Eve no Jikan (Movie)

In a future where every family is in possession of androids, for which all basic human chores and tasks are delegated to, how does the relationship between humans and their robotic creations pan out when androids seemingly have artificial intelligence?

This isn't a new topic in the science fiction genre by any stretch of the imagination, but as a film Time of Eve manages to be a huge breath of fresh air with both its approach and execution to the topic.

The setting of the film mostly takes place at a cafe, called Time of Eve, where inside the cafe there is a rule that there will ... be no discrimination between humans and androids. Because of this rule, the androids which enter the cafe do their best to be like human beings, blending in with all the customers. Normally androids are not allowed to act like humans in the outside world, but the rules of the cafe dictate that they must.

It is through this setup that we explore the story of two friends Rikuo and Masakazu, and how they manage to deal with the unsettling notion of androids acting independently of humans and pretending to be humans in a way that makes it impossible to distinguish them as androids. Throughout the story we are constantly shown how androids are put into a demeaning, subservient role for the humans and it really raises some interesting questions to its audience. Can human beings learn to accept artificial intelligence as equals to themselves? As beings worthy of the respect we can give other human beings? Or are they merely to be reduced to mere slaves? I give Time of Eve considerable praise for its spectacular job at expressing these themes and managing to make its audience actually think while watching.

While of course the film raises interesting philosophical questions, it also is merely a great drama. Too many scifi works get caught up in trying to show off lots of action rather than just explore interesting aspects of its setting. Time of Eve keeps its focus very simple, a slice of life story about humans and androids in the future, and it is incredibly successful at it. The character interactions and the emotional highs of the film all strike the right notes at the proper times. Everything just feels very genuine and fulfilling. It manages to pass through moments of sadness, laughter, dark moments, light moments, and offer an overall very satisfying experience. In particular, the final moments of the film are very touching.

On top of all this is a generally pleasing to the eyes art work and animation. The camera work is absolutely spectacular. There are several shots in the movie that convey so much emotion without even a single word. Even the completely mechanical looking androids shined in moments through mere clever camera focuses. It's hard to not be impressed by the director's techniques throughout the film.

If there is any reason why I didn't give this movie a perfect score, it is because there are many questions it leaves unanswered, though this may be on purpose. While the film is great as a standalone, the plot going on the side of all these things was too interesting to just not explore it (Though there are several indications out there that there will one day be a sequel). If some more closure is ever given to this film in the future, I'd have no qualms calling it a master piece.

Do you like theories about human-robot social relations? Do you wonder what it would be like to have a robot that developed human sensations? Then, Time of EVE might be for you. If you're looking for something more than that, steer clear. This is more a romantic slice-of-life piece than a sci-fi flick, and even calling it romance might be a bit of a stretch. The concept behind this anime is indeed noteworthy, but unfortunately, most of your curiosity will be satisfied as a byproduct of the film not delivering in the atmosphere it builds off of. In other words, you'll be left imagining what ... should or could have happened, rather than being impressed with what actually did transpire.

Let's look a little closer into why Time of EVE fails to offer an impressive narrative.

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Story: 7/10

EVE's plot is mostly about a pair of high school boys that find a new, fascinating experience in their world, involving androids that could easily pass for humans, were it not for their halo indicators that identify them as artificial. There is also a subplot about how the government (or some company) is trying to rectify this very issue. This subplot is basically abandoned as soon as it is brought up, and it never gains much ground. Instead, the majority of the plot centers around a cafe that the boys find.

It's a nifty cafe that brings up this very poignant social issue for the boys to understand and come to terms with. There's also a certain special robot that one of the boys takes a fancy in, and really, every encounter with a robot that they have is unique and compelling.

But here's the problem: that's the entire plot. There really isn't much more, and what the movie sets itself up to discuss never ends up being talked about beyond the chit chat in the cafe. It presents a very dynamic issue, and it relents and instead indulges in how the boys are dealing with their own personal dilemmas, rather than exploring the wider problem that they themselves encounter and recognize. Essentially, EVE gives us a lot to consider and then skirts the issue itself, so that you have to assume the boys' success in the cafe means the world will be okay with it all. A little bit anti-climactic, to say the least.

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Art: 5/10

To me, this is where Time of EVE really disappoints. Most of the backgrounds in this film are of the cafe or the houses of the family. Rarely do we even see the outside world, and when we do, it's not a very impressive design. There just isn't much going on at all besides the characters themselves, which are often facially blank (robots) or just simply plain. Granted, there are some careful details to certain parts (one of the boy's robots come to mind), but I would expect more from an anime that touts a futuristic concept and delves into robots and their evolution.

If you want to watch a visually stunning anime, this is certainly not the one you're looking for.

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Sound: 9/10

The music and sounds in Time of EVE are fitting and often well-designed, helping to create moments of laughter or calmness for the viewer to experience alongside the characters. There isn't much else to say here. It's not the best sound design for an anime, but it certainly isn't lacking. The pace is well-kept and the mood is appropriately enhanced by the aural ambiance, which seems to reflect the soothing nature of the cafe itself.

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Character: 7/10

I really wanted to be compelled by the characters in Time of EVE, and you might say that this movie is more about the character development than anything else. However, it simply doesn't deliver. The behavior of the characters is monotonously predictable, to the point where it dulls the entire gist of the film. Am I supposed to care that the protagonist has decided to take up his talent by the end? You can see it coming a mile away, and there really is no confusion as to how each character will interact with another. A robot that seems human? Well, that may have been exciting, if only that wasn't the whole point of the cafe's rules in the first place.

