It’s spring, which for many brings thoughts of cleaning house and new life emerging from the frost.   In The Lost Village (Japanese title Mayoiga) that’s exactly what the characters are doing, sort of.   They’re throwing away their old lives in hopes of starting a new one.

Thirty people found a secret contest/website that promised to take them to the village of Nanakimura.   This isn’t some scenic village selling t-shirts. According to urban legend, Nanakimura is a utopia where anyone can start over.

In the first episode the organizer encourages the group to introduce themselves to each other, which gives the viewers a chance to meet everyone. Some people just say their names, not their real ones but their online handles, and show a bit of personality. Some even share the reasons they left their old lives. However, with a cast this big, I had to watch the introduction a few times to try and grasp even half of them. I already doubt I’ll be able to keep them straight and the three that went by Yuuna didn’t make it easier either.

What is obvious, though, is that Mitsumune is the main character. At first you think he’s like any boy of his age, wanting an adventure and to be independent from overprotective parents. Then he has a dream that hints at his past and makes you worry about the future.

What might also worry viewers is the group’s sing-a-long moment. They sing a song about a hippopotamus that at first is fine, but the chipper sound tune takes a rather dark turn. Of course, the creepy music doesn’t stop there. At a rest stop, a clock played a chime lullaby and the few lyrics sung of it were rather grizzly.

Episode two starts with a bit of danger as the road crumbles under the bus. No deaths yet. Instead, they decide to keep going forward, leaving the bus driver and stranded bus behind.

Once they arrive at the village, they find their utopia empty and it isn’t because the residents are playing hide and seek. The group breaks into smaller groups and starts exploring and investigating.   Thick layers of dust on the otherwise well-kept village hint that it has been quite a while since anyone lived there.   The episode ends in high drama when two members of the group have gone missing.   Was it the thing in the woods that’s been watching them all episode?

Episode three is where things get intense. The mystery of the village grows as they search for the missing people and discover tended crops and an underground jail cell. The relationships grow tense as motives, accusations, and pasts come to light. Violence rears its ugly head multiple times, as the strain of the situation and past traumas start affecting people. Need more tension? The first dead body, of what I’m sure will be many, ends the episode.

The Lost Village doesn’t shove a situation down your throat and then start the adventure right away. The first two episodes are the background and set up and it isn’t until three that you feel the meat of the story is truly getting started. But, with beautiful visuals and a great voice cast, it isn’t tedious or painful.   In fact, the slow pace and the breadcrumbs add to the suspense, making this a beautifully crafted anime. If you love to cook up theories and hypothesize this should be on your weekly must watch list. If you hate being kept in suspense, binge it once it has all aired.   Either way, watch it!

I give this four ill-fated bus rides out five.