Memories

Memories is a 1995 animated anthology film series composed of three unrelated sci-fi stories, focusing on the individual themes of each story than a core theme throughout. However, they do all share a technical and inspired approach to their visual style, boasting some of the most spectacular animation Japan had ever created for its time. All three shorts were based on stories written by Katsuhiro Otomo, known for creating the visual spectacle that is Akira, and here he serves as producer and the director for the last episode, working with some of the industry’s biggest names to deliver arguably the greatest anthology series in allof anime. Because of the structure of Memories, this review will look at each separate part in chronological order, starting with the most “memorable” part. ------------------------------------------------------------- Magnetic Rose ------------------------------------------------------------- To put it in one word, impressive. It boasts some of the most resplendent animation and music that compliments the unnerving tone and setting, along with the script being in the hands of Satoshi Kon. The short chronicles how the Corona, a salvage freighter in deep space comes upon a strange space station after responding to a distress signal. The two engineers of the crew, Heintz and Miguel, enter and discover a luxurious European interior that once belonged to famed opera singer named Eva. As the two engineers further explore they both become engulfed in Eva’s memories through a series of paranormal encounters, with both men each reliving their own memories. For a ghost story, this is one of the best I’ve ever seen. In a 40-minute duration it delivers on capturing the essence of the anthology title, creating a haunting yet intriguing world of one’s past, and presents a disturbing message of the dangers of living in the past. Eva is a literal representation of that very message and attempts to lure both men into her past, and while some may resist, others might be more willing to fall into the trap, seeing it as an escape to a better place. Magnetic Rose explores love lost and the desperation of a lonely person determined to regain a kind of love so precious, no matter what the cost. This idea is woven masterfully into the plot, making it as thought-provoking as it is terrifying. Kon’s style of storytelling is also present here, blurring the lines between reality and hallucinations and keeping viewers thinking throughout its duration. Fun fact for any film buffs out there: This short also holds references to other sci-fi films such as Alien and 2001: A Space Odyssey with certain scenes, yet never feels cheap or derivative. Magnetic Rose has these familiar elements and makes them feel fresh, a testament to the staff behind this show. The overall story exudes intrigue and ends in a way that answers enough questions to feel satisfying and make sense, yet leaves enough to viewer interpretation to leave its mark. Satoshi Kon was also behind the art direction and like the story, it’s stunning. The fluid animation, cinematic techniques and overall attention-to-detail make Magnetic Rose a marvel of animation. Considering this came out over 20 years ago by the time I’m writing this, and still looks incredible. The scenes in space alone demonstrate how impressive the show is on a technical scale. Despite looking dated with its art style and not being vibrant or colourful, Magnetic Rose shows that there is more to animation than simple visual look. Meanwhile the sound was composed by Yoko Kanno and is mostly operatic, matching the setting and tone of the tragic story perfectly. Voice acting was great all around with Eva’s voice actress in particular being breathtaking in her role. Her version of “Madame Butterfly” is awe-inspiring, even if you dislike like opera, you will still probably appreciate the piece and the overall music in general with how it complements scenes so effectively. Magnetic Rose excels in so many ways that the only way I could see it have been better is if it were its own stand-alone movie. And on that note, I am very surprised this story has not even been rumoured at all for a potential Hollywood adaptation considering the high potential for a successful anime adaptation. It is the highlight of this anthology and is the part of Memories that you will strongly remember. ------------------------------------------------------------- Stink Bomb ------------------------------------------------------------- Here Memories transitions from haunting beauty to a dark comedy that uses satire to demonstrate how stupid humanity can be. The change of tone and pace can be seen immediately from the start, showing a rather overly cheerful television program with fitting music and colourful art compared to Magnetic Rose. Stink Bomb follows Nobuo Tanaka, a young lab technician of a hospital trying to cure his cold and when trying to find a new cold medicine under development, he takes the wrong pill; the ‘red pill’. But instead of finding enlightenment, this buffoon finding all his fellow employees dead and panicked, rushes to deliver the experimental drug he mistook for cold medication to headquarters in Tokyo. Unbeknownst to Nobuo, his mistake is the cause behind everyone in the hospital dying, with him now spreading death and destruction everywhere he goes without him even knowing. Because of this, Nobuo becomes a target of assassination and kidnapping by the government. Most people find Stink Bomb easily the worst of