Yes, there are some touching moments, especially with Boy B's dad and his robot. However, not much ultimately comes of anything, and we are left feeling that the film was merely a recitation of potential issues of human-robot interaction, rather than any resolution or defining wisdom to the dilemma. There just isn't much going on here, and it's hard to ignore when the anime sets up so many possible, compelling conclusions.

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Enjoyment: 6/10

This shouldn't be surprising. Time of EVE just doesn't impress, despite having ample opportunity to do so. That isn't to say it is a bad film; it has many fine qualities and certain moments are very genuine and heartfelt. However, these moments are muddled within an aimlessly wandering plot and a setting that lacks pizazz or anything other than the catchphrase of the movie being repeated on far too many objects. What could have been a visually-engaging and conceptually deep film ends up falling short and relying on the common cliches of shounen anime and slice-of-life melodrama.

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Overall: 6/10

If you are looking for a new sci-fi movie to watch, Time of EVE is not it. If you are interested in seeing the growth of two young guys and their puberty-infused social problems, coupled with an android twist, then Time of EVE will satisfy, amuse, and tease you. Sadly, what Time of EVE won't do, however, is precisely what it seems set up to do in the first place, and with that in mind, you might enjoy the film more than I did.

Eve no Jikan is a story about the lives of the customers who visit a café where you are not allowed to disciminate against robots/androids to the point that when your in this café you have no idea who is human and who is an android. The film asks many questions concerning whether androids really should be treated as mere things or as people, and you get to meet people who are extremists for both sides of the point.

The setting is stated as 'probably Japan' and is set sometime in the near future, i like how they took a few current inventions that you see ... today such as cameras and keyboards and beefed them up a little without going overboard Star Trek style.

The art for the show is very good, each character is drawn and designed nicely, they do use quite a bit of CG but they use it well and i does not stand out and adds to the feel of the story, i really enjoyed the movement of the camera, at points it spins on the spot and we get to see the cafe in its 360 glory, there is the occasional zoom to the other side of the room seemlessly and we are even treated to a hand held feel when it show the view point from the eyes of a character.

Voice actors did their job spledidly, though it is not surprising as they are 'big name' actors, the music was really nice, theres some decent piano tunes and the rest really highlighted the atmosphere and fitted the sci-fi setting, the ending tune played with the credits is the best part and is some beautifully.

The characters play a huge role for this series, the cafe has patrons of all types, the two main guys are similar to each other but are different enough at the same time and have to deal with their own issues throughout, there is also an enegetic girl, a nice waitress who treats everybody equal, a couple of love birds, a mysterious guy guy who references Blade Runner and an old man with a young child who thinks she's a cat, they all play a part and have a small amount of drama and issues to understand and deal with.

The genres given for this movie are sci-fi and slice-a-life and Eve no Jikan gives off a great feel of atmosphere of both the genres and the movie is something that can be easily enjoyed with its calmness. As a whole there are a few points that make you wish it was a full fledged television series, just to answer a few questions that were left and to see deeper into these characters lives, that is how good this is that it makes you wish i wouldn't end.

When we live in a world in which Japanese android newscasters can deliver the news and other “Geminoids” are closer to mimicking the exact appearance and movements of humans, the line between the living and the nonliving is constantly blurring by the day. What are the implications and the consequences of having lifelike robots live among humans? Will they fulfill Sci-fi lovers’ fantasies and take over the world? Or will they blend into society, disturbingly so, eventually becoming more humanlike than even humans themselves? All these possibilities and concerns are just humanity’s natural reaction towards the uncertain, and answers are sought out through various forms ... of media, like the movie “Eve no Jikan.” Set in the near future Japan, “Eve no Jikan” is about two male protagonists, Rikuo Sakisaka and Masaki Masakazu, who enter a mysterious café named “Time of Eve,” in which its only upheld rule is to not discriminate between humans and androids. The two meet several androids that act and behave like any other humans while in the café and in the process experience a whole new perspective unbeknownst to them before. “Eve no Jikan” explores its own answer to the future’s prospect of having androids and humans coexist by telling a hopeful tale of a gradual learning and understanding between man and machine.

The story of Eve no Jikan then makes sure that it doesn't rush anything. The plot takes itself slowly, with just the right amount of dialogue, to deliver a simple message in the end. The plot sets modest goals and achieves them with a heartening resolution. The plot knows that it’s not the star of this movie; rather, it acts as a solid background in which the characters can shine. Even though the most of the show’s characters are androids, and even though they should be screaming out “robotic” and “emotionless,” they shine because they all show the one crucial characteristic that, I dare say, makes us humans: empathy. Androids treating humans like family, androids doing whatever they can to make others happy, androids loving one another, and even androids switching up the coffee blend to anxiously wait for a certain someone’s approval – these are all very “human” things to do. Seeing these actions, from what are supposed to be beings devoid of emotions, is surreal but also strangely poignant. Rikuo and Masaki observe these humanlike actions and start to change their views of androids over the course of the movie. The two realize that the androids can exhibit a range of emotions and once in awhile live as the humans do. In just less than two hours, “Eve no Jikan” does an incredible job of developing its two male protagonists, without managing to rush the process.

The soundtrack is pervasive, but in a good way. With just enough of a mix between electronic, classical, and jazz, the soundtrack is full of songs that hide a gentler, calmer melody beneath its mechanical and electronic sounds – much like androids themselves.

