Plastic Memories

Might also want to reconsider the glasses scene.

Namely, why would a robot need to wear glasses to read a label?

edited 20th Apr '15 7:00:11 AM by HanabiraKage

Might be for comedy. (Hope I don't regret this statement.)

I don't know why he even thought any of them were good ideas but the reactions were priceless.

If my guess is right, you will.

And if so, that glasses gag is going to be one of my favourites because of it.

Yeah, that's a good point. This series seems to be using tropes and comedy as a way of getting past audience thought, setting up in plain sight—a form of Getting Crap Past the Radar, except deadly serious. "Wait, the robot needs glasses?" is a good example, and it's a really clever way of using medium awareness.

It's reaching Refuge in Audacity levels I think. The way they're presenting the exposition.

edited 20th Apr '15 7:31:26 AM by HanabiraKage

I don't have high hopes for the series anymore yet will still follow.

I admit finding episode 3 pretty funny.

I've come in here and found it almost as if everyone's watched a different episode 3 to me. I hardly felt it was engaging or in any way clever.

I'm guessing she's keeping professional distance because she knows she doesn't have much time left.

I'm with you, buddy.

The show just barely redeemed itself with ep 4. Less romcom, more drama please.

The "Giftias act according to instincts after losing their personality" bit is intriguing. Does it mean they'll follow the Three Laws of Robotics? Or are they actual humans with the Giftia personalities installed (probably against their will)?

Although it's not this kind of story, if this manga was to have a very threatening villain, I want something like this:

A Giftia that refuses to be disposed after his/her time is up and can hack other Giftia. Like, a mixture of Ultron, Roy Batty, and the Laughing Man.

So, uh, does Souta have a guardian other than Marcia, or is he just going to fend for himself when her time is up? Anime.

Amazingly averted No Infantile Amnesia for once. Although his parents died when he was five, and he's only eight now, so it's more like amnesia as a result of trauma.

So Wanderers are like Robot Zombie Alzheimers sufferers.

Who the hell is this guy.

Episode 5 - I must say, I agreed the last few episodes light-hearted, yet sad tone wasn't great, but giving a jump into dark and edgy THIS heavy, is quite strong. With the explanation of Wanderers Michiru gave last episode, I thought it was more like an Alzheimer Zombie, not rabid animals.

edited 2nd May '15 1:00:06 PM by sorako

I wasn't digging Episode 3, so I put the show on hold. After hearing positive reviews of episodes 4 and 5, I watched them back-to-back. While the 4th episode was similar in tone to the first, Episode 5... hoo boy that's a tone change if I ever saw one.

Remember how the chairman Godou highlighted that the Terminal Service Department was five times as expensive as other departments? Well, after Marcia became a dreaded Wanderer, I could imagine some drastic changes happening to the department (ie perhaps bringing R-Security to replace them). And is it me, or is Godou being groomed to be the series' Big Bad? Regardless, I think that the light and soft tone of the first four episodes is over, apart from some occurrences of comic relief here and there. While the series is clearly on the tragedy road, I just hope Isla doesn't end up one of those Wanderers...

Just wished they were a bit more original with the gadgets though. While it's one thing to do homages to Psycho-Pass, it's another to practically have the Dominator make an appearance.

edited 5th May '15 9:56:11 AM by sanfranman91

I knew that the whole Marcia retrieval wasn't going to end well^note Noooooo. I just didn't think it would end that badly!^note NOOOOOO!! Holy crap, Wanderers are a hundred times scarier than I thought!

Speaking of Wanderers, I thought Giftias, once their time ran out, gradually lost their memories, then become killing machines. Turns out it's an instantaneous. Oh yeah, Wanderers are scary!

Here's what I don't get. The dark retrievers. So they take Giftias and do what with them, really? You'd think that with a dark underbelly around, there would be more Wanderers around...

edited 5th May '15 7:02:04 PM by Diamite

Yeah, I wasn't expecting the story to get so grim with the presence of Wanderers. As for the black market, well, I can't imagine any good intentions coming from it. Perhaps there might be a few hackers looking to perhaps modify the androids, but I could also see a business catering to criminals wanting a Giftia as a weapon. After all, with all that speed and strength, they can easily cause some serious trouble to society. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if there are more Wanderers than SAI is willing to admit. After all, I can't see R-Security just sitting around after killing Michiru's adoptive father.

Also, this youtube review suggests that Yasutaka might be working with the black market. Before watching this review, I never even thought of that, though coming to think of it I could see how it could play out. Thoughts?

edited 5th May '15 10:00:30 AM by sanfranman91

So 3 ways I can see the show ending: 1. Ano hana: Isla dies but after making peace with her death, much tears will be shed.

