Memories (1995), The segmented film.

Directed by: Kôji Morimoto, Katsuhiro Otomo, Tensai Okamura | Written by: Satoshi Kon (segment 1),Katsuhiro Otomo
Produced by: Banday Visual Company, Studio 4°C, Shochiku, Kodamsha Co.

Awards

• Ofuji Noburo Award; Mainichi Film Concours

Genre

Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Thriller






 The collaboration of 4 Animation masters as suggested in the many trailers and posters isn't falls. The 1995 segmented film Memories forms an ensemble of 3 feature films mostly based on Otomo's manga short stories. There is no question that the quality and dept is admirable among other things, but does it work as an ensemble?

The film caught my interest particularly because of the collaboration of Satoshi Kon and Katsuhiro Otomo in the first segment "Magnetic Rose". Little did I know that he did not actually direct anything until his first work in 1998 leaving me displeased with the fact he only did the script Notes

But you cannot judge such segments based out of petty presumptuousness. A film directed by such artist behind , The Animatrix "Beyond" (2003), Wolf's Rain (2003) and not to mention Otomo's previous work Akira (1982/1988). With Koji Morimoto and Tensai Okamura's experience in the countless anime works they directed/wrote/animated, the ideal episode-like feature film was not far away and made with utmost quality and efficiency. But as a full film? "efficiency" becomes a debatable praise.

The story cannot be seen as a whole and therefore cannot be review as such, the three episodes share no connection nor do they have any continuation what so ever. Unlike The Animatrix and Batman: Gotham Knight (2008) which -like this movie- was a collective of anime studios and director including Madhouse.

Story [SPOILER]

Episode 1

Magnetic Rose

Directed by: Kôji Morimoto | Written by: Katsuhiro Otomo,  Satoshi Kon (script)

A team of deep-space  salvage freighter get a distress signal coming from the space graveyard, they are lead to an asteroid made solely by space scrap when our two protagonists the down to earth Heinz and nonchalant womanizer Miguel are send to trace the signal which leads them into the web of a noble Opera singer or what is left of her and her tragic life while dealing with haunting memories that defy reality in every way raising the question of that distress signal was real to begin with.

This was hands down the best episode and a potential undeveloped story which could have lead to a prolonged film. The dept  and story have a tremendous impact which isn't replicated by the more easy going following episodes. Magnetic Rose set a league of it's own. The magnificent decor is paraded by it's clever 360° view which in turn stimulates the chaotic and frightening nature of particular scenes. 

This episode is a film on it's own and it is a shame that it was left "unfinished" and squeezed with two other episodes. The highlight of this movie, but then again that might just be me.

Episode 2

Stink Bomb

Directed by: Tensai Okamura | Written by: Katsuhiro Otomo

Nobuo, an employee at a medical company who is bothered by a nasty flu is advice by colleagues to try the "experimental medicine" in the Chiefs office which he mistakes for cold pills . When he wakes up the next morning he is horrified by the sight of all the dead employees who died by mysterious causes. Nobuo who foolishly ignore the cause of these deaths is tasked by the headquarter to go to Tokyo with the medical samples and files unbeknownst to the headquarter that the medicine in his body made him a walking bio-weapon which spreads his body odor like poison gas.
The dark comedy is very present in this episode as you witness an epidemic caused by a dimwit everyday man which happened to take the wrong medical sample. Nobuo is in every sense the pinnacle of stupidity. It should strike every person as odd when every one near him suddenly dies, animals and humans alike. It should clear some confusion. Not with Nobuo I was struck between entertainment and frustration by the excessive stupidity brought forth by this man. I had a hard time digesting the fact that a man covered inside deadly gas fails to understand the true cause of it even when the military is blocking his path with their every move to hinder the virus.




Episode 3

Cannon Flodder

Directed | Written by: Katsuhiro Otomo

In a heavily walled city which contains canon at every corner and every few houses in order to fight an unknown city which is implied to be nonexistent.We witness young boy who wishes to become a cannon shooter unlike his father who is a cannon-loader.

The last and more random episode of the bunch. The animation style and feel of the overall episode is more western-like due to the rough thick lines and chaotic shading. The story itself is meaningless pleasantry portrayed in a linear fashion. The few shots after the enormous Red cannon which is central and symbolic to the city strength, are seen as craters in an empty wasteland which questions the very existence of this "moving city", an interesting concept in this short episode next to the animation style.