This “robotic” theme seems to be consistent even in the animation of this movie. The characters are, for a lack of a better term, “jumpy.” Their actions are sudden and unnatural like those of androids, especially when they talk. The movie also makes frequent use of the “dolly zoom,” or basically zooming in and out, to invoke a feeling of a robotic camera focusing in and out of a target. However, these choices in animation in no ways take away from the appeal of the movie, but add more to its unique robotic charm. The character design and the overall animation are modern and rather plain, but plenty beautiful enough to enjoy.

Several Sci-fi novels written by George Orwell, Philip K. Dick, or Ray Bradbury often depict a dystopian society in which the relationship between androids and humans is hostile. However, “Eve no Jikan” purposefully chooses the less popular yet more optimistic future in which the interaction between androids and humans is one of harmony. What evolves out of choosing this path is a beautifully touching story of a peaceful and trustful union between man and machine.

Whether you enjoy your time of Eve or not is up to you, but I definitely enjoyed my time of Eve and I will visit again in the near future.

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Story: 9/10
Art: 9/10
Sound: 8/10
Character: 8/10
Enjoyment: 10/10

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Overall: 8.8/10

This movie is a gem. One whose elegance and brilliance outshines most. There is one word I would use to describe Eve No Jikan, and that is beautiful.

Story: 8

All of the events in the movie are tied to the Time of Eve cafe, which is the main set shown in the show. The movie is told in linked segments that each transition beautifully into the next. I was truly touched by this film. The plot moved briskly from segment to segment bringing more elements which enhanced the overall theme of the story. Mentioning the theme, the concept of adversity that human like androids ... face when being assimilated into society isn't something new. But this concept brought to life in this way was rejuvenating, and powerful. When the thematic strings tie the knot at the end of the film it is truly heartwarming. Every beat of the plot brought more to the table which I gladly consumed in full.

Art: 9

Can anyone really call this animation bad? It was stunning, nearly took my breath away. The characters were modeled to be realistic, as was the future-esq world that this film takes place in. The bright shiny gloss that everything had was also welcoming.

Sound: 7

The orchestral backgrounds kept the tone of the story. What I am saying is that it worked for the show. The voice acting was top notch as well, actors/actresses in question delivering solid performances all around.

Character: 9

To find such a loveable cast I would usually look at a Miyazaki film, but this film presents an ensemble of enjoyable people. I found myself sucked in by these peoples lives, and their daily visits to the Time of Eve. Nagi, Rikuo, and Akiko being my favorites in the entire cast. I did find that it being a movie they couldn't dive into every character shown on screen as much as the could have, but in the long run this didn't hurt the film in any real sense. But this is is only a slight complainant, for I was given plenty.

Enjoyment: 10

I really loved this show, and although I don't usually give tens when it comes to enjoyment I allow some room for bias.

Overall: 8.6

An easy watch with an heart warming message. I would recommend this movie to quite literally anyone in a heart beat. This beautiful story is something that should be watched. It deserves your attention. If you are looking for something for say a family watch this is also a great choice. I actually can't think of someone who wouldn't at the very least enjoy this work. It's powerful, its fresh for the Anime scene, and its well worth your time. As always thanks for Reading.

How "human" are we?

I've been asking myself this very question after watching Eve no Jikan. I'll go ahead and save you some minutes of reading: watch Eve no Jikan. It's intriguing, it's engaging, and above all else it's entertaining. For those interested as to knowing why, I'll explain below.

I just came across Eve no Jikan by accident one day in someone's list, and I gave it a shot. I guess I'm just the type of person who can't say no to shows that tackle androids. However, I was expecting some tacky storyline with androids as human partners and all that. Eve no Jikan, however, defied ... my expectations and gave me an engaging story that made me ask myself "What would I do if I was in his shoes?" once the movie ended. Few shows, never mind movies, give me that kind of aftereffect; Eve no Jikan manages to do it so well I'm still thinking about it now.

Story: 10/10
This is probably the strongest point of the movie. The story tackles a distant future where humanoid robots called androids are working among us humans, doing some of the jobs we humans are too busy to do. It tells of a student named Sakisaka Rikuo who discovers a weird log on the operational log of their household android named Sammy. He is then led to a café named Time of Eve (or Eve no Jikan, hence the title of the movie), with a rule that states that there should be no discrimination between humans and androids.

The movie is simply a combination of three short animations, so you'd expect some disjoint stories. Eve no Jikan, however, manages to stitch them all together due to the presence of the café itself, with regular customers and the occasional newcomer.

What makes the story strong is how it handles the ethical and social issues that are bound to be present in a society that uses robots that resemble humans in every outward physical detail. The movie presents some rules on androids that every androids (and every androids manufacturer) must follow. It tackles people who think of androids as equals, people who think androids are unnecessary and are detrimental to society, androids who think and behave like normal humans and everything else in between. It does so fluidly and in an ordered fashion so as not to impose multiple issues on the viewer at once, yet still somehow interrelated and just as significant as the previous issue presented.

Art: 8/10
I have a bias for good, clean art; this movie does it very well. With bright, neon-colored signs typically present in futuristic settings, and styles that make androids differ so little from normal humans (androids have light rings on their heads to differentiate them from humans; the café instructs androids to turn the said light rings off so as not to cause discrimination between humans and androids). Nevertheless, art is very nice and fitting for the movie.

Sound: 7/10
If you're looking for some upbeat backtones, you won't find it here (no one fights shounen manga-style here). However, the background music is just enough to stir emotions within the viewer or to present undertones within the scene, and does not overpower the scene itself. I might say that it's quite fitting for a movie like this that makes its viewers think for a change.

