Coppelion, A Shaking Look At A Not So Distant Future

So far there have been 3 episodes of Coppelion that have aired. I've watched all 3 and am here to give you my first impressions of this series that is nearly breaking the ice of what it is going to delve into. In a quick summary this anime has really impressed me and exceeded my expectations, but let's get into exactly how it has done this.
Synopsis
Coppelion involves a realistic scenario where in 2016 Tokyo has become largely uninhabitable due to a nuclear power plant catastrophe. It has made the radiation levels of the capital too high to be inhabitable, so the city has become a ghost town. The scene is shaking, but 3 girls are up to the task of finding remnant survivors who continue to live in this dystopia. These 3 girls however have something special about them that makes them able to search Tokyo unharmed, they've been genetically engineered to not be affected by the radiation. Regular humans have to go around in hazmats, whereas these girls have heightened senses and other superhuman qualities that make them a cut above the regular person. They take up their responsibility with integrity, and help the endangered inhabitants to return back to civilization.

Review of No. 6

The last season for anime (spring 2013) was generally unappealing so I found myself turning to the list of anime from the Noitamina timeslot for a good watch. They’ve offered many greats like Honey and Clover, Paradise Kiss, Nodame Cantabile, Princess Jellyfish, Eden of the East, Kids on the Slope (all of which I will be reviewing in the future for those curious). The title appealed to me as it is set in a dystopian future divided by the haves and have-nots. Unfortunately for the haves who get to live in the seemingly perfect city No. 6 (for which the anime is named after), there is a tight grip over laws and what is allowed to be said. I think this is a great setting as we’ve encountered it many times within the past years (like the communist fear era during the Cold War) and frankly this still goes on in many countries. It’s a real fear that when it comes to powerhouses like the government, we ultimately have no control over our lives. This setting makes for a believable future and it’s great to see the characters (who only have good intentions) deal with this obstacle. For those curious, it seems to have a very similar set-up to the movie Elysium so those who are excited for that movie should check out this anime as well.

Without spoiling too much I want to go over the highlights of this anime briefly. In the first episode we are introduced to the two main protagonists Sion and Nezumi (referred to in the sub as Rat). Sion is your typical goody-two shoes boy who gets straight A’s is nice to everyone, naive but genuine and is overall a really nice good guy. Enter Nezumi. Like his name suggests he is a behind the shadows kind of guy who runs about the town without drawing too much attention to himself. He’s escaping the law when he enters Sion’s bedroom late one night. At this point Sion breaks the very strict laws by keeping Nezumi safe against the government for the night. Nezumi is dark and hesitant to trust anyone. Sion is bright and naive, allowing a total stranger into his bedroom (and this stranger broke in himself). The two play off each other very nicely. This of course gives Sion a shitstorm of problems but Nezumi returns later on to return the favor. The show continues with the two’s budding relationship in exile along with their struggle to reunite Sion with his mother and his lifelong friend Safu.