BaBanjoTheBear
December 21, 2014
Not Recommended
(This has been adapted from my reddit thread) In our lifetime, we have seen manned missions to the moon, robots on Mars, and probes that are able to land on a meteor floating within our solar system. Incredible feats that may have seemed impossible to the people of the past. A hot topic in science fiction that deals with such reality and currently physical impossibilities is the idea of time travel. Can we head back in time to fix the past? Do such actions somehow affect the future? Does there seem to be an unbreakable chain of fate that time travel, no matter how much wewant to, cannot erode? Ushinawareta Mirai wo Motomete attempts to explain the answers to these questions, but it's little more than a jumbled mess.
STORY
Ushinawareta stars Sou and Kaori, childhood friends who attend both high school and the Astronomy Club with their fellow close friends Nagisa, Airi, and Kenny. One day, a fatal accident occurs, causing a rather strange series of events.
As my little preview points out, and as becomes somewhat apparent early on, the plot revolves around the notion of time travel. Already this sets a cautionary flag. Time travel stories, more so than any other type of tale, require that any loose ends or connections are properly explained. It's paramount that no loopholes are established and the "rules" in place make sense. And for the most part, Ushinawareta accomplishes these tasks. While the time travel elements are not as intricate as other anime, it at the minimum makes sense within context. Some of the plot devices used are more "higher level" to thwart off potential investigation of the issues involved (that is, to make the process itself sound intelligent) which tends to take away from the ideas it is attempting to establish. The aforementioned rules are also fair, and give a sense of urgency that is unique. Even the final resolution provides a satisfying ending that doesn't attempt to cheat the system, closing off lines that may have broken off from the pact.
A major flaw, however, is getting to this point.
The climax occurs very early on. What follows afterwards is wasted build-up with little payoff, since we already know what is going to happen. A huge chunk of the season is dedicated to showcasing the futility of the actions performed by the characters, despite all their attempts at rectifying the outcome. That is to say, it starts out being a slice-of-life anime with allusions to time travel sprinkled throughout. It is not until the final few episodes that the crux and importance of the anime kicks in, but by this point, there does not exist any attachment to what is happening, since the finale has already occurred. The intended effects of what time travel entails are lost simply because one is forced to wade through unneeded events that ultimately serve zero purpose.
There is nothing more hidden behind this tale of romance and science. It doesn't explore the greater implications behind time travel, it is thematically lacking, and the disjointed storytelling gives it a lack of direction.
ANIMATION
Ushinawareta is plagued in both the art style and animation departments.
Starting off, the art style is entirely boring to look at. The venues provided stick mostly to the school and its grounds, with little in the way of detail. The characters also suffer the same fate, being forced to maintain rather dreary outfits with little in the way of originality. In fact, nearly all of the characters in terms of design are sadly forgettable in the long run. On top of all this, there are many times when the characters themselves look quite sloppy, as if the studio was fine with making small mistakes on a per episode basis.
The actual animation for Ushinawareta is no different. Even if the show contains nearly zero action, the character movements on screen are usually limited to mouths only. Often times, there is only one character moving, even when more than one is appearing within a given scene. It's generally unappealing to look at because it seems as if no attention was given.
CHARACTERS
Ushinawareta contains a weak amalgamation of characters that see absolutely zero depth, let alone characterization, save for one. Even then, it is barely enough to justify how one-dimensional the rest of the cast is.
As the main love interest, Kaori is an extremely caring young woman. And that's the extent of her characterization throughout the anime. This is no joke; beyond just being nice to everyone around her, she constantly employs the same tired tactic of being defensive whenever she is questioned about her true feelings. There do exist attempts at making her more of a well-rounded character, but she only ever responds with kindness for any given conflict.
Sou is the main character of the anime, but follows an even worse route than Kaori. He is known for his affinity for the stars but is otherwise passive in all other matters. He goes along for the ride for the entire season, and his passion only kicks in when he realizes what he's wanted all along. This passion leads to despair, and what should be a sense of character development. But once again, it never comes to fruition. He maintains the same passive behavior that defined him from the beginning, making him one of the worst leads I've had to experience in quite a while.
The only notable character within the anime is Yui, the girl with a mysterious past and unknown future. While her relevance is masked, she becomes the key to solving the crisis that affects Sou and the others over the course of the show. Her experiences define her character: elegant, confused, at times pushy, loyal, and determined beyond belief. She does everything in her power to reach the conclusion wanted by those dear to her, even when she knows what such an outcome means. Her stalwart actions demonstrate her love for the friends and family she holds dear, making her the highlight of the anime.
The rest of the cast, namely Kenny, Airi, and Nagisa, are just as lacking in characterization as Kaori is. The funny man, the losing love interest, and the wise upperclassmen. Nagisa at the least is explored for a certain amount of time, but reiterating myself once more, it means nothing to her character because nothing ever emerges from the situation. There are just too many characters within Ushinawareta that mean nothing from beginning to end.
SOUND
The first OP is okay. The vocals and arrangement make it sound grand in nature, which somewhat opposes the contents of the anime itself. The trumpets and violins attempt to add flair to the piece, giving it an overall orchestral feel.
The ED is not that good. The slow singing, plain piano playing, and generic beat make it boring to hear, both inside and outside of the anime. The best part is not in the sound but in the visuals; they are actually pretty "artsy," especially when compared to what the anime has to offer.
The soundtrack contains nothing amazing. The only tune worth mentioning is the track that contains an interesting fading effect that was usually played when the characters were thinking about something interesting. It isn't meant to be a standalone track, meaning it only has a purpose at certain moments during the show. Other pieces exist that fit fun or dramatic scenes when needed, but these are pretty unmemorable.
Voice acting-wise, Kappei Yamaguchi performed above average in his role as Kenny, but everyone else provided at the most average performances.
ENJOYMENT
Time travel is always an interesting topic. Both philosophy and science usually look at in a serious light, wondering what such a phenomenon could bring to the table should it exist at some point in the future. These specific elements don't exist within this one, with the show instead focusing on how the time travel works in context. So it was disappointing, to say the least, when the time travel portions were pushed to the backseat in favor of the rather boring slice-of-life aspects.
Being a romance buff myself, I went into this one expecting to see anything of the sort. Unfortunately, it mostly consists of Kaori's previously stated defense, Sou's inability to articulate words correctly, and Airi's constantly losing battle. The deviation from this, like the rest of what potentially happens, doesn't pop up until much later into the anime. So the already lame slice-of-life elements, compounded by the lack of any significant romance developments, makes it difficult to watch as the episodes progress.
Ushinawareta Mirai wo Motomete had the pieces to work with, but instead of laying them down neatly, they are thrown together haphazardly, making it quite clear just how directionless and stale it really is. It's an okay time travel story brought down by an incredibly weak cast of characters. The only thing left to do is to go back in time and prevent this one from being made in the first place.
SUMMARY
Story: Bad, okay time travel story with unnecessary slice-of-life moments and lack of themes
Animation: Terrible, art style is boring and contains minimal detail, character designs are boring and lame, actual animation is missing
Characters: Terrible, Kaori, Sou, Nagisa, Kenny, and Airi are awful, Yui is good but she is not enough
Sound: Fine, okay OP, bad ED, fine soundtrack, okay VA work
Enjoyment: Bad, focus isn't on the important elements, namely time travel and romance
Final Score: 2/10