the three entries, feeling like a 40-minute long dumb joke that wasn’t funny to begin with, however I feel as though Stink Bomb gets too much negative buzz than it deserves. It’s a light-hearted take on how foolish our species can be when in dire straits ala Kubrick’s Dr. Strangelove, ridiculing such in over-the-top comedic fashion. The idea that a lab technician is so unbelievably stupid is not something that I consider detrimental to the show; his density fits the kind of comedy the show is going for and is the perfect example for how one man can cause such disaster and trigger-happy militants can further the damage with both ease and lack of common sense. Even if you did not find the comedic style to your liking and I myself will admit that I did not find it that hilarious apart from some overexaggerated missiles, it is definitely an entertaining short that I never once found dull. The animation is the weakest of the three, lacking the technical quality, art direction and sheer unique look of both Magnetic Rose and Cannon Fodder. It also looks the most dated, but still holds up enough to not lessen the experience and contains some of the most action-packed scenes with fluid animation to match. The music is arguably the best part of the short, composed of lively jazz expertly incorporated throughout and is surprisingly appropriate for Stink Bomb’s chaotic style of comedy. Both the animation and sound add to the story’s light-heartedness, and that’s exactly what Stink Bomb strived for. If you come into this looking for some sort of hidden meaning, you will be disappointed. Its intentions are purely to elicit a smile on your face, and for me, it succeeded. ------------------------------------------------------------- Cannon Fodder ------------------------------------------------------------- Cannon Fodder is aesthetically the most intriguing of the three shorts, creating a world comparable to a communism dystopia filled with massively-oversized cannons that fire at an “enemy moving city” that is never visually confirmed by the show; clearly an allegory on society. Cannon Fodder is the most literal title this show could have had. Everyone’s life revolves about firing cannons; the men work the cannons, the women make the shells, and the children are taught on the mechanics of firing cannons. Cannon Fodder looks at the life of an average family on an average day in this bleak world. We see the father going through the motions as he loads cannons, only living to work, to the naïve child aspiring to someday be the man who fires these cannons. It’s a dreary 30 minutes that leaves you in a bleak state, having seen how bleak these characters’ lives are and that it won’t change. Cannon Fodder is certainly not for every anime fan. It’s a short similar to artistic anime like Texhnolyze that are merciless in their depiction of a hopeless world. It’s also a highly political film, with its critique of militarism, socialism and propaganda very noticeable throughout the story. It’s shown the leader of the city is nothing more than a chubby man, yet is portrayed through portraits and such as a fit, powerful leader and worshipped by civilians. An interesting fact: none of the characters are ever given names, another result of living in this kind of world where cannons are valued more than the individuals that work on them. The premise and story of Cannon Fodder is simple and not subtle in the slightest, making it even more frustrating to some viewers. However, considering how political first-world countries have gotten in recent years, I feel like this short is worth the 30 minutes it takes to watch. The artstyle for Cannon Fodder is ugly, no doubt about it, and it complements the dark, depressing vibe the world has. The palette of greys and browns gives the city a decaying, decrepit look that mirrors the people belonging to it. Steampunk elements blend into the city seamlessly, with cannons sticking out of every building present. The people themselves don’t even look human, with sickly grey skin and sunken eyes look more like they can straight out of a nightmare than anything resembling the kind of world we live in. From a technical perspective, the attention to detail is perhaps the best of the three shorts, but what really makes Cannon Fodder’s animation so great is Otomo’s direction. The entire short is one continuous sequence without a single cut. Can you recall an anime you’ve seen that has no cuts in its entirety? Otomo utilizes an array of cinematic techniques and transitions that blend in with the story and animated scenes so well that they may go unnoticed to the average viewer, and that is in my opinion the sign of a master of cinematography. Cannon Fodder is quite possibly one of the greatest one-takes in the history of cinema in general and like Akira, is a testament to Otomo’s ability as a director. In conclusion, Memories is not your typical anthology series; it does not have any overarching narrative that ties the three entries together. But what Memories does contain is a unique collection of short stories that individually showcase some of best animation the industry had at the time and it still hold up. But saying that its value only resides in the animation undermines other great aspects of Cannon Fodder and Stink Bomb such as directing, atmosphere, themes, etc., and nearly everything about Magnetic Rose. None of these films should be ignored and are all worth the time it takes to experience each of these wonderful pieces of animation.

