Memories are a funny thing, a very funny thing indeed and with the most recent anime I just finished watching I’ve discovered they can be somewhat of a bittersweet thing too. Not that I didn’t know it, but I suppose it’s good to be reminded of such things every now and then. However, you have to admit it’s pretty interesting how something so intangible can be so integral in shaping how we function as well as how we choose to process the consequences that arise from simply just ‘functioning’ in our day to day lives.
Plastic Memories was a very curious anime to watch as the main story revolved around the creation and termination of memories. Already as you go into the anime there existed something melodramatic about it in the undertone to the whole thing that screamed at you to keep that box of tissues at hand.
The story is set in a future where androids exist alongside humans with relatively the same rights as them all except for the fact that they are owned by people for certain reasons and, most importantly, have limited lifespans. The story goes on to follow a new recruit who would be working in a branch of a company that deals with the collection of these androids once their lifespans are up and they need to be ‘terminated’ or as one of the characters so emphatically states that they deal in the ‘ripping apart of memories’.
The reason for such harsh words would be due to that fact that these androids, known as ‘Giftia’, are each gifted with unique souls and personalities and in effect are their own individuals that live their lives, however limited, making memories with their companions and various other significant people and thus the termination process can be quite a reluctant one, as the new recruit soon discovers.
Sadly, there are consequences for the androids that go beyond their allotted time and the results can be damaging for both the human and decaying Giftia.
The story is very moving as it follows the recruit and his new partner, who herself is a Giftia as per company regulations. Watching their relationship grow and deepen was entertaining, especially as I found the Giftia’s personality and clumsy nature adorable. I also found the struggle she underwent very intriguing as she fought against the idea of making memories. The change in her character was evident as she opened up due to our protagonist’s insistent prodding and it made for interesting arguments on what the true value of memories could be.
The character development was definitely well done as you watched the protagonist face multiple challenges of ‘ripping apart memories’ and how that affected him. Then you had his partner affected by his presence and moods and instead of just functioning like an android and avoiding things for fear of making memories that would be taken from her, you had her turn into a brighter individual okay with smiling just a bit and stepping out of the gloom of what is going to happen and just experiencing what can happen now.
Overall it was a bittersweet anime that I enjoyed watching. Albeit, I didn’t shed as much tears as I expected, though that was most likely due to the fact that the punch was given early and they let it linger for a bit before letting you go. But that wasn’t a bad play, in my opinion.
No comments:
Post a Comment