Supernatural powers are a staple in anime, predominantly in the shonen genre where action and climax heavily rely on this trope. Charlotte is one such series that takes on the supernatural genre, but with a distinctive touch that deems it unconventional and unique from the rest. The series brings a lot to the table, but its most promising feature is its novel take on supernormal abilities, presenting this fictional phenomenon in a rather relatable way.
The anime takes place in an alternate reality where a comet named ‘Charlotte’ passes by Earth once every 75 years. As this happens, the comet spreads its dust in the planet’s atmosphere, and preadolescent children who inhale this dust gain supernatural abilities. The premise of high school students with supernatural powers may seem a bit overused, but Charlotte adds a unique twist to this overdone trope that presents a new narrative, one that allows the series’ plotline to stand out.
Imperfection In the Supernatural
Unlike other shonen anime such as Naruto or Fairy Tail, where spells and abilities yield unprecedented power, Charlotte takes a completely different approach. In this series, taming these supernatural powers is a feat that none can achieve. Furthermore, each ability comes with a flaw that can put the users themselves in grave danger.
The anime doesn’t hold back on this fair narrative as several incidents throughout the anime reveal how dangerous these abilities can be for the wielders and those around them. The series even goes as far as killing off one of the characters with their very own ability, giving the somewhat slightly-comedic show a dark undertone.
This approach to supernatural abilities makes the concept seem balanced and real, as the characters don’t have access to unfathomable powers that could be used as plot armor. By putting limitations and restrictions, Charlotte has introduced a new concept to the anime world, turning a cliché into an unconventional feature of the show.
Charge
This ability is wielded by Jojiro Takajo, one of the anime’s ancillary characters. As the name suggests, Charge allows a person to move at immense speeds, even going up to hundreds of miles per second.
However, this power comes with a grave flaw – Jojiro cannot reduce his speed or control when he stops. This flaw makes the ability entirely useless as achieving such high speeds has resulted in a few near-death moments for the character.
Cloak
Nao Tomori, the anime’s deuteragonist, possesses the ability Cloak, which essentially allows her to become invisible. Following the recurring theme, this ability is also flawed, as Nao can only become invisible to one person at a time. Even though her ability allows her to catch Yuu in the middle of his dishonest behaviors, the power itself is quite weak and insignificant.
Time Leap
Time Leap is an ability that is revealed in the latter part of the show. Yuu’s brother, Shunsuke Otosaka wields this power, through which he can leap through time by collecting light particles within his eyes. Although this ability may appear to be quite powerful, the drawback outweighs its usefulness, making it the riskiest ability in the show.
The ability can only be used a handful of times, as each time it is used, the wielder loses some of their eyesight. If used repeatedly, the user will eventually go blind, losing both their vision and power indefinitely.
Plunder
Arguably the strongest ability in Charlotte, Plunder allows the user to take control of the target’s body for five seconds, along with permanently gaining their power. Yuu Otosaka possesses this ability, and he is seen using this power throughout the series quite casually. Initially, his ability seems to be a bit overpowered, as he is able to steal other people’s powers indefinitely. However, the show’s final episode reveals the true flaw in his ability – every time he steals an ability, bits of his memories fade.
After plundering every single superpower in the world, Yuu is left in a dementia-like state, where he’s unable to recognize himself or those around him. The toll his ability takes on his mind and body goes to show the looming risks of this power. By putting such grave limitations to all supernatural abilities, Charlotte has set a precedent in the shonen genre with its distinctive take on superpowers.