Plastic Memories

Often times, anime becomes an effective outlet for limitless fictional worlds, ones that reach out far beyond the norm to accurately portray the original vision of the worlds' creators. Often times, these worlds suffer from being too complicated, too busy and too cluttered with the many ideas that have no place in a twelve or thirteen episode run. Often times, these twelve or thirteen episodes are the cause to many, many headaches of mine.
And yet, Plastic Memories has me missing those headaches, the ones spawned from such an expansive world, because this is something Plastic Memories has failed to explore.

While the anime provides an interesting ... base concept and characters that are lovable on perhaps a surface level, it leaves much to be desired in that there are many existential questions left unexplored as they are deemed out of place in Plastic Memories' established rom-com genre.

Much like Chobits, Plastic Memories has the appeal of human/robot couple, but unlike Chobits, the pairing has almost nothing at stake.
During our thirteen episodes, we witness the awkward romance of Tsukasa and his robotic love interest, Isla, and throughout their narrative, nothing is pitted against them besides Isla's expiration date--an interesting aspect of the story that rarely comes up, replaced instead by a heap of filler episodes. In fact, besides this expiration date, the world of Plastic Memories has little to no conflict in it.
It's frustrating to watch, because there is a towering amount of set-up for a touching narrative on loss and acceptance, and that is never fully explored! There is set-up for some sort of commentary on humanity, and that isn't even touched on!
I find it a crime for a show to contain the same romantic dynamic of Chobits and fly so far from the meager philosophical commentary that Chobits provides. I find it a crime for a world to contain robots heavily integrated in society and not explore that aspect at all.

To continue down the path of minuscule fictional exploration, the characters in Plastic Memories are incredibly underdeveloped.
The show is more concerned with providing the cliches present in every rom-com than it is with differentiating itself from the other members of the genre. We know very little about Tsukasa, Isla and the many side characters, in favor of simple misunderstandings and the cookie-cutter tsundere yelling about something that hardly matters.
We are told things about Tsukasa and are expected to simply accept these aspects of his character, without so much as a flashback to back it up, making it very hard to sympathize with him. In fact, we get more background for the tsundere, Michiru, who receives more attention in terms of fleshing out the character than Isla, who is supposed to be the focus of the show.
As a result, the cast is very one note and forgettable, often tragically struggling to make the viewers care.

Unfortunately, I don't care.

When I was first introduced to the series, I was prepared to be emotionally torn to pieces by Isla's death looming over her; I was prepared for each new episode to be more painful than the last, for the tragedy of the series to be dragged out until the very last episode when mortality came to claim its eventual prize.
I was prepared, and instead I got romantic filler. Episode after episode features Tsukasa getting embarrassed about something new, with maybe a minute or two of screen time dedicated to the actual plot. Three episodes before the finale is a filler, and as a result, everything afterwards seems rushed and out of place.
The whole tone of the show can't decide whether it wants to be depressing or silly, and while I have seen other series where both are juggled successfully, Plastic Memories is not one of them.

To conclude, as a romantic comedy, Plastic Memories has all the essentials to carry it through from episode one to episode thirteen.
As a new, memorable and touching story, as a tragedy about a girl with so little time left, it has nothing.

Similar to a sandwich missing everything except the bread, Plastic Memories leaves me unsatisfied.

Plastic Memories was a series that seemed unsure of what it wanted to be. On the one end, it had a unique premise on paper in its focus on a retrieval service tasked with taking back androids called Giftias from their owners before their operational time is up and exploring the moral implications that come into play with both the retrievers being forced to drive apart a Giftia and their human owner, and how the various human owners have to come to terms with saying good bye to a Giftia they became close with. On the other end, we get a romantic dramedy played up ... with a milquetoast male lead becoming attracted to the cute-looking Giftia girl who is among the retrieval agents that he takes up a job with. The series mixes focus between both these premises as male lead Tsukasa tries bonding with the Giftia girl in question named Isla and becomes familiar with the varying challenges that come with being part of the Giftia retrieval unit, which I found myself not really enjoying.

My issues with the romance angle that Plastic Memories attempts to milk has to do with my lack of interest in the two as a possible couple. Tsukasa is a bit bland for the series male lead with his idealistic and milquetoast character and while I didn't mind some aspects to Isla's character involving the Giftia retrieval premise, being clumsy and just as milquetoast as Tsukasa played more into traditional romantic comedy titles that I've grown to despise in recent years due to their superficial attempts to force comedy into the romance played out between the lead couple in question. Many of the retrieval workers are also rather bland with their characters as they mostly exist for comedic gags and to push along the relationship between our two leads.

The elements of Giftia retrieval explored within Plastic Memories were my main draw to the series and saved it from complete mediocrity for me. The series explores a number of the cases that the retrieval agency get into as the human owners have varying reactions and situations to dealing with parting with their Giftia with some having to learn to cope with moving on from the loss of a companion and others having come to come to terms with the developments. One episode also explores what would happen if Giftias are not retrieved before their operation time is up, making for the most suspenseful moment within the series. This element ties into Isla's character as the years she has been tasked with retrieving Giftia and her operational time running low have taken their toll on her mentally as such where she tries distancing herself from others and questions if her job is only to sever bonds with others. The series would have had plenty of potential at exploring the moral implications of the retrieval service and how one could believably cope with bonding with someone you know has more limited time than a human's natural life span to bond with. Instead though, the series opted to devote more of its time toward Isla and Tsukasa's developing relationship as it would get prominent focus by later in the show's second half, whom aren't exactly the best couple I could care for.

As it is, Plastic Memories was a series that had a premise with a good number of directions it could have gone with the Giftia retrieval service. Instead, the series opted to become yet another typical rom-com title with a milquetoast pairing that I couldn't find myself getting behind due to how cliched both members of the pair were. Your mileage may vary on how well you warm up to it with the differing premises it offers up.

