[Categories: Anime Reviews]
Eve no Jikan (Time of Eve) act02: Sammy
When I first sat down to write this post all I could come up with was the unhelpful “Words cannot express how fantastic this is.” One rewatch and one refill of my trusty cafetière later (not EVEblend though, sadly) and I’m finally in a position to make a proper post about it. Bear in mind though that I think this is possibly the best series we’re likely to see this year - something that kicks your brain into gear so efficiently you don’t realise you’re questioning the meaning of humanity and whose pitch-perfect storytelling delivers important plot points with subtlety and eloquence. Expect a quick shameless plug after the moar tag too.
After the first Act that introduced the worldview and some of the main cast, the second returns to Asimov’s Three Rules of Robotics, this time examining how they relate to the housemaid android of the episode’s title and her unusual behaviour. There’s an underlying conspiracy or other over-arching theme dropped in late on plus a short (as in, freeze frame it to catch it) flashback concerning Masaki but generally this episode is a ‘zoom lens’-style outing that mostly takes place within the confines of the Time of Eve cafe and concerns itself with the android Sammy…who incidentally looks quite pretty with her hair tied back. Admitting the latter detail makes me feel a bit uncomfortable but I think that’s precisely the point.
If it wasn’t obvious to you before it is clear as day by now that the androids can feel emotion. After being shown the matter-of-fact and often careless way in which they are treated by humans we now see how this affects one of the countless androids who are in widespread service throughout society and throws up the possibility that they are suffering in silence. Rikuo’s shock and surprise when Nagi elaborates on how ‘his’ android drops in to buy a pot of coffee and engages her in conversation is a highlight of an already superb episode but hints at where this idea could take the story as a whole.
You have to admit the advantages of androids for the elderly. I love little asides like this
The encounter with Akiko in the previous episode, coupled with the revelation that an android such as her can carry out human thought processes such as keeping a secret in this one, showed that in the Time of Eve at least, androids and humans can be nigh-on indistinguishable. I suppose the shock comes from seeing a side of his own android that isn’t evident in any other situation because Rikuo doesn’t react with anger and indignant demands as to why she acted on her own; instead he’s curious about how this is happening and what the ramifications could be.
Nagi is very protective of the freedom and equality that exists in her establishment, which could lead to paragraph after paragraph of speculation but she’s also a shrewd judge of character: for now I’m interested merely in her reaction to Rikuo’s and Sammy’s moment of awkwardness. Instead of scolding Rikuo for inadvertantly but repeatedly breaking the golden rule or banning him entirely she sits him down, talks things through with him and reminds him that the Time of Eve is always open to him. She does however let Masaki leave on his own accord, which I think speaks volumes.
Nagi, barista. Android or human? You decide
Rikuo is not necessarily prejudiced against androids; like the classmate in the background of one scene who was teased by her friends for thanking hers when it fetched her a change of clothes, he treats them with more respect than most, or at the very least is unsure of how to treat them (Masaki for instance was taken aback by the idea that Sammy’s family had given her a name). Nagi clearly senses Rikuo’s indecision, and realises that he can understand if he is made aware, unlike Masaki who still comes across as intelligent but is for whatever reason more closed-minded about such things.
Rikuo’s reaction to seeing Sammy in the cafe is the result of a stark shift in his perceptions; I think that tense scene shows him react with pure surprise of someone seeing another in a different light, rather than anger of a master for a disobedient servant. A mere machine that he sees in his home every day is following the three Laws but has found loopholes that allow her to use her independent mind and, indeed, have hopes and dreams of her own.
What really sent a shiver down my spine was the scene back at Rikuo’s home when he finds himself paying her a compliment, as he would for a human being…followed by Sammy’s acknowledgement of his gratitude and a hidden smile. In most situations this would be a commonplace exhibition of understanding between friends and not really worthy of note at all but that’s not the case here. She (Sammy that is…I can’t bring myself to call her ‘it’…) spoke to Nagi of Rikuo and his family as if she were human; the very idea that she even noticed details like how he stopped playing the piano opens up a whole wealth of possibilities here in regards to what is going through the average android’s mind.
The show-don’t-tell approach at work: words fail me. Again
Once again I can’t fault the production values. The animation is fluid, the artwork is consistent, the direction is mature and self-assured, the music is a delight and unfailingly well-chosen. What gives this series such marvellous rewatchability above all is that not a single cut is wasted: there are the usual pillow shots but every split second, eventful or otherwise, seems to have something to say.
The book titled Code:LIFE, the elderly lady with an entourage of androids carrying her shopping, the outdoors scene (currently one of my header images) that advertises Yoshiura’s earlier OAV Pale Cocoon on an advertising billboard, the dialogue of conversations going on in the background…the storyboard planning of this series is absolutely watertight with not an ounce of filler. Six sets of fifteen minutes is a tight schedule given the richness of the concepts of course, but the upshot of Yoshiura and Studio Rikka’s efforts is that every moment is an absolute delight.
