Eve no Jikan

Time of Eve is a rather peculiar show to review. For one thing, it is only six episodes long, clocking in at around 15 to 20 minutes each, but the finale extends for about 30 minutes. Usually, short anime are not able to properly convey the right combination of character development, plot, and conflict.

Time of Eve, however, does all that and more. I must say that it is probably the best science fiction anime since Planetes, and definitely worth your time.

Let's start with the art animation. Those familiar with Yasuhiro Yoshiura's previous works, such as Pale Cocoon and Aquatic Language, will find themselves quite at ... home with the animation style. Striving for an elegant sense of simplicity, Yoshiura's character designs are pretty and easy on the eyes. Every character has their own distinct quirks. Yoshiura also uses quite a bit of CG, from coffee makers to ceiling fans, but the CG is not at all overbearing or overwhelming in any way. In fact, they are very detailed without distracting the 2D character art. As for the animation itself, it is very awesome. The characters blink cleanly, running animations are buttery smooth, and the robots are made to be convincingly real, in a cute type of way. One thing worth noting is the clever use of camera CG work. Yoshiura uses a panning effect to great effect, allowing certain mundane actions (such as walking down a hallway) to look quite epic.I have to say that if this show ever gets released on Blu-Ray, I'll buy it in a heartbeat.

While there aren't many songs played during the course of the show, the limited OST is still impressive. Insert songs fit nicely, as do the finale ending song. What makes up for the limited soundtrack is the voice acting and the sound effects. Rikuo is voiced by the talented Jun Fukuyama (you might here some Code Geass Lelouch vibes). Sammy is voiced by Rie Tanaka, who creates a timid character but with a firm resolve. Nagi is voiced by Sato Rina, who brings to life a character that stands true to her beliefs. Other talented voice actors round out the cast, from Yukana as Akiko and Tomokazu Sugita as Setoro. All in all, I have no qualms with the sound quality of this show, other than the fact that there aren't a lot of background music tracks (That is understandable, since this show is only 6 episodes long)

The story and the character development together provide the strongest parts of Time of Eve. Every episode is essentially a one shot on a visitor (or two visitors) to the cafe, Time of Eve. While that may sound mundane on the surface, the screen play reveals each character seamlessly, precisely, and engagingly. This is done through peppery, fast, back-and-forth dialogue and tight pacing. Although you may not know everything about a certain character, you will know just enough to understand their conflicts, their hopes and fears, and how their lives intertwine with each other. While watching, you will laugh, cry, jump up in bewilderment, and open your mouth in shock. And that's just for one episode. Yasuhiro Yoshiura has learned from his previous work, Pale Cocoon, and concocted a show that does not waste any time or a single line of dialogue. You will find yourself attached to each and every character, human and android.

Time of Eve came out sporadically, about one episode every two months. That means by the time I finished all the episodes, one entire year has passed already. How a show can keep me up at the edge of my seats and only come out once every blue moon is a testament to the directing skills of Yoshiura. I enjoyed every single episode and the wait for the succeeding episode was plain torture. Now that it is all over, I will watch it again. Rewatchability for this show scores very high.

One thing that did bother me was the lack of a true, proper closure. Yoshiura teases the viewers with a ? at the ending scene, suggesting perhaps a second season is in the works. Oh, how I hope that's true.

This review might have sounded rather dry. Well, if a show is this good, I can't find anything sarcastic or sardonic to say. Just go watch it now on Crunchyroll. You will not regret it.

This is indeed a great show. After three episodes, I think it to be one of the 2008’s highlights. Eve no jikan is beautifully and atmospherically animated, with nice voices, interesting characters and relationships, and a developing plot. The story, which involved humans living with androids, wasn’t the most original in the world,but it didn’t make this anime any less attractive.

Eve no Jikan is directed by Yasuhiro Yoshiura, who is often compared to Makoto Shinkai in terms of how well his short animations look. This time in his latest work Eve no jikan, Yasuhiro Yoshiura once again proved his artistic talent. The ... anime certainly did look amazing. The digital painting in this anime has always fascinated me, and the backgrounds done were astonishing to look at. The compositions of the story were brilliantly presented, as well as the camera-like imitation they used in the animation.

Yasuhiro Yoshiura seems to have a certain emotion of the lights. He does have a stunningly gorgeous means to use the light to enhance the atmosphere of the scenes. The pavonine sunray penetrated into the ordinary room, small door to Time of Eve vestured by the sunburst, the gentle lights impression in the Café bar filling the scenes with fancy, true emotion, feeling of life and wonder.

If you are kind of jaded and bored with some harem/shounen/shoujo/mecha animes, Eve no Jikan is like a breath of fresh air and you can’t miss it.

Imagine a world where artificial intelligence exists in the form of robots, and, eventually, androids. They obey their master's every whim; helping out with chores at home, storing status of household members; everything dutifully and without hesitation. They are totally soulless; mere machines in the shape of humans.

Or are they?

What if these androids had a soul of their own? A feeling, curious mind capable of receiving sensations, learning them, recognizing them, adapting to them? That is the thought Eve no Jikan tries to bring forth, and boy, is it a provoking one! While not really permeating the series in a very visible manner, it does ... raise the question of what it means to be conscious, and why we humans possess the ability of awareness and freedom do do what we choose. And what makes us different from robots in this sense? We are constructs of (mostly) organic matter driven by electric signals, robots are constructs of non-organic matter driven by electric signals. What is it that would make them aware and not us?