By the title itself, you've probably managed to create a simple idea of what this series is going to be about - simply "memories". However, Plastic Memories doesn't only focus its purpose on the aspect of "memories". You may discover that it also covers the importance of relationships that the characters establish. Plastic Memories is a tale set near the distant future. The story of a young man experiencing the life of work, while he struggles to fit-in his recently obtained job. As we know it, work experience is definitely a skill that is essential for our everyday lives and the overall enjoyment of it ... is another story. However, in this tale, work can be described as “happy-go-lucky”, which the characters experience the opportunity to make special bonds - possibly something you might have never experienced before with your co-workers.

Evidently, the basic premise of the story is set near the future. A world where humans coexist with android-like-humans called "giftias". At first, it may sound like a friendly atmosphere - unlike any typical dystopian story - but there are also secrets that lie behind these human-created-androids that contribute to the way their society works. The main protagonist Mizugaki-Tsukasa discovers the true nature of these androids by enrolling himself with the terminal services department, a company that specializes in retrieving the androids when they reach their final stage. Once that final stage occurs, malfunctioning kicks in and in the worst-case scenarios, psychotic levels can rise. This may sound like an interesting way to start off a psychological series; however, for this story, it's entirely the opposite.

My personal view of Plastic Memories was like watching two shows in one. In the beginning, the story led me with confusing questions: what is the writer's main focus of the story, or what are they trying to display for the viewers? What this tale lacked was generally the overall progressing of it - it was inconsistent - that was its main flaw. At times, it was quite silly to watch - at one scene - almost as if the creator was forcing me to laugh. You find yourself on loose ends, wondering what happened with the main purpose of the story. Other times, it gets too emotionally sidetracked with the romance - losing its purpose on the main event, which in this case, is retrieving the androids before the expiration date. Then you witness partial amounts of the way the TS-Department works. (I have no complaints with character development, though). Despite that, some people dig the whole romantic-comedy-genre and for this anime, they did a well-done job with it. Everything paced well. In addition, the studio, Doga Koba, did a somewhat magnificent job organizing the episodes that dealt with emotions like: sadness, anger, love, and happiness. One week you witness a sad event; the next week's episode "soothes your soul". (This method has created a nice balance for viewers that deal with an ongoing emotion).

The overall series is to some extent unique in aspects of character development. I mean, the relationship between a human and an android - is something that's unexpectedly surprising. It's strange to say the least. The characters have to constantly remember the times they spend with their loved ones (androids) and question themselves: will these memories become meaningless? This applied to Tsukasa, as he had to encounter difficulties with his partner Isla. Throughout the story, PM (Plastic Memories) took a turn towards another route, in which it focused primarily on the main character's emotions. Their interactions were by far the most memorable. I was led to multiple journeys and discovered the way Tsukasa and Isla managed to work in their environment. The jobs they were assigned with revealed new characters. Even the supporting characters have contributed greatly with Tsukasa's relationship. They weren't just some irrelevant character waiting by the sidewalk, hoping to obtain some screen time. They were quite enjoyable to watch. Some examples are: Hanada-Yutasaka and his cliché advice, Kinushima-Michiru and her overboard temper (not to forget - her tsundere personality), and finally, Kuwanomi-Kazuki and her overprotective-ness for Isla. All these characteristics were essentially helpful for the overall improvement for Tsukasa's relationship (as I stated above). Lastly, they're just simply adorable - especially the way they interact with each other. Simply watching them - is a great way to put your mind at ease. Even the smallest interaction between Tsukasa and his colleagues was quite amusing to watch.

Truthfully, I'm well convinced that the artists of this series have provided a considerable amount of effort - displaying a beautiful final-product. Although, I wouldn't say it's completely unique. The characters are given simple designs that match their personality - not too complex, though. It definitely wouldn't distract you from watching the entire length of an episode. Not to forget, I should also mention that the animations for the sceneries were amazingly and beautifully done. The animation was quite accurate. For example, the light would naturally shine like it would in reality (just to be clear, distinguishing the positives/negatives for animation isn't my expertise). Also, the scenes when the characters encounter an emotional pain; can possibly make any individual feel a sense of sympathy for them. Regardless of the typical character design, it's quite suitable for the story.

Personally, I believe that the music was somewhat the least impacting throughout the course of the series. There isn't any moment when I would try to put the efforts of remembering the last song I heard. On a positive note, the music definitely mixed well with the overall mood. The opening, including the ending songs didn't simply contain a repetitive tune, neither was it unappealing, but it managed to execute a beautiful sound.

My final opinion of Plastic Memories: it's heartwarming, it provides a rather enjoyable story, yet my anticipation for the overall plot was lacking the consistency it needed.Despite it being cliché and silly, I have no regrets watching it. Now that you have collected all this data, manage yourself some time and watch this anime. If you are someone like me who enjoys another story that contains romance (ignoring what I previously written above), and to some extent, a combination of comedy, then by all means, endeavour yourself - Plastic Memories will provide you that endless satisfaction. You will experience countless emotions. I can't convince you how much I'm pleased with the final product of this show - neither can words express how much I've enjoyed this anime. Give it a shot, it's relaxing, and perfect for any viewer that's searching for some time to waste.

For my third review, I decided to go down the romance route. Plastic Memories aired in the Spring season of 2015 and surprised many with it's heart-wrenching tale of romance.

Story:
First and foremost, those going in to this anime expecting an epic sci-fi revolving around androids are going to come out the other side disappointed. The anime is a drama romance through and through. I'd recommend something like 'Ergo Proxy' or 'Psycho Pass' to fit the aforementioned criteria if that's what you're looking for.

As I said before, Plastic Memories is a sci-fi drama romance set in the far off future. In this world, robots called Giftia's ... are manufactured to serve as place holders for loved ones. It's not a unique concept, and I've seen it be done before (the Steven Spielberg movie 'A.I. Artificial Intelligence' comes to mind), but where Plastic Memories excels is in it's tragic romance.
Instead of focusing on world building or explaining the lore behind the alternate future we're given, Plastic Memories focuses on it's romantic development between the two main characters. And it surprisingly works. It's very rare for a one cour anime to pull off a touching romance, so I applaud Plastic Memories for it's ability to do so.