Voice acting, on the other hand, is excellent. Each one does his or her character justice, and if on voices alone, even the viewers can't differentiate a human from an android when inside the café. As a point of interest, Fukuyama Jun voices the main character Sakisaka Rikuo--the same guy who did voice acting for Lelouch in Code Geass. How awesome is that?

Character: 9/10
In hearing "androids" as characters, you're probably expecting some clunky voices reminiscent of Stephen Hawking (no offense to the man; he's a great man with a great mind), as I did. However, I was completely mistaken, as the characters are equally well-presented. Each is given a sufficient backstory to keep our curiosities satisfied, and expounds when necessary. Each one, human or android, possesses a different personality when in the outside world or when inside the café; in fact, viewers won't even know the difference unless the main characters encounter them outside the café.

Also, don't let the "android" thing confuse you; the androids have as much personality as any other human in the movie. All the more reason to ask yourself the questions presented in the movie, I say.

Enjoyment: 9/10
Overall, Eve no Jikan is a treasure of a spectacle that everyone deserves to watch. It caters to no specific class of viewers, so everyone can appreciate it no matter what your inclinations to animé are. It brings you a story that makes you question how human you really are, and makes you ask what a human really is.

While deciding to watch Eve no Jikan I was a bit skeptical as to whether or not I'd even like it, but as the movie started and the story unraveled before my eyes, I found myself being dragged into it with each passing minute. It even caught the attention of my younger brother, who ended up taking the time out of his normally video game filled day to sit down and watch it with me. Which I must say, considering how well I know my brother, says a lot about the quality of this movie.

Technology plays a huge role in today's world and Eve ... no Jikan questions the severity of that role, creating a "what-if" scenario in order to show just how dependent we are on it. In the world Eve no Jikan is set in humans live along side androids, which they undoubtedly trust and constantly depend on. This story follows Rikuo and friends as he struggles to discover what exactly Anroids are, and just how closely they actually do resemble humans.

Its characters seemed lacking from time to time, but the relationships between them were built rather well. They are believable, and none display personalities you couldn't find someone having in real life. Every character is introduced in good manner, and their pasts are revealed with good consistency throughout the story's timeline of events. Nothing comes too shockingly for most are quietly hinted at throughout the course of the movie.

I must say I did enjoy this movie and if you find yourself thinking about watching it, I say go for it! As it is most definitely a must see. And who knows? You may just find yourself questioning just how dependent you are on technology yourself.

I wish someone could tell me why most reviews I read on this site are plot summaries and not reviews.

The setting and art of this film were great. The directing was fairly interesting as well. The story however was nearly non-existant, and there was no real character build-up.

Overall, not alot going on in this movie, but it was well drawn. If you want to see a better android-human conflict story, watch the Animatrix.

Eve no Jikan is a rarity. The stage in which the story is set may not be the most original but the elements that blend it all together as a whole makes a great movie. Issac Asimov the man who created the settings in which half of science fiction takes place in and this movie is no stranger to it. He is the one responsible for creating the three laws of robotics, and he is the one who also delved into the idea that robots could be much more than what we intend them to be.

In Eve no Jikan we see a multitude of ... emotion and thought which questions the laws in which we create our world in. Artificial Intelligence is not a new concept it has been around for decades and there have been many who question the limit-ability of such a concept. If you create a robot that can appear intelligent by gathering a multitude of information does it mean it parrots back what it has seen and heard or does it posses actual intelligence when answering a question. If a robot feels sad, happy, satisfied, and a sense of belonging is it because of its programming or rather a natural evolution of its programming into something more.

Story: 9

I rate this section highly not because of any particular moment of brilliance but rather the great way this seemingly straight forward plot is presented in. The direction was very well done and the “camera work” (I don’t know what the right term is) was truly great. It can create emotion and settings just from a point of view.

Eve no Jikan tackles the scenario in which a world where robots have reached a heightened state of awareness/ intelligence that it is able to make moral and social decisions on its own. It comprehends a situation and reacts to it. It is a grounded movie that does a great job in creating the setting and progression of plot. This movie involves humans and androids finding a common need to reach an understanding and to understand life itself. It portrays the fears, doubts, and grief that are felt by everyone for different reasons in hopes to find some common ground.

Art: 9

The art is very well done. It is not overly detailed in terms of the surrounding but all the important aspects of the show are very well done and detailed. The art was very pleasant to look at and watch.

Sound: 8

The sound is good nothing great nothing to laud about but it does its job and does it well. It doesn’t overdo any aspect and keeps the movie in a subtle tone which is what it should be.

Characters: 9

The multitude of characters in this show and all of them I liked (of course some more than others). They were well written and they all had a part to play in the progression of the plot and not just simple filler side characters. Each of the characters provide further insight into the plot and understanding of the movie. It has good character development and most of the characters are already well developed from the start so I enjoyed that thoroughly.

Enjoyment: 9

I truly enjoyed this movie much more than I expected to. It didn’t per say challenged my expectation to the core but it sure did give me a pleasant surprise which I always enjoy.

This the first sci-fi anime I've seen that is real sci-fi.

In the near future androids will be involved in every part of our lives, cooking, cleaning, childcare, healthcare, education etc. Androids appear emotionless and are treated as objects by their owners but what if they did have emotions and were capable of independent thought and we just didn't know it and if we did would we treat them differently?