Granted, Eve no Jikan focuses mostly on the 'what?' of the situation, and not the 'why?' And it doesn't necessarily hand out any answers on a silver platter, if at all, leaving room for the viewer to reflect on the situation; what it really means and how it affects its surroundings.

Eve no Jikan is a short series; the episodes are short in length, and there are only six of them in total. Even so, ther has been excellent effort put into the characters; both making them interesting, deep and natural from the starting point, all the while expanding on that throughout the show; how they change their views on androids, or not, what their circumstances and how these affect their choices. The result is characters with whom I could sympathisize as far as their choices went, and qutie honestly, I was torn at the start as to who was the most right; those thinking of the robots as, well, robots, and those who treat them as equal humans. A question which answer is both subjective and circumstantial; landing much on the fact whether or not a robot can develop feelings and awareness to the extent way we humans possess it.

As if that was not enough, EnJ has some rather striking visuals. While I am not a big fan of CG or the like in anime; here it rather mixed in; and at times it felt more like 2,5D than 2D or 3D. The lights were well-placed, creating a nice balance to the scenes; the character designs were simple yet impressive, and backgrounds were astounding. What really makes the animation stand out however; is the astounding camerawork. Yes, camerawork. It isn't the most touched-upon element of animation style in anime, unfortunate as that may be. It really makes a difference to see different angles than what you would expect, different techniques; and in the case of EnJ; what at times well-simulated handheld camera; one of my favourite camera methods, be it live-action or animation (though in the latter EnJ is a first for me!). It creates avery special experience, and combined with the "2,5D"-feel it struck home with me.

To top it off, EnJ had a stunning soundtrack. While not featuring many tracks, those that were present set the atmosphere for the show, and did its proper job as a soundtrack. It had no distinct opening or ending themes (an instrumental tune for the latter, during the credits, however); save for the final episode's ending theme, which quite personally I loved. Might not be your taste though.

In all, EnJ is quite the unique experience, and, if you're open for it, rather thought-provoking. It definitely swayed me, and this was the first time I ever felt bad for a robot, which looked like a robot.

Overview:

I've decided to treat myself and review something that doesn't suck! My coronary arteries requested me to take a break from reviewing anime that sends my blood pressure north of 200!
Today I look at Eve no Jikan, which is a very highly rated series here on MAL, although somewhat obscure.

Plot: 8/10

Eve no Jikan takes place in the near future, when humans are constantly being served by androids. These androids have not only developed complete artificial intelligence, but the ability to feel emotions just as complex as humans do. Despite the fact that these androids are fully human mentally with artificial bodies, they are treated like ... crap and dehumanized in order to justify using them as slaves. One place where androids can go to escape this discrimination is a small bar called Eve's Time ("Eve no Jikan" in Japanese) where there is a rule to treat androids and humans equally. Our main human protagonist is Rikuo, who is a shy and introverted young boy who used to be a master pianist but gave up playing. He is actually interested that androids can feel and think independently, so he decides to follow his android maid and discovers the hidden bar Eve's Time. Rikuo's friend Masaki also discovers the bar and both boys are amazed that inside they can't tell who is android and who is human. Normally androids have halos of light above their heads to distinguish them from humans, but are otherwise indistinguishable. This is similar to the special ears that the "persocoms" have in Chobits. We learn that Masaki has a strong hatred for androids, but he actually has a reason for this feeling and he isn't portrayed as a one dimensional, shallow, cartoonish villain as all too often happens in anime with an anti-discrimination message.
We learn more about all the patrons of this bar and the problems that androids go through in society. Eventually the plot takes a sinister turn when an extremist anti-android organization called the Ethics Committee finds out about the bar. The Ethics Committee was once a fringe organization and frowned upon by public opinion after they severely beat and nearly killed a little girl thinking she was an android, but it is insinuated they are quickly growing in power and influence. However...the show ends without a real resolution and we never find out what happens next, at least not in the 6 part ONA. I haven't seen the movie yet. Masaki is able to overcome his hatred of androids, but we learn Masaki's father is the ruthless leader of the Ethics Committee and he never shows any sign of change. There was going to be a sequel, but the series wasn't a commercial success and any sequel is unlikely at this point. Eve no Jikan will join the ranks of cult shows with near universal praise that got shut down early and will never get a sequel... like Firefly, and Sonic SatAM, the sonic cartoon that actually didn't suck!