We're shown the world from the eyes of Tsukasa Mizugaki, an 18 year old college drop-out who is offered a position in the Terminal Service Department of the SAI Corporation, the company that created and now manufacture the Giftia. Tsukasa's department's job is to reclaim Giftia from the families of those who purchased them before they expire. Expiration for a Giftia means their artificial consciousness goes haywire and corrupts, sending them into a state of frenzy. Imagine Wall-E turning into the Terminator. We're then introduced to a fellow employee of Tsukasa's called Isla, who happens to be a Giftia, and he falls in love. I'm not entirely sure how Giftia have been allowed into public release given they have such a dangerous flaw to them, but I digress.
The story follows Tsukasa and Isla as they go out reclaiming Giftia from their families. It's a formula that stops from going stale due to the different ways they go about doing it and the difficulties the job comes with.

Art:
Overall the anime was well drawn, with some specific scenes looking gorgeous. The world looked very nice and you could see the futuristic settings in everything from the clothes to the technology used.
However, the colours felt too saturated at times and that would sometimes distract me from what was being said. I feel as if Plastic Memories would have benefited from a more subdued palette. Ultimately though, the art was a fine catalyst for the story and it did it's job fine.
I have to give praise to the animators of the first episode in particular though - as the animation was absolutely breathtaking.

Sound:
This was probably my favourite part of the anime. The sound direction was spectacular. One thing I loved was the way they'd ditch music from a scene completely so we'd focus entirely on the speech. It added a dramatical punch that I feel wouldn't have been there had a quiet melody been inserted into the background. It was a risky move, but it paid of well.
The voice acting was fine, with Sora Amamiya doing a good job with Isla's shy character and Yasuaki Takumi managing to eventually bring me to tears with his sublime performance as Tsukasa.
The opening was absolutely gorgeous, and I'd recommend that you listen to the song in it's entirety - as it truly is beautiful.
The ending served it's purpose, but didn't really bring anything to the experience.
Masaki Tsuchiya did a spectacular job as sound director on this anime, and I'm excited to see what he does next.

Character:
This is probably Plastic Memories biggest flaw.
It took me a good half of the anime for me to care about the two protagonists, Isla and Tsukasa, and I never once cared for any of the side characters. By the end you love them and their tragic relationship, but I can only think that if less time had been focused on the bland support the anime would have come out for the better.
Though as I said, I genuinely did end up caring about Isla and Tsukasa. It just took a bit longer than it should have, but that might just be me.

Enjoyment:
I'm going to be honest, there were a couple of times where I found myself not excited for the next episode. But somewhere along the lines, you find yourself actually caring for Isla and Tsukasa and the adventures they get up to.
It may go for cheap tears, and you're more than likely going to know how Plastic Memories will end by the second episode's conclusion - but it's watching the inevitable events occur that makes this anime such a treat to watch.

Conclusion:
I understand I'm in the vast minority of avid anime watchers by rating this show high but it hit me hard. There are some world building flaws, and the supporting characters are one dimensional and bland, but Plastic Memories never pretended to be anything that it wasn't, and it achieved it's job of making me care about Isla and Tsukasa.
Don't be mislead by what the first episode and synopsis tells you.
Plastic Memories is a slice of life rom-com. One that you won't forget, assuming you're not a Giftia.

This was certainly a highly anticipated anime for this season. Now that it's complete I thought to express my disappointment with Plastic Memories.

Story: 6/10

I was honestly going to skip this anime this season, but everyone was raving over "the feels" of the first episode. I was convinced to check it out. The premise of the show is very interesting. I LOVE the concept, but much like Glasslip of the summer lineup of last year. it has SO much WASTED potential. You think the plot will focus on the sci-fi element of the series, but it doesn't. It focuses on this forced relationship between the two ... main protagonists. Isla's personality does a complete 180 from episode 11 to episode 13. I can't stand horribly transitioned personality changes in characters. It's poorly written and to be 100% honest, I could write a better story than this. People will argue and say the feels are strong in this anime, and I have to agree somewhat. There are a few scenes that are heavy on the heart, but the ending for the anime, for me personally wasn't emotional. If you're going to do an anime on provoking the viewer's emotion, you need to build the characters into a define element and have a compelling story, and frankly, this anime didn't do that.

Art: 7/10

The characters lack expression and there is several "derp" moments when the animation doesn't hold up just right. The eyes really bother me too. I wasn't too impressed by the character designs. I'd say it's pretty average.

Sound: 8/10

I actually like the OP and ED song. It's shocking, I know. It seems a lot of people dislike it. The osts are also well placed in certain scenes.

Character: 6/10

Much like the story, the character's are poorly written. They have either no personality or they're generically bland. I didn't like Isla, she is nothing special about her. She's a typical moe archetype. Tsukasa is really no different. Michiru is really (pardon my language) fucking annoying. Every time she talks I wanna punch her in the face. She might be slightly developed with her backstory about her dad, but that's pretty much it. It's the same thing for Isla. All the characters are too one dimensional for my tastes. I only liked them at certain points in the anime, but it wasn't enough to win my affection over wholeheartedly.

Enjoyment: 7/10

I did enjoy how they started off the anime. Much like Owari, they had a strong beginning. But I was disappointingly led astray from what I thought the plot was going to be about into something that didn't really fit into the premise of the series.

Overall: 6/10

With all this lost potential with robots and memory processing of what could have been a great sci-fi , it deserves this score. Which in all honesty isn't as nearly as low as you may think. I really don't recommend this anime.

Plastic Memories has one of the best opening episodes, bringing us into a really promising world. It brought the themes of bereavement, and set up the ideas of conflicts arising from people seeking to avoid that pain. I cried on the first episode. Unfortunately, the full series is the biggest waste of potential ever.

The anime quickly switches from a sci-fi drama to a rom com. This is not necessarily a bad thing, but the romantic elements are really hurt by the fact that the characters are very flat and setup for the romance between Tsukasa and Isla is unnatural and perverted. Tsukasa has an unhealthy ... infatuation with Isla from the get-go. They are forced to share a room and all the coworkers (except Kazuki, at first) conspire with Tsukasa to get them together. I can't really root for the relationship which starts with this kind of harassment which would bring lawsuits in US. Kazuki witnesses the harassment and is shocked but doesn't do anything to stop it.

