Plastic Memories

When I first started watching Plastic Memories back in April I was immediately very impressed by it because the first episode was simply amazing. It forecasted an original anime with beautiful artwork, an ambient atmosphere, likeable characters and a lot of tragic drama. At the time, I really thought that it would become the next hidden gem, and the biggest surprise of the season.

As it turned out however, Plastic Memories instead ended up being one of the most misleading anime I've seen in quite some time. Unlike what the opening seemed to imply, in reality the show is mostly a cute and light-hearted slice of ... life comedy with quite a lot of romance in it. Now this doesn't mean the anime turned out poorly in the end, quite the opposite in fact, but it never reached the level that I thought it would have reached in the beginning.

The story takes place in a future world where humanoid androids are a common part of human society. The androids, named "Giftias", are fully equipped with human emotions, and help their respective human owners however possible. But the Giftias have very limited lifespans, and thus they need to be taken out of commission before too long. Enter Tsukasa, an 18-year-old boy whom is offered a position at the SAI Corporation; a group responsible for retrieving Giftias who are approaching the ends of their lifespans, and eventually scrap them. Right next to him, we have his fellow co-worker: the incredibly cute and loveable Isla, who is actually a Giftia herself despite her position. The two of them form a team by order of their boss, and they consequently start working together, socializing together, and of course fall in love with each other.

This is how Plastic Memories suddenly becomes something totally different from what it originally promised to be. Despite the premise, the anime is in fact not about the retrieval of various Giftias, nor is it about the SAI Corporation itself or any of the other people working there. Plastic Memories is about Tsukasa, and it is about Isla. That is all. And honestly, that's totally fine in and of itself because they make up one of the cutest couples I've seen in ages, and watching their awkward romance is surprisingly enjoyable no matter how much you see of it. But for a lot of people, this was nothing more than wasted potential because the cool and interesting premise of the story itself is heavily neglected in the process. For everyone who wanted to see a melancholic story about the tragedy of having to say goodbye to your loved ones and how they deal with it... you're probably going to be left disappointed, because Plastic Memories doesn't actually focus very much on that at all other than right at the very beginning. The only character the show ever really emphasizes this point for is Isla herself as her lifespan is of course also very limited due to being a Giftia, but for everyone else... not very much.

However if you can get past the fact that the show is more or less in disguise and try to see it for what it actually is (in other words a romantic slice of life story), then suddenly Plastic Memories is a very enjoyable anime again. Why? Because it actually has *proper romantic development*. Quite a lot of it in fact. This is not the kind of show which ends with a confession in the final episode and nothing more; no, there are actually things happening from very early on in a romantic sense, which is something that is unfortunately very rare in today's anime. Especially seeing Plastic Memories airing in the same season as Nisekoi was pretty amusing to me; they're like night and day in comparison as far romantic progression goes.

Overall, Plastic Memories is an anime which you will probably be given a very different impression of depending on your expectations on it. Is it a good anime? Yes, but it's a completely different anime from what you're most likely anticipating when you start watching it. That doesn't make it a bad show per se, but it feels a bit like false marketing. It's up to each and every viewer to do their best at adapting to what the anime has to offer.

If you're looking for a deeply touching and emotional melodrama like Clannad: After Story or Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso, then sorry to say but you're looking in the wrong place. But for a cute yet beautiful story about young love, it's hard to find a better example than Plastic Memories.

Plastic memories will leave you crying like a baby, questioning your very existence. You ask yourself "How will I go on after watching this?", The answer is.. you don't. Just hide out in your pillow fort and wait for the day Giftia's are invented. Oh you came here for Action and Blood? This isn't Attack on Titan, but we'll let these feels kick you straight in the face. Watch Plastic Memories and cry your little heart out. Just when you think you are safe, BAM, the feels got you. Throw aside your happy tissues and bust out the Sad Tissues. The feels dont care about ... you.. You think you're safe? HA. You need to watch this, because if you don't, when you're old and gray and laying on a bed about to take your last breath You will ask yourself, "Did I really live life to its fullest?" and Naotaka Hayashi will bust through your wall and give you a much deserved swift punch to the kidneys.

If the memories you made while living faded after death, would you rather have not lived at all? Or would you cherish those memories to the very end?
Plastic Memories is a show that, while looking mediocre and somewhat generic on the surface, is willing to tackle some pretty heavy themes.

WARNING: This review will contain minor spoilers. Please keep in mind that it is difficult to write a wholesome review without revealing some of what happens.

Story- 9
The story can be considered as something that you're going to end up seeing a lot. Set in the future, Plastic Memories follows the protagonist, Tsukasa Mizugaki, who, ... due to circumstances, was not given the chance to enter college. As a result, he ends up getting a job retrieving Giftia. Giftia being a special type of Android loaded with a synthetic soul that display almost all the traits a living human does. You've almost definitely heard something resembling this plot before, although this show does it better, due to one plot point. The Giftia have an extremely limited lifespan of roughly 9 years and 4 months. And after that lifespan reaches 0 hours, the Giftia loses all personality and memories.
Here is where the the protagonist and his job step in. The job of Terminal Service, where Tsukasa is employed, is to retrieve those Giftia before their expiration date, as well as terminating the program and memories planted into that Giftia. This is where those heavy themes come into play. "Our job... Is tearing memories apart."

Art- 10
The way you judge the art all comes down to opinion. Plastic Memories has a definite style to the art as well as the general feel of the show. The way they went about animating captures the sci-fi aspect almost perfectly. Character movements are smooth and fluid, and the backgrounds are absolutely amazing. At some points, when characters are talking, the shading/background color will change to some other, vibrant color.
While it comes down to opinion, the art of this show is one of my favorites, and most likely will be for a long while.

Characters- 9
While only listed as a sci-fi show, Plastic Memories is also a slice of life, with a good dose of romance as well. Tsukasa is paired up with Isla, a Giftia nearing the end of her life span.
While Tsukasa has his own problems, and Isla attempts to come to terms with her gradual loss of functionality, they go about their job, retrieving Giftia- after understanding the feelings of the owner.

This is where the show really shines. The side characters, or the owners of the Giftia marked for retrieval. Giftia display almost, if not all, the emotions a human does. Love, fear, hate, regret. After living with an Android like that for nine years, how attached would you be? Would you love that Android? Would you hate to let it go? Would you hate it for imitating a human? Would you regret making memories with it, only to have them torn apart?
These are the heavy themes I was talking about. Almost all of the side characters are wonderfully developed, whether they are someone who refuses to let their Giftia be retrieved, or someone who hates their Giftia, calling her a liar.

And let's not forget the romance aspect of the show.
Tsukasa, as the official partner of Isla, the Giftia, is also her recognized owner.
Very quickly these two come to fall in love with each other. But in comes another one of these heavy themes.
If you had a month left to live, would you accept the feeling of the person you loved glad to make as many memories as possible?
Or would you not want to hurt them in only a month's time?
Like I said, this is a slice of life show. While being a cute and fluffy romance, extremely heavy themes are present.

Sound- 8
The soundtrack is able to capture the happy yet sad atmosphere of the show.
I really can't say much about the OP and ED, except that they fit the tone of the show. (Except I love the way they animated the ending.)
One thing I noticed only after rewatching the show, is that the end of the opening, Isla seems to change her reaction as the show and the relationship between her and Tsukasa progresses.

Enjoyment- 10
I love this show. It's also the only anime that almost made me cry. And I've watched Angel Beats, Clannad, and other shows that people claim made them bawl.
The ending is just so damn sad.

Overall- 9
Keep in mind this review is completely opinion-based, and if you disagree with me scoring it a 9, that's completely fine with me. Maybe I'm looking at the show too deeply, or I'm just a sucker for romances that develop like this, but I can honestly say that this is probably one of my favorite anime of all time. That might seem like a bold opinion, but hey, that's what it is. An opinion.
Anyways, I'd recommend this show to anyone who's looking for a decent romance, as this is one of the better ones that I personally have seen recently, and I'd recommend it to just about anyone who's looking for a good show.
Have a good day, MAL~

Ok, this is my very first review so do not expect too much of it.
Plastic Memories is a Drama, Comedy, Romance and Sci-fi style of anime.
Basically, there are robots named "giftias" that helps people domestically, or for others reasons. They have an operating period and as soon as this deadline ends, they start loosing its memory and end up becoming threats to people, so they have to be collected, but this time is about of nine years, more than enough time to develop a good relationship with your giftia, and that's the main purpose of the anime.