The story involves Rikou who discovers that his house android, Sammy, has visited a café called a Time of Eve on its / her own free will. Investigating the café with his friend Misaki he finds the ... café is a place where humans and androids can mix and be as equals. This causes a huge amount of confusion in his mind of the morality of whether androids should be treated equally and how should he treat Sammy if he meets it / her there.

There is a lot of dramatic and emotional moments yet they are finished with humour which works very well as through the film you get to like the characters yet the film stops short of trying to get you to love them. Instead tries to get you to understand their motives be it human or android.

The concept is very interesting. The androids in the film are on the outside indistinguishable from humans and it is only a ring above their heads that makes them stand out as androids so once inside the café you really can't tell. This means that neither human or android can tell who is human or android.

The concept raises a number of philosophical questions. Should androids feel emotions, should they be able to have their own free will, if they did what would they do if their owners are not around and how would this fit in with Isaac Asimov's 3 Robotic laws. Change the androids to a race or social group philosophy turns into morality so much so it will make your head hurt. Either way seeing the androids treated as mere objects, be it a tool, doll or anything else, during the film may make you feel slightly angry. Whether you see the androids as androids or something else really doesn't matter but you should let the film challenge your opinion.

The animation goes from good away from the café to very impressive inside the café with some imaginative camera work which gives the café added importance and focus in the story.

The characters on their own are nothing special but in the context of the story are very good, each one with their own background yet the film does not go into unnecessary detail on each one.

The music emphasises a dramatic moment well and the end song is very good.

I can't not give the film a 10 but it is a weak 10. It is very very good but it misses an x factor to make it a true masterpiece. If you can help me figured it out it would be very helpful.

I hope a sequel is made to finish the story as the film finishes with a lot of unanswered questions.

The Time of Eve is a café hidden well beneath the towering skyscrapers of Japan in the near future. As the customer opens the door to the café, a bell rings signaling their arrival. The atmosphere is quiet and cozy save for a little girl running around and calling herself a cat. A couple cuddles with each other and whispers sweet nothings into each other's ears. A man is sitting on a couch reading a book. With a bright smile, a woman greets the customer and welcomes the customer into their second home. With an order, the customer asks for a coffee to be brought ... at their table. It is warm, fragrant, and sweet. Before the café owner leaves, she asks that the customer treats every as equal. Of course, the customer would be happy to oblige...but for some, this is easier said than done, especially when that customer lives in a world where he or she is taught that humans will always be superior to robots.

This is Time of Eve: The Movie, a film that rightfully deserves more recognition as one of the more superior anime films based on pre-existing TV anime and/or OVAs. The way the café is portrayed in the film could be an appropriate metaphor for the film as a whole. It's a quiet movie that slid under the radar of most anime fans, but through the help of some outside sources, my interest in the movie was piqued. Keep in mind that I did not watch the Time of Eve OVAs prior to watching this film, so whatever knowledge I have of the series is solely based on the film.

One of the greatest achievements of the movie's story is that it makes the viewer grow along with the protagonists. I noticed myself warming up to the androids as much as the main characters did and felt a brief, small sense of betrayal when I found out which characters were androids. I think that that is part of a test that the movie is trying to bring upon the viewers as well as the two main characters, Rikuo and Masaki: try to get to know a person not by what they are, but who they are. The fact that this mirrors the way judgement is clouded in the real world by racism, homophobia, and other forms of prejudice is almost chilling. The robots even have rings over their heads so humans can identify them as such. If those rings were to be eliminated, no one could tell one from the other. The movie takes most, if not all of its time to make the main duo divert from the public norm and start embracing these robots as their companions rather than furniture.

Another thing about the movie that caught my eye is that there are prevalent occurrences of television advertisements in the movie as distributed by the "Ethics Committee" that keeps a strict watch on all robot activity. The Committee airs these advertisements in an attempt to drill into people's heads that robots are machines and nothing more. This sort of "Big Brother" influence that the Committee has in the movie gives the world it takes place in an almost dystopian feel, making the secluded café a more precious setting than one should expect.

As for the main characters themselves, Rikuo's development into his final opinion on the robots is more or less straight-forward, making him a sort of bland character, but Masaki proves to be the one to have more difficulty handling the situation, making him the more complex character between the two. The different levels of development eventually balance the two out, giving them enough chemistry to add dramatic flair to some of the film's more heart-wrenching scenes. The moral conflicts between the two, in addition to the other characters' moral support, make for a story that's just as touching as it is introspective.

For an anime film that was released only a year ago, the animation isn't astoundingly beautiful, but there are some parts of the film that are nice to look at, like some of the computers when put into use and the inside of some of the buildings in the city. Some pieces of the café are rendered in CGI, which doesn't look bad when placed next to the 2D characters and makes for some interesting camera angles, but it's pretty obvious that those pieces are done in CG. The fact that the film is colored in an almost monochromatic tone makes for some slightly uninteresting animation. The animation isn't bad; it's just a little bland. This is a movie that you should try to watch for the story more than the art.

I was pleasantly surprised by the voice acting in this movie. Half the cast doesn't sound all that anime-esque, which made the performances all the more believable. The right voices were chosen for each of the androids in the movie, down to some of the older models that were featured. It made the older robots sound human, but detached enough to make them sound like they don't know how to carry on a conversation with another being. There's more of a layer of realism in that than the newer, more human-looking androids. Some of the more comedic scenes have some of the most rapid-fire conversation I've ever heard in an anime. It was almost like the characters were having a tennis match with their words. Speaking of which, the scene where Akiko is introduced is something that must be seen to be believed. While the voice acting is good, the soundtrack is distractingly unbalanced. Some of it is good, but the synth in it is so blatant that it tries to make some of the most touching moments seem melodramatic. Fortunately, the ending theme is performed by Kalafina, who are also known for performing the theme songs to the Kara no Kyoukai films and both seasons of Kuroshitsuji. The song is rather pleasant and the lyrics tie in to the main theme of the film well. If it weren't for the soundtrack, the audio would have been ranked a point higher.