The second and third episodes focus on this perverted office culture and are really bad. Fortunately, the fourth and fifth episodes get back into the field work, and brings back some of the themes of the original episode. After that it focuses almost entirely on Tsukasa and Isla, with little world-building.

The characters are all flat, with Isla getting the most development, but overall not that much. The love is forced. It's telling, when Tsukasa and Isla list things things they love about each other, and the best they can come up with are things like, I love that you are clumsy and short. I love your handwriting.

I can't help but contrast this to Steins;gate. Steins;gate also has fairly one-dimensional characters, and silly slice of life episodes. But the reason this fails while s;g succeeds is that s;g has a central conflict which maintains the dramatic tension, while this has none.

The closest thing to a conflict is whether Isla can open herself up to love, or if she will close herself off to prevent hurting others. The problem is that it doesn't feel like it matters what the outcome of the conflict is. And there are so many other potential conflicts that could exist in the world, but aren't explored.

The reason I didn't rate it lower than 6 is because the final episode was sufficiently beautiful to tie things up.

DISCLAIMER: This is my first review ever, so bare with me here. I hope you read it and all feedback is appreciated.

This show was definitely one of the biggest disappointments of the season for me.

The fact that this was a story from the author of Steins;Gate, Naotaka Hayashi, it got me very curious and excited for it. Though, I now understand that this must have been a story that the author wrote and was like, "wow, this isn't that good, I'll never put this in one of my visual novels" and then put it in some random folder on his computer to forget about ... it.

Plastic Memories had the foundation to be something great, something really special. Looking back, even the first episode showed a lot of its problems but I was blinded by the tear-jerking moments and thought it could be something more. Though, it never went much further than it did in the first episode. I was expecting this anime to explore the androids further: the conflict between them and humans, their struggle to comprehend emotions, the government's regulations on them, etc etc. I expecting something like Time of Eve (which was an excellent anime for all of those who never watched it), but this anime was nothing more than a painfully average romcom.

The androids were basically humans except with shorter lifespans, their was no real big conflict between the androids and humans, the retrieval system was absolutely moronic (I'll talk about this more in a bit), barely any governmental problems, and the characters were all boring and they're exactly what you'd expect from a romcom with no real major traits to make them stand out. I'm not even going to spend any more time on the characters because there's not much to say about them. This anime didn't explore its setting to the fullest and it only did the bare minimum. The retrieval cases they had to do didn't really carry that much weight after the first one in the first episode, they eventually became repetitive and it felt like a distraction from the main point of the story which was the romance. Eventually the cases did take a backseat and I wondered what the hell was the point of them in the first place?

This leads me to my next point: The retrieval system was laughable on how badly it was managed. When I sat and thought about this, I realized just how stupid the retrieval is and made me just loath the anime even more. Society manages to make androids, but for some reason they didn't put a system in the androids to turn them off when they run out of time. What happens instead is that they go berserk after a certain time and it's the job of somebody to go retrieve them before they go out of control and potentially harm the people around them.... Are you fucking kidding me? All they had to do was have a shut off option after the timer goes down and problem solved! If they have the power to make advance androids, then why couldn't they implement this system. There's no need for going to someone's place and try to convince them to sign a paper to shut off the android. Whoever were the engineers to these androids didn't realize one simple solution. So basically, the retrieval system is an unnecessary mess, making the whole job of the characters rather ridiculous. It's simply there just to force emotions out of us and I believe that is extremely poor writing.

Again, the androids are basically humans. There is nothing different about them and this made me raise an eyebrow. I love movies like I-Robot, Machina, or even Terminator where it explores that concept of the "ghost in the machine". There's something wonderful about me seeing robots/machines start to development more emotion and start to become more than just machines. I love seeing the clash between the robots and humans, and how they interact with each other. Animes that did this well was Time of Eve and Casshern Sins, Gargantina even did it well. Ghost in the Shell is also obviously an anime that portrays machines in society in an amazing way and it brings in a lot of different questions and morality issues to the table. However, this anime failed at it because it never once explored it. The androids were just like humans and they acted no different. Coming from such a talented author, I thought Hayashi would have brought a lot more interesting and well developed concepts to the table. For all I know, Doga Kobo's higher staff could have just taken his original idea and warped it to how it turned out, but seeing how he was in charge of the screenplay and created the original concept, I think this mainly falls back on him. Anyways, I expected a lot more from the setting, story, and characters.

The romance in the anime is probably its strongest point, but even then it's not too special. The problem for me is that the romance is completely normal. This is a human falling in love with a robot and vice versa, but why does it feel like two humans going through a stereotypical anime-love process? Well, it's because that's exactly what it is. They could have replaced the whole concepts of robots and made Isla an ill patient with cancer and this anime probably would have been exactly the same. This goes to show just how underdeveloped the androids were in this anime, and that they were nothing more than humans with shorter lifespans. Complete waste of a setting with a lot of potential.

In the end, this anime is just an average romcom. Nothing more, nothing less. I would not recommend this anime to anyone unless you have a soft spot for simple tearjerkers. If you're a veteran to romcoms, then it's not worth your time. If you're not a veteran, then look elsewhere because there's much better options. Do yourself a favor and watch Time of Eve, Ghost in the Shell, and/or Casshern Sins if you really want an anime that's going to handle robots in an interesting and compelling way.

Overall I'd give it a 5/10. It's an average romcom with tons of wasted potential.

Warning:
This anime will tear your soul a new asshole.. jk :^)

**SPOILERS AHEAD**

Plastic Memories is a love story of a guy and an expiring android... nothing much more to it.

The Plot

So as one would obviously guess, as the story progresses, the main characters Isla and Tsukasa fall in love and typically, as one side wants to avoid hurting the other one, she decides to ignore him, and again, typically, they make up and live happily forever... well almost.
...
The problem is that to the watcher it becomes apparent in very early stages that there is no way of avoiding the expiration of a gifta. Isla is going to die and the guy cant do a shit about it. So the anime turns into a terminally ill cancer patient.