On the issue of drama, it can be a ... very dramatic anime, when you anxiously want to know what will happen in the next episode. The comedy is good, but is not the strongest point in the anime, it was a good point to create an affection with the characters, but as I said, it's not the strongest point of the anime. About the romance, there's that one typical problem faced by the protagonists in almost every romance anime, where they are concerned about frivolous things and end up taking many time to develop a relationship because of theirs shyness and other trivial reasons.

Here are my grades:
Story (9/10): For me the story is very good and with a good focus, it wanted to demonstrate that even having little time to create good memories to someone, it's better than have not created any. In the beggining, this anime presented all the plot and in my opinion the story became a little predictable, I mean, it became easy to know what would happen throughout the course of the anime, not as much as turning que anime less enjoyable, but that is a small negative point.

Art (10/10): The art of anime is very beautiful as well as most anime coming out, nothing important to say here.

Sound (10/10): As far as openings, sound effects and OST's are very well made and give pleasure to my ears, on openings and endings, I think it is something extremely important for an anime, and they pleased me a lot.

Character (9/10): There are several characters that have very different personalities, are typical characters of anime, but hefty well, everyone has their defects and their abilities.

Enjoyment(9/10): I have to admit that sometimes I felt very anxious to see the next episode, but there were also times when I had almost no desire to watch it, but the anime itself is very pleasurable to watch and so this grade is nine.

Overall: (10/10): I think the anime is really a masterpiece, the end is great and full of feelings, many people criticize the end saying it was very predictable and obvious, but in my opinion was a realistic end and so unexpected.

-POSSIBLE DANGER OF SPOILER-
The end of the anime is very criticized, because they say it was obvious and predictable, but the truth is that what was expected was to be a final in which everything would be fine and they would be happy in the end by some miracle, what would be technically impossible, so I do not think that was obvious and much less predictable, was a great, realistic and perfect end, Isla was happy and so was Tsukasa, they made what they wanted to do and Isla could rest in peace.

Watching Plastic Memories is like taking a science class. I don’t why but my professor used to assign these experiments for us to do and when we finish, he always asked what we learned. Plastic Memories has this experimental feel when it takes its story in a sci-fi direction with a utopia-like setting. In a place (I assume a fictional alternate Japan) where robotics has made advancements to a point where we humans rely on them, there’s all sorts of possibilities.

Directed by Yoshiyuki Fujiwara with Naotaka Hayashi writing the script, Plastic Memories is an original anime not based off any material. There’s a plus ... for this as it will leave the audience to expect the unexpected. Also, it’s studio Dogakobo’s first original work. Recently they have been involved in some slice of life anime series that may or may not left an impression. Nonetheless, Plastic Memories combines element of sci-fi, drama, and slice of life to craft this futuristic story – one where humans and robots co-exist as a sort of experiment.

A lot needs to be learned from the very few episodes. In fact, I think the first episode is one of the most important one of the series as it establishes many mechanics that carries their purpose throughout the whole duration. First, we have Giftia, a term to describe biological androids with capability to interact, understand, and function with humans. They even have emotional appeals to as seen constantly throughout the show. What makes this setup interesting is that they have a mind of their own rather than being just a mere program. Another interesting and more important element is that Gifitias have limited lifespans. According to the series, they can live up to approximately 81920 (9 years and 3 months). So when thinking about this, it can be made for a fact that the show spells out relationships that are doomed to end. What I find interesting about this addition is that the experiences the show tries to deliver will make more impact. And in a way, that’s something to think about.

Anyone who has seen Chobits or a show about human-robot relationships may be familiar with this premise. The main male protagonist Tsukasa Mizugaki becomes involved with SAI Corporation, a place where Gifitias are designed and made. His job is to actually retrieve Gifitias that are near the end of their lifespan. I guess what happens next could be fate or something but he is partnered with Isla, a Gifitia who is supposed to be “experienced” in doing the task. Little did we know…

In essence, Plastic Memories offers a little bit of everything except for giant robot wars or an android rebellion. No, what I find this series attractive in a few ways is how it handles each episode to add a little bit more and more to what it started off. Every episode shows development for our characters. In particular, Tsukasa and Isla’s relationship is a core element that seems to push forward the story. From the beginning, they are not particular close. Tsukasa is a newbie so he lacks experience while Isla herself also doesn’t seem to be skillful at retrieving Gifitias. So what do we have now? An unbalanced pair? Somewhat like that but there’s also an odd connection between the two. The pair has one human and one android capable of interacting in human-like behaviors. They are not programmed to act like zombies but instead actually has genuine emotions. In general, we see this throughout the story from a variety of perspectives. Especially in some of the later episodes, there are cases where Gifitias and their partners refuses to surrender themselves despite knowing that an everlasting relationship is non-existent. So when it comes to Tsukasa and Isla, it’s also obvious that one day, their relationship will cease to exist. That brings back to what I mentioned before as the show tests their relationship each episode. It’s kind of like an experiment where both characters learns about each other and perhaps even themselves.

While Tsukasa and Isla are the main focus of the show, there’s also other characters that play meaningful roles. Michiru, another employee and superior of Isla, brings into the show a harsher reality of their jobs. In essence, her past shows that violence and requisition also becomes part of their society when Gifitas are forcefully terminated when due time comes. In one of the mid-season episodes, it breaks down the barriers of lightheartedness and shows a darker side of their society. Then, there are other characters such as Zack, Kazuki, Yasutaka, among others. While their roles aren’t as significant as the main leads, they do also bring in a mixture of drama and comedy into the series.

Speaking of comedy, I have to say that Plastic Memories is a hit or miss. From the beginning, it can be pleasing especially with some of the jokes and dialogues between the main characters. Then, it gets repetitive. I mean repetitive as in the same type of recycled themes that you may find in harem-esque shows. While this series isn’t a harem, there are times when it resorts to similar antics. Also, timing is a key and only on occasions do I find some of the comedy appropriate as the series progresses. In short, a middling entertainment is how I can describe the comedy. On the other hand, there’s appreciation and effort given to the drama elements. Hints of romance are also evident while we see how much Tsukasa and Isla’s relationship develops. And while this isn’t a rom-com shoujo, there are moments that feels like so that’s nicely paced and well-acted. Otherwise, this isn’t at a level that will get so complex where you’ll spill your popcorn. The story itself also has a rather strange pacing at times. Sometimes, the standalone episodes feels little more than a waste of time while other others has a distinctive way of story building. Neither are a major impact to the overall series in general though.

Honestly, the artwork feels smooth. It works because of its charming visual feat and texture the studio puts into the character designs. The watercolor-like atmosphere also paints and communicates its point across; to get let the audience feel the portrayal of its setting. In fact, the setting of the series itself has credible artwork with its futuristic architecture, machinery, and of course the Gafitia. While there’s nothing special to say about Tsukasa, his partner Isla does have a few peculiar characteristics. Her expressions of a hybrid stoic/emotional/cluelessness can get the audience to be quite curious of her. Other characters also shows a good amount of texture with their design. It’s interesting to see how the Gafitia resemble so much like humans in physical design despite knowing that they have limited lifespans, far less than our own.

Music has a stronger appeal to a show like this. It’s important to match the atmosphere to create a sensation and I think the show nailed it with its OST. Yokoyama Masaru (Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso, Joshiraku) composes of the music which delivers its purpose – creating a feel of sensation. I also have to give some credit to the voice actors and actresses for portraying the characters. It’s not always easy to play the role of a non-human character but Isla in particular has a voice that feels welcoming to this show. Similarly, the OP and ED theme songs are coordinated with a smooth delicacy and bits of charm.