Chie-chan is LOL
The Time of Eve is an inviting and fascinating place that I’d love to visit, all things considered. I mean this in both an aesthetic and conceptual sense: the decor is great and it has a fantastic midly-futuristic atmosphere that is inviting and relaxing, and the idea of a haven for freedom and equality is taking on greater significance as I learn more about the world that the series has created. In a similar way to iyashikei pieces such as Aria and Yokohama Shopping Trip (props to Alex for spotting a connection there), character-driven scenes in an uneventful setting can be funny, touching and profound. No wonder it takes two whole months of hard graft to bring another fifteen short minutes of this to the screen.
* SHAMELESS PLUG *
The series is famously available from Crunchyroll as either a free-to-watch live stream (as in the case of the official site, which now to my delight has an English language section) or a pay-to-download version. Although I don’t advocate theft, the best copyleft version I’ve found is over at Hunting the Elusive, which I found to be my preferred option for re-watching and getting screencaps. Thanks to icie and Anonymous Translator for their hard work - I thoroughly appreciate it.
Posted on October 5th, 2008 @ 4:14 pm
Spot on analysis. This is truly the most mature and skillfully written anime to come out in at least a year, if not more. While I had thought that Asimov and his like had done everything possible with the three laws of robotics, I’m glad to see that Yoshiura can make them appear relevant, and even more human, again.
Demians last blog post..Finally Watched the Macross Frontier Finale
Posted on October 5th, 2008 @ 8:01 pm
Oh my, what a great posting. I think I have to comment while reading it or otherwise I’ll forget about my thoughts, heh.
I don’t necessarily think so. I agree that Rikuo isn’t really sure of what to do, and I also don’t think he would ever have any malice, but it is hinted (by Nagi I think) that he wants his android to act upon his wishes and not to be too indepedent. It would be rather human to feel hurt that somebody has secrets in front of you after all; this is not necessarily limited to androids. But, the desire of controlling an android is probably even stronger because humans fear to ‘lose’ to them maybe?
I am not sure how I feel about the rules in the Time of Eve myself, to be honest. The world that does not allow people to treat their androids accordingly (because if they have feelings, they “deserve” to be treated nicely) is very problematic, but I am also not sure whether enforcing these kinds of rules onto people’s actions is the right way to fight against such a society. To me, this is a little like the type of feminism that I dislike so much. Of course there are differences between men and women (and unlike humans and droids, these visible differences cannot be hidden that easily), and just by pretending that there is no difference, an equality created in such a way does not feel ‘real’ for me; it’s like healing symptoms without going to its roots. In an ideal world of true harmonic interaction between humans and androids, saying out loud that somebody is an android or discussing human and android matters should not be a danger to the harmony. I feel awkward every time Nagi tries to teach Rikuo that he has to pretend that the androids in the room were just like humans.
I’ll go for human. Why? First, because it is likely that humans are still somewhat superior over many androids when it comes to independent thoughts. Second, because history has shown that the people who have taken the lead in fighting for the benefit of less privileged people in society were often at the very top of a society themselves. It is more likely that somebody from the top has money and time to take the challenge of doing ’something good’ for society, while I can imagine that androids are very restricted in what they are allowed to do.
What I like about this anime the most are still the visuals and the great cinematography - I’m a big fan of the shot from the very top that do not just switch to another shot, but pan to them. (Does that make sense?) Of course it helps that the story is brilliant too.
All in all, I have liked the exposition of the first episode more than this episode (although Sammy does look very cute with her hair tied up, heh). And I am expecting quite a lot from the next episode focusing on the couple. So, shall we open a café together that’ll look like the Time of Eve?
PS. I can’t believe you are linking to that evil, evil Crunchyroll site, sigh.
Posted on October 5th, 2008 @ 10:45 pm
Having just watched (and ‘Blogged about) this episode, I’ve really enjoyed reading this post of yours, mostly because it largely approaches the whole thing from a different point of view to my own thoughts on it.
It’s fascinating to hear your personal thoughts on the various character interactions, while I’ve found myself coming at the series from a more philosophical standpoint, considering the “Why” instead of the “What”.
I guess that’s what makes this series a little slice of genius (which I really would rate it as thus far), it has so much going for it that I can’t blame you for re-watching it before putting your thoughts together, it’s certainly a series that has more to offer every time you look at it I suspect.