Rating
8,5 -  Sci-Fi/ Fantasy entertainment pack
Though I enjoyed the bundle of episodes I'm still stupefied of the difference in quality between episodes. The collective rating is slightly down played by the episodes following "Magnetic Rose" which ended with a silent yet full-filling open ending. I'm well aware that the stories are based off the many short stories of Otomo which, without a doubt, is full of better alternatives to form a coherent pack of episode. I'd say it's a good time but the dept of every episode diminishes considerably due to the overwhelming performance of it's introductory episode. But opinions may vary, and so does taste. Comment bellow about your personal experience concerning this film

M.

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Steam Boy (2004), Otomo's Steam Punk bravery

Directed by: Katsuhiro Otomo | Written by: Sadayuki Murai, Katsuhiro Otomo
Produced by: Sunrise

Award(s)

• Best Animated Feature Film; 37th Sitges - Catalonian International Film Festival

"The movie has intriguing ideas about human lives ruled by machines, which is why the technology in "Steamboy" seems promising. Otomo has reportedly been working on the film for 10 years, drawing countless animation cels by hand and also using computer resources; why, with all the effort he put into the film's construction, did he neglect to go anywhere interesting with the plot?  - Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

Steam Boy, the result of my irresponsible negligence of curfew (to quote a few) and my obsession with 10-11 PM blockbusters. One movie which is embedded in my childhood as the one reminder that cartoon violence is indeed real... in japan. The joint screenplay of both Akira fame writer/director Katsuhiro Otomo & Sadayuki Murai, known for his excellent screenplay in Satoshi Kon-directed films, is remarkably blank though...

SteamBoy is an animated Steam-punk by the book spiced up by anime violence and Katsuhiro Otomo's radical touch which bears similarities to it's predecessor Metropolis in terms of chaos and the characters inept ability to cope with it in times of need and plot twists, which isn't necessarily a positive thing.

Premise

The story of a young impulsive boy James Ray Steam (Anne Suzuki) with gifted knowledge about steam-technology on a genius scale is hunted down by strange men after receiving a package from his presumed deceased father in an accident. The boy find himself caught in a conflict as he finds out the package is the most advanced energy source in the fictional 19th century. Which is in fact, the story in a nutshell. This movie fails to show a significant amount of debt and logic; you are left puzzled with the character's decisions and state of mind. Especially James' father and grandfather who are in conflict with each other. You are expected to draw your excitement out of the countless well animated and thought through escape scenes in the beginning of the movie and the Epic outcome & background battles, did I mention the top-notch quality already?

I was gradually disappointed when the flaws from it's 2001 successors where taken over instead of discarded for deeper plot and build-up. After watching both movies  I was overwhelmed by indecision as to the movie actually ended properly and weather I enjoyed it or mildly liked it. You'd think that screenplay brought forth by the same mind of the well received stories of Perfect blue (1998) & Millennium Actress (2001) would have the means to get the job done with the help of Katsuhiro Otomo no-less, Or is that too much to ask?

Despite all that, I still enjoyed the film. The escape scenes where well thought, the enormous scale of this film could only be described as breath-taking mixed with the insane visuals, the character design was corny yet fitting. The revelation of the secret that started with one Steamball, an immense steam source was well planned and captivating despite the fact that it floated on a somewhat flat story. For what it counts, You could really feel the 19th century which was well portrayed.

Rating

7,9 -  Imperfect steam-punk story
This movie is something I'll remember from my childhood for it's creative concept and sharp-visuals. But the blank going-nowhere plot (which I did not mind back then) drags this animated wonder down with it. I still urges anyone to see this movie because despite it's flaws,  It's still a good time If you do not over think it... or think logically in general. 
If you did see it,  feel free to comment and leave your thoughts




M.

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Akira (1988), Cyber Punk mayhem.

Directed by: Katsuhiro Otomo | Written by: Katsuhiro Otomo, Izo Hashimoto
Produced by: TMS entertainment Ltd.