In retrospect, Plastic Memories has a feeling of sensitivity behind it. It told a human story about a biological android and how Isla adapted and learned from a human. There are times when it can make you genuinely feel moved by its storytelling while other times are easily forgettable. I think most of that applies to the recurring jokes for the latter as this series’ comedy really feels lackluster. The romance itself, while innocent and charming, suffers from pacing. You’ll also have to keep an eye on the lookout for a lot of the mechanics that makes this series possible. However, this show does represent a cutting edge of sci-fi fiction with a good dose of slice of life. Life is just seriously full of surprises at times.

[Spoiler Warning]

Plastic Memories is a show that very few people will be able to fully understand, emphasize with, and appreciate. It is a story about love, family, memories, loss, but most of all, it is a story about smiling through pain and understanding yourself.

The story is nothing amazing, as this is very much a character focused sci-fi love story with some light comedy touches. Many have complained about how the comedy takes away from the tone of the series, and while I can see that, you do have to appreciate how through the comedy, you see more about the characters than ever before. For example, ... in episode three, Tsukasa Mizugaki and Isla start living together. Isla won't talk to Tsukasa, so Tsukasa does everything in his power to make Isla talk to him. While this is very much a comedic episode, it highlights two things: 1: How Isla is so disconnected from everything in her life and the world, and 2: Tsukasa's love for Isla. This is something people often forget about when criticizing this show. Another brilliant thing this comedy does for you on rewatches is to highlight the sadness of the show after you learn more about Isla.

The art and music of this show are also fantastic. The art design looks absolutely beautiful, with gorgeous lighting and environments, and the music often shakes you to the core.

And then there's the ending scene. This is the most I've ever cried watching a form of medium... ever. Nothing even comes close. You can see the shows I've seen on my list.

I mentioned before how very few people will, essentially, understand this anime. And this is it: It's because you can't really empathize with the characters of this show unless you are a specific type of person. I can't really go into more detail unless you've seen the show to the end. Just know this: this show is among the best I've ever seen.

Overall, this show made me cry, smile, laugh, glare, and through it all, I was feeling such a storm of emotion and connection very few anime (or mediums) strive to create. I can't recommend this show enough.

Edit: Okay, so I know saying some pretty pretentious stuff here, but going any more in-depth here will spoil the series. Just trust me on that.

This is my first review. I tried my best to keep this as spoiler-free as possible. I felt compelled to write this because Pla-Memo is my favourite anime and I found it underrated, and the current reviews are also degrading its reputation. I watched Pla-Memo for the first time 3 months ago and after re-watching now I decided to write this review, I haven't changed my mind that this is my overall favourite anime.

Story: 10/10. First of all, the anime perfectly complies with its genres stated. The drama is really great, one can feel it even in the very first episode. Later on, the romance ... becomes also astonishingly remarkable. And of course the plot itself is Sci-Fi as the anime is being held in some future where the "Giftias" become fashionable. I found many people disliking the idea of the "Robot-human", yes it is over-powered and may be dangerous, but Giftias do have many advantages. Most importantly, Pla-Memo is different from any other drama anime, it is unique, the idea of giftias itself differentiates it from the mainstream drama like characters simply dying for instance. The plot is outstanding. There is also a very wide variety of events happening in merely 13 episodes, I was surprised the first time I completed the series. The first half of the season mainly focuses on introducing you to the life of the characters and their job at SAI Terminal Service. After this comes the more intense romance part, I found it just flawless. After watching the last episode you'll get me. Of course there were also comedy components in each episode.

Sound: 9/10. There is not a great range of music but quality is definitely present. The opening theme and ending theme have great potential of bringing tears after you completed the series. You can even notice slight changes after each episode if you watch closely. Of course as it is a drama, there are so many sad songs, they fit superbly though. The other sounds are also very well-organised; you can get chills, there are screams, cries, laughter, but very co-ordinated balance.

Character: 10/10. Isla and Tsukasa are in the spotlight for the anime. Isla is one of my favourite characters, she is a short and clumsy giftia but has human feelings. Her past is extremely riveting, and how it is revealed throughout the anime and how her character gradually changes is so satisfying to watch. Tsukasa is not really a superlative character but he is very considerate, he greatly cares for his partner. Besides the two leading characters, we have the duo of Michiru and Zack, if one has read the manga beforehand, the presence of these two fellows can be even more entertaining while watching the anime. Michiru, the classic tsundere, and Zack casually making fun of her is so fun to watch. I also liked all the other members of their circle, Yasutaka is here for the comedy, Sherry for the seriousness, Constance is a very nice guy... and Kazuki actually plays an exceptionally important role, both in guiding the main protagonists to do their job smoothly as well as in buttressing their personal relationship.

Enjoyment: 10/10. The first time I completed this anime was in one-sitting of about 4 hours (from 8pm to past-midnight more precisely). It was extraordinarily emotional, "the feels" were real ! I felt the "depression feeling" that I rarely get after watching a drama (until now, only Pla-Memo and Clannad: After-Story made me feel so, comparingly, Angel Beats, AnoHana and Your Lie in April are nothing, thats my opinion). You even realise some very true stuff about life itself, I can relate, for example, like Isla's quote: "Having happy and beautiful memories don't always bring you salvation. The more beautiful a memory is, the more painful it can become." That was deep. Yet, until now I did not come across any anime as beautiful as Pla-Memo, certainly that is my own idea, but all of this review is to encourage those who haven't checked the anime yet to go and watch it. However, if you do not wanna cry or get depressed, I may recommend you NOT to try this. Pla-Memo is a passionate drama, I privately love drama/romance genres like this (though this anime is distinctively special). Still, I am not saying that you are forced to cry while watching this, its all about opinions, but it is a fact that the emotions are greatly present and if you are a romantic-drama fan, it is definitely worth the try!

Overall 10/10

Memories are the thing that we all impact us in different ways. Pleasant memories give us a feeling of warmth and comfort. Traumatic memories give us sadness and despair. And the memories of people that have long disappeared are the ones that cause us to have both kinds all at once. So when you lose the ones you cherish so much, how exactly would you react? Here, a review of Plastic Memories, an anime that deals with such a hard question with relative success.

Story (7.33/10): Plastic Memories, or Plamemo in the shorthanded version of the name, features a technologically advanced ... world. In this world, the corporation known as SAI Corp. have developed an android called a Giftia, that is so much like a human, that the two are almost indiscernible from one another. However, unlike humans, Giftias have one major flaw, they can only function for a maximum of 81,920 hours (roughly 9.3 years) until their programming starts to fail and they become corrupt and unable to function. (Although, I'm not really sure how specific we are here when it comes to indiscernible. Not quite sure if an android is capable of certain bodily functions like waste disposal or reproduction, because apparently the only real difference they have from humans is their lifespan.) As a result, a branch of the SAI Corp. called the Terminal Service goes and retrieves the Giftias that have their lives almost expired. Here, we follow the story of our main protagonist Tsukasa, as he starts his job in the terminal service, where he meets a Giftia known as Isla.

Quite simply, the entire runtime of the anime revolves around Tsukasa and the job of the Terminal Service, where our main protagonists Tsukasa and Isla go around the city and pick up Giftias that are almost expiring. However, that isn't all that the story has to offer. In addition to the retrieval stories where the show focuses on the lives and the memories that the characters witness as they retrieve the spent Giftias, it also puts a lot of time into Isla and her backstory since Isla is a veteran member of the Terminal service group. The issue with this is that there's an imbalance between these two, with the majority of the story focusing on Isla rather than the retrievals that was shown at the beginning to midway of the story. Personally, I would've preferred the stories about other Giftias more so than seeing an episode about Isla since a good chunk of those episodes that focus on Isla don't really have much impact in the long run. This is mostly due to the fact that the show spends essentially its second half on one character rather than side stories that could have had as good if not greater impact.