Eve no Jikan had a lot of strong points, but also a few weaknesses. One strong point was that the discrimination portrayed in Eve no Jikan was a bit more realistic and nuanced than in many other examples of "fantasy racism" where humans act like complete assholes for no reason. Humans ARE capable of acting monstrous towards each other for something as little as a different physical appearance, but there are many levels of discrimination and it would be a mistake to only focus on the most extreme and obvious variety. Examples like the little bastards in Elfen Lied that murdered a mutant girl's beloved puppy just to be mean to her because she looked different, do have real world parallels. Think of the KKK members that used dynamite to blow up black children preparing for Sunday School (yes that really happened), but most people in the Jim Crow South weren't tossing sticks of dynamite at children. People simply didn't question the status quo and accepted systemic discrimination because that was the society they knew. Many people in the United Arab Emirates today (a US ally) own South Asian people as slaves and view them as sub-human. However, it is unhelpful to portray these people as cackling madmen who simply wake up every morning to do nothing but evil deeds. Humans are sadly capable of dehumanizing each other and creating a complete psychological detachment that "justifies" and allows otherwise ordinary, non-sociopath people to treat others in a certain group like trash. A good book dealing with this topic is The Tin Drum by Gunter Grass, who grew up in Germany during the Nazi period and during WW2 was drafted and forced to serve as a tank gunner in the Waffen SS. In the novel there is a character representing the people of Nazi Germany. Although many of his actions in the novel are indeed disturbing, he isn't overtly evil and never murders anyone himself, just as most Germans didn't. His great flaw is that he is extremely selfish and largely oblivious to the suffering of others. When kristallnacht happens and the Jewish toy store owner is murdered, our "hero" is only upset because no other stores sold toy drums that were as nice. He never feels sorry for the victim that was always nice to him, but instead is mildly upset that this was an inconvenience for him personally. This complete and profound indifference to the suffering of the "other" and "them" is the true face of discrimination that allows it to continue in a society. Eve no Jikan wished to capture this more common, casual discrimination instead of being like all the science fiction media where humans try to kill all AI simply for being AI.

If Eve no Jikan should be rewarded for taking a more nuanced and sophisticated look at discrimination, then what does it lose points on? Oddly enough...subtlety. Allow me to explain what I mean by that. Despite the fact that Chobits is viewed as a crap anime by many in the MAL community, it actually had a social message just as profound as Eve no Jikan's. However, it didn't beat the viewer over the head with the force of a sledgehammer, so many viewers missed it. Chobits was about a guy falling in love with an AI android and how his friends reacted to this wild and unusual relationship. The female android of course couldn't produce children and couldn't even have real sex since she lacked a vagina. This caused many to scorn the relationship for being unnatural, but the show tries to convince the viewer that a consenting and loving relation between 2 adults is valuable and precious even if it is unorthodox. Chobits (one of the authors is a lesbian) delivers a highly pro gay message without shoving it down the viewer's throat. Eve no Jikan is more like Glee, or a 1980s after school special. At times it seems as if the director is saying to you "We think that you're an idiot, so we are going to beat you over the head with this message until you get it." The show CONSTANTLY flashes from the characters to the sign in the bar saying "androids and humans are equals". They may as well have used the gag from Don't Be a Menace where the mail man walks onscreen and screams MESSAGE!

Overall:

Eve no Jikan was a very short series with each episode lasting only 15 minutes and only 6 episodes. However, it made a strong emotional impact at times and did an admirable job telling a very familiar story in a fun and different way from most other Science Fictions that tackle this topic. I also loved how they integrated Asimov's Laws of Robotics from I-Robot as an important part of the plot. Rather then just being a throw away reference allusion to show the writer had read some science fiction before, the show actually explores the 3 laws and what robots could do without breaking them. For example, many science fiction in which robots must follow the 3 principal laws don't realize that logically robots could lie to humans if 1. that lie didn't directly, physically hurt humans and 2. the robot was not specifically ordered to tell the truth. Eve no Jikan ended with a complete non-ending and clearly wasn't completed, however it isn't the writer/director's fault that a sequel couldn't be made. Therefore, I will not deduct points for being incomplete. After all, no one would insult Schubert's beautiful 8th Symphony just because he only got to write 2 movements before he died. An incomplete work in which the completed part was well made, is still valuable and worthy of admiration. Although Eve no Jikan had a few flaws, it was a strong effort overall and well worth 1.5 hours of your time to watch it all. I give it a 7.5/10 which of course rounds up to 8.

I've been kicking this around for who knows how long, and I'm pleasantly surprised to say that Eve no Jikan is probably one of the most engaging, expressive shows I've seen to date. And that's no small feat, given it's extremely quick runtime. The atmosphere is unique and brilliantly well crafted, and I'd say it's safe to say that I will eagerly be anticipating any future works from Studio RIKKA even more now that I've seen this.

Story; 10. The questions presented through Eve no Jikan are nothing particularly new, yet nothing entirely exhausted either. Humanity, discrimination, acceptance; the cast of Eve is used to portray ... these themes, and they do so in spades. While the issues at hand have been seen before, they are rarely integrated into the story so eloquently. The conversations between characters are anything but contrived, and the liveliness and reality of the interactions in the show are really beautiful. The story alone is worth seeing, and that's sadly pretty rare in anime, as much as I hate to say it.

Art; 10. If there's on thing I'll never stop regretting about becoming an art student, it's taking all these figure drawing and anatomy courses, only to find out that now whenever I finally do have the free time to watch anime, almost all of the shows turn me off due to the proportional issues most shows suffer from. Luckily enough, Eve is stunningly gorgeous, and not just the environments. The environments would easily be the artistic high point though, and it would hardly be a stretch to say that Eve has the most engaging, realistic settings out of any series or movie I've seen to date. The characters are refreshingly well drawn too, and feature a lot of diversity that other shows these days seem to lack. Characters are not only distinctive in their outfits, but also in their faces; it's uncommon to see a show where the hordes of animated women actually look different, so I get very giddy when I do.

Sound; 8. The show is pretty well orchestrated, but for this sort of "futuristic japan" show, pretty generic. At least they are well done, and the short theme that plays each episode when they are in the coffee shop is actually pretty awesome. The sound is far from the high point, but also hardly an issue for Eve.

