One of the more interesting but under the radar films of the last few years that I’ve seen is Nerawareta Gakuen, which has been released under the name Psychic School Wars. The nearly two-hour feature came out back in the fall of 2012 from Aniplex and was directed by Ryousuke Nakamura who also wrote the screenplay and did both key animation and storyboard work on it. Mieko Hosoi served as the chief animation director and the character designer on it. It’s now streaming on Crunchyroll thanks to their partnership with Funimation in its original Japanese language with English subtitles while the dub remains on Funimation’s site. Due to other licensors picking it up for theatrical release previously, availability is limited to the United States and Canada.
Check out our review of the feature.
The main Japanese cast includes Daisuke Ono as Ryōichi Kyōgoku, Kana Hanazawa as Kahori Harukawa, Mayu Watanabe as Natsuki Suzūra, Yūtarō Honjō as Kenji Seki, Haruka Tomatsu as Yuriko Yamagiwa, Hiroaki Hirata as Kyōgoku’s familiar and Ryohei Kimura as Yū Jinno.
Plot Concept: Spring marks the start of another new school year at a junior high school in Kamakura. A new transfer student, Ryoichi Kyogoku joins the 8th grade. Kyogoku has a very special proficiency in telepathy and has been ordered by his father to use this ability to scan other people’s minds and take over the school. He instantly gains popularity at school from his good looks and charisma and he sets about taking control of the school. As people begin to fall under Kyogoku’s spell, he covertly manipulates his followers and pushes aside anyone who gets in his way. With the school almost completely under the control of Kyogoku, only one boy seems unaffected —Seki. Does Seki have what it takes to save everyone from the clutches of mind control?
