Memories is a collection of three animated short stories presented by three
renowned anime directors:
- Episode 1: "Magnetic Rose" (directed by Koji Morimoto, of "The Animatrix" fame) - An outer space salvaging team receives a mysterious SOS signal, only to be led to the seemingly abandoned ship of a former opera star.
- Episode 2: "Stink Bomb" (directed by Tensai Okamura, of "Wolf's Rain" fame) - A researcher ingests an experimental drug which turns him into a walking biological weapon...
- Episode 3: "Cannon Fodder" (directed by Katsuhiro Otomo, of "Akira" fame) - A day in the life of a family who lives in a community which thrives on war.
Memories Anime Review
Memories actually puts together not just three, but four of the greatest anime
talents ever because Satoshi Kon
(of "Perfect Blue" fame, and more recently "Paranoia Agent") is the
writer for the first episode, "Magnetic Rose".
With these guys at the helm, I was pretty confident that Memories anime was a good
investment the moment I ordered Memories DVD.
First off, we have "Magnetic Rose", which is, hands down, the most
striking of the three. A group of space salvagers zero in on an SOS signal from a nearby ship.
Two men are dispatched to the scene, and it is discovered that the ship
belongs to Eva, a famous opera star from the distant past. Although mathematically impossible, it would seem as if Eva is still alive
somewhere in the ship.
As the men search for her, they are somehow absorbed into her memories as
various events in her life flash before them.
All of this takes place amidst the ruins of a grandiose palatial ship, while
Eva repeatedly sings the Madame Butterfly aria "Un Bel Di Vedremo" in
the background.
Magnetic Rose is a haunting and emotionally compelling tale which showcases
Satoshi Kon and Koji Morimoto's penchant for blurring the line between fantasy
and reality.
I found it creepy in a good way, such that I felt my hairs standing on edge as
I took in the stunning visuals and lingering operatic theme music.
Next in line is "Stink Bomb", which I found rather difficult to
classify. It's not serious, but it's too morbid to be considered a comedy.
A regular joe named Nobuo works in a research lab somewhere in the mountains.
He comes in with a rather bad cold, and downs one of the capsules he finds on
his boss' table. He thinks it's a new fever-reducing drug, but it's actually
something else. Nobuo wakes up and finds everyone around him dead, not knowing he is actually
the cause.
Nobuo is so oblivious to everything that's happening around him that it gets
really irritating watching everyone literally drop dead whenever he
approaches.
However, the story progresses to such an incredulous level of unrealism that
one can't help but be truly entertained. Somehow, combining an exasperating
main character with ridiculous premises works for Stink Bomb.
The art and animation don't have as strong an initial impact as those in
Magnetic Rose, but Stink Bomb's visuals are no less meticulously detailed to
perfection.
Last of the three is "Cannon Fodder", which I consider the weakest and
my least-liked piece. Cannon Fodder is mainly about a society which thrives on war.
Citizens spend each day loading and firing cannons at an unknown enemy for the
sake of patriotism.
One family in particular is focused on. The father is a cannon loader, while the son dreams of being the one to fire
the cannon when he grows up.
Father, mother, and son interact just like any other family -- except that
they live only to fire cannons. Nothing really special happens in the story, it's simply a slice of a very
peculiar yet boring life.
The visuals resemble highly stylized pencil sketches that one would expect to
see on display in museums, and not in anime.
I didn't really care for the unsightly character designs but Cannon Fodder's
overall look exuded a certain sophistication that was impossible not to
appreciate.
With these three masterworks in tow, Memories is truly a memorable collection
well worth a spot on any anime collector's shelf.
Miscellanies: Memories
Memories anime review has nearly two hours of running time. There is no English dub track.
Memories | |
| Genre | Drama, Horror, Sci-Fi |
|---|---|
| Episodes | 3 |
| Status | Finished Airing |
| Aired | Dec 23, 1995 |
| Producers | Bandai Visual, Shochiku, Victor Entertainment, Kodansha |
| Studio | Madhouse, Studio 4°C |
| Rating | PG-13 - Teens 13 or older |
| Themes | Psychological |
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