So what was the point of this anime again? Oh well, to show that people relationships have ups and downs and you should not be afraid of "making memories" (who the f**k translated this?). Did someone just say cliché?


Characters

Characters in this anime are stereotypical and obvious rippoffs(no point arguing here).
Dark haired Mr. Nice Guy
Kawaii shy loli
Asuka
The perverted big breasted girl
The ladies man
Boss who has no authority
Strict bitch
Strict bitch 2
2 guys one cup


The clickbait

This anime features a typical "escape from harsh reality" workplace where the employees get to do the f**k they want to. They come to work as it was a f**king school lol. The watcher is supposed to symapthize with the typical main male protagonist and then like the kawaii flat chested loli. For people who like S/M they added Asuka and the other bitch.


Why I dont like this anime?

Because the anime lacks of plot. We have relationship crap going on, we have some character development going on (asuka turns into a less of a bitch) and some boring backstroy filling... AND THATS IT. Maybe its me... maybe I'm disappointed that the anime turned out to be some kind slice of life hack. Maybe its because that I can feel that the scriptwriter didnt bother to work very hard to create a bit more interesting story and went for simple ca$h money templates.


What makes this anime different?

The main strength of this anime is also its greatest weakness. To create such deeply emotional story the author had to freeze the plot development, the characters dont have any "interactivity" with their fate. They cant do anything to stop whats coming, there is no deus ex machima (favorite element of many other series) and I like it because I'm tired of absurd solutions and happy endings. BUT when there is nothing meaningful happening in the anime, its not very pleasureful to watch.


Art

Art level was good (white rim on everything was a bit too much) and animations were nice, except for a scene where they loop how one guy is rubbing another guys arm... very triggering.


Conclusion

There is a good reason why this anime is rated 7.88 on MAL(>implying its a low score). An anime that manages to keep its plot evolving and fresh gets rated much, much higher.

5/10



To watch or not to watch?

Uh?... U liek FEELS m9? If yes, then watch this anime for sensless FEELS and DRAMA, try not to think too much though.

May contain light spoilers, trying my best to keep spoiler-free. Also, recommended to read synopsis before reading this review to get context.

Memories are a concept that get explored with vast array in anime, most notably establishing that point in the story that gets bundled with shock factor. Whether used as a way to show contrast between scenarios and characters like in “Isshukaan Friends”, or as a heartbreaking turning point in "Steins;Gate", their appeal often comes from the induced literary devices such as dramatic irony. But what happens when you take the more audacious approach, instituting the fact that all memories (of a main character) ... will be lost within the next two months? And this is just the second episode.

Story 6/10:

To begin with, Plastic Memories is an anime that really lacks any semblance of direction. While the plot progresses in a coherent and linear fashion, it really does not establish itself fully as per usual, aside from setting up for the the glorious, "feel"-filled finale. To illustrate, around 1/3rd of the show is spent on the characters' jobs at the Terminal Service. The main cast retrieves the widely distributed "Giftia" from their respective owners, and each arc often ends on a bittersweet note, specifically because all Giftia inevitably share the same fate as Isla; the main love interest whose memories will eventually disappear. My main issue with this is the fact that these scenarios rely a lot on flashbacks, making it feel as if plot elements are repeatedly being introduced rather than being fully developed and fleshed out.

In the case that the characters are not focused on their jobs, the atmosphere is fickle; generally starting the episode off with comedic segments, later making transitions into a more melancholic and cute stage between the two main characters. One other thing to take note of is that near the end of the series, almost every episode features unnecessary drama in its latter half. To me, Plastic Memories is at its best, spending time on fleshing out the two main characters in a realistic fashion (i.e. a fun trip to the amusement park). Unfortunately, the drama in every episode, excluding the finale, falls flat on its face because the build up prior to each moment is simply insufficient. In short, retrievals of the Giftia side characters are what I'd like to call "pseudo character development". The reason why I say this is because; in almost any production, drama is at its best when the emotions are authentic. In stark contrast, the retrievals of Giftia make it seem more like a preview of the world, with emotions being less conspicuous and more contrived, when compared to dialogue and monologues among our main cast.

Overall, the story wasn’t abysmal or unsightly, but its potential could have been fully salvaged, had the side characters made their presence fully realized.

Characters 5/10: In such a revolutionary and distant world, it would be best for the characters to be realistic, serving as a link between the viewer’s ordinary perception of the world, and the sentiments introduced throughout. The problem is not that the side characters receive null screen time. In fact, they get a similar amount to the two main characters. This may be a bit of a tangent on my part; however, if anything, the idea of Plastic Memories is again, to leave viewers dazed in recollection at the end. You know exactly what’s in store for the finale from episode two. Without constant interaction between Isla and Tsukasa, the ending would inevitably be unacceptable.

Here’s where the branch between the way the plot develops and the side characters comes in to play. Half of the characters really do not feel like sentient beings, because of how downright bland and dull their designs are. There is the seemingly cold hearted-senpai, the flirt who is the laughing gag, and lastly the Tsundere that refuses to condone Isla’s relationship with Tsukasa, despite the fact fact that it’s not like she likes him or anything… BAKA. Moreover, it seems as if the writers did not really know what type of role the side characters should have played. Are they supposed to be fully developed and reliable bros that we can relate to? Or are they just there are plot devices and meant to forward the comedic twists? The writers can’t decide. Simply put, they are half-baked, and act as a jury, reacting to everything the plot throws at them. Perhaps it might have even been best if there weren’t such a focus on the side characters in the first place, but that’s much up to their likability, which will differ between us individuals. It would lead to some amazing extra screen time for our main cast though.

As for the two main characters; Isla and Tsukasa, they are bland conceptually, but luckily develop a great deal. At times it feels forced, but the story is only 13 episodes, so it’s to be expected. Regardless of the fact that the development they receive is more than sufficient to like them individually and as a collective entity, it does feel a bit odd that they grow to like each other so early on in the story. You could attribute this to the lack of chemistry between the two by default, because they aren’t exactly your standard Romeo and Juliet. Isla is the quiet type without much understanding of the way humans interact and lacks depth at first. She does not have many established eccentricities and desires because the story is set within the scope of her two months to live. But if you’re in it for that quiet, clumsy kuudere, she’s perfect. There isn’t much to be said for Tsukasa aside from putting up an overly positive front and burning passion to help Isla.