2. Deus Ex: They'll find in the last minute a way to increase her life expetancy or back up her memories, will be sort of cheating.

3. Conspiracy: The andorids are built intentionally to degrade and the fact comes to light in the end.

It's very interesting that usually the whole idea is played opposite, with machines outlasting humanity.

My money's going to option number 3. Godou just seems way too damn suspicious for me to think that there's not some conspiracy going on in the SAI corporation. That said, I still wouldn't be surprised if Isla died (though Steins;Gate had a somewhat cop-out True Ending).

Anyway, while not as dark as the last episode, Episode 6 was very successful in developing Isla's character. The last five or six minutes were an absolute keeper as well and I can feel the connections growing with the characters.

Too bad Isla only has 1,000 hours left though...

Not to double post but Episode 7 just aired. I'm a bit disappointed that they are not focusing on the more sci-fi/conspiracy elements, but Isla and Tsukasa got some much-needed relationship development. Also, I have to admit I laughed quite a bit when Isla was reacting to Tsukasa collapsing on her. Overall, it's nice to see the two get closer as her time is closer to expiration, though I'm hoping the story can take its potential background a little further in the coming episodes.

But... could Tsukasa join her in the afterlife? Yeah, after hearing Tsukasa's bedtime confessional, it seems that his collapses and him confusing over temperatures might be hinting that he has some sort of terminal illness. As awful as it might be to potentially see Isla become a Wanderer, I can only imagine viewers choking up just as much, and perhaps more due to how much more open Isla is, if Tsukasa ends up dying first.

Also, as heartwarming as this episode was, I'm thinking that the next episode or two could go straight back into more grittier territory a la Episode 5 (calm before the storm and all that). Thoughts from others?

P.S. As someone from 4Chan found out, the two keychains placed together actually form a heart◊. Gotta love Dogakobo for making subtle, yet clever use of imagery. Also, the run time is once again exactly 24 minutes and 0 seconds. The writer and director are definitely cooking up something for the climax given the precise timing of each episode thus far.

edited 16th May '15 6:09:35 PM by sanfranman91

I enjoy Tsukasa and Isla's romance so damn much. Damn, it's been a while I've been so hooked on a romance anime.

The temperature thing was most likely hinting at his fever. And him collapsing at the worst times was probably due to exactly what we saw in this episode; he gets too hyped up and overworks himself, not even sitting down to eat a proper meal.

edited 18th May '15 1:35:37 AM by HanabiraKage

It's true that in this episode he did overwork himself prior to his date. That said, the way Tsukasa revealed that it was a common occurrence for him to collapse has caught my attention as far as death flags are concerned. So we'll see how that plays out, given the author seems to have an endgame in mind if the precise timing and hints of larger things are anything to go by.

To be honest, and forgive me if I'm just repeating my last post, I've been feeling a bit mixed on how they are playing out the sci-fi premise. Don't get me wrong, I am aware that the series is primarily a romantic and the show's art, OST, and relationship development between Tsukasa and Isla have been nothing short of fantastic. I especially liked how this episode focused on peculiarities of both characters and how previous loss and shortcomings had affected the two until that point. As far as doomed romance is concerned, this series is practically the "Better to Love and Lost" Yang to Your Lie in April's "Never to have loved at all" Yin. So I've definitely been enjoying the character interactions and I hope Isla/Tsukasa can make it through the series (doubtful as it may be).

At the same time, I can't help but think that the story is wasting the potential of its setting. I mean, they introduced a black market for Giftia, a shady corporation, the idea of a human being in a relationship with a giftia, and, of course, the concept of Giftia itself, but they have yet to dig further into these topics. I wish the writers are going to show more ambition, but there's only 6 episodes left and, barring a second season, there's not much time left for the writers to thoroughly explore its premise. Some viewers (including ANN's Gabriella Ekens) have already lost patience and I hope the series doesn't end up being remembered as "a solid show that could've been better" because the premise has so much promise.

edited 18th May '15 6:27:07 AM by sanfranman91

He didn't say this was a common occurrence; he said he had appendicitis at his graduation. He brought it up because it happened at a terrible time like him collapsing here, not because it's something that often happens to him.

edited 18th May '15 12:23:05 PM by LSBK

He finally confesses! Flustered isla!

And then shtf in the latest episode.

On one hand if they played the end straight I would be sad but if they decided to do otherwise I would be SO mad.

After following this series until now, what I have to say is Plastic Memories is not a bad anime. It has emotional and romantic moments that make it worth it. However, my major issue here is that the episodes waste at least half of their time in really lame and silly comic relief sequences that make it really hard for me to take the series seriously. I have nothing against comedy, but this series should seriously tone it down.

edited 2nd Jun '15 8:47:51 AM by sorako