Character; 9. Eve has a brilliant cast of characters, all which I was able to enjoy in one way or another. The dialogue no doubt plays a huge role in this, but the character's persona's were so well developed that I found myself sucked in enough to forget that they weren't real. And for me, this unusually engaging experience is what truly marks a stellar series. The story, characters, and the universe crafted in Eve no Jikan was enough to pull me in and make me forget completely about my life and the world around me for it's length, and allowed me to truly enjoy a unique fictional adventure. If that isn't quality, then I don't know what is.

Enjoyment; 10. I haven't been this surprised with a series since I finished Ergo Proxy, nor have I had the pleasure of watching something that drew me in and held my attention so well. Eve is a brilliant, beautiful, well-paced romp through a futuristic Japan where the line between human and machine is beginning to blur heavily. I'd recommend this to anyone who wants a good series, but most especially to other sci-fi buffs.

The best way to experience this show is by watching episode 4 and episode 4 only. It takes the premise of "humans and robots should be treated as equals" and uses it in a clever, unique and genuinely funny way. Had each episode been as good as that one, I'd probably be rating this show around an 8/10.

Sadly, episodes 2, 3 and 5 are unbearably boring and full of countless cliches to the extent that they completely ruin the show for me. The first and last episodes aren't much better but are at least watchable by comparison. The main things holding this series back are: ... dull visuals, uninteresting episode plots, horribly bland characters and half-assed ideas leaving you question believability of the show's universe.

I don't hate this show, so much as I wish it was a whole lot better. It has occasional moments of genius (meaning 2 or 3 moments) but ultimately left me feeling unenthralled and disappointed.

As of the time I wrote this review this series had not yet finished but I already know it will become one of my top favorites. It's science fiction, something I really like, but that's not all; it has a quality that's becoming rare in anime, a certain charming originality despite it dealing with the common sci-fi topic of the line between androids and humans, and the ability to keep people interested without making it looks like it's trying too hard.

Part of the charm of this series is how the sci-fi environment flows into the lives of normal teenagers. As it should be, they don't ... make too much of a big deal out of the existence of androids, they are used to them after all, but they do give enough attention to the more important issue, their independence. It's not an "overly futuristic" future, but one that flows nicely with the basic feel of slice of life still present.

So far the series has unfolded calmly, no mecha running around, but a great cast of well written characters, which with unique traits and an interesting background. The art and sound are also quite good.

To go deeper into the story itself, we find a regular teenager who becomes curious and frustrated when the family android starts going out on her own. He, along with a friend, comes to a cafe where the rules is that there shall be no difference between androids and humans and there the androids hide their signature halo, which identifies them despite their human apperance. You'll be surprised to find who is a human and who isn't and how the other characters react with the knowledge of one's true nature, or a mistaken assumption.

Science fiction is a genre that often pushes the boundary of believability. Few have opted for a more grounded approach and even fewer have succeeded. In fact, not since Planetes has there been an anime that successfully integrates science fiction into its plot without testing one’s suspension of disbelief too much. Not till Eve no Jikan at least. With a seamless blend of futuristic and slice-of-life elements, Eve no Jikan is relevant, realistic and innovative.

On an ocular level, it is nothing short of spectacular. Director Yoshiura Yasuhiro pushes the envelope of aesthetics by combining 2D characters and 3D backgrounds to produce a polished product that ... accurately reflects the modernity of near-future Japan. It is not far-fetched to say that its animation almost rivals that of Byousoku 5 Cm. The character designs are also quite different, giving the characters a more chiselled look that is certainly a fresh breath of air from moe designs and saucer eyes which seem to dominate the anime industry these days.

Eve no Jikan’s quality extends much further than its visuals. The characters are the actual driving force behind it. The two main characters, Rikuo and Masaki both are multi-faceted people that have legitimate reasons for their apparent dislike of robots and cyborgs. Their realisation and coming to terms with their misplaced disillusionment is gradual and consistent, and Yoshiura cleverly circumvents the use of any convenient plot devices which would otherwise trivialise this significant turn of events. Additionally, the side characters all have their individual back stories, ensuring that most (if not all) secondary characters are fleshed out properly. As each episode often revolves around one secondary character and the two mains, the forging of relationships between Rikuo and Masaki with the patrons of “Eve no Jikan” becomes a rudimentary segment of character development.

Another exquisite aspect of Eve no Jikan is the cinematography. Whilst mostly shot from the 3rd person point of view, occasionally it switches to 1st person. This, along with quick panning of the camera in a manner not unlike a dating sim, enable viewers to immerse themselves within the world of Eve no Jikan, thus giving them a vicarious experience paralleled by few other anime.

The last aspect of Eve no Jikan that firmly ensures its place in in the higher echelons of anime is its theme(s). It borrows several core elements from the novel, I, Robot such as Asimov’s three laws of robotics. Nevertheless, the similarities end here as Eve no Jikan opts for a more reality-bound approach. It explicates the disparity between humans and androids as a governing theme through the eyes of the aforesaid two young men. There are also several underlying themes that are expounded such as the unwillingness to venture into the unknown, superficialism and various other social stigmata that are littered throughout this ONA.

All in all, it is an unequivocal fact that Eve no Jikan has achieved a transcendent success as both a slice-of-life and sci-fi anime. Its qualities, overt as well as subliminal, give it enough momentum to easily leapfrog the surfeit of mediocre anime in today’s industry, hence landing it in a place reserved for the truly sublime.