I really want to give this film a 9, but i can't seem to find it in my heart to do so. Looking back at this film, I know I'm going to remember it, but not well enough to make me say, "Wow, was that a great film,". Even though this is cliché, to answer the film's eponymous question, "Are you enjoying the Time of Eve?"...

Yes, yes I did, but it don't think I'll be coming back for a while. Maybe I'll like it more when I do decide to visit it again. Only time will tell.

Eve no Jikan or in English Time of Eve. hmmm...

Well.. The first that always comes in my mind when I watch a show or movie about machines that looks like human and how they blend in society. are two shows.

Number one is Terminator and number two is The Matrix.


You may think that this show might contain scenes like blood,guts and robots being hauled down in a container full of lava while doing the thumbs up sign. and the machine takes over the world. nope, there is no such thing like that in Time of Eve.

Time of Eve is like Animatrix meets Chobits. but leaning ... much more to Animatrix on the Art. and why I mention Chobits is because the shows tackles on how the machines co-exist with humans and little do society know that the machines are evolving.

Characters:

there are many characters in time of Eve.

We got Rikuo who is a talented pianist but stopped playing the piano.
Masa or Masaki who is the best friend of our main hero.
Sammy a house hold android owned by Rikou's family
Nagi a owner of a bar called Time of Eve

Regular customers in Time of Eve bar.

Akiko a young girl maybe on the age of 14-16 who is really talkative and energetic.
Koji a pretty boy eyeing a customer named Rina
Rina a customer and a former female bodyguard
Shimie an old guy hanging around Time of Eve
Chie a 4 years old girl being looked by the old man Shimie
and Setoro a guy full of mystery and a regular costumer on the Time of Eve Bar.

Story:
How would you feel if your appliances is sneaking around every night doing something suspicious that appliance wouldn't normally do and you discovered that when your appliance is doing maintenance on maintenance day but on the GPS locator it say it's not there!

of course the first thing you do is to find out what's really happening right?
and that's what our main protagonist Rikuo is doing.

As the owner of Sammy our hero follows Sammy and he discovers the Bar Time of Eve. and that's where our main protagonist Rikuo gets a chance to talk to the regular customers of the Time of Eve Bar. that's where everything gets interesting! :)

Time of Eve is a great show. It's really good if you are a fan of science fiction and if you like a story that touches your heart like A.I.

(honorable mentions)
Metropolis
A.I (Steven Spielberg)
I robot

If you had a android which was recently starting to act oddly what would you do? Ignore it,Scold it or find out why it's been acting up.This series brought up the question of whether you would treat a android like a human and if you had a android what would you do.

Story: 9 - In Japan, sometime later androids are part of our daily lives as we make them do our odd jobs. Rikuo noticed that there was some odd activity in his android Sammy's log. Rikuo decided to visit where Sammy goes with his friend Masaki and discovered the café named Eve No Jikan ... where android and humans are treated indifferently whereas Rikuo started to discover more about the people there and Sammy. I liked this anime due to the genres used to make this story because it could've turned into an annoying love story but it rather turned into a somewhat of a slice of life series which had a refreshing feeling.

Art: 9 - The correct art style was used as it gave it a surreal feel which is neccesory for this anime.

Sound: 8 - The sound was satisfactory as it was used in the correct places and the sound supported the anime well.

Character: 9 - A good thing about the characters is that they're realistic and aren't too annoying nor forgiving which is what makes this series feel even more surreal as they contribute to the story perfectly.

Enjoyment: 9 - I enjoyed this series a lot as it was a new and refreshing watch for me. I think this series can be watched by any audience.

People who liked: Summer Wars, Hal, Dennou Coil, Chobits, Pale Cocoon, Sakasama no Patema and Colourful will enjoy this series due to the similar atmosphere/theme they have.

Overall: 9 - Overall this series is definitely worth a watch and can be seen by anybody.

Lion Tamers, we find another installment of the reviewing process.

We turn our attention to "Eve no Jikan (Movie)".

Before I give my review, I want to talk about references stated in this movie. Since the movie is about robotics, and the more proper term from within the movie "androids"; it might interest people to know about the term "Three Laws of Robotics".

These laws were originally envisioned by scientist and author, Isaac Asimov; and was most important in his "Foundation" series of science fiction novels. But they began with a short story called "I, Robot" which strangely enough had almost nothing to do with the recent movie ... of the same title acted in by Will Smith. While this film gave Isaac Asimov a screen credit, the screenwriter shredded the original story and created a brand new work, and didn't even bother to include the central theme of Asimov's novels, "The Three Laws of Robotics", except as a preamble.

But these Laws ARE in "Eve no Jikan". And now you see how we get to the review.

I won't bother the reader with a spoiler for the story. But I will say that the story is well written, envisioned, and placed into the artwork. The characters are pretty, and quite attractive; and slightly smarter than us actual members of Mankind.

Ironic that this is the case, since the future world described in "Eve no Jikan" is not that far into the future. It is placed so recently into the future that old design androids and relatively new designs walk through the story in the same city, and at the same time. If this were the far future, it can easily be assumed that androids would have standardized, and the older models would have been flushed out of the system by attrition.

