"Are you enjoying the Time of EVE?"

I have incredible admiration towards any medium that is able to explore the boundaries and limits of the concept of humanity. Its a thought provoking idea that regards the nuances of what makes us, us.

So what happens when we encounter "something" that looks like us, yet in reality they're not? How are we as a community and a species supposed to adapt when we created something that is purely mechanical and robotic, yet seem so alive?

Ghost in the Shell is one of the most famous pieces of medium that explores that very idea. The idea of technology and humanity assimilating to create a more advanced, refined, and integrated society. It does so in a complex and deeply intricate fashion.

Time of EVE however is a simpler take on that matter. Simpler than Ghost in the Shell that is. Despite taking on a simpler form of the whole "beyond human" idea. It is also filled with multiple nuanced ideas and leaves plenty of room for the viewers to linger something deeply in their thoughts with.

The film takes place in a city (possibly in Japan), where people have assimilated deeply with cutting edge, advanced technological growths. In here, androids exists. There are multiple forms of androids, but the most common ones are the modern looking types that resembles a human being. Made out of synthetic skin, mechanical parts and an artificial power supply, yet the physical appearance of your fellow man. Androids are primarily use for assisting people with their every day life. Whether that be picking up groceries, becoming your personal assistant, etc. Treating androids the same as humans however, is frowned upon. Those who do treat androids in high regards are labelled as "android-holics" and are the primary source of an ongoing paranoia surrounding the possibility that androids might be able to defy their masters. A highschool student named Rikuo Sakisaka has noticed that Sammy, his home-android, has been acting independently going somewhere without orders. A message appears when Rikuo is reviewing her activity logs: "Are you enjoying the time of EVE?". From here, Rikuo along with his friend Masakazu Masaki traces Sammy's movements to an unsual cafe. There, they discover a small social hub where humans and androids interact, and can no longer discriminate amongst themselves.

The way the characters interact with each other, plus with the presence of sufficiently good character dynamics, made the diverse cast of characters very much enjoyable and comforting to see. Each with their own unique personalities and quirks. My emotional attachment towards the cast of characters grows rapidly strong as the movie progresses. I've come to believe that Empathy is also a major theme in Time of EVE.

There a lot of technical prowess seen in Time of EVE. The majority of the film takes place in close quarters and closed space. For that reason, Yasuhiro Yoshiura and STUDIO RIKKA makes great use of lighting, reflecting the mood and overall atmosphere of every scene to becoming more vivid and full of life. Cinematography and camera movements are also very interesting. Since the use of pretty impressive 3D rendering was present, and with the majority of the scenes taking place in relatively small, close areas, the production team has to be more creative with how they choose to handle the camera perspective. This leads to a more unique and dynamic path to comedic timing, character-to-character perspective transitions and scene build up.

Time of EVE is a slow, yet amazingly fun and thought-provoking experience. It ventures forth unto the depths of the human condition and questions the possibility of the existence of the soul within an android, whether it'd be possible forming a relationship between flesh and machine. If androids such as the ones in Time of EVE exists in the real world. It would no doubt made me revise my understanding of humanity and what constitutes as a person. We discover that others aren't actually that much different from us, and that life is much more enjoyable when we treat others with dignity and respect, rather than as convenient household objects.

P.S. This is my very first review on this website and English is not my first language. I apologize for any grammatical errors present, and I would be more than happy to receive feedback and criticisms. Thank you for reading.