I love watching tearjerkers. It's not just about the fact that I like to get my eyelids wet once in a while, but this kind of series also allows me to feel something, get distracted from the monotony of my life and indifference I usually feel. And yet finishing some of those shows makes me not only experience catharsis and feel content with leading a pointless life, but also help me realize there is more to my puny existence than watching anime and listening to EDM all day. I had already seen Death Parade, a show which made me simply realize that I definitely don't want to die, but recently I finished an anime that taught me a different lesson: no matter how unimporant it is on a large scale, I can, and should lead a life I'll recall without a single regret, one that won't make me feel like I wasted my only chance on this planet. Case in point: Plastic Memories.
The main plotline is rather straightforward. The events we witness take place in a distant future, where androids have become commonplace and are virtually indistinguishable from humans, to the point where they apparently are equipped with digestive and excretory systems... Which is a bit of a weird concept, bound to lead to unnecessary expenses that could have been easily avoided. What kind of sells this point to me though, is the fact that said androids (or Giftias, as they are called) often serve the purpose of helping people with lost relatives (and other similar cases) get over their situation by having a fellow Giftia help them move on with their lives, so I suppose making them as similar to us as possible could allow people not to think of them as just robots, but as full-fledged members of our society. There apparently are some laws regulating the relationships between Giftias and humans too, so everything seems to be well made up.
Well, there is one thing I need to mention, and that is Giftias' lifespan. Each android has 9 years to live, or else it would probably go berserk. Upon the deadline, people known as Marksmen go come pick a Giftia up and make sure the rightful owner signs an agreement of disposal, or however you'd call it. This in itself makes for some very emotional moments, as most people can hardly cope with saying goodbye to the individual closest to them, one they have known for so many years.
Just as our protagonist, Tsukasa, is about to start his job as a Marksman ~~thanks to his high ranked uncle if I recall correctly~~, he by chance stumbles upon a girl, who later on turns about to be a Giftia working in his office.
According to the rules, employees work in pairs, consisting of a Marksman and a Giftia, and so our main character starts his work with Aira, the gal from before. As the days go by, the two of them get to know each other better, and become more than just colleagues. I don't think I need to spell it out, if you connect the dots I provided with preceding information (all of which comes from the first episode only), you probably know what the show's twist is, and why it may prove difficult to hold back tears while watching it.
Alright, you probably have a good idea of what kind of show we're talking about, so let me quickly describe the regular art/sound/characters thing you see in every anime review out there. While not the best looking show out there, Plastic Memories provides the viewer with solid animation (especially for a slice of life series) and a pleasant, recognizable art style. The soundtrack has some nice insert songs to it, even if not all of them are very memorable; though I must say, I do like the OP and ED quite a lot, they fit the show’s mood fairly well.
PlaMemo’s cast is, frankly, both its strength and its weakness. As for the main duo, we have our protagonist Tsukasa, who’s bland and dense to the point, where the show actually acknowledges it and makes fun of it on a few occasions (he is, nonethelss, a fine fit for his role); and Aira, a ~~white… no, wait, the wiki says she’s~~ purple-haired ~~(pardon my colorblindness)~~ kuudere heroine – a far more developed character, whom I’d compare to Rikka from Chuunibyou, if she didn’t have… well, chuunibyou (to put it shortly: she’s good-hearted and adorable). The problem lies in the supporting cast, especially two of the female characters, whose traits are respectably: being a loud, obnoxious tsundere, and the show's fanservice girl. They are also the root of most of the show’s eye-rolling moments, which I assume are a failed (at least in my opinion) attempt at comedy. If it wasn’t for that though, I would have had no big problems with this show whatsoever.
A concrete problem of not only this show, but many anime these days in general, is its length. The show manages to wrap everything up nicely within its span of thirteen episodes, but it’d be a much better watch if it was longer and felt a bit less rushed. I do know this is usually not dependent on the staff working on a given show though, so I don’t suppose I could count this as a drawback.
Despite its shortcomings in the shape of recurring anime tropes, Plastic Memories is a beautifully crafted story – an undeniably sad, yet hopeful tale of dealing with difficult partings. It made me wonder, whether I’m living my life the way I should, and if there is something I can do to make my truly existence worthwhile. It managed to make me cry all the way through (not that I’m particularly tough), and I can’t get it out of my head. If you’re looking for a heartwarming drama with a fair bit of romance, hopefully you can find Plastic Memories as enjoyable as I did.
TL;DR
9/10, would cry again
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