Aired: April 5, 2015 - June 28, 2015 Studios: Doga Kobo Episodes: 13 Hello my fellow Otakus and welcome back to another review! This week we will take a look at the advancement of robotics and the dynamics they have with human beings in Plastic Memories. This anime is a pretty unique anime in that it isn't your conventional romance. If you guys have watched the movie Blade Runner with young Harrison Ford, this anime kinda follows the same story in that it asks the question what makes a robot different than a human being despite being self-aware and has every emotion a human does. It has an interesting development and shows you multiple sides of this problem which all have valid points. Let's go ahead and see if love can really be felt between a human and an AI! Synopsis: Eighteen year old Tsukasa Miguzaki has failed his college entrance exams but managed to pull strings to land a job with Sion Artificial Intelligence Corporation (SAI). SAI Corp creates highly advanced androids called "giftias" that are exactly identical to humans but only has a life span of 81,920 hours or nine years and four months. Tsukasa is assigned to Terminal Service One which is responsible to retrieve giftias that have reached their expiration date before they lose their memories and become hostile. Tsukasa is partnered up with a beautiful and veteran giftia named Isla. The two start developing feelings for each other, but nothing lasts forever as Tsukasa must come to terms with his feelings for Isla before her time comes. Storyline: First of all, I appreciate that the story starts off somewhere outside of a school setting. There are too many with that archetype, and I find it really refreshing watching an anime that follows adults rather than high school kids. I get that school uniforms are cute and everything, but it's nice to see some animes that think outside the box and go with something unique. Now that I got that off my chest, I have to say that this anime's story is quite well developed. Knowing that giftias have a limited life span, it starts getting heart wrenching once the two protagonists start falling for each other but know that they will never be able to live long, happy lives with each other. Before you go off and say why would you want to watch an anime you already know the conclusion to, it's the ride that the writers for this anime take you on that should be appreciated. Actually making you know the ending makes it that much harder for you, as a viewer, to be truly happy when they reach new stages of their relationship because you already know what is going to happen. No matter how much you tell yourself that a miracle will happen, you know in the back of your mind that it can never happen. Now you are put into Tsukasa's shoes and it makes you understand his anger, frustration, and helplessness in trying to save his love of his life even though she is just an android. Tsukasa isn't the only one who goes through these types of feelings as you see the torn relationships of other members in SAI Corp as well as the customers they go out to to retrieve expired giftias. This is the point where the writers put into question of the rapid advancement of technology and what could happen if our AI technology progresses this far. If our goal for AI is to become as human-like as possible, what will happen once it reaches that point? What is it that really differs us from androids if they can think and feel as we do? These are all questions that are shared with this anime, Blade Runner, and Ex Machina. It really makes you think of how far we want technology to progress and whether if we will actually be able to cope with something that is too human-like that makes us question our own identity as a human being. Unlike the other films mentioned earlier however, Plastic Memories discusses this problem from a love perspective where the android and human have equal stature and learn to support one another which I find much more touching and impactful. Tears will be shed for these star-crossed lovers, but it allows everyone involved to learn a valuable lesson: what really makes us human? Music: As usual, my music sections are short and to the point. The OST for Plastic Memories carry the bittersweet tones used throughout the story development and compliments the actions shown on screen. The songs used all sound cheerful and happy on the outside yet have solemn undertones which, I think, is the perfect emotion one feels as they watch the story progress and start becoming more attached to the characters. Art: I have to start this section off with how much I am in love with the use of lighting and reflection use throughout this series. There are a lot of scenes where Tsukasa and Isla have one on one discussions and almost all of them include either huge rooms with glass or water. This really enhances the questions the writers are asking about what makes us different from advanced androids. During these scenes, both Tsukasa and Isla are called to reflect on their own identities and make them look into what makes them so different despite being so alike. It is like they live dual worlds where they appear a certain way on the outside, but the other side of them can't be hidden from each other when they are left exposed. I also love the way the artists use Isla and Tsukasa as extensions of each other where serious conversations always end with the two of them facing each other. This to me tells not only that they love each other, but they have to face reality that they are different. When they are forced to look into each other's eyes, they go over the obstacle of seeing their blurry reflections and actually see who they are. They are left seeing that their feelings are real despite Isla not being a real human being. I have not seen art used to help tell the story as much as Plastic Memories has and I applaud for the amazing presentation the artists bring. Aside from the story telling part of the art, the scene and character designs are solid. Anyone would enjoy their favorite type of girls ranging from Tsundere to Kuudere archetypes. Not only that but the use of light to contrast the characters' appearances really makes them stand out and gives you a sense that they are in the future. The city in the background is always inspiring and adds to the illusion of them being in the future but not far enough to be all that different from modern times. The art in this anime does it all from story telling to making it pleasing to the eye and it's something that everyone should truly appreciate. Thank you guys again for joining my anime sessions and I hope to see you Otakus back here again next week! ♡^▽^♡
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Coffee senpaiJust an Otaku who also loves his coffee. Grab some coffee and watch anime with me ٩(θ‿θ)۶ Posts for this blog every Friday!
Archives
March 2017
Categories
|