is a
Japanese anime television series created by director
Satoshi Kon and produced by
Madhouse about a social phenomenon in
Musashino,
Tokyo caused by a juvenile serial assailant named
Lil' Slugger (the English equivalent to
Shonen Batto, which translates to "Bat Boy"). The plot relays between a large cast of people affected in some way by the phenomenon; usually Lil' Slugger's victims or the detectives assigned to apprehend him. As each character becomes the focus of the story, details are revealed about their secret lives and the truth about Lil' Slugger.