Atri: My Dear Moments – Can humans and robots ever find kinship amongst one another, let alone be accepted by the masses for whom the latter really are, given their history? Oh, the glorious days of visual novels…that without fail, NEVER seem to translate well to the anime spectrum, in one way or another. We’ve had quite a few shows over the years with their oh-so-appealing PC game mediums that, on the outside, looked just as promising as their key visuals, and then their anime adaptations came and went, just to be shells of their former selves. Think of shows like studio Feel’s adaptations of Summer2018’s Island to the grandfather of all VNs: Spring and Summer 2019’s Kono Yo no Hate de Koi o Utau Shoujo YU-NO a.k.a YU-NO: A Girl Who Chants Love at the Bound of this World, but those adaptations were just bad, and as much as I would recommend Island over YU-NO if you need to gander at anime’s past records of VNs (which both shows I would not recommend to watch more when you reach a certain point of the anime counterparts), there’s actually, finally, a somewhat faithful adaptation of the medium itself. And that, my friends, is Atri: My Dear Moments, courtesy of the same developer as Island alongside Makura (creator of one of the best VNs of all time: The Fruit of Grisaia), written by Asuka Konno of 2012’s VN If My Heart Had Wings, and published by Aniplex under their Aniplex.exe brand.
The visual novel that was released in PC back in June 2020, I’m not going to dive any deep into the plot, because either the anime’s synopsis or its own Wikipedia entry (which is actually quite extensive) tells you enough of what to expect out of the anime as it follows its plot very closely, and to the T. The TL;DR of the anime, with the closest comparison being that of Spring 2015’s Plastic Memories, is that it tells its story of the cognitive memories that once lay dormant, which slowly gives way to a richer plot of what it means to be human through love and affection. That is the relationship of its central duo: the one-legged MC of Natsuki Ikaruga, who, after losing his loved ones and even losing a part of a body in an accident, relies on a prosthetic to get by in his small house of a submarine, as well as the android that he found, sunken in what used to be a part of the world that’s now threatened by a rise in sea levels that could cause the end of humanity, of a regular young girl named Atri. The girl who was once touted as a way to settle off a debt, soon becomes part of the rag-tag group of Natsuki and his friends of caretaker Catherine and childhood friends of Minamo Kamishiro and Ryuji Nojima, and the revelations soon follow as the humans try to ascertain what this “high performance” of a toaster robot has in store for them, despite having amnesia and developing her own sense of self-consciousness in the process that leads to the romance between the human and the half-human, half-robot Humanoid.
I’d already mentioned that Atri is similar to Plastic Memories, and for those who’ve seen said series in the past, you’ll find a lot of similarities between the Sai Corporation’s Giftia Isla and the android herself. Both girls are “reasonably” aged like teenager/middle-school selves as much as possible to get us, the audience, to slowly warm up to them and see what they’re capable of, having been risen to the surface and/or awakened to a hidden ticking time-bomb on their lives: being only able to function on a certain set period of time. And Atri is no different in that regard, as we see her being the bubbly and lively girl who doesn’t seem to present any concrete evidence about her true functionality from the beginning, right as the series progresses to find that Atri is no mere android that left a wave of catastrophe behind the back of her creation, and of how the nonsense robot that’s the ire of Natsuki’s numerous infamies, had quite the impact on him and his family tree. But most certainly, being around a group of middle-school kids to the college dropout that is Natsuki, Atri’s maturity feels a bit wishy-washy, almost as if the producers want her to age fast within the span of the anime, which almost pushes her to the brink of being forced melodrama (which the VN has the same plot, but thankfully hours of gameplay to go through every minute detail of). For sure, you can say that even the romance between Natsuki and Atri just feels pedestrian as compared to the likes of Tsukasa Mizugaki and Isla, but as much as both series serve their own purposes, it’s nothing to be scoffed at since the revelations of Atri only sully Natsuki’s heart all the more, giving him a reason to re-evaluate his heart of what does it mean to love and to be loved, aside from his rather serious and grumpy no-nonsense personality. To be fair, as much as I like the kinship of the friends around them, it’s still Natsuki and Atri’s story of humanity through grief, loss, friendship, and ultimately the romance between the two, which feels earned, despite the negative connotations of the relationship between human and humanoid.