In addition, the show has a bit of a comedic issue with it. A lot of the time, Plamemo has a lot of more serious moments, tackling the issue of memories of other people and the morality of ripping away these people apart from one another, only leaving the memories behind as its main point. But it also has a lot of plot points that serve to be more comedic, some haha moments. This creates an issue because a lot of the comedy feels misplaced and completely out of left field. It doesn't really meld with the current situation as well as one might think, and it, in several instances, killed the mood that was going on.

Another problem I found was that the plot itself was actually rather predictable. We have an object that has limited lifespan, and we have the main heroine who is that kind of object. (I'll give you three guesses.) As such, the impact that the series had really didn't show all that much. There were moments which I felt in the series were really good and not that predictable, but those were the episodes and story points that focused on other Giftia, not Isla. Also, the show kind of turned table as to what kind of show it was towards the end, turning into more of a rom-com, so that was also a slight issue.

In the end though, I really didn't have a sense of satisfaction with the way Plamemo ended. It was a very anticlimactic ending and it just sort of...ends. Personally, I would've liked to have a little bit more drama or a little more something because everything just went far too smoothly, making me doubt that it was going to, only to see that it was actually going to end the way I thought it.

Overall, I felt that Plamemo had a very good direction that it was going in, but took a different route. The comedy felt out of place at times, the show was fairly predictable, and it didn't really stick with one direction to go towards, rather, going towards two directions in which both felt somewhat unsatisfying in the end. Regardless, with the areas of the plot that focused more on the side character stories, I felt like the show really excelled in that regard and brought the theme of memories and how they affect us forward in a great way.

Overview:
+ Great character side stories
+ Good expressiveness of themes
- Plot was predictable
- Show went two directions, resulting in unsatisfying storyline
- Comedy felt misplaced a lot and clashed with story

Characters (7.10/10): Characters in Plamemo are separated into three categories, the main characters, the terminal service characters, and the retrieval characters, each with their own plus and minuses to be had.

Let's start with our main protagonist, Tsukasa. Tsukasa as a new employee of the Terminal Service is shown in a fish out of water style, where he has zero clue as to what he's supposed to do and has to learn from the people already working there in order to properly do his job. As the series goes along, Tsukasa starts to gain a bit of character development, connecting and understanding with the people that he takes Giftias away from, even going to the extent of apologizing for what he has to do out of sympathy. While that's good and all, a lot of the time I feel like Tsukasa's really just an afterthought on account of the show focusing more on Isla and having Tsukasa rely on her for any semblance of character development. Because the series doesn't actually focus on Tsukasa specifically most of the time, the amount of development he gets doesn't really go much in depth as I would've liked, and as a result, has some points that really feel a bit unnatural. (Cue end of episode 8.)

And then, there's Isla. Isla as the main female protagonist in this series is a Giftia who hasn't been out in the field retrieving other Giftias on account of some events in the past. At first, she's shown to be very robotic, acting almost like an android rather than a person. But as the show goes on, we are revealed as to why she acts the way she does and we start to see the relationship between the two blossom, which actually does put some positive feeling back into the series. But the problem I have with this is the fact that the show doesn't really use the time between the characters as proficiently as it could've. Several scenes, and even episodes are devoted for these two characters, but doesn't actually have much of an impact, resulting in wasted time. I wish the show didn't begin focusing on strictly Isla till the very end, because like that, the show gets a progressional feel of character as you weave in points of character development through every episode.

And then, the side cast. As I had mentioned before, the side cast for Plamemo is separated into two groups, the Terminal Service, and the other families with Giftias ready for retrieval. When it comes to the latter, that's when I feel like the show really shines because we have these connections between these Giftias and these people that our main characters have to break, leading to some dramatic and well-written scenes and moments. It really ties into the show's central theme of memories and how they affect us, which is why I believe the show would've done better if it spent most of its time in that regard. It's a case of "you won't remember their names, but you will remember their stories", which is something about Plamemo that I really like. As for the terminal service people, they're really for the most part, comedic fodder. There are several characters within this group that do have plot significance, like Kazuki, but for the most part, they're really just there to either move some part of the plot along, or create comedic moments. I say this because a lot of them are pretty one-note. (Aka, Michiru with her tsundere personality, Eru, who's pretty much just a pervert, the Terminal Service chief who sort of just complains about his family problems, and Yatsuka who basically just tries to hook Tsukasa up with girls. Zack's teasing personality is great though.)

Overview:
+ Retrieval targets are great characters
+ Main character development is decent
- Main MC development felt like a bit of an afterthought
- Terminal Service crew mostly felt like comedic fodder

Art and Sound (8.28/10 and 7.45/10): The art for Plamemo was created by Doga Kobo, an animations studio that's been known to do a very specific style of animation involving a very light color palette and their signature adorable, pupiless eyes. Similarly, Plamemo has the same kind of artstyle that feature more of a neon palette of colors, with all of the scenery and characters exhibiting a very bright look to them. The show itself does look good, but it doesn't really scream to me that it's very outstanding for the most part. Still though, there are some moments where I feel like the art really does go into these great looking scenes which is always a nice plus.

In terms of sound, Plamemo showcases a very wishful and pleasant sounding OP which I personally feel is one of the better OP's in Spring 2015. It's a very calming song that really sings to the ideas of losing the ones whose memories you have while also having a very hopeful and mystical vibe to it, which brings it to be a decently memorable track to listen to. As for the ED, the ED just feels a bit generic, with the song being a happy-go-lucky sounding song that I feel doesn't really have much of an impact or is all that impressive. Good sounding, but it's not really all that memorable.

Overview:
+ Great moments in art in the show
+ Good OP
- Bit of a lackluster ED

Personal Enjoyment (7.01/10): When I first watched Plamemo in the beginning, I initially related it to Chobits, seeing as how both shows talk about the result of a super advanced android in the world where we see the effects that said android have on the state of the world overall, as seen with both shows utilizing stories of characters impacted by the androids. But as I continued watching Plamemo, I was a bit confused as to why the show changed focus and eventually, I found it to be a bit boring, since the information that was given in the beginning had already written out its ending.

Did I like this show?

I in fact did enjoy this show to an extent. As I have stated before, the parts where the show features stories of other Giftias and their lifespans were really I felt were the high point of the show. They really related to the theme of the show fantastically, and I felt like the show itself was at its best when those stories were being told. I also really liked the character Zack. He teases everyone, and it's funny to see him tease the characters and see him just give an expression of him just not caring about the situation. His comedy I think was the best.

What didn't I like about this show?

The biggest thing that I didn't like about this anime was the fact that the show focused on Isla way too early. The show flip flops with its plot focus, going from a random Giftia, to Isla, back to another Giftia, then back to Isla again before fixating itself on Isla for the rest of the show. Personally, I felt like this broke up the flow of the show because while the show finished up one thing, it changed its tone completely before switching again, making it a bit of a weird watch because it was hard to tell whether the show was going to focus on one thing or the other. The lack of development for the main characters also bothered me because I felt like the show should've put a bit more into Tsukasa given how he's not really all that well explained in the series and how he mostly relies on Isla to have any semblance of character development. I was also not really fond of the fact that the show ended up turning into a rom-com because it felt a bit sudden that it just completely changed.

Would I recommend this show?

While Plamemo isn't entirely perfect, the show itself still does talk about the themes of memories and their impact to people which is well written in some parts of the show. It has some issues with the way it wants to structure itself, but it still is a good watch to one that enjoys a story of drama and loss. (Though personally, I feel like the show is less sad than people actually make it out to be.)

Overall Score: 7.42/10

Prepare Your Tissues (for your tears, not R-18 lol)

Heartache! Heartache! Heartache! So, before embarking on this emotional journey, be sure to have a box of tissues handy. Plastic Memories is a bittersweet anime that will tug at your heartstrings and leave you with a lingering sense of melancholy.

Deep Meaning

Beyond the surface-level romance and sci-fi elements, Plastic Memories delves into profound themes of life, loss, and the ephemeral nature of memories. It explores the complexities of human relationships and the bittersweet beauty of fleeting connections.