Review out of 100. 35 for Story, 35 for Characters, and 30 for Production Values.

Story: (27/35) Great Setting, and had a lot of potential, but not enough time to answer all the question you might have. Very good for the time it did have though. (27/35)

Characters: (26/35) Like the story, they were good, just underdeveloped. Again, this is because of the time it had, but it did good for a show with a run time of 1 hour and 45 minutes.

Production Values: (24/35) Good, but nothing that will knock your socks off. It was an independent production, which makes it all the more impressive. ...

Overall: (77/100) I feel bad for giving it this score, because if it were average length it probably would have scored much higher (so long as it kept doing what it was doing here). Honestly if I was judging it on how much it got done in such a sort amount of time (and how good it did it), it would get somewhere in the mid to high 80's probably. Sadly, being too short is a flaw that sometimes happens in anime, and this is a perfect example of it. With all that in mind, I don't recommend you skip this anime, as it is very enjoyable and well worth the time. You might want to consider watching the movie instead, as it pretty much the show in movie format with a few added scenes apparently. I have not watched it yet though.

The story behind Eve no Jikan is a really good one. It takes place in the not too far off future where Androids coexist with humans, and look and act just like them. It explores the differences between humans and android inside this cafe where both are treated equally, called the Time of Eve. The setting of this show is a good one, and is worth the watch if only for the setting alone. It feels very real, as if a world where androids coexisting with humans is possible and not too far off, although some things struck me as weird (why do I see flip phones? Those things are all but dead now, let alone in the future). The stories told were very good, with each episode focusing on one character(s) that visit the cafe. The stories get their point across very well, that artificial intelligence like android can be more human than we think. For a show with only 5 episodes around 15 minutes in length and 1 at about 30, I'd say the story was very good, but you'll have more questions the longer you watch the show, and there simply isn't enough time to answer them all. (27/35)

As you would expect from a show with that little bit of time, the characters are really lacking. There wasn't enough development in the characters, mostly because of time constraints. Don't get me wrong, in the time it had it did a great job with both storytelling and characters, but like I said above there is just so much more to explore. (26/35)

The production values on this show were good, but nothing crazy special. Considering this was a independent anime, I'd say they were very good, as nothing felt out of the ordinary. Good animation and good music (24/30).

A show with a great setting that explored what it means to be human by comparing us to androids. It brings up a lot of questions, but doesn't have enough time to answer them all. Ultimately, this show had a lot of promise, but didn't have enough time to deliver everything it wanted. If anything, I'd say it was VERY good for the amount of time it had to tell its story, but could have been much better if it was longer. (77/100)

Story - 7/10

When it comes to the story in Time of Eve, I felt like it was a pretty original take on an existing formula. That formula being the common "androids are people too" trope that has been present in many sci-fi productions. However, the way the show approaches this concept, having it set in a cafe that doesn't discriminate between humans and robots, works really well. It frames the characters and their interactions in every episode in much of the same way something like the classic sitcom Cheers does.
That might be a bit of an odd comparison, though, as Time of Eve is more ... focused on drama instead of comedy. The drama is done well, however there is a much larger dramatic story that starts to come into the spotlight in the back half of the series that doesn't have a proper resolution or conclusion. We see much of the world outside the cafe but that is another point where the series doesn't explore it's setting as much as it could. However, with only an hour and 45 minutes, I can understand why. Still, I think perhaps the story may have been better served if they didn't include any hints at a larger picture whatsoever, focusing solely on the cafe and it's characters.


Characters - 7/10
(Visual Design - 7/10
Uniqueness - 7/10
Memorable - 5/10)

The characters are all well crafted, despite feeling somewhat plain. Their visual designs vary enough for each of them to feel different, and they all have a unique personality that make them interesting to watch on screen, but they also feel like the kind of characters I won't remember in a year from now. They feel almost like they're just one step above the cookie-cutter characters that are present in many other anime. They're done well, but they also didn't blow me away.


Art - 8/10
(Style - 9/10
Animation - 8/10)

The art is very crisp and nice, with really nice colors, lighting, as well as a decent amount of cg mixed in that feels like it fits well with the 2D art. However, it's also got a certain lifelessness to it. It's hard to explain, but the art and animation feels very manufactured, without much passion put into it. It all looks fine on a technical level, but part of me thinks that there could have been more warmth and spirit put into it. I guess what I'm trying to say is that despite it looking nice it feels somewhat emotionless, which is a bit ironic considering the nature of the story.


Sound - 6/10
(Voice Acting - 7/10
Effects & mix - 4/10
Music - 6/10)

I watched the Japanese dub with English subtitles, and the voice acting felt natural and I didn't notice any poorly read lines, but nothing really blew me away, either. All of the characters sounded good, and their voice actors definitely breathed life into them. However, there were a few emotional scenes as well, and while they were done nice enough, those scenes didn't tug on my heartstrings or surprise me in any way, and I feel like this is where the voice actors' performances suffer.
The sound effects and the overall mix seems pretty amatuerish in spots, with loud noises jutting out of nowhere and feeling completely detached from the scene, breaking some of the immersion. In other spots it seems fine, but also doesn't really do anything special, making me overall somewhat unimpressed with the sound mix, even though it's not offensively bad.
The music is fairly nice for the most part. The theme that plays for the first scene in the cafe in any episode is nice, and also fairly iconic... even memorable. However, the rest of the music is somewhat bland and forgettable, despite being well made and fitting into scenes nicely. There are also a few moments where the music is overbearing and seems kind of noticeably amatuerish, and it took me out of the scene a few times, but these moments are few and far between. The music is mostly average with a few amateurish points... but that Time of Eve cafe intro theme sticks out in my mind well enough to make the music at least somewhat worthwhile.