Hannerss last blog post..EVE no Jikan - Episode 2
Posted on October 5th, 2008 @ 11:57 pm
@Demian: thanks. I think that as technology advances Asimov’s theories will take on more significance as opposed to becoming outdated and irrelevant. Makes his three Laws all the more interesting - I need to read some of his stuff actually because it comes across as so ahead of its time.
@Sasa: wow, epic comment! I love the way in which these short episodes offer so much food for thought.
That scene can be interpreted in several ways I think, which made drawing my own conclusion a bit problematic. It seems that society has drummed the idea of robots=servants into his head, which might cloud his own, less biased, feelings. The overwhelming feeling there though is that something unexpected is happening so yeah, there’s definitely an element of fear there too.
As for the rule of Time of Eve, I think it makes for a great haven or escape from the prejudiced outside world, but I’m not sure either if that rule would be practical everywhere. As with the feminism issue, there isn’t any superiority and inferiority so prejudice along those lines is unacceptable. At the same time though admitting mere difference is acceptable. In other words, treating androids as inferior is unfair but admitting that differences between humans and androids is fair, and will make life easier. I think it’s great to have a place that androids can be free and respected, but outside of the Time of Eve this policy will solve some problems but create new ones too.
You mean the shots that look like a hand-held camera? I found them awkward at first, but now I appreciate why that technique is used, and I guess it’s quite a tricky thing to do from a technical point of view.
I like your arguments there. I’m still unsure of Nagi to be honest (why is she defensive of android equality to the point of opening the cafe?) but the character in Aquatic Language that is similar to hers is an android too, which took me by surprise. Interestingly, the nature of Chie and the old man could swing either way - assuming that androids can eat ice-cream! My money would be on a child given an android carer that makes a substitute grandparent/babysitter.
I’d love to open a cafe like Eve, possibly a blues bar in the evenings or something. As for Crunchyroll, I’ve never bothered with it before - I still prefer a mix of retail DVDs and the labour-of-love of fansubbers, mainly because I’m old-fashioned and prefer hard copies of music and video on disc as opposed to download-to-own like CR and iTunes.
@Hanners: the great thing about this series is that individual angle thing - the comments from Sasa and yourself make me chew on the ideas all over again, which will make viewing #3 even more rewarding! I can’t wait to see how the idea of romance in the Time of Eve is explored in ep #3…which ought to be out early December by my reckoning.
Keep the thoughts coming, people! ^_^
Posted on October 6th, 2008 @ 3:48 am
I am also quite a big fan of the camera methods they used, which is really indicative of the new types of shot transitions possible when using 3D software. This is especially relevant within the confined spaces of the Eve no Jikan cafe, where as Sasa says, the camera effortlessly zooms in on the action from an original position providing an overview of the structure.
It’s a method which was also used in Mizu no Kotoba, where the camera and audio played on a complex layering of conversations and sub-plots.
For example, the scene where Chie goes up the stairs after stealing Rikuo’s glasses, and the camera zooms right beyond this initial focus to Masaki and the subsequent Blade Runner conversation, or where the conversation between Sammi and Nagi is overlayed, and quickly transferred to Rikuo and Akiko’s conversation regarding the rules of the cafe vs the Robotic Laws.
These seamless transitions are made without a visual cut, making for a very fluid and coherent flow.
icies last blog post..Expressions of Interest: Toei’s 1975 Little Mermaid (Ningyo Hime)
Posted on October 6th, 2008 @ 9:27 pm
@Martin: It did turn out to be a long comment O.o Perhaps I am missing blogging and ranting about things? Heh.
I think you’ve put it greatly into words that we are dealing with prejudices concerning superiority and inferiority. If the androids can have emotions and dispose of intelligence as well, then a society that gives them an inferior standing surely is problematic. With that kind of environment, the Time of Eve is probably the only possibility to create a world where androids would be able feel comfortable.
Ah, not really. What I actually meant is the same zooming in and out without visua cuts that icie has described so aptly. It gives the Time of Eve a feeling of spaciality, as if you really are inside of it. After all, in real life, you don’t have camera cuts.
When I was younger, I have dreamt of opening a book café, hahaha. Concerning Crunchyroll, I figured that you probably haven’t heard of it much before it started selling Gonzo’s episodes - before, they were infamous for asking money for fansub downloads, it was quite a debacle. But today, nobody seems to care about that anymore. I, too, would rather buy DVDs rather than downloads just because I like hard copys, but if it turns out there is an anime that I want to see and that is easily available as a buyable download, I will use it.
With all these discussions on this posting, needless to say that I cannot wait for the next episode to come now!