Being an Aniplex-backed project, it’s no surprise given the great amount of detail and lustre that the anime had, it’s just great to see such stunning animation that perfectly captures the vibes from the VN in all its glory, thanks to veteran scriptwriter Jukki Hanada. But then again, apart from the show neither being its subsidiary studios helming the anime, this is a standard that studio TROYCA and one of its best in-house directors of Makoto Kato have been working since his days as an episode director for the Aldnoah.Zero series, to becoming the full-blown director that he is today with nothing but consistency of his class for at least a long decade now (if you forget the poorly written anime of Spring 2022’s Gunjou no Fanfare a.k.a Fanfare of Adolescence, yet another Aniplex show). TROYCA’s chief director Ei Aoki’s influence is undisputed in the studio’s philosophy since its creation more than a decade ago back in May 2013, and Makoto Kato is certainly one of its successors who kept the vision alive with the anime, and Atri’s production values are certainly on par of what we’ve come to expect from the studio.
The music is rather apt for the anime, though I’d be kidding if it serves as one of the highlights of the show overall. The OST’s certainly there that’s definitely ripped from the VN itself, but I felt as if the anime didn’t really bring or add anything new to an already emotionally gripping series such as Atri, though I’d argue that it’s playing too much on the safe side. And of course, despite having Aniplex’s own Sony Music idol groups of the renowned Nogizaka46, as well as one of its newest groups of 22/7 (which had its own anime back in Winter 2020), these are songs that play the very part of gripping the audience with its thematics, but even not as a fan of both groups, I can still tell that they’re quality songs that speak the anime’s story of a thousand pictures. Alas (and this is just IMO) both the former’s OP and the latter’s ED are just decent songs at best, but quite forgettable at the same time as well.
If you need an adaptation that knows what the anime medium is set out to do and replicates its source material as close as possible, you can’t really go wrong with Atri: My Dear Moments. It is to date, the most respected source material adaptation that the VN medium has so far seen, even though you can’t quite takeaway the feeling of the few-hours-long gameplay that Makoto Kato, Jukki Hanada and the staff team had to cut down just to make-do for the anime itself, that in the end, replication in a summary form is always better as promotional material for the game itself, just like with all AniManga. It’s just that the balance of tension for a series like this that just sets it off-kilter for me, and while weighing a moderate duration game (like within less than 8 hours) against the span of 13 episodes is no easy feat, I kinda felt that Atri was intentionally written to be a linear series rather than one with its multiple, complex branches that gives more content and flavour (or maybe I’m just too fixated with better anime adaptations of VNs in the past decade or so) that other mediums can adapt easily, and this is most likely the case with the anime.
Atri: My Dear Moments is a solid show that goes back to the heart of humanity, be it with comedy or romance in general, but while I’ve definitely seen better VN anime adaptations in the past, it's still a show to pick up and watch if you've haven't already done so.
FiFirechick12012
October 8, 2024
Mixed FeelingsWell-written
Man, it seems like visual novel adaptations are starting to come back. Not a whole lot compared to the previous decades, but the fact that some are still being made is nice to hear. I previously played and reviewed the original game for Atri: My Dear Moments, a little after an anime adaptation was announced (You can find my review of the game here: https://joyousmenma93 .livejournal. com/710659. html). Short version: While I did enjoy parts of the game, I did feel other parts could have been improved upon, but it was a valiant first game for Aniplex.exe to start with. With the knowledge I gleanedfrom the game, I was curious as to how the anime would adapt it, especially since the game itself is a fairly short 10-13 hours. It's inevitable that long visual novels would need to leave things out in the transition from a game to the TV format, especially a 12-13 episode series. On the whole, I do think the anime adaptation for Atri succeeded in its goal of adapting the game to a TV format, but it did make quite a few changes from the game. Some I liked, some...not so much, and the ones that didn't work are the anime's biggest problems.