Memories is a collection of three anime shorts: "Magnetic Rose" directed by Koji Morimoto, "Stink Bomb" by Tensai Okamura and "Cannon Fodder" by Katsuhiro Otomo, and Music by the amazing, outstanding and perfect Yoko Kanno. Magnetic Rose- the best of the 3 no doubt about it, this story is all about reality and illusion. Would you want to live in a perfect world, where there is only happiness? Of course you would. But what if this perfect world is nothing but an illusion? That's the question this movie asks. The movie handles the question very well and doesn't really give an answer, leaving the viewers toform their own opinion. The last scene in particular is extremely beautiful and will keep you thinking long after the credits roll. Stink Bomb- This is the most lighthearted of the three movies, as you might expect from its hilariously absurd premise. It belongs to the genre of dark comedy. People die all around our helpless hero, the upbeat, weird-fun, jazz soundtrack makes this even more awesome. The lighthearted Stink Bomb was meant to be just that: A fun little romp that should elicit a smile after the grim Magnetic Rose. Cannon Fodder- "Everyone is provided for ... but no one is truly happy", the best thing one can aspire to be is the commander of a cannon. The setting itself is simply neat to watch in its industrial glory, and the message it tries to convey seems to be an indictment on the extreme level of conformity inherent in socialism. Overall- This was an amazing experience for me and without a doubt i will be re-watching it every year for the rest of my life.

This movie has three lil movies inside, I'll name them in order of appearance -"Magnetic Rose", "Stink Bomb" and "Cannon Fodder". The first episode "Magnetic Rose": I felt that it reflected the title pretty well- the theme definitely correlates to memories. This was probably the most impressive in terms of story and art- the only complaint is that this would've been ideal if it was turned into a full-length movie instead of being thrown into a 3 episode movie. But that's just me. The story is basically about two space dudes from the future exploring the interior of what was once home of a famousopera singer of the century (our generation). The second episode "Stink Bomb": I'm not sure how it relates to the title at all. This was the most humorous and light-hearted of the three. It's about a chemist who takes a pill right before he sleeps and then he wakes up with everyone around him dead- it sounds very dark and depressing but they managed to keep it surprisingly mellow somehow believe it or not. I enjoyed this one a lot as well. The third and final episode "Cannon Fodder": This felt a bit underwhelming in comparison to the first two, no offense. In terms of visuals this was probably the most unique- it's very rough and gritty but it can be very charming. Its about something comparable to the Industrial Revolution and the war around the early 1900s. I always kind of waited to see the little boy the majority of the time as he felt to be the main character but sadly he doesn't get as much screen time as i hope he would. The only thing that corresponds to memories is the little boy saluting a general from the past and he dreams of eventually becoming one instead of being a cannon launcher like his father. Overall: It's pretty good- but if i were you i'd watch it all in reverse (episode 3 first, episode 2 second then episode 1 last). It'd probably be more satisfying than if you did it in order. There isn't a chronological order to it anyway it's just three different movies with some connection ..with i guess the theme of memories tucked inside.

