks and evident archetypes to their range of deceivable emotions, these characters can hardly be considered two-dimensional. Additionally, the anime contains a beautiful level of comprehensive animation throughout its runtime. From the tiny details of an analog ship interface in the background of scenes to incredibly competent framing and transitions, the OVA is effortlessly stylish in design.

 

Although Alien from the Darkness was originally released uncensored and uncut at 46 minutes, a cut version was released in the West under the title Alien of Darkness. This version, running at 40 minutes in length, has edited the majority of the tentacle r*pe scenes but has left the lesbian sex scenes uncut and uncensored. However, this version features a horrible letterbox on all four sides and feels akin to watching a pirated version rather than an official release.

Despite its graphic sex scenes, Alien from the Darkness is an impressive sci-fi anime that could have easily been released without these adult moments and been a huge success. However, it’s a certain fact that sex sells and the OVA would probably not have remained as accessible as it is today. Nevertheless, the anime is a beautiful depiction of 90s animation and an amazing representation of the sci-fi horror genre.

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