Watashi wo Tabetai, Hitodenashi

After an accident sent her family to their deaths in the ocean, Hinako Yaotose keeps returning to the thought of sinking forever into the sea herself. With Miko Yashiro as her only friend, Hinako manages to keep up a semi-happy facade, but whenever Miko leaves her side, she slips into despair. Everything changes one summer when she meets a mysterious girl with eyes as deep and clear as the sea, drawing Hinako in like nothing else has in a long time.

During her absent-minded search for the girl, Hinako is suddenly pulled underwater by a beastly deep-sea creature, only to awaken to the presence of the girl—Shiori Oumi—who takes on a monstrous form and kills Hinako's attacker. Despite this heroic act, Shiori's intentions are no different from any other monster's: she wants to eat Hinako.

The following morning, Shiori walks into Hinako's class as a transfer student, and Hinako cannot help but smile—at last, someone who could fulfill her quiet wish for death has appeared before her.

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

Yaotose, Hinako Main

Ueda, Reina Japanese

Oumi, Shiori Main

Ishikawa, Yui Japanese

Yashiro, Miko Main

Fairouz Ai Japanese

Chiba, Ayame Supporting

Fujita, Saki Japanese

Risa Supporting

Wakui, Yuu Japanese

Oi-sensei Supporting

Okada, Sachiko Japanese

Noyama-sensei Supporting

Komada, Wataru Japanese

Fuyuka Supporting

Tsumugi, Risa Japanese

Yaotose, Mutsuki Supporting

Tanaka, Aimi Japanese

Yaotose, Yuri Supporting

Akasaki, Chinatsu Japanese

Nishimae, Ayaka Producer

Arimizu, Soujirou Producer

Hamabe, Ena Producer

Shioya, Naofumi Producer

Reviews

Feb 20, 2026

AshParth

Recommended

Last year, Fall 2025's anime list was pretty big that I haven't gotten around the time to finish every single one of them due to my job, other shows that I also want to watch, and taking my time. Yeah, I always have to say that one of my issues with anime today is that there are too many shows to look into. I also had this along with May I Ask for One Final Thing? were still in my list as far as how I'm taking a break between seeing new episodes of what we're seeing currently to binging bits of My ... Hero Academia and Katekyo Hitman Reborn. Thankfully, breaks are important and it's a good time to check this anime out at last. I will say that I am upset for not seeing this anime last year before 2025 ended because this is a definition of a hidden gem. How it tackles trauma, loneliness while also being an LGBTQ+ kind of anime. Kinda makes me think of The Summer Hikaru Died but with girls in this one. That and it centers with yokei and the town they live in is near the ocean.
In the anime, we see a high school girl named Hinako Yaotose, voiced by Reina Ueda, who'd lost her family (a mother, father, and older brother) in an accident and is currently living with her aunt who we see briefly. Hinako always has that urge to die so she could be reunited with them, but couldn't bring herself to do so. She comes across this woman who knows her yet couldn't remember. After school, as Hinako watches over in the ocean, she gets dragged into the ocean by what seems to be a yokai, an iso-onna, or coast woman. Thankfully, that same woman from earlier today had saved Hinako and shows herself to be a powerful mermaid yokai. The mermaid yokai is named Shiori Oumi, voiced by Yui Ishikawa, who introduces herself to Hinako, telling her that she is a special kind of human. All while admitting that Shiori vows a promise to protect her from other yokai until she will be eaten by Shiori when Hinako is at her most tasty point. But that doesn't settle well when Hinako's childhood friend, Miko Yashiro, voiced by Fairouz Ai, when she learns more about Shiori and reveals herself to be more than just a regular girl as Shiori exposes Miko to Hinako for being an ancient yokai herself. Thankfully, after a feud, the three start to hang out more while Shiori and Miko still bicker to one another as they have to protect Hinako because of what she is that attracts all kinds of yokai. There is a reason why and it has to do when Hinako has met Shiori in the past, except that it is a major spoiler that I cannot share.
The story itself is as what people have said being a slow-burn, which I do agree with. I give it credit that it is well-paced for how we see Hinako wanting to die until Shiori has saved her while also being clung to Miko who is also protecting her. Showing that there is more value in life as your family would tell you. I lost a parent myself, which I can relate to. It isn't just Hinako we see some backstory, though. We also see the backstory of Shiori and Miko for what they are, how they got to present time and why they would back Hinako up, protecting her from other yokai. Especially this one yokai called the futakuchi-onna, or two-mouthed woman, who also has a backstory in the form of ending credits. Funny how I almost skipped until I've noticed it and went back to see it. (Yes, I'm one of