Character Development

The characters in Plastic Memories are well-developed and relatable, each with their own unique personalities, struggles, and aspirations. The central pairing ... of Tsukasa and Isla forms the heart of the story, and their bond deepens as they navigate the challenges of their situation.

Beautiful Artworks

The anime's visuals are captivating, with vibrant colors and detailed backgrounds that bring the world of Plastic Memories to life. The character designs are expressive and appealing, adding depth to the emotional moments.

Young Lovey-Dovey Newlyweds

The dynamic between Tsukasa and Isla is heartwarming and endearing. Their interactions are filled with innocence, humor, and a touch of awkwardness, reminiscent of young love blossoming amidst uncertainty.

The Actual Story Begins after Episode 6

While the first few episodes introduce the characters and setting, the story truly takes off around episode six. The pace quickens, the emotions intensify, and the central conflict becomes more prominent.

Audio and Music

The anime's soundtrack complements the narrative perfectly, with emotional and evocative melodies that enhance the impact of key scenes. The sound design also plays a significant role, creating an immersive atmosphere.

Its all about the Memories!!!

At its core, Plastic Memories is a story about the power of memories. It examines how our experiences, both positive and negative, shape us and define our existence. The anime reminds us to cherish the moments we share with loved ones, as they may fade away but their impact will remain.

Futuristic Androids

The futuristic setting and the presence of androids, known as Giftias, provide a unique backdrop for the exploration of human emotions and relationships. The concept of Giftias having limited lifespans adds a poignant dimension to the story.

Similar Concept to Alzheimer's or Memory Loss

Plastic Memories evokes themes similar to Alzheimer's disease or memory loss, highlighting the challenges of facing such conditions and the impact they have on loved ones.

Story: 10/10
Visual: 9/10
Detailed: 9/10
Characters: 8/10
Emotions: 10/10
Smoothness: 6/10
OP/ED: 4/10
Audio: 6/10
Originals: 7/10
Intense: 5/10
Uniqueness: 8/10
Fun/Laughter: 3/10
NSFW: 1/10
Boring/Idling: 2/10

Recommended to Watch

Plastic Memories is a must-watch for anime fans who appreciate emotional and thought-provoking stories. It offers a unique blend of romance, sci-fi, and heartwarming moments, guaranteed to leave a lasting impression.

Heres my Rating System
10- Probably the best and my favorites
9 - Best but not favorite
8 - Enjoyed it but not the best
7 - OK but not enjoy much, need to be improved
6 - OK but quite disappointed, has room for improvements
5 - Less like but chance dislike it but still has room for improvements
4 - Disappointed the way you produced the projects (anime/manga) but still considerable. / Might Dropped
3 - Trash but still considerable. / Might Dropped
2 - Trash in the Bin. / Dropped
1 - I just wasted my time. Better luck next time. / Dropped

If you have a companion that you can only be with for 9 years, supposing that you and him/her will be very close and be best friends, or even more than that, what will you do? Will you give up entirely? Will you cherish each moment with him/her? How about if his/her lifespan is only a mere 83.3333333 days left? Will you still make friends with him/her? Maybe take him/her into a relationship?

How about if I tell you that is the setting of the anime Plastic Memories? Although I am sure you already know that if you've read the sypnosis, but...

I was in rest of ... watching anime for at least 2 months when I come to know this. What made me watch this series is from a classmate's recommendation. I accepted his recommendation because at that time, I was finding for something sad. I don't know why but that's that. He said it was sad, so I played along and found another masterpiece made by the anime industry.

The story centers around Tsukasa, a man who failed in his work applications and started working in a company whose task is to retrieve Giftias, cyborgs who are the nearest imitations of human life (except reproduction. What a boring life they must lead. Joke.) and delete all data from them in order not to have complications. They bleed, they eat, they have emotions and have distinct personalities which makes them difficult to distinguish whether one is a Giftia or Homo sapiens.

There he meets Isla, his Giftia partner. That would be the start of series' story.

The story was quite tear-jerking fpr its dramatic scenes. Lots of events where some lost their beloved Giftias, which are certainly something to relate about, something that cannot be gotten over so easily. The story was purely outstanding, even though there is an obvious cliffhanger at the end. T-there a-are a-a-also some *hic* comedic rou-routines situated wi-wi-within, which makes it more sad in the end. Please give a me tissue. I-I'm c-crying over here. *hic*

The art utilized along with the character designs were purely amazing to my eyes, examples are the Giftia retrieving scenes and "THAT" scene in the last episode. I also found the portrayal of technologies and somehow, battles to be truly stunning. Well executed. Not lacking and never had a surplus. Just perfect.

The character designs are also perfect to consider. Especially that tsundere orange-haired woman, her Giftia partner, our main character and last but not the least, Isla herself who had one of the most pulchritudinous designs ever made in history (in my opinion, my biases and my thoughts) of anime. I don't know why I'm saying this, but nevermind that and move on to the next part.

The music and OSTs in this anime was also something that cannot be gotten over so easily. Especially its two themes: "Ring of Fortune" and "Asayake no Starmine." The latter was so good that I use it for alarms so that I wake up immediately. The OSTs situated in the anime was also great that it was used and blended perfectly upon the events currently happening in the story.

Now with the characters.

They each have distinct personalities, whether if they are humans or Giftia. Again, there is s jolly yellow-haired boy, a tsundere, a kuudere shirogami (white hair) and our main character. Each of them is unique in their own way and gradually develops as the story progresses. In other words, they are so well-made that they are some ones I cannot get over so easily. I might be saying this for a while now, but they are truly outstanding in my own accord.

I also enjoyed my time spent watching Plastic Memories. What I got was mixed emotions: happiness, sadness, enjoyment and utter satisfaction. The scenes were so great! Need I say more?

Overall, I would say Plastic Memories is one more masterpiece created by the anime industry. Great visuals, a great story, though I kind of need a second season in order to answer my questions. Great characters, great music, and excellent overall. I'd recommend this for someone who likes romances yet ends up as a tragedy.

Now, if your life was already predetermined...what will you do? Will you accept it? Or find ways in order to defy it? Me? I don't have an idea.

Am I supposed to cry at this show? I sure as hell didn't. It's not that I'm heartless or anything. I've cried watching other dramatic animes too but the show tried too hard to be dramatic.

(There will be some SPOILERS in my review)

[Story]: (4/10) (SPOILERS)
Plastic Memories takes place in a world where humans have created artificial souls and bodies. These beings are called Giftia and they are indistinguishable from humans. Tsukasa, an 18 year old who failed his college entrance exams has been offered a position at the renowned SAI corporation by his father's business friend. At this point, Tsukasa has been ordered to ... work with Isla, a female Gifita who has never been given other responsibilities besides serving tea.

The story, in my opinion, is an utter piece of crap. The show has an interesting concept and could have gone a different route but the execution is horrible. Just by watching the first episode, you already know what this show is going to be about. They're tearing up the relationship between the Giftia and a human being once "that" time comes and they can't really do anything about it(Hehe, not exactly). Am I supposed to cry at this point? This is the biggest problem. The show tried too hard to be dramatic without exploring some of the plot points. Ever wonder why some dramatic shows managed to make me cry? Because they're done well and executed well. The show also became a romantic drama. I wasn't even expecting romance in this show. I was expecting the show to explore the Giftia's and the breakups between the Giftia's and the Humans like what the first episode did.

The show also didn't answer some of my questions that I have for the Gifitas. Why are people buying the Giftias? What's up with the 9 year time limit? Why did they design it in the first place? What's the purpose?
I don't even know why people are buying Giftia's if they know that they're going to be separated after 9 years. These people are just asking for their hearts to be broken.