Enjoyment - 9
Overall - 8

Time of Eve is a show that, despite it's few flaws, comes off as a very nicely done production and ends up being really enjoyable. I'd recommend it to fans of the genre who are looking for a new twist on an old formula, just so long as you don't mind a few small quirks in the production that keep it from being great.

"Since robots don't have a soul, how could they comprehend music?"

[Story: 8.5] Naturally, Time of Eve is far from being the first series influenced by Isaac Asimov's works. However, unlike most of the science fictions about Robotics (and Asimov's eponymous Three Laws of Robotics), Eve is done in a more slice-of-life style, rather than having the common action-focused plot. Nevertheless, as with its genre, the themes within the show can be easily surmised to revolve around the blurring of the boundary between machines and humans. While Eve doesn't really put a new spin to the genre, the characterization is more than enough and is done ... very well. Moreover, despite it being such a short series, it contained with it the right amount of drama and development that nicely ends off with what seems like a potential for a sequel hook.

[Characters: 9.0] The characters' interactions are thus what made this short series so entertaining. One example would be the way the robots express themselves, such as how their lively, diverse range of human dispositions while in the café (and thus free from the Laws put in place) is in stark contrast against the hollow, rigid and monotonous expressions when outside. This became a crucial point when we observe the gradual change in conversation style between Rikuo and his Android, Sammy. Indeed, it is impressive how the show managed to develop not just the main characters, but also provide adequate personalities and backstory for some members of the side cast when considering the length of the show.

[Art: 9.0] Eve is a work that is reliant on its visuals and as mentioned, the robots' actions within and outside the café are captured excellently and the scripting isn’t the only reason. Furthermore, there is also the nice blend of 2D and 3D CG, not unlike GONZO Digimation. The character designs may be rather plain, but its simplicity does spark its own charm.

Though Studio Rikka has produced only a few works, they have managed to establish several prominent styles, which I daresay, are easily identifiable with them. Most notably is of course their distinctive camera angle, whereby the use of occasional mild camera shakes enhances the realism of a First-Person View, making the various dialogues even more engaging to watch.

[Music: 8.0] Generally, the production value in Eve is high in more ways than one. Apart from the art quality, the cast consists of several big name voice actors such as Jun Fukuyama, Rie Tanaka and Tomokazu Sugita (though he got the minor role). The bgm is mild and rather minimal, but its theme piece is surprisingly catchy. Overall, the music blends well with the show and that will suffice.

[Summary] Interesting story and directing style plus aesthetically pleasing art makes Time of Eve recommendable for just about anyone. It is only about 6 episodes in length so it doesn't take long to watch anyway.

Let us look at this series. Eve no Jikan, here you have a series that offers a needed take on the ideas of AI and digitalization. The series offers brilliant art designs with a seamless, flowing soundtrack that blends in with the world creating a mysterious, calming atmosphere.


When I first saw this series I was remniscient of Ghost in the Shell's work found in Stand Alone Complex. This series is similar to Gits in the respect that it offers new perspective into the realm of AI, but where GiTs focuses on a team of elite investigators this series focuses on school students ... and androids, androids possibly being the prime driving factor of this series.

Not too much can be said about the story. A wise person would not speak on such an issue at this time, for there are too many needed factors. One there are not enough episodes, two.. well that's the thing, we only have two episodes and we need six to accurately review the story. I can however say that so far the progression has potential to be a very good series, and possibly great. But this series is, and probably will remain a diamond in the rough.

It provides an accurate depiction of how life will possibly be in the near future. At the current rate of technological growth and change, this only seems logical.

In conclusion, this series offers up a very good vibe and I recommended to any future conscious or simply curious. Cheers.

When does a robot become more man than machine, when does a soul inhabit its shell? It is the fundamental question explored throughout Eve No Jikan

In modern times it is easy to distinguish between a machine made for humans to use, and living things which should be treasured and not taken advantage of. During the era of Eve no Jikan however, there are very few distinguishing characteristics between the two, so few that either can be mistaken for the other.

During such an age there are robots which take care of everything from housework to taking the children to school. As more and more robots enter ... the average home, people begin to integrate them into their daily lives, and as technology advances the robots are created more and more in man's image. It is this integration which sets up the conflicts throughout the story between those who wish the robots be treated with the same respect as a person and those who insist they deserve only the respect one would give a toaster.

As the story further explores its fundamental question, the characters show us the differing perspectives of everyone. There are extreme characters with each opposing moral standing who wish to make the moderate or confused migrate to their way of thinking. The moderate and confused characters struggle with their understanding of the world surrounding them. The toil ends only when they choose a side to fall on while events around them reach their zenith.

Watching each episode is like looking forward to a world which could look back at us. Eve no Jikan shows us what the lives of people may be like years from now and the problems they face. Human characters that are easy to watch as they go about facing compelling conflicts make Eve no Jikan a remarkable anime that is well worth watching.