Posted on October 6th, 2008 @ 11:21 pm
@icie: ah, I get it. It certainly explains why the studio are taking so long over this - I remember when stuff like Lightwave impressed everyone with the ability to pan and view objects from different angles; this seems more involved than merely rendering objects in 3D though. While it’s easy to get engrossed in the dialogue, I can’t help but be impressed with the cinematography used here because it’s so immersive; Studio Rikka have some enviable talent. As for Mizu no Kotoba, I’m still in two minds as to whether it was a trial run of sorts for this series - it wouldn’t surprise me in the slightest if Yoshiura and his team took its ideas and expanded on them for this one.
@Sasa: yeah, there’s pretty much a post’s worth of ideas in your comments alone! *hint, hint* icie explained the camera work well though - it’s great at drawing you into what’s going on and that ’spaciality’ is really effective in making it feel lifelike.
And if anyone I know is planning on opening a coffee bar or book cafe and advertises for full time staff, I’d be there like a shot! Like you, there is something about packaged media that I prefer over downloads for some reason too.
Posted on October 10th, 2008 @ 5:27 am
>>When I first sat down to write this post all I could come up with was the unhelpful “Words cannot express how fantastic this is.”
My thoughts exactly! I was just trying to make a post about the 2nd episode yesterday (I finally got around to watching it), but then, I was just lost for words. And now, having finished reading your post, I can only agree with everything you’ve written ….
blissmos last blog post..Shikabanehime:Aka 01
Posted on October 14th, 2008 @ 8:11 am
i agree with most of the posts here.
i usually dont watch this genre of animes - if time of eve could be put into one.
but this series is utterly fantastic, it is a work of art.
the storyline was created with brilliance.
amazing anime and animation. and did u guys notice how precise their
musical choices were? and how they implemented each -in each scene?
it really is a masterpiece.
Posted on October 14th, 2008 @ 10:31 pm
I think it’s purposefully meant to be awkward to us as it is to Rikuo. We get the idea that humans and androids are separate entities, so in a way, it’s kind of like saying apples and oranges are the same: it depends on how you look at it. You could generally make a case that humans and androids are the same, or at least fit into the same category, but when you get more specific, that statement isn’t true. So I think that Nagi’s trying to tell Rikuo and Masaki to look at the bigger picture, which takes a while to occur. And repetition on that point does help.
I do really want to find out more about why Dori-kei are focused on so much at such a negative light. I think this is a starting point about where I’m coming from, with the worry that if Dori-kei were accepted, humans have are forced to recognize how poorly they’ve been treating androids that seem to have been faithful to them. :3
TheBigNs last blog post..Random Ramblings 4.0: Nothing Important Was Lost
Posted on October 15th, 2008 @ 8:44 pm
@Kiro: I loved the way that the music is used here - notice how it did a ‘vinyl record slowing down’ effect at one point? It sets the mood wonderfully I think. A masterpiece indeed.
@TheBigN: cheers for the link - I’ll give it a read in a minute. I’m really glad that so many great blog posts are coming out of this - the series didn’t make many waves at first but it’s becoming more and more popular, which is a really good thing I reckon.
Posted on October 17th, 2008 @ 8:12 am
Phew, I finally get to comment on your post. I’m pretty particular about not reading blogs on a show I haven’t seen, so I haven’t been as reciprocal for the epic amount of comments you’ve on my blog lately. Til now
But yeah, Nagi’s keen perceptiveness goes so far in depicting the sophisticated humanity of the androids in Eve. It’s not just a matter of ‘omg, it feels love and hate, it’s the same as us!!1′ but a much more refined, subtle likeness. Which then makes the segregation and abuse they suffer sting all the more.
Heh, it feels like an age since I’ve got so carried away thinking about an anime like this. It makes you understand why we spend so much time writing about the medium!
Higes last blog post..Eve no Jikan – Identity Expressed in a Hairband [Act 2]
Posted on October 17th, 2008 @ 4:41 pm
@Hige: I don’t usually read blog posts on stuff I haven’t seen either, mainly becaue it’s spoilerific, but also because some series drag me into in-depth discussion so much. This one’s a case in point.
I’m quite intrigued as to why Nagi’s running the cafe - a detailed knowledge of how similar to humans androids are, and how badly they’re being treated is the most obvious thing but I’m beginning to formulate a theory relating to the Ethics Committee and their investigations. Could the Time of Eve be playing the part (with or without Nagi’s knowledge) of some field experiment into android behaviour and their relationship with humans? I must say though, I’ve never scratched my head so hard over an anime since, well, Ghost Hound probably.
Posted on October 19th, 2008 @ 3:23 pm
I came over to your blog for a completely different reason but was seriously distracted by this post, XD! I have to see this now, in fact both episodes are downloading. I’m already in love with the concept and the aesthetic, your post sealed the deal for me.
Xeroxs last blog post..Macross Frontier - The End, or Oh god, I’m in love, oh, I’m in love.
Posted on October 24th, 2008 @ 6:31 am
oh wow, time to look for this anime!