Hmm...the ending. One word. Predictable. Once you knew that Tsukasa is going to be dating Isla then you know that at some point, he's going to retrieve her. The events leading up to the ending, which is their romance, was so good. I actually enjoyed the romance between Tsukasa and Isla. However, the ending just blew it. It sucks donkey ass.
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[Art/Animation]: (9/10)
This is the year 2015 and the animation should be great. I don't tolerate animation that looks like it's made from the year 2012 or before. At least, the show managed to make a great animation. The animation looks great, the lighting also looks great and the environments are detailed. The character designs are good but could have been better and the character's facial expressions are spot on.
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[Sound]: (7/10)
The soundtrack is ok but nothing too great or special. The background theme (mostly the emotional themes) is ok and it fits with the scene that's playing on the screen. None of that really matters because majority of my score for this category comes from the OP and ED theme songs. The OP theme song is one of the most misleading song's I've ever seen. I was expecting the show to make my cry but failed to do so. The ED theme song is decent. Not bad but not great either. The VA sounds great to me but that doesn't matter either.
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[Character]: (7/10)
Ahh, the characters. I can't believe I enjoyed the characters more than I enjoyed the story. I mean, shouldn't it be the other way around? I'm not saying the characters were masterpiece but they were decent and I still enjoyed them.
The characters are.....let's say.....they're generic and they're not original. Tsukasa is your typical nice MC guy. What's up with this kinds of MC? I've seen his kind before and it is getting annoying. Isla is a Giftia, a nice girl who is shy but eventually opens up her feelings towards Tsukasa. What do you call them? Kuudere? Michiro, a girl who has been working on SAI for a long time and does not like amateurs like Tsukasa. Michiro is a tsundere who stayed on her tsun tsun side for the entirety of the show. Kazuki is an alcoholic girl who has always watched over Isla and even protected her for about 6 years before she called of the partnership. Yasutaka is a slacker and also an alcoholic. Yep, they're pretty generic. I've seen these tropes before.

The reason why I liked the characters is the interaction between these characters and, of course, the romance between Tsukasa and Isla. The story may be bad but you can't deny that the relationship between Tsukasa and Isla is great. Hell, the relationship development between these 2 are great too. I admit, the development was kind of rushed but considering that this is a 13 episode series, I gotta give the rushed relationship development a pass.
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[Enjoyment]: (7/10)
Like I said above, the story is an utter piece of crap and the ending is one of the worst I've seen but I still kind of enjoyed the show. The comedy is what prevented me from rating this show below 5. If it wasn't for the comedy then this show would have been a 3 or a 4.
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[OVERALL]: (7/10)
Some people might say that this is one of the anime that was created by Satan himself because of how bad it is. To me, the show is decent. It's not a masterpiece and it's not an utter garbage either. If you can get past the crappy story or the over-dramatic crap that they spew at you then you might like this show. However, if you're looking for an anime with a great story or a great dramatic shows like Clannad then don't bother watching this show.



Pros:
+Great Animation
+Good Soundtrack
+Decent Characters
+Great Romance between Tsukasa and Isla
+Funny moments

Cons:
-Story is poor
-Generic Characters
-Overdramatic moments
-Crappy Ending

Short review, There's no underlining meaning to my enjoyment of this one. Its quite simple, Plastic Memories hit me so hard in the feels I couldn't stop thinking about it for days. I loved the relationship between the two leads, It seemed so real and genuine to me. Their romance was a natural progression that felt satisfying and heartwarming, it was the most human relationship I've seen in anime so far. It really got me good. Would recommend to anyone looking for this kind of thing, it's a slow burner.

Also, in my opinion, I feel its best not to binge this one. Take your time ... with it, like one or two episodes a day, I think this helps build a familiarity between you and the characters, making the impact of the ending more powerful.

I'm going to be short and to the point: It's entertaining and gut-wrenching at the same time, like a rollercoaster ride that actually ends properly instead of throwing you off a cliff and slap a 'to be continued' arrow sign on top of the freeze-frame.

If you want to immerse yourself into a short and bittersweet lovestory, this is it. There's no contradicting plot points nor convoluted character developement. Although there are some inappropriate jokes here and there, I see them as tension breakers that reminds you "this ain't some School Days trash, we aren't gonna stab your heart til it's mush... yet"

Predictable story? No shit ... they pretty much tell you what's going to happen in the end right in the beginning. You also know how the rollercoaster's routes gonna pan out, but that doesn't make the ride any less fun. Also to those who say the female protagonist is just an architype of kuudere/tsundere, try to pay attention next time they reveal character motivations in any series okay?

I won't be able to explain this without spoiling a tiny bit of the story so here we go:



You good? Okay. So... She is going to die, so to speak. She can't lash out or party like there's no tomorrow neither, because she is not a human. She has no rights to be capricious, and is forced to keep working until the day she loses the sense of herself completely. She seems like a kuudere because she doesn't want to relate to any more people, so it doesn't hurt her even more when she goes. Also because she doesn't want to hurt the people she interact with any more when the inevitable happens. But as cheesy as it sounds, love is blind. So she slowly opens up as the relationship progresses. kuuderes have no emotions whatsoever, and tsunderes have that distinct screech you can hear from miles away. She is neither, she is an AI even more human than most human-beings she interacts with. And she is the most precious little potato ever.

This is one of the best series of 2015 and a must watch. The art is amazing, portraying the deep emotions of these beloved characters amazingly. The characters are deep with great backstories that drive them to make sure those mistakes never happen again. This story will make you question the meaning of life and memories, and give you a glimpse into the deep meaning of the memories we create. So many of the scenes are extremely moving and will bring tears of both joy and sadness to you. The ending is also done in an amazing manner. I hope you watch this amazing anime ... and enjoy it! I also hope this review helped!

I'm a bit late with this anime but when I watched it the first thing I say "Is this based on VN(Visual Novel) or Novel?" because it just too good to be true. Then, I did some research and found out the writer of Plastic Memories the same as the writer of Steins;Gate, yeah, that Steins;Gate. "yep that's why"

Overall it is an amazing anime, one of anime that makes me cry along with AnoHana and Angel Beats. The art is nice, the sound actor is great, my favorite character is Michiru

I really love if the make a second season but that might be a bit ... too much to ask, a movie maybe, about the main hero try to fight like the one in Ushinawareta Mirai

It's beautifully illustrates and discusses very morbid and sensitive issue; death and grieving.
If you want to cry; watch this.
It had me wishing for a box of Kleenex to wipes away the snot bubbles. I love the fact that in just 13 episodes I became emotionally involved with the characters, laughing, crying, grinning like a fool, and cheering Tsukasa on.

I look forward to season 2! If not, this will still be one of my favorites.

[Adapted From Original Blog Post]

Plastic Memories has been somewhat of everyone's favorite punching bag this year in spring of 2015. It only takes a glance through forums and the such to find people ripping up the show completely, claiming it to be a melodramatic and poorly written mess, and I was a little curious why that was. I mean, I'm relatively positive why backlash for Plastic Memories happened, but why has the public anvil fallen so hard on this seemingly simple series about robots, humanity and learning to let go? Now, in case you've just got here and have absolutely no idea what this anime ... is about, bear with me, because I'm here to say that Plastic Memories has been unfairly prosecuted by the community based on misguided expectation. So what am I trying to do with this review? Well, give it a fair trial.

Hello people of "The Wired", my name is Quan, I hope you're having a wonderful day, and today, I'll be giving my thoughts as I experienced them on the romance/drama/sci-fi anime of this past spring 2015 season: Plastic Memories.

Let's talk technicality first. Plastic Memories was animated by studio Dogakobo, a studio that has only recently appeared on my radar mostly for their work on the hilarious yet flawed comedy Gekkan Shoujou Nozaki-kun that aired last year, because besides from that anime, they haven't done many things of mention; as they are still a company more or less still finding their stride. And if this stride continues, I think we can expect great things from them in the future. Plastic Memories was directed by Yoshiyuki Fujiwara, who hasn't done a whole lot, but his most notable directing work was probably Engaged to the Unidentified, an anime that while I haven't seen, I can guess won't fair as well as Plastic Memories did under my scrutiny. The script was handled by Naotaka Hayashi, another one who hasn't done too much work, but on the other hand, as well as writing the script, he is also the original creator of Plastic Memories. I commend him for that because he has done something many of us only dream of, and I also get to blame him for absolutely all of the problems the story has. Nice, that makes things simpler. Finally, the anime is 13 episodes long, airing in between April 4th to July 27th of 2015. Now, into the story.