those people who sees an intro/outro once and skips it throughout the rest of the season/series unless a new intro/outro is being played and I'll give them a listen). This anime tackles the themes of depression, trauma, and destructive love very well. By destructive love, it means about why Shiori would protect Hinako at all times until she is all "ripe" except due to Hinako being more of the reason why yokai are after her kinda gave Shiori a change of heart as it's shown later in the show. You could also say the same for Miko, who's been in the town longer before Hinako's parents were born, would be closer to her. Kinda like a love triangle. Hence why Miko is trying to uplift Hinako while her aunt is always busy with work. Not to mention, it has a great casting while they deliver their chemistry between one another.
Studio Lings nailed the animation as it's beautiful when it comes to the aesthetic of the town they live in being near the ocean. A small town, too. They also nailed on making the yokai unique by design such as seeing Shiori showing bits of her true mermaid form as well as seeing her true form later in the show. Showing the variety of yokai who are hidden from human eyes or disguised as humans until they show their true form. Of course, most of them are pretty small fry compared to Shiori and Miko in their eyes. Then you have times when Hinako sees the world being underwater and you have various creatures of the sea swimming in it like whales, sharks, fish. You also see crustaceans roaming on the floors of this school like they roam on the ocean floor. However, it isn't just beautiful. It's also depressing when you're looking at the scenes in Hinako's eyes. Therefore, seeing that she would want to drown in the ocean so she could reunite with her family after the accident and drown, leaving her being the only survivor overlooking the fire in the ocean. The anime also cuts into times when we have these chibi looking designs of the characters as if to uplift Hinako. It does work at times when it's mostly Shiori and Miko within the skits yet it's all done by Miko. Do they seem out of place at times? Sure. Thankfully, it doesn't overstay it's welcome when the most important moments are looking into the themes of the series.
I am a bit upset that I haven't seen this anime last year, but better late than never, right? For a show that has an appropriate use of slow-burn to dive into one's trauma and backstory, it's a refresher. A nice horror anime that is up there in league with The Summer Hikaru Died and Takopi's Original Sin as 2025 shows. I really enjoyed the characters as they are flawed, sharing their past lives to know how they could become better than how they knew each other with interesting twists without spoiling too much of the second half. A good kind of sapphic coated relationship between the three that screams like a love triangle that I kinda wanted to see more of their relationship. If you're interesting in horror, I recommend checking this out. It's certainly a hidden gem that's been hiding in the ocean floor like how Hinako sees the ocean from Shiori's eyes. (Yeah, that one was intended).
I'm gonna give this monster who wants to eat the one she wants to protect until she "ripens" nine Hinako in an oceanic daydream out of ten. 9/10. Yes, it is beautiful yet you can't help that it's also depressing.

Reviewer’s Rating: 9

What did you think of this review?

Nice 0

Love it 0

Funny 0

Confusing 0

Informative 0

Well-written 0

Creative 0

More reviews by AshParth (143)

Show all

Read more

Show less

Open

Gift

Report

Jan 19, 2026

SakamakiKoyatsu

Mixed Feelings

The anime, on the surface level description being based upon characterization of our main character who can be characterized as "Suicidal Blockheadness" is just a coping method from our main character. Such that main character is Yaotose Hinako, the epitomy of sadness in this series. Tragic is the cause, tragic is how she acts behind a mask. Yet what surprisingly cheers this up is our other main character "Oumi Shiori" a youkai looking for prime human meat. Somehow, this forms a relation as if it was farming... that is a weird part... to harvest meat from Yaotose Hinako by Oumi Shiori.

Hence, the title "Watashi wo ... Tabetai, Hitodenashi" - "This monters wants to eat me", although is a very rare catalyst for a setting and a plotline, what makes it more interesting are the dynamics behind the plotline and setting and how the world actually is shaped. The present of youkai is one thing to include in your fictional world when writing fiction. it is not uncommon to see these archetypes and factions. However, how they are implemented in this anime is quite also interesting. To say how youkai are would be to spoil bouts and description that are revealed in later, not first episodes but rather shifters... This would appealing to those who enjoy anime featuring shifters and those those who like semi-human surface level characters for background.