Two balls, one strike. If we assume the anime studio is the pitcher, in this metaphorical game of baseball, then out of the three pitches (i.e. anthology films), only one was a success — a strike, if you will. One was mediocre at best, and the other was, well, let’s call that one a wild pitch. Considering that this comes from the creator of Akira (Katsuhiro Otomo), which, in my humble opinion, was a train-wreck of a movie — let the hate commence — and is only revered by people who prefer to look through the lens of nostalgia. It comes as nosurprise that this weird amalgamation of three diverse ideas is, as a whole, fairly unremarkable. There are glimmers of brilliance throughout the three works, but not enough for this to be considered a landmark in anime achievement. Perhaps I was wrong to expect profundity, when mild intrigue would have been more than sufficient. But enough bemoaning over my own misjudgment, let’s take a look at each story as it was intended to be received: individually. Magnetic Rose: 6/10 The screenplay comes from none other than the brilliant Satoshi Kon (Director of Perfect Blue and Sennen Joyuu), yet, chronologically speaking, this work predates his later “master works,” and it is evident in his lack of detail. An abbreviated version of the story goes as follows: a renowned opera singer loses her voice, and, as a result, her desired husband, Carlo. Not willing to accept her unfortunate circumstances, Eva — the renowned opera singer — murders her husband, and creates a simulated environment to lure in unsuspecting men to play her “new” Carlo. This poignant, melancholic script has Kon’s hands all over it, but, unlike his future works to come, it lacks a certain level of refinement and character development that was sorely needed. To illustrate this point, look no further than Miguel, who is so focused on being with Eva, that he completely disregards the obvious illusions that Heintz points out to him. In fact, this happens several times, until he finally relinquishes himself to Eva. It is obvious that Miguel was intended to serve as a plot device, rather than participate in a meaningful way in the story. Heintz, on the other hand, is more level-headed than his libidinous friend. Be that as it may, his function in the story is relatively basic all the same, as he reveals the main philosophical idea the anime was attempting to achieve, without allowing the viewer to figure it out for themselves. Spoon-fed answers never go down quite so well, as they insult the viewer’s intelligence, making the experience exceptionally lackluster. Fortunately, Satoshi Kon learns from this mistake, as the ambiguous Perfect Blue permits the viewer to contemplate several alternatives without ever knowing the actual truth. On a positive note, I did enjoy the atmospheric juxtaposition between the Victorian architecture (representing Eva’s past), and the modernized space equipment. The artwork in this episode was especially on point, creating a frightening environment that felt palpable for the entirety of the episode. Stink Bomb: 2/10 Easily the worst contribution of the three films. Nabuo exemplifies the “captain oblivious” trope, proving once again, that a terribly written character can dismantle an otherwise interesting idea. Do anime writers seriously think that this sort of naive ignorance portrays a realistic, grounded character with several levels of emotional depth? Because it doesn’t. It simply reminds the audience that capturing authentic human tendencies is difficult work, and rather than strive for originality, its much easier to use “tried and true” formulas. Also, I understand that Nabuo’s gas emission was scrambling the electronics on the various missiles sent towards him, but come on! Are we really suppose to believe that tanks, jets, and battleships were all incapable of hitting one man riding a scooter? “But Krunchyman, it was meant to be a dark comedy. Stop taking it so seriously.” I don’t remember laughing with or at this film. I felt like I wasted 40 minutes of my life, watching a film without an overarching message, and no semblance of constitutes comedy. If you want dark comedy, then watch the Frank Grimes episode of the Simpsons (“Homer’s Enemy”). Frank represents the struggles of the common man, in which he works hard, but receives none of the adulation that he feels he deserves. This is applicable to almost any person, as we all have felt this way at some point in our lives. Nabuo, on the other hand, has no universal human qualities, except for the fact that he has a cold — big whoop. Cannon Fodder: 8.5/10 Remember how I criticized Magnetic Rose for spoiling the underlying theme it was attempting to convey? Well, no need to worry here, because Cannon Fodder understands the power of ambiguity, deciding to say very little through the use of dialogue, but, instead, allowing its artwork and character designs to do the talking. I believe the strength of this particular episode comes from its implied commentary on our own social values. We tend to believe that our thoughts/attitudes are the result of our own choices; nevertheless, Cannon Fodder demonstrates that governments, educational systems, and our parents (indirectly, by avoiding their “failed” life choices) shape our reality, and by default, who we ultimately become. This doesn’t only occur in the dystopian society pictured, it happens in freely elected Democratic societies, as well. As a point a reference, compare Howard Zinn’s, A People’s History of the United States, with any generic high-school history book — I guarantee the difference will be substantial. Yet, the selectively distorted history from your high-school textbook is what a large majority of the population tends to believe as the truth (shaping their reality like the little boy in Cannon Fodder). This is why Cannon Fodder, despite its murky atmosphere, shines through as the best offering in the Memories series. It showcases relatable attributes to each one of us, whether we acquiesce to the norms of society and go with the flow, or whether we strive to modify the current paradigm, despite the hardships of swimming upstream — just like the protestor’s at the factory. Overall: 5.5/10 It’s a bit confounding to me why these three particular films were lumped together in a single offering, especially because each film represents a different philosophical message. Perhaps Otomo could not visualize expanding each idea into a feature length film, and thus, decided to roll them all out to clear his desk for future projects. Whatever the case may be, it was an intriguing trio of films that, besides the Stink Bomb episode, was worth the investment in time, yielding memorable moments, and exhibited what the medium can/should be capable of in the future.

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