Story

In a world where scientific advances have allowed the creation of humanoid androids called "Giftia" that posses real emotions to exist, in one clean strike, the line between man and machine collapses, as Gifita are integrated into society as parents, children, brothers and sisters. In this changed world, 18 year-old Tsukasa Mizugaki is just trying to find his place. He has already failed his college entrance exams after collapsing half-way through the test, and his disappointed father, head of the SAI Corporation, the very company known for producing Giftia worldwide, offers him a position at the last place that he feels Tsukasa is eligible: the Terminal Service Department. There, Tsukasa will need to play reaper for Giftia that are reaching their "expiration date", forcing their depressed owners to sign their consent to allow Tsukasa to retrieve and deactivate the Giftia before their programming fails and they go berserk, potentially endangering society. Determined to make the best out of a clearly disheartening situation, Tsukasa encounters the rag-tag bunch of people that have gathered at the Terminal Service: his tsundere co-worker Michiru, who only started working a year before him, the timid head of the department, and of course, his new partner for retrieval: a Giftia named Isla. Isla is an emotionally repressed Giftia that, up until this point, has only served tea for her fellow workers at the department, but despite her rough exterior, Tsukasa finds himself inexplicably drawn to her, wondering who the real person behind her emotionless expression is.

Okay, listen very close to me now, because this next part is very important, because understanding what Plastic Memories is trying to accomplish with its story is essential to enjoying the overall experience. This is not, like what I assume many viewers of this anime wanted as it started, an examination of what is defined as human in a world where the line becomes increasingly blurred; like what something such as Eve no Jikan set out to do. It's an easy preconception to have when you read the plot summary, but you can't go into Plastic Memories expecting commentary on the nature of humanity, because you are just not going to get it. Sure, the subject is touched on, that's sort of unavoidable judging from the nature of Tsukasa's and Isla's jobs, but it doesn't waver on it and it doesn't go into depth, and that is just how it is. So, if not about what you would initially assume, what is the purpose of Plastic Memories? Well, to put it simply, it's a romance... and a tragic one at that.

Now, as anybody who is familiar with the genre knows, pulling off a well-written and believable romance in anime is no easy task, and Plastic Memories makes more than a few missteps in its execution. The first mistake is probably not putting the romance as the priority right away, and instead Plastic Memories spends its first few episodes on multiple assignments that Tsukasa and Isla must complete, not really stringing together any focus between the episodes. It can even feel episodic at times, and it's probably in these initial few episodes that people got misleaded on what Plastic Memories would be focusing on. The romance between Tsukasa and Isla feels nearly like a sub-plot in this stretch rather than what in reality is the beating heart of what makes this anime work, and when you're not focusing on the core of a show, things get aimless fast. Plastic Memories plays around with some, quite honestly, immersion-breaking comedy that doesn't flow well with the rest of the story, that at best is slightly amusing and at worst is distracting from the more sentimental aspects of the anime. Some side characters get episodes to themselves for slight development, but besides from the backstory of Kazuki: Tsukasa's tough boss, whose backstory is intricately linked with Isla's development, these backstories feel like pointless distractions that never really feed into the story again. Sometimes it focuses on the anguish of the people who are forced to part with their Giftia, especially in the emotion-fueled episode 1, but then sometimes it simply skips over this without a second word. It still serves as a passable slice-of-life with a sci-fi twist, but nothing in this first half of the anime is truly engaging or mold-breaking.

It can also be quite juvenile at times, which probably didn't help the slowly burning rage of veiwers who were still expecting Blade Runner or something. Plastic Memories isn't above fan-service or tasteless breast jokes, which does nothing to help its situation, tainting moments where the anime does try to be serious.

But once Plastic Memories finds its identity, as a romance, and as a story, sometime around the end of episode 8, it's a whole different matter. It was around episode 10 I think that I realized that the show's writing had improved drastically, and the only explanation I could come up with was that Naotaka Hayashi had finally began to tell the story that he truly wanted to tell from the beginning, all these side characters and world-building aside. And... it's really damn good, actually, one of the best romances I've seen in a good long while. It's not melodramatic and it's not rushed, building deliberately and wonderfully from episode 8 onwards to probably the best final episode thus far of 2015: 24 minutes of pure storytelling so gripping and emotional, that honestly, I wouldn't have had it any other way. Yeah, I'll admit it: I had almost had something in my eye at the very end. Shut up. But that's rare, actually, for me at least, to be completely satisfied with what I am given in an anime's finale, but Plastic Memories managed to pull it off, and that's worth a lot of praise. I just wish Plastic Memories could have realized that this slow build-up is something it should have been doing from the very beginning.

Characters

Since I don't have a lot to talk about in terms of side characters, I'll go over them first. Michiru, the tsundere co-worker, is adequate as a character, getting an okay back-story and acting as sort of a cheerleader for Tsuaksa's and Isla's relationship, which makes her somewhat enduring despite her occasionally annoying tsundere tendencies, especially when her Gifita partner Zack can see right through her act and points it out constantly, usually for comic relief. As I said before, Kazuki is probably the only character that is essential for the main "plot"(for lack of a better word), and she is fairly likable too, being a sort of fussy yet tough mother-figure for Isla. At very least, though the supporting cast lacks of depth, they are all somewhat likable, which could be almost just as important depending on the situation.

Tsukasa as a main character is not a lot to write home about, as he very much comes from the same "bland main-protagonist" camp that characters like Otanashi from Angel Beats and Kirito from Sword Art Online apparently attended. He just doesn't have a lot of personality, not that the anime doesn't try to give him one(before giving up and moving on to Isla). It brings up briefly his rocky relationship with his father at some points before pretty much completely dropping it, and what I took as a hint that he is becoming repeatedly desensitized from his job(or what Isla calls "tearing apart memories"), is pretty much gone before you have time to consider the implications it could have on his character. The one trait the anime bestows on him and keeps around for the whole duration is Tsukasa's tendency to keep sadness and or depression hid behind a smile, and while that's not a bad trait per say, it's just not really explored that often, only being brought up when convenient for sentimentalism. Not that the trick doesn't work in the last episodes, and you could say that is somewhat manipulative, but whatever, I thought it seemed genuine enough.

Now Isla is by far the most developed character in the show, though I'm hesitant to say develop as opposed to change. She starts as apparently a near emotionless person, though through hints by her clumsiness and occasionally quirkiness, it's strong hinted that this apathy is not her real personality, or at least not the one she was born with. To be honest, she sorted of pissed me off in the beginning with this demeanor, especially since it was so obvious that Tsukasa was head over heels for her and was willing to do anything to make her happy. The show does well to strip away her character layers throughout the duration, and even if it is not hard at all to guess what the her character's underlying motivation is(and to be honest, it's pretty obvious), it's still well executed, which can matter more than complexity. What really sold it though in the end, was when I was watching episode 13, and watcing how Isla was acting. I realized just how completely different she was acting than how she had been in the beginning of the anime, and the crazy thing was, the change felt natural, like it had been built up; like it had been built up well. And that realization was enough for me.

Presentation & Sound

I must say, I'm impressed Dogakobo. Plastic Memories is a pretty gorgeous looking show, and I think that has a lot to do with a choice blend of color and aesthetic. Lush shades provide the sci-fi setting with a certain glamour that feels futuristic yet still very much connected to a present day setting, with colors exaggerated yet realistic. One problem you could say is that the setting isn't always strongly communicated through the visuals; you'd be forgiven for forgetting that this does take place in a futuristic setting occasionally; locations seeming like they could have been hand-picked from a present day setting. Though honestly, that's a mere nitpick in the face of an anime that looks amazing, from color, to character designs, to the way that certain scenes look.