So, when does a soul in habit a robot? Eventually? Never? Should they be seen as equals and treated with the same respect we treat one another or appliances and treated as nothing more than a means to make life convenient? No one can tell another the answers, they are ethical questions the viewer encounters and must reconcile with during their Time of Eve.

Eve no Jikan is another request that I'm going into without any idea of what to expect. All I know is that it involves androids and it was created by Yoshiura Yasuhiro, the critically acclaimed director of Pale Cocoon, which... I also haven't seen. Well, let's take a look at Eve no Jikan and see if it gives me an interest in his other works.

Eve no Jikan has a very basic story. Androids and robots have been integrated into society. One day young Rikuo is going through his house android's activity log and finds a strange message about the "Time of Eve." This leads him ... and his friend, Masaki, to a cafe where the rule is to treat humans and robots the same. Really, it's more of a character study dealing with questions of sentience and whether or not artificial intelligence can lead to both sentience and emotion. You might be thinking, "isn't that really common in science fiction with Star Trek (Next Gen and Voyager especially), I, Robot, A.I and many others being examples? How does Eve no Jikan compare to all of the other stories that ask those questions?" Pretty well, actually. Eve no Jikan has a lot of really strong and emotionally powerful moments. The questions may be old, but they're asked in a compelling way. My one issue with the series is that it isn't as subtle or nuanced as it could've been. What really bothers me about it is that the answers seem to be the same for all robots/androids regardless of how archaic or advanced they may be. There's no distinction drawn or exploration of the degree of sophistication that artificial intelligence needs to have to gain sentience. They had the opportunity but they dropped it.

A work like this needs interesting characters to work. Does Eve no Jikan provide them? In abundance. The major cast is both intriguing and sympathetic. One of the things they do really well is develop circumstances so that you don't initially know who's an android and who's human, with a few obvious exceptions. In the end you know some of them but there are a few that are never actually revealed, which does help add some intrigue to the series. Each episode focuses on a character or two and illustrates what kind of circumstance they're coming from while tying into the major themes. They manage to develop the characters better than some anime I've seen that are four times as long.

The art is the least impressive part of the series. This isn't to say that it's badly done, it's actually pretty decent, it's just not anything special. The only things that really stand out are the non-humanoid robots. Everything else is very basic.

The cast in this is really good. Fukiyama Jun, Satou Rina, Tanaka Rie, etc... all give really strong and subtle performances. The music is downplayed, but it does help maintain the mellow atmosphere.

The yuri factor is a 1/10. There isn't any yuri in this.

My final rating for Eve no Jikan is an 8/10. It's a great anime with spectacular characters, and a well done story. I would recommend checking it out. Especially since it's only six episodes.

Androids don't have souls or feelings, or do they.
I always thought that low episode shows are not that great, but watching this changed it all. Eve no Jikan is one of the most exciting science fiction animes ever.
Story 9/10
Set in the modern world were androids are so advanced that they look exactly like us the only difference is The Ring and of course the robot kind of behavior. And in this time there is a group of people who treat the androids like human claiming they have feelings like us otherwise called Android-holic and of course there is the opposite group who hates ... that kind of thinking the Ethics Committee. Rikuo the main character who owns a house-working android named Sammy doesn't knew how he feels regarding that issue. One day Rikuo and his friend Masaki find out that Sammy has been in a place out of her own well, and they decide to find that place.And that's how they discover "Eve No Jikan" Cafe.The cafe has a set of rules that centers on no discrimination between androids and humans.Everyone in the cafe looks human and acts human and all the androids are allowed to turn off there ring while they are in the cafe.And through this cafe Rikuo an Masaki life is changed to the best i guess.
Any i recommend this show to any anime fan.

Eve no Jikan is quite a gem...It boasts superior animation and CGI and a very intriguing story. Although the plot tells the tired tale of a futuristic city with androids, and the concept of androids wanting to be human, Eve no Jikan still brings something interesting to the table. The story, admittedly, is a bit slow at first. It's a subtle story based off of character interactions that are supposed to make you think, so this pacing is not for the impatient.

However, the story really comes alive after episode 2. I found myself just flying through the episodes, eager ... to find out what would happen next. The characters are very natural and likeable, although they're not the most memorable of casts. This is really a show about character interactions, acceptance and understanding those around you. Although not a whole lot happens (they just go to a cafe everyday and talk to people..the only real 'action' is in the last episode) in the long run, I thoroughly enjoyed the story from start to end. It's not the type of thing that is jaw-dropping, but Eve no Jikan is a great series to watch...I hope you enjoy 'the time of eve'~

A series about androids in the human society. However, different from the normal "man vs machine" movies, it's more like "machine becomes man". A very touching story that tells about how social stigma forms against androids and how to overcome them.

The animation is smooth and different from other animes that their proportions are more real-like, instead of the normal big eyes or long arms. What set Time of Eve apart is the camera angles however. The camera moves around alot, depending on the mood. For example, when tension builds, the camera shakes and shifts between characters at a fast rate. Although the show has an ... older format of video, it doesn't disturb the sense of details.

The music is absolutely splendid, both musically and its performance. The bgms sets the atmosphere right, but what, once again, sets Time of Eve (from what I recall as I write this review) is that the music abrubtly stops, which throws you into a different kind of mood. This creates some comical scenes, but for most part it's more about revelation, when the character or characters realize something that breaks their beliefs. As a side note, while the song was not featured in the anime series but in the theaterical version, the song "I have a dream" (composed by Yuki Kajiura and performed by Kalafina, my favourites) is beautiful. I suggest listening to it after watching the anime.