Awards

• Silver Scream Award; 3rd Amsterdam Fantastic Film Festival

"What makes it work is the astounding animation, 160,000 cells worth. The detail is exceptionally realistic, fluid and multidimensional, suggesting both a futuristic world and ancient quests. Otomoto's neon-lit Neo-Tokyo is a marvel of post-apocalyptic tension and desires. "Akira" is equally astounding for its color design, whether in the brightness of Neo-Tokyo, the damp darkness of its underground or the steely edge of its scientific outposts and military hardware. It's a complete world sprung from Otomoto's pen and imagination, and realized in 327 colors." - Richard Harrington, Washington Post

During the successful manga that met its end in 1990 after 6 successful volumes, an anime adaptation was made directed and written in 1988. Now I know what you're thinking: An Anime adaptation Directed and written by the same artist? What could go wrong? Well nothing, until you realize that he crammed almost 2 volumes worth of story into two hours with additional plot structure worth two more volumes... The franchise that heavily influenced modern science fiction and had the media impact of an atomic bomb in it's time ladies and gentlemen. A great manga. But is it a great movie?

The story of Akira is a well known one which tells the story of a post apocalyptic neo-tokyo set near the ruin's of the original Tokyo which was destroyed in an explosion 32 years ago during world war III. You live the moments of Kaneda the leader of the biker gang "capsule" and his frustrated best friend Tetsuo before an unfortunate bike accident caused by a supernatural events which is the first of mysteries to cause a raft between kaneda and Tetsuo who grows insane with his awakened powers after the accident due to a military proof which could potentially revive Akira, the man hinted to be behind World War III. As good and overwhelming as that story was in the manga. Yes, It is still the very same movie that shook the anime fandom in the 90's and inspired many more like minded artist and I do acknowledge this movie and it's director as brilliant, but the filtering between the manga and anime was rather thin maybe due to a short coming of material leaving only the feel to entertain its viewers into a state of constant interest due to this animated wonder and the cyber-punk gore that has been shown to it's fullest which was quite nice. Yet not for me.
The visuals are stunning for it's time and well made, exactly like the manga if I may add with the exception of shading. Neo-tokyo was captured beautifully enhancing the negative feel and desolated mood. I was constantly amazed by the futuristic view this work possessed, especially in the beginning of the movie during the gang battles that seemed familiar somehow. Despite the few changes to the story it turned out to be a good time and a well made adaptation.Until the complications kicked in....


 The main issue of this movie is that Katsuhiro Otomo was fully aware that he had to bring his unfinished work into the picture to all it's glory even if it meant bringing some elements that would only work with the continuation of the next volumes which he altered in the process,but in vain.
The battles felt rushed and half the times I was thrown off by all the explosions that formed the final battles which needed to be stretched to at least an hour. I seriously wondered what happened after major building exploded and antagonists faces were taken over with surprise and fear, every time I had to pick of after the said events, it also felt like the story had to do the same . I sincerely tried to enjoy this movie and I did when the story kicked in but I was annoyed by the constant attempts of the military units to stop Tetsuo to the point that the city had to suffer under it. Wouldn't it have been better if the movie was split into two individual parts to give it some breading space? The subtle but brutal violence is an Akira trademark that -if done well- expresses the sense of realism and dystopian taste that can worsen anytime to a full scale war, which was ruined...


The other thing that suffered because of  aforementioned aspects was character development which wasn't gradually delivered as the word "development" suggest but placed out of convenience. The movie didn't have a lot of time to meddle inside the soft spots to create a lasting sense of understanding and compassion nor did the two volumes this was based on. The repercussions of this are huge. Not only is there low to none credibility of their friendship (unless if you read the manga) but their is also no urge to understand the struggle that goes through this movie.
If only the characters where as nice as the way they were intended too.You only saw the brave Kaneda leader of the capsule gang, a true failure of a womanizer against the frustrated Tetsuo which inferiority towards his best friend fueled his insanity. Great personalities that could have been greater, to bad.

Click to enlarge

Rating
7,0 -  Post-Apocalyptic nutshell

Yes a 7, I may get a lot of hate for this but I got my reasons!Despite the innovative and the -in its time- groundbreaking story it did not succeed to bring it's full potential to the big screen.Given the fact that the manga adaptation was directed and written by no other than it's creator . You are left  wondering if this movie stood a chance as the animated equal of a well-drawn cyber punk epic. My guess is that he should've waited after the 5th volume to make this animation. What do you think? Did you like the movie? Please leave your impressions below.

• This animated film is not suited for children due to excessive violence, please remember that.

M.

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