Luckily, despite flaws in characters, the above average sound is still a great accompaniment to the growth of the two main characters.

Sound 7/10: The sound in Plastic Memories is great, namely the opening sequence. The contrast between the upbeat parts and ballad-like vocals really do reflect the nature of Plastic Memories well; a bittersweet lullaby, as well as a roller coaster of emotions for some. I have no complaints against the chosen seiyuus, but they aren’t exceptional, hence meriting 7 points out of 10. Ranging from a melancholic piano arrangement, or to more lighthearted pieces, BGMs are played are the right opportunities and can be a heartfelt experience when bundled with the stellar visuals. One thing to note however, is that more often than not, there is no soundtrack playing in the background during the more emotional moments. For what it’s worth, more is less. And for such a cute show, it works wonders.

Fun fact: The last few frames of the opening sequence changes every time. They depict Isla’s emotions differently with each coming episode, another reason as to why the opening is amongst the best of the best for me.

Art 7/10: There is a lack of colour to those who are going into this show expecting vibrant, artistically well-thought out visuals. Regardless, it works well with the show because the setting and unconventional world really do feel like “plastic” and two-dimensional at times. However, this changes as the story progresses, looking a lot more picturesque and realistic in comparison.

Lastly, the animation is rather inconsistent. In one episode it might be fluid throughout, and on other occasions, it’s sloppy. Fortunately, it is not anything that will make or break this show, even for those with a perceptive eye for animation. And then there are the character designs, which I LOVE. Sure, it is not outlined in red like a show such as “No Game No Life”, but it’s kept simple which I feel a lot of anime these days need to learn from. *cough shaft*

Overall: 6/10: Whether you enjoy this show is up to whether you rate objectively or subjectively.

But be warned that it’s no masterpiece, especially if you’ve delved too far into an objective mindset. If that's the case, then maybe it really is no more than the unauthentic plastic the anime industry doesn't need.

Start as promising anime which i expected to be a good one, then the lack of drama and lack of story progression really spoiled this anime.

Story:
Plastic Memories had a good start, which i expected this will be another "Ano Hana". superb the first episode really makes me want to watch another one. then the story progression really went down like there's no climax in between 2 until 8 episode, except the giftia issues which is solved without any further insight on the incident. episode 8 until 12 i expected to be better, i expected more to the relationship between main character and main heroine.. but ... they gave me a bland RomCom which the least thing i expected from this anime. i want this become another "anoHana", not another "Nisekoi"..

and the last 2 episode, 12 and 13... really disappoints me, because i expected some climax which this anime never had one. i expected ended with a bang and all they gave me another bland ending and uninteresting one. like the main character just accept things as they are not trying to do something to change it even to the love ones... really pissed me off.


Art:
Well, the art at first is a revolutionary because plastic memories art are good, unusual and interesting to watch. but after 6 episodes, you already get used to the art and you feel that the art really boring-ish.. but it is a good one though, comparing to another anime spring 2015 except Ufotable's...

Sound:
Sound... well i have no problem with the BGM and the SFX, both of them are good.. The OP song and ED song are great.. i love both of them. the most interesting part of the sound is the dubbing. Amamiya Sora really breaks out from "asseylum shell" and transform into a good seiyuu.. i expected she will be on par with KanaHana..

Enjoyment:

this one is good, but the ending really disappoints me alot and there are no climax in this anime makes it became rather bland.. so it is really spoiled the fun... don't expect something extravagant on this anime.. because this one doesn't have anything to hype for

6/10

(This has been adapted from my blog/reddit thread. Spoilers ahead!)

I have talked about memories in other reviews that I have written, and it is fascinating the things you start to recollect when you begin contemplating that word. I remember this time when I played indoor soccer as the goalie. I will never forget how, during one match, I managed to kick the ball from our end into their net due to a super lucky bounce. I rarely scored (I was not very good) so such a rare occurrence combined with the manner in which it happened is something that will stick with me forever. There ... are also those not-so-happy memories; I remember my grandpa’s funeral, watching my mother and her siblings weeping for their father, with me, my brother, and my other cousins carrying the casket. It is one of the saddest moments I have ever experienced, with me still owning the cotton glove to this day. Soccer or family, happy or sad, memories are, as Plastic Memories somewhat depicts, a beautiful existence that should not be tossed aside but instead embraced for as long as humanly (and Giftia-ly) possible.

STORY

Plastic Memories follows young Tsukasa Mizugaki who has just recently transferred into a company that deals in the retrieval of “Giftias,” or cyborgs with human souls. Partnering with a clumsy Giftia known as Isla, the two’s relationship slowly blossoms.

Plastic Memories manages to get off on the wrong foot from the very beginning due to apparent tonal issues. The tone of an anime or any other work is set in stone, with minor fluctuations throughout. For example, a comedy is designed to make the audience laugh, but that does not mean it must fully abstain from serious or less-than-light-hearted moments. Instead, it must make sure that it keeps the tone in mind and refrain from making egregious divergences from its initial path. Think of the tone like a slinky: it can bend, twist, and contort but when left alone it always goes back to its neutral state. For Plastic Memories, it takes the slinky and nearly breaks it. Very early on, the anime does not know what it really wants to be; one scenario has a tender moment between a grandmother and her grandchild only to have the next piece of dialogue revolve around potty humor. The next episode has intermittent joking that is not as jarring but the episode following becomes nothing but humor despite the drama surrounding it all. This problem is finally corrected by the fourth episode onward, so the tonal issues leave, but that kink in the slinky always remains and is therefore never forgotten.