In the near future, a sudden rise in sea levels floods the majority of the world and ends human civilization as we know it, forcing humanity to eke a living on what little dry land remains. Natsuki Ikaruga, a boy who lost his mother and his leg in an accident some years earlier, returns disillusioned from a harsh life in the big city to find his old countryside home half-swallowed by the sea. Left without a family, all he has to his name is the ship and submarine left to him by his oceanologist grandmother, and her debts. His only hope to restore the dreams for the future that he lost is to take up an opportunity presented to him by the suspicious debt collector Catherine. They set sail to search the sunken ruins of his grandmother's laboratory in order to find a treasure rumor says she left there. What they find is not riches or jewels; but a strange girl lying asleep in a coffin at the bottom of the sea. The girl, Atri, is a robot, but is so expressive and human-like that she could easily pass for a real human being. As thanks for salvaging her, Atri declares that she'll serve as Natsuki's leg until the end of the summer. The time they spend together over that summer changes the both of them.
I won't go into every single change the anime made from the game, as that'd make this review way longer than it needs to be, and I won't belabor a lot of what I said in my review of the game. I'll stick to my usual format before going into the nitty-gritty, starting with the animation. TROYCA, famous for Idolish7, was picked to do the animation, and while they couldn't quite replicate the finer details of Yusano and Moto4's character designs, they make up for that with kinetic character motion and fidelity to said character designs. They did, however, succeed in bringing the game's backgrounds and setting to life without compromising on the details. I also appreciate that the animators gave characters who didn't have sprites in the game actual designs, so it definitely has that going for it. On the sound front, I definitely appreciate that the anime decided to make its own original soundtrack as opposed to just reusing background tracks from the game, with the exception of a few, with one of them being important to the plot. I wasn't a fan of the overly chirpy ending theme, but as someone who usually doesn't like idol songs, I really liked the opening theme, Nogizaka46's "Ano Hikari." I never skipped it every time I watched an episode, it's that good. Hikaru Akao is still annoying when she sings in her squeaky voice, though.
A lot of the changes the anime makes is rearranging some events to make them happen either earlier or later than in the game, which does make some sense considering this is a 13-episode anime as opposed to a 13 hour game. The characters and their respective development remain the same from the game, even if a lot of aspects that put them on the path to getting it are either changed, downplayed, or cut out. Unfortunately, a few changes I didn't like were removing huge chunks of several characters' backstories, with Natsuki being the biggest victim of this. While his personality and development are the same as in the game, some really important parts of his backstory are cut out completely, such as leaving the Academy due to a combination of his own arrogance and a teacher being ableist towards him, both of which form the backbone of his development. By cutting those parts out, Natsuki comes across as much more needlessly angsty and mopey potato-kun. On the opposite side, Catherine and another character are made to be much nicer, with their more questionable actions watered down compared to the game. The anime seems to speed-run through the slice-of-life parts just to get to the plot faster, and while I can understand why they did this, as many who played the game complained that the plot should have happened a lot earlier, they kind of diluted the parts of the game that were genuinely good, such as the whole arc about the kids building a generator for the school.
There is one change that I definitely liked. In the last third of a game, there's a new character who gets introduced named Yasuda, who hates Atri and wants to kill her. He's universally despised by fans of the game due to a combination of his appearance completely lacking any established build-up or foreshadowing so it feels like he comes out of nowhere, and for being a generic villain whose motivations are really weak and tenuous at best. The anime doesn't change his characterization nor give him more depth and nuance, but it does go out of its way to address the first issue with him in that they add in whole new scenes where he's not only going after Atri multiple times, he even goes after other characters directly and using different methods, whether it be appealing to their guilty conscious or straight up trying to kill them, ranging from shooting them or unhooking Natsuki's submarine to wash him out to sea. While I do wish Yasuda's backstory had been fleshed out more, or given a stronger motivation for hating Atri than what he has, I definitely appreciate the anime's attempts to make him a more constant presence and a genuine threat, and it seems like the manga is doing the same.