There is a little bit of yuri in the character dynamics between Yaotose Hinako and Oumi Shiori which some have noted(Others would only note if they believe such condition just from the first episode constitute without a shadow of a double yuri, to which case it was real easy for them to make a charichature of female to female relation of being already high levels at starting points)

However, the constant primitiveness(this means how unnegotiable it was to end the desire to suicide oneself) of the deathly desire of our protagonist, Yaotose Hinako and unshakable gloom of the basis of how her character dynamics are have lowered the quality of rating attached this review from the prespective of character developmental growth. Coupled with the depth of how character featured in noteriety in this anime interact with the seting and background setting definitely gives a small rotation radius to this anime and it really does not shy away from that radius. As a result, the rating total and recommendation level attached to this anime review is based on just that at the center of reasons, with what has already been spoken about rotation around it.

Reviewer’s Rating: 6

What did you think of this review?

Nice 0

Love it 0

Funny 0

Confusing 0

Informative 0

Well-written 0

Creative 0

More reviews by SakamakiKoyatsu (59)

Show all

Read more

Show less

Open

Gift

Report

Mar 2, 2026

catgurl271828

Not Recommended

This anime has an interesting idea behind it: a girl with severe depression meets a youkai who can seemingly help her end her suffering. It could tell a romantic story (suggested by the girls' love tag), a story about character growth and overcoming a trauma, maybe at least a story about the japanese folklore and youkai - so the first few episodes seemed really promising, backed by good reviews, beautiful artstyle and heavy atmosphere.

Unfortunately, the anime does none of that. Over the span of 13 episodes, there was little to none character development anywhere and no romance whatsoever - the execution is just plain boring. ... Although the music and the direction do a great job at setting up the atmosphere, it does not matter when there is no plot behind it. The plot mainly consists of flashbacks and unexpected reveals - which can be interesting if used moderately, but since there is nothing else in the story, it feels like a documentary.

Another point worth noting is that this anime is advertised as yuri, while there is none of it anywhere at all. There is friendship, there is care for another person and even a little bit of rivalry, but not a hint of romantic feelings. Damn, call of the night 2 (which is not girls' love by the way) had more yuri in a single episode than this had in an entire season.

If you want to watch it for romance - this is a total waste of time and you should search for something else; if it's for trauma/depression - you may or may noy find this a good watch, depending on the expectations. Overall, I would not recommend watching this show, and I don't understand why its rating is so high.

Reviewer’s Rating: 4

What did you think of this review?

Nice 0

Love it 0

Funny 0

Confusing 0

Informative 0

Well-written 0

Creative 0

More reviews by catgurl271828 (2)

Show all

Read more

Show less

Open

Gift

Report

2025 Poggers

by Nephyle

43 Entries · 19 Restacks

2025 Watchlist [AD.1]

by nirererin

50 Entries · 6 Restacks

Hidden Gems + Shows You Should Know for Yuri Lovers Part 2

by jaded-eagle

32 Entries · 189 Restacks

Fall 2025 Simulcast List [Update 10/6]

In this thread, you'll find a comprehensive list of television anime acquired for simulcast release during the Fall 2025 season. Anime series licensed for home ...read more

Sep 23, 2025 10:29 AM by Snow | Discuss (12 comments)

Fall 2025 Preview

In this thread, you'll find a comprehensive list of Fall 2025 titles with an accompanying promotional video, commercial, teaser, or trailer. This post will be u...read more

Sep 17, 2025 6:59 PM by Snow | Discuss (1 comment)

	Poll: Watashi wo Tabetai, Hitodenashi Episode 11 Discussion ( 1 2 ) Stark700 - Dec 11, 2025	64 replies	by Delphantasist »» 9 hours ago
	Poll: Watashi wo Tabetai, Hitodenashi Episode 10 Discussion ( 1 2 ) Stark700 - Dec 4, 2025	69 replies	by Delphantasist »» Mar 1, 9:49 AM
	Poll: Watashi wo Tabetai, Hitodenashi Episode 13 Discussion ( 1 2 ) Stark700 - Dec 25, 2025	92 replies	by prnf »» Feb 26, 4:52 AM
	Poll: Watashi wo Tabetai, Hitodenashi Episode 12 Discussion ( 1 2 ) Stark700 - Dec 18, 2025	78 replies	by MonteMonte »» Feb 14, 10:28 AM
	Poll: Watashi wo Tabetai, Hitodenashi Episode 8 Discussion ( 1 2 ) Stark700 - Nov 20, 2025	76 replies	by MonteMonte »» Feb 13, 1:52 PM