The show’s greatest strength lies in the events that take place. Essentially, every situation is designed for one of two purposes, sometimes both in unison: building the world and guiding the series towards the finale. This sounds very simple, perhaps mandatory for any tale, but it is how natural it all comes off as being that gives the narrative its edge. With each encounter, the anime does a nice job of providing the rules or foundation regarding the “Giftias” that have become commonplace. What a “Giftia” is, how they are used and taken care of, who they are, when certain problems arise because of them; situations like the Giftia who goes rogue or the Giftia who undergoes a reboot allow the audience to learn of the world and its workings through natural progression of the plot. Simultaneously, these same events indirectly push the narrative down the “path of no return” – namely, Isla’s death. The anime never outright claims how the show will end, but it does not have to, for the previously established rules indicate that her eventual passing is simply inevitable and irreversible. By doing this, the finale does not feel forced or cheap, leaving the viewer with a welcome sense of satisfaction.

Throughout the drama, comedy, and world-building elements, the anime plays with its theme of memories. What is interesting is how the title plays into it all. An anime’s title is synonymous with the “face” of the show, meaning careful consideration is given to it. Here, calling the memories “plastic” might seem like a reference to the Giftias and their robotic status, but it is more profound than this. Plastic is a material that is not biodegradable; it fails to erode or fade no matter what happens to it, and the same can be said of memories. They last a lifetime, long after the moment passes, shaping a person’s life for the better. They occur in the past, are remembered in the present, and affect the future, giving them the power they hold. In Plastic Memories’ case, memories do the same; the show depicts recollections of previous happenings, provides new ones in the form of lap naps and a Ferris wheel, and preserves them in a tiny yet personable diary. The beginning bogs down this type of thinking due to being funny rather than serious, and by the end it is not immediately clear how everlasting memories are due to the romantic relationship that gains a lot of the focus, but the anime at least demonstrates how important such a concept truly is.

ANIMATION

Plastic Memories takes place mostly at the on-site location where Tsukasa, Isla, and the rest work, as well as the dorm rooms that house them. However, the show does deviate from the norm by having the characters visit amusement parks, local cafes, shopping malls, movie theaters, and other parts of the main premises. The lighting is often appropriate, camera work is nothing special, and reaction faces are aplenty to fall in line with the reactionary comedy.

As for the character designs, they are almost overly futuristic mostly due to the required white officer outfit they all wear to signify the position they hold in society. Other than their actual clothes, characters like Isla and Michiru retain cuteness and beauty, respectively, Kazuki’s flame-like bun matches her fiery personality, and Tsukasa, as is the case with most main characters, is as plain as plain can be. Overall, nothing spectacular is given, but they at least keep themselves from being overbearing or distracting.

Actual animation is somewhere slightly above average. Despite the action that sometimes takes place, the show is normally filled with dialogue-heavy segments between the characters. As such, the animation is not too extensive but there are moments – such as when Kazuki gets angry or Michiru becomes flustered – when it does pick up. They are infrequent, but even then, the show does a nice job of incorporating facial expressions, hair movements, and other subtleties to give movement where needed.

CHARACTERS

The majority of the cast does not hold much of a place in the grander scheme of things. Yasutaka is a womanizer and Takao is a husband who has troubles being a father to his daughter, but both fail to affect the plot at large, as do the other side characters. At the minimum, Kazuki and Michiru have interconnecting pasts that provide the audience with the chance to not only learn more about the mysterious Giftias and how they are treated but also aid in revealing Isla’s past. Such memory investigation is contextually relevant and therefore more powerful in terms of the characters and their development.

Considering her place in the anime, Isla is without a doubt the strongest character of the show. Initially, she is perceived as nothing but a klutz; she cannot perform basic on-site duties, she has difficulty socializing with others, and the only task she is truly capable of performing is watering plants and making tea. Over time, the viewer comes to understand that Isla, despite her weak abilities, cares deeply for the people around her, especially her fellow Giftias. But after experiencing so many scenarios and undergoing her own form of loss, she ironically comes to a rather depressing conclusion: that it would be best for her not to be remembered. She resigns herself to a fate worse than death, becoming a recluse to remove herself from everyone’s memories, for she feels that if she is forgotten than she can keep those close to her from ever getting hurt. It is not until Tsukasa comes into the fray, peeling back her shell and being there for her when others would not, that she finally begins to open. She comes to understand that memories are not meant to be painful; they are meant to be celebrated, to give those that live something fond to look back on, because memories stand the test of time. Her final conversation makes this wholly evident, where she reminisces with Tsukasa about the memories they have of each other, allowing her to move on in a moment that is beautifully poignant.

As for Tsukasa, he is by no means a strong character but he does manage to bring about his own message. Not much is known of him early on besides the standard qualities: he is nice, he is hard working, and he is funny every once in a while. However, when he experiences the implications of a rogue Giftia, the audience sees how emotionally compromised he is. Outwardly, he always tries to be the upstanding dude, but inwardly, he goes through difficulties just as Isla and the others do. As he bids farewell to Isla the audience sees, for the first time, him putting forth his feelings without any reservations. It is a minor change in his person, but the time he had and the relationship he established with the girl of his dreams gave him the outlook he always needed: to cherish what one has now, for it could be gone before one knows it.

SOUND

The opening theme is quite strong when it first starts. The singing is soft and gentle, with a bout of strange sounds adding to the less-than-happy atmosphere. However, by the second half it loses its luster, becoming a conglomerate of noise that is not pleasing to the ears. The ending theme, similar to its OP counterpart, has an immediately good start with a catchy tune carrying it into the main portion. There, the piece becomes a mix of melancholy and happiness that fits the mood of the anime quite well. As the track ends, it takes on the same beat as how it started, making a whole package worth listening to.

The rest of the soundtrack is largely forgettable, with the show using a typical set of tracks for the mood at hand. Some of the tracks utilize pianos and violins for the sad times, quirky sounds for the happy ones, and even English-heavy lyrical pieces for those very special occasions. The tracks are nothing grand or poor in execution, but none are worth caring for, either.

Voice acting for Plastic Memories is somewhere around average. A special shout-out is deserved for Chinatsu Akasaki as Michiru for her defensive way of speaking.

ENJOYMENT

I hate goodbyes, despite knowing they are a part of our daily lives. I think this is why I bawled when it came to the ending; having to bid farewell to someone who is so cherished is something that really resonates with me emotionally. I was not even that attached to Isla as a character, but the concept and the situation had many tears streaming down my face as the finale was happening.