The dialog is excellent, and since this is mostly a dialog-driven story; my comments to this effect are pointed. I have a more general comment about the ideas conducted, including those presented by the dialog, but let's put that aside for the moment. The japanese voices are excellent, and each character makes a clear contribution to the philosophy the authors wish to convey. I have not watched this show in dub-english, but I assume it also presents the story well.

The music is very sparse. There is some impromptu piano music, played by a few of the characters, and there is a lovely and pointed End-Titles Song. And that is just about it. Normally, I would have expected a full-on soundtrack for such a profoundly emotional story; but in this rare case, the producers actually and properly underplayed the music. The story needed very little music to make the story-points clear.

Now let's talk a bit more about the ideas in "Eve no Jikan" which I had delayed earlier. The biggest idea in the story is that of the notion that there will be a time when the machine begins to evolve where at some point it become 'self-aware', and its synthetic and very artificial intelligence becomes so much like the minds of its creators, that the idea becomes an difference without a distinction.

The authors wish us to believe that us flawed members of Mankind will have a form of shell-shock, and rebel from the notion of including these sentient androids into society at any level whatever. So for many of us, this anime movie presents an answer:

FOR A QUESTION NOT WELL ASKED IN OUR OWN WORLD

This infirmity of thought, is a mistakenly assumed point of reference. I have more faith in Mankind than that form of petty jealousy. When a machine has feelings and ideas so clear that they perfectly mimic similar themes within us all; then I would heartily give the android credit for that notion. And I think most of us would do the same.

All of this discussion leads us to a really ugly form of discussion known as "... second class entities have no rights ...". This is what led to notions like Manifest Destiny, in the United States; or the more active form Pacification by Force, in Australia; in years past. Both of these ideas ended in the death of tens of thousands of the assumed 'second class entities'. In the United States, it was the American Indians. In Australia, it was the Aborigines. If it is declared not Human, we can destroy it without recompense.

It has not always been the case, but I want to believe that Mankind will be better than that, in the future.

I give "Eve no Jikan (Movie)" a solid 8, and I hope you all will give this movie a look.

easily one of the best sci-fi anime.
redefinition of humanity is certainly necessary with the emergence of self-awareness of AI. Conflicts will not always take place. Coexistence and mutal understanding can be easily acheived after breaking that 'barrier' of rigid definition of humanity.

I watched this version as opposed to watching the ONA so this review will be based on my thoughts on the movie.

Story: 10/10
The anime utilizes not a robot uprising or rebellion as its vehicle for story telling but its titular place of equality and I like the depiction of the so-called ethics committee and many a background characters snide comments as truly antagonistic.

Art: 8/10
Above the notch. The shaky camera effect in some (but not all) of the scenes makes this one really distinct.

Sound:10/10
Music and sound effects are utilized very well. In addition to the piano sub-plot, I really like the kind of break-beatish music playing ... the in the café. The ironically mechanical sfx of Rikuo when he has awkward interactions and other touches like that provide a lot of the humor.

Character: 9/10
The anime does not hold back with going in depth on each of the customers in the café and a lot are complex and emotionally moving especially the conflicted Masakzu Masaki. Unfortunately a character whom I felt was really important didn't have their story told as much as I would like to it to have done hence the 9.

Enjoyment: 10/10
I really like the message of this movie. The fact is, a lot of the earliest stories like those of Isaac Asimov show both sides of the relationship between robots and humans. Unfortunately, in a lot of popular culture works, we view sentient robots more often than not as villains with only a few token good-hearted sentient robot characters (e.g. HAL, The Matrix), I like it when we have AI that's benevolent like the the T-800 in T2 or GERTY in Moon.

A great sci-fi movie, where no mecha battles or space oddyseys are most important, but peaceful, everyday life. The only struggle present in the movie is to understand each other despite the erected barriers.
Every character is interesting and likeable, camera movement and the way scenes and transitions between them are animated is deserving a standing ovation. Soundtrack isn't that impressive by itself, to be honest, but it is placed in the anime so well i admit i was moved 2 or 3 times by it.
Story is very absorbing, and the only regret after watching the movie for me was that there is no continuation, ... or any sort of additional information about this story or world it takes place within.

A very beautiful film exploring the complex and strained relation between humans and androids in a future world. The film narrates the story of a boy who stumbles upon a cafe," Time of Eve" that , unlike almost all other places, do not discriminate between robots and humans and how ensuing events changes his perception of his own life and of robots, who were hitherto been thought of as machines without any emotional intelligence or personality. Despite massive constraint of time, the film did really well in taking us through the inner workings of most of the main characters, although the anime does ... leave us with unanswered questions, thankfully, the vast amounts of anime with cliffhangers have made us oblivious to these pains. Agreat plot, good animation, very good and likable characters are some of its major positives. To sum up, Eve no Jikan is a class act is highly recommended for all those who enjoy good movies.

If they're just made out of metal scraps. Then we're just made out of organs. Humans made robots. Nature made humans. What's the difference? Well, it's pretty obvious but what about "feelings"?

In real life if I am ever to see a robot with feelings and its own thoughts.. I'd probably freak out. But in anime? Heh. Anything's possible. So I can say cliche things like "Robots have feelings too".

This anime. Or movie. Is a movie about robots and humans resolving around two students. Things happen and yeah. Things happen. Okay. The summary of this movie is pretty much "Robots have feelings too" and that's ... about it.