Lastly, the story is quite unique. Society has begun using android in their homes and regards them only as appliance. To become attached to androids is a taboo, since it only leads to delusion. However, as the series progresses, the protagonists find find themselves in a dilemma when androids starts acting like humans. Is it a fault in their programming or their genuine feelings? A delusion or truth? Should it be accepted? Although the series is only 6 episodes long, not a single second was wasted. Maybe due to the short time, the author seems to have put in a long of effort to make every second count, which I felt he succeded in.

All in all, this anime definitely tops my list, since it doesn't provide cheap entertainment only but "tells a story". I feel that this anime is a class of its own and it's hard to find other animes to compare it to. I am not saying that it's the best anime I ever seen, more like I have never seen an anime like this before. I would not recommend this to everyone though, only to those who can appreciate a deep and thoughtful story.

Eve no Jikan reached it's goal of $18,000 after launching on Kickstarter.
In 2010 Eve no Jikan won the OVA category in Tokyo Anime Award.

Eve no Jikan is a gem that only appears a few times a year. Beautiful strong, everlasting, yet small. Personally I would have loved to see a season two or a continuation of the story in a book.

Story 8/10 - A strong story makes up the backbone of a good anime.
Art 6/10 - Nothing to special here, nothing crazy or amazing, or awful.
Sound 5/10 - Mediocre
Character 8/10 - If the story is the backbone then the characters are the arms ... and legs. The characters drive the story forward. Even the smaller side characters in Eve no Jikan are just as important and play key parts in story development.
Personal enjoyment and overall score: Good 7/10

Eve no Jikan is one of those animes you watch if you enjoy getting to know different realities from our own, like a peek into another dimension.

Unfortunately, there's not a whole lot to be discovered about Time of Eve's world. There will be no explanations on how the androids are built, or how they came to be; not even the underlining subject of theirdiscrimination is approached. The show instead focuses solely on the characters, the patrons of this cafe that gives the anime its' name, and each episode tries to surprise you with the background of each person. Although there will be no mindfucks to ... be had for the most part, it's still enjoyable getting to know how humans relate to androids through the characters' individual stories. I can't help but wish they went into bigger detail even though that is part of the charm of this series - short, sweet, and open to a lot of interpretation - and I enjoy that you learn these stories through Rikuo's looking glass.

I found that the amounts of CGI used, as well as their panning shots, actually enhanced the environment and the feel of the show. You will not see a lot of scenarios (I can only think of four), but I'm sure they will be imprinted in your mind clearly and the detail is nothing short of wonderful. If anything, I think the art is easily the best think about Eve no Jikan: it will not detract from the main focus but rather compliments it so well that you'll feel like you're actually inside the cafe.

If this was turned into a regular show I'm willing to bet it would make a lot of people happy, myself included, and it would improve the quality of it dramatically, because there was just not enough time for anything, really. Even if you keep in mind that, being such a short slice of life, it won't give you a lot of information or even a conclusion, there are still so many things left to be known about the characters that you will wish there was more of it. All in all if this had only come out as a movie it would not be as disappointing, albeit not any less frustrating.

Despite this, it is still worth watching, and even rewatching, just to (re)experience the cozyness and familiarity of the cafe and its' endearing regulars, and I'm sure you will "enjoy your time of EVE".

Title(s):
Eve No Jikan
Time of EVE

I don't quite remember where or how I heard of this anime, and I'm really sad I don't because Eve No Jikan is something you simply cannot miss!

Plot: In the future, humanoid androids are being produced every day and set in homes and the workplace for everyday situations. There is a great debate about android discrimination: about whether humans should treat their androids as robotics objects who don't covet feelings, or to treat them as humans beings. There's fear of an android uprising if one side is chosen, as well. During this time, a young high school boy by the name ... of Rikuo begins to notice some strange things about his family's household android, Sammy. Sammy seems to be going somewhere every day after Rikuo comes home from school. Out of curiosity, Rikuo and his friend, Masaki, decide to secretly follow Sammy to see where she is going every day, and this is how they discover the hidden, "Time of EVE" Cafe. The rules are simple at this cafe: No android discrimination. From then on, the story revolves around their trips to the Cafe, and the quirky people they meet there. But because of the rule, who's to say if these people are humans, or androids?

Firstly, I'll say that the visuals in this are absolutely spectacular: a very nice merging between 2D and 3D. It's no wonder each episode took around 2 - 4 months to be finished and subbed! Time of EVE really did not have much of a hard-hitting plot, but it certainly was interesting. Each episode was enjoyable, because you knew that you would meet someone new each time! The downsides to this show were all based on time: each episode was shorter than a normal anime episode, with a usual running time of around 11 minutes, save for the final episode which was 17 minutes. Even more so because of the fact that this anime only has 6 episodes in total! Now, on the website they label this anime as, "Season 1" and I hear of a movie being in the works, so the good news is that we can expect more EVE goodness eventually.
Overall, this anime was a delight to watch. I would recommend it to anyone who loved, "Appleseed" or anyone who is looking for any sort of a futuristic setting in anime.

Thanks for reading this review! "Are you enjoying the Time of EVE?" ;D