Done by artist Masaru Yokoyama, the music of Plastic Memories was never really something I took notice of. Admittedly, since this is a show that has been released very recently, I havn't been able to give the full OST a complete listen yet, but from what I heard while watching the show, the OST never really strayed very far from light slice-of-life jingles and soft slow piano pieces for emotional high-points. Take this overview with a grain of salt however, because Masaru actually does have a few good OSTs under his name, namely: The Rolling Girls and Your Lie in April, so maybe I just wasn't paying attention when the stand-out songs where playing. The songs I did notice was the quite good opening "Ring of Fortune", notable if only for the amazing visuals besides from the music, and a song called "Again and Again", which... is a quite lovely little song actually.

Ever since it first started airing, Plastic Memories has been subjected to unfair comparisons to sci-fi giants of the anime medium, hell, even to Ghost in the Shell, arguably the most influential piece of science fiction anime has ever produced, all against a genre it never really wanted to emulate in the first place. So I'm not going to. Because Plastic Memories isn't sci-fi, not really; it uses sci-fi elements to make its story work, but I'll judge it as a romance. And as a romance anime, there is one essential question I need to ask myself to judge if Plastic Memories wasn't just a melodramatic mess that just happened to tug my heart strings, but a competent and engaging anime that actually succeeded in exactly what it set out to do. At the end of episode 13, when all the dust has settled, and all the tears of the fanboys have dried up, did Plastic Memories make me care about the relationship of these two people? Did I care what happened to them? The answer? Well...

Yeah. And that's enough for me.

Final Verdict: 7/10


For this review and others, feel free to check out my blog! (Link on profile)

sets in a fictional future where robots have feelings, and have a life time expectancy.......knowing the time of their "death", it teaches us to appreciate the life given to us and the importance of making memories with people we love.....

Story - from the start this series have made it feels attack, and make a continuing combo from episode to episode......the chain of story is well preserved, from the first episode to the last.....

Art - is average compared to other anime....it have a nice background settings......personally i like the illumination effects at night scenes of the anime.....

Sound - the background music for this series is ... spot on, played on the perfect time and helps developed the scene to injects more feels to the viewers....

Character - focusing on the main characters, we can see Tsukasa's and Isla's
character development is very nice, as this plays the major part of the story......all the side characters throughout the series also are well made, given with their circumstances, and plays important roles to develop the main story line....good job side characters...

Enjoyment - it's not enjoyable to watch this anime, as it is more to a tear jerking story.........a wonderful, beautiful tear jerking anime

Overall - one of the saddest anime the season of it released......can be put in the list of most sad anime in history......10/10 i would recommend this to anyone who doesn't mind watching a beautiful sad love story....

Before I review this series I would like to make a couple of things clear. I gave this show a 10 so allow me to explain something.

1. 10/10 does not mean perfect, as it says on the site it says masterpiece. Masterpiece and perfect/flawless are not the sme thing. I do not believe in perfect shows or perfection in general.

2. All my ratings are based PURELY on enjoyment value. So even if I see something critically flawed if I'm enjoying the show enough I can simply overlook it.

Now, with that out the way let's talk about "Plastic Memories"

Plastic Memories is a truly beautiful show ... (I'm not just talking about art and animation although it is stunning) jut because of how it's done. At first glance the story is a standard slice of life show with a small sci-fy twist. Whilst this is true and even the ending is predictable as hell. (I could see it coming since episode 2) It all comes down to execution which is done brilliantly here. Just because of the way they did the show it is a masterpiece. The characters are all likeable and most of them truly grow over time. The comedy is well done and most of the jokes were very funny, only they got a little repetitive over time. The ending (whilst predictable) is extremely satisfying and complete. I hae never cried as much as I did after watching this show. I was still upset the next morning. In fact for whatever reason the next morning I didn't watch any anim because a voice in the back of my head said: "If I watch something now then I'm being disrespectful to Plastic Memories!" It's a feeling I get very rarely ater watching a show and if that isn't a sign of a masterpiece I don't know what is!

Therefore "Plastic Memories" gets a 10/10 as well as a full recommendation from me.

-Prorogon

PS: Grab some tissues before watching this series

Anime Series Review No.3

Plastic Memories an anime series holding so much potential from the r promotional video and especially the first episode. A anime series that will have my potential 9/10 or 8/10 if the plot expanded and handled properly. The plot have much to offer but sadly expecting the episode span to be 12 episode long instead of 24 to more number of episodes. I will just expect the series will focus eventually in the romance and slice of life part and yes I am correct it did focus on the 2 main characters romance but will get to that later but first I ... am going preview the show separately first before I discuss the entire whole.

Story 7/10
The anime have an original premise for it focus on the companies retrieval operation on android's called "Giftias", androids that have 8 to 10 years lifespan with the most unique traits that machines and this timeline robots don't have which the ability to have emotion and to make memories which is one of the most special traits we humans have, instead of an typical routine in retrieving expired robots the crew instead became a grave retriever where they will engage the conflict of owners who have made memories and bond with the giftias and fail to let them go which make the story more intriguing and making the story for drama blends perfectly with the sci-fi genre and at the same time slice of life is unconsciously taking place in the events which make's a good formula but the comedy backfires the formula. I know slice of life and comedy blends well but drama and comedy doesn't especially if not controlled. Why? Cause when a comedy took place afterwards the drama it will ultimately deletes the dramatic emotion and replace with comic relief immediately butchering the seriousness of the drama. I am not saying comedy and drama cannot be made a good formula but the comedy and drama should have boundaries which will not break the premise original focus. Drama series to get it's impact to the viewers should be delivered seriously while comedy can be taken lightly. If the comedy doesn't effect the drama I can say the handling is good but in the first episode run they butchered the drama alot of times. The drama became a force drama instead because there are times you are moody in a particular scene in the episodes and sometimes you don't, making the drama just fraction of the series episode instead of the entire whole meaning there are times the scenes are serious and there are times the series is pure comedic nonsense but I did give a praise in the last 3 remaining episode where the romance drama of the main characters is delivered nicely and seriously making plastic memories enjoyable even if it have huge potential to become the shiny gem of the season. So many unexplained parts of the scifi is ignored in the series which is a complete disappointment for sci fi fans like me but still the romance development is a big "O.K" as a fan of romance. Romance that doesn't end in confession but romance that ends in the phrase "Until death do as part" which a lot of romance anime fear to present which make Plastic Memories a recommendable anime for slice of life and romance anime fan who like cute love story.

Artwork 10/10
Plastic Memories have great production values and the art style smoothing and relaxing a great fit with the slice of life and sci-fi genre theme. The artwork can attract many viewers attention.

Sound 8/10
The Opening of the series depicts the contents of what the series is which they did major good job in hooking it's audience and knowing what events that can occur in the series and also depicts the potential of a lover story will take place which did happen as the story progress. ED "Asayake no Starmine" by Asami Imai a song that will stay in my song list for a long period time. At first the ED is ok but the more I knew about Isla personality and the tragic event that will happen to her I like the song in the bottom of my heart started to shed tears of happiness and sadness. The ED did a very good job is coloring the main heroine and making the aura happiness and sadness in the slice of life and drama. ED is praise worthy and the art did very good in making it's visual memorable.

Character 6/10
This is what I considered the weak point of plastic memories for because of the short amount episode given the supporting cast will have limited time to have a character development and the series will focus more on the main cast instead. Plastic Memories will be a great series if only we know better about the other retrieval office staff and their interesting stories but still they did make a great support in building up the main cast as a support in the series but I think they deserve better. I like Isla the most her traits of being short, clumsy and nervous make her a likable character even thought there are lot's of character like her but she did make something memorable in her own personality. The other characters became generic for the show give them less time to stand out to make them unique but still they are not useless and contributed fairly in the series following themes. Since I liked the characters I give a above average 6/10.

Enjoyment 8/10
I will say I dropped the series in the 3rd episode because of the misleading plot but 2 months past I try it again and in a great surprise I got hook and finish it without noticing the time. I felt great and happy for the ending and I will remember the events of other episodes and especially the last.

Overall 7/10

Plastic Memories is both recommendable and unrecommendable series for me for it will only attract a small portion of the population and majority won't be interested but it is still recommendable to anime fans who love decent romance, slice of life and drama series.


This so far my longest review I made but thanks for reading my personal thoughts and opinions about the show. :)