I gave this 9/10 because it's pretty fun. Good story, good art ( though the camera is kind of irritating ), good sound, good character and overall I really did enjoyed it to a certain extent.

The movie's really chill. If you want something to kill off your time then you could watch this.

Eve no Jikan is a rarity among anime/anime-movies. It innovates in many ways including first being broadcast entirely as web episodes as well as using entirely 3D backgrounds with 2D characters superimposed in front. But beyond these new techniques is a story that is masterfully executed and themes to keep the philosophically inclined at awe.

Eve no Jikan is about a futuristic world in which androids are commonplace and assist humans with tasks ranging from cooking to driving. Do these androids have feelings? Can there be "love" between a human and android? One might want to categorize this with shows such as To Heart ~ Memories ... and Chobits, but believe me, this story is unique and, amazingly, a step above the aforementioned series.

The movie combines all six previous web episodes (with better quality) and introduces additional material to supplement the story, to great success in my opinion.

This movie is for slightly more mature audiences not because of ecchi or violence, but because of the subtleties in the themes being introduced. Despite a presentation length of less than two hours, this is not a series for those with ADHD. The story is paced fairly slowly, and watching it late at night will be sleep inducing. However, those who pay close attention will be generously rewarded.

Animation:
The animation quality in the movie is superb. The drawing is crisp and colors augment the mood of the presentation. The atmosphere is intended to be metallic and cold (potentially giving the impression that machines are likewise cold?). The series also makes occasional use of first-person view, quickly panning the camera to mimic the sometimes chaotic conversations. The use of 3D backgrounds is occasionally noticeable (such as when doors close), but is surprisingly well integrated with the character drawings. Character drawings are nicely done with a good level of detail. However, the scenery is what really stands out here. There is a lot of detail in this futuristic world, including scrolling newspaper ink and holographics everywhere, a nice touch.

There is no fan service/ecchi or blood/gore in this series. If these are a must for you, look elsewhere or deal with it.

Sound:
There is no OP to this movie but there is a wonderful ED by Kalafina that more than makes up for it. The ED is very heartwarming and goes surprisingly well with the end-credit animation/mini-story. The overall BGM consists of xylophones and other instruments to give the series a very "clinical" feel. Then there is the theme for the cafe, which is quite catchy after a while. The overall use of BGM is quite minimal, perhaps to compliment the metallic atmosphere in this futuristic setting. This can make it somewhat boring at times (odd silence), but in its stead you will find a wide variety of high-grade sound effects and realistic echo that varies with the location. This still leaves the VAs with quite a bit of work to do, and boy do they deliver.

There are quite a few notable VAs in this show that do a great job giving personalities to the characters. Special props to Rie Tanaka and the effects team for giving the androids realistic "speaker" voices. One thing to note is how Sammy's voice becomes progressively less monotone and more "human" as the movie progresses (wink wink). This movie is also distinctive for overlapping character lines, making it again more believable as normal conversations doesn't always occur sequentially (though probably quite a challenge for the subbers).

Story:
In the futuristic world described above, we find Rikuo, an ordinary teen, checking on his household android's (Sammy's) movement log. He discovers that she (yes, I am treating these androids as personas) had been visiting a strange location, which he discovers to be a cafe in which discrimination between androids and humans is not allowed (and thus the usual holographic halos above androids are hidden).

In this cafe, it is virtually impossible to tell who is a human and who is an android. Everyone has a personality, desires, and opinions. What will Rikuo find as he explores this cafe?

Despite being a movie, this show successfully tells an intricate tale of self-discovery and acceptance without overwhelming the viewer (there are a lot of "guidance" scenes to help acquaint the viewer with background context), and without leaving open a bunch of painful plot holes. The movie is told in arcs where the background of different supporting characters in and out of the cafe are explored, while furthering the main development of Rikuo and Sammy.

As mentioned before, there is a lot of subtlety that may require a second watch to pick up on. The Ethics Committee's background ad (showing how a robot-harvested tomato is "bad") is repeatedly played in the background, we repeatedly see androids being abused (treated poorly), etc. Don't write off any minor-seeming side characters, every character is utilized in the story for a purpose.

What is amazing is how beneath the cold, metallic aura of the setting, the movie comes across as a heartwarming watch, showing the "warmth" of the androids beneath their cold exterior; this definitely becomes more apparent on the second watch. It's truly an absolutely great story.

Character:
Rikuo, like pretty much most other humans, treat androids like tools. They assist in daily life and just happen to be able to comprehend just as well as humans. This attitude is reinforced due to a childhood experience that will be explained in the movie. However, as he visits the cafe, this viewpoint begins to be questioned. What really is so different about androids? Rikuo wrestles with these philosophical questions as he learns about the other local visitors to the Time of Eve cafe; some turn out to be humans, others not. He is truly a dynamic character, and his progression is aided by very occasional flashbacks to keep the viewer in sync with what Rikuo is thinking.

Sammy is the household android who isn't terribly present, as she doesn't feel comfortable having Rikuo seeing her in the cafe, but likewise warms up to her "master" as the movie progresses.

Value:
This was an outstanding watch, especially considering the content quality to length ratio. Some parts are a bit slow but the overall progression is great and the characters/setting incredibly believable. There is occasional humor (sometimes a bit dry) to break up the serious mood but the overall themes and questions that the series poses are very real. As the ending is fairly open, there is definitely room for an expansion to this wonderful movie/story. Still reading? Go watch this and enjoy the time of eve!