Otherside Picnic (2021)

[裏世界ピクニック]

Director: Takuya Sato
Studio: Liden Films, Felix Film
Starring: Yumiri Hanamori, Ai Kayano, Rina Hidaka
Episodes: 12

Synopsis:
Two young women explore another dimension where urban legends come to life.

Impressions:
The core concept here is interesting—a parallel world where urban legends are real and you're under constant threat to life, limb and sanity—and I imagine it's even more rewarding if you're familiar with the urban legends being referenced. The two leads complement each other nicely and the time they spend together prompts mutual personal growth. You may see the series categorized as yuri, but the yuri elements are fairly mild, just as the horror elements are often rather understated. The girls' access to firearms seems rather improbable given how strict the laws are in Japan and beyond that, there are a number of inconsistencies that crop up in the story, though a lot of these are due to the studio adapting the story out of order. Probably if I was familiar with the source material, I'd be more bothered by this botched approach, but taking it for what it is by itself, I found it a decent enough watch. Give it a shot if you're in the mood for a supernatural thriller.

Rating:
Watch It