But there is one addition the anime made that I really, REALLY wish they hadn't. Remember how in my review of the game, I mentioned that I absolutely hated the scene where Natsuki slips and falls into Minamo's boobs because it felt like unnecessary fanservice? The anime removes that, thank God (As does the manga)...but it also adds in new scenes involving Atri being sexualized or offering herself up to Natsuki in what's clearly meant to be a sexual manner, when she clearly looks and acts like an elementary schooler! Like, TROYCA, did we REALLY need a scene where Atri flashes her nude body to Natsuki several times when she's wearing nothing but a bath towel? I mean, it's at an angle where we can't see her nude, but come on! The game at least kept it limited to Atri jokingly calling Natsuki naughty and jumping to conclusions before she gets conked on the head! It's like the show is worried that we won’t care about Atri (and her death flags) unless we’ve been assured she’s a potential sex object, and it does a disservice to the story’s stronger emotional beats. Who thought deciding to openly sexualize Atri MORE was a good idea?! Because it isn't! Basically, Atri the anime traded one form of unnecessary fanservice for another, and it just makes me cringe into a singularity.
It's honestly a shame the anime decided to implement a lot of those more questionable changes, because I did enjoy the rest of my time with this show, and I want to recommend it to people who don't want to play the game or are unable to for whatever reason. I like the animation, the music, the opening song, most of the characters, and some of the better changes Atri: My Dear Moments made. But the not-so-good changes leave a pretty big black stain on what on paper is still a fairly decent adaptation of Aniplex.exe's first visual novel. Personally, if you want the better experience, I recommend just playing the game, if you're able. The anime is fine if you're into it or can't play the game for whatever reason, but I really wish I could recommend it more enthusiastically.
PaPanzerIV-J
November 10, 2024
Not Recommended
Not horrible, but still not recommendable. "Atri: My Dear Moments" is an anime that really could've been good, but always came across as being a somewhat poor adaptation, plus it misses a lot of the earlier episode charm that made the anime good in the first place. Lets start off with the good. 1. Good animation: Visually, this anime is a win. The animation is smooth and vibrant, with real attention to detail. Unlike many low-budget animes that cut corners on backgrounds and character movement, this one actually looks like some effort went into it. Props to the animators for making it look this good. 2. Great episodes (For themost part):
The first six episodes are actually pretty strong. They’re well-paced, the characters feel fleshed out, and the story is cohesive. Plus, the romance isn’t overly forced, which is a nice change. These episodes really had me interested, and I thought the show was setting up something good.
Well that's it for positives from me... Onto the negatives
1. Missteps in Character and Romance, and a wish that it adapted a different route from the VN: (Here's a long one)
One of the major issues with Atri: My Dear Moments is its choice to make Atri the romantic lead despite her characterization being built around the “loli” trope—a divisive feature in anime. I don’t usually mind characters with a youthful appearance, as it’s a common anime style, and it can work when handled maturely. However, in this case, it’s hard to ignore how uncomfortable it feels. Atri doesn’t just look young; she’s written with the behavior and mannerisms of someone who’s basically a preteen, making it unsettling when the show pushes her as the protagonist’s love interest.
Compare this with Isla from "Plastic Memories." Isla has a similar appearance to Atri, but she’s portrayed with emotional depth and a mature outlook that makes her romance with the main character feel more genuine and less problematic. Atri, on the other hand, stays in this immature, comic-relief role throughout, which only highlights how strange it feels when the anime tries to build her up as a love interest. It’s a tough pill to swallow and is likely to turn off a lot of viewers who prefer their romance characters to feel age-appropriate and emotionally developed.
Continuing on, Atri’s comic-relief personality and childlike innocence make her work well as a fun, side character, but when she’s placed in a romantic context, it clashes awkwardly. Usually, when a character like this transitions into a love interest, they gain a bit more emotional depth or maturity to make the relationship feel genuine, but here, Atri stays in the same immature, playful role. This lack of growth or adjustment only highlights the discomfort, as her behavior doesn’t align with the romantic angle the story tries to sell.
In contrast, Minamo—the protagonist’s childhood friend—would’ve made a much stronger romantic lead. She has a maturity and emotional depth that could have balanced the main character’s journey, making the romance feel more grounded and believable. Shifting the romance to Minamo would’ve let Atri shine in her role as comic relief without forcing her into an awkwardly mismatched romance.
5/10, While it’s not a bad anime, I can’t say it’s one I’d recommend. It has its good moments and some solid animation, but it ultimately doesn’t deliver on its potential that I once saw in it.