If I get a bit more personal here, when I remember my grandfather’s funeral again, I have this distinct memory of me standing there, looking at the peaceful look he had on his face. I remember not crying, but shaking my head, almost unable to comprehend that this person, who I have known for so long, was now physically gone from this world. There were things I wanted to ask him, should have asked him, but never got the chance. But then I looked behind me at the monitor that had been set up, where the picture reel of the life he led was being played. Him at the cottage with his own kids, that one time at a restaurant where we celebrated his wedding anniversary; so many memories were flashing by – some that I experienced with him and some that I had not – that it was obvious how great a life he had. Today, at this moment, I realize now that he is not gone. He is in my heart, with the memories of him that I have being something that is truly eternal. I have this anime to thank for making me understand this simple fact that I should have known all along, and for that I will always be grateful.

Plastic Memories is not the best when it comes to its art, its music, and even many of its characters. But the touching story it tells and the importance it places on memories is not only relatable but extremely sincere. Isla has moved on, but the memories of her will most certainly continue to exist in all of us.

SUMMARY

Story: Good, early tonal issues are eventually corrected, with natural events leading to a satisfying conclusion and a theme on memories which is executed well enough

Animation: Fine, okay art style, okay character designs, slightly above average actual animation

Characters: Fine, side characters do not do much, Tsukasa is par for the course, with Isla being the strongest of the bunch

Sound: Fine, okay OP, good ED, okay soundtrack, average VA work

Enjoyment: Good, ending had me crying, but more importantly made me realize how fantastic memories really are

Final Score: 6/10

When I read the description for this anime, I made the mistake of getting excited. Well, maybe that's a bit harsh. But the idea of a romantic tragedy (it didn't say tragedy but you can understand where this was going with a quick read of the description) with sci-fi themes? Awesome!
But unfortunately, as other reviewers have said, those sci-fi themes never really delivered. The entire premise is, from a computer science point of view, ridiculous (you can build machines that perfectly replicate human life but you can't back up their data?????) but i might have excused that if they'd ever done anything with the sci-fi ... themes themselves. The science fiction side of this story is only there so that the main female character will die. That's it. The science behind it is never explored beyond that. EXCEPT when they use the even more ridiculous "after they expire they get robot rabies" plot line which itself is only used in one episode (and that episode itself was easily the most interesting one of the whole show, which really makes me wish they'd explored the expiration thing more...) and then to give one character a sad backstory. But like I said, as ridiculous as the lack of data back-ups is, the idea that roboticists built these machines to have extra, unnecessary power that they can lose control of is completely unbelievable. But again, this idea of expiration is dropped, except to be the reason why the main female character needs to die.
After the first three episodes, the sci-fi-ness disappears, and this turns into a basic romcom. You could replace the "she's a robot who's going to break down soon and she collects other dying robots" premise with "she's an oncologist who has cancer herself" and it'd be exactly the same. Unfortunately for the show, once it's a romcom, it focuses on the characters, and the characters are flimsy at best. None of them ever evolves beyond the stereotype they were originally written as. There are certainly some cute scenes as the relationship between the two "develops" (in quotes because their relationship is so predictable it's lying to say it grows dynamically), but by the end, when the inevitable happens, I didn't feel sad at all, because the show had done so little to develop the characters that I couldn't sympathize for them at all.
Also, while I'm talking about the characters, let me just raise my issue with the character of Michiru, who is introduced as a rival of sorts and then... forgotten about? Apparently she gets over her feelings for Tsukasa, or maybe she doesn't? The show stops caring about her as Tsukasa and Isla's relationship develops and the entire subplot of Michiru's feelings for Tsukasa never gets any resolution. That really bugged me.
The art was... fine. There were a few pretty scenes, but nothing out of the ordinary. The animation was pretty good. I didn't spot any obvious flaws. The music was forgettable. I will say that the voice acting was beyond what I expected. Tsukasa's VA in particular did really well with his generic anime boy character's script.
My review here is obviously harsher than my score is. That's because, while I was watching it, and while there was still hope the story could resolve itself, I really did enjoy it. If you accept that this is a romcom, not a sci-fi, and if you pretend that Tsukasa and Isla are characters worth caring about, there are a lot of cute scenes between the two. I could tell that these two really loved each other (although that's just because they said it so often, and it's a sign of bad character writing if the only reason you know the character feels something is because they tell you they feel it, and not because the story itself shows you how they feel) so I was preparing myself for the heartbreak when the final scene came around, but it didn't hurt me, because even though the show had told me that this was a heartbreaking scene, I didn't feel that it was.
tl;dr Takes a good sci-fi idea, makes it ridiculous to fit the plot, then throws out the sci-fi altogether to make this wholly into a cute but forgettable romcom with an ending that thinks it's a lot more tragic than it actually is.

"Plastic Memories" suffered from a severe identity crisis. By no means however does that warrant this series as terrible, but that the premise and plot just did not seem to coincide with one another. Almost like the time my parents told me I was getting something "cool" for Christmas, but instead I got an Almanac while my friends got the latest gameboy cartridges and toys. An A-L-M-A-N-A-C. Well back to the point, all-in-all "Plastic Memories" was still a fairly enjoyable series among the plethora of backwash anime like the "Fate/Zero" series by Ufotable. I was joking by the way, please ... don't hurt me.

Set in futuristic Japan, with lasers and fully automated cars and all that other futuristic jazz, androids have found their way into the daily lives of the public populace, some even situated as intimately as a family member or lover. Interesting enough premise right? Well, "Premise's" archenemy, "The Plot," thought otherwise. The setting for the series amounted to nothing more than a superficial guise, a mere pedestal for the boy meets girl with terminal illness scenario. The audience are only given a vague sketch of the surrounding world and not much else is elaborated on. And did I mention the inconsistency? But if there is one thing that stood out though, it has to be that this series has the most innocent "bath scene" I have ever seen.

The art was superb, is what I would like to say, but there were obvious inconsistencies throughout the series. The camera often spans back to show distorted faces, or the backside of the characters. Or maybe that was just because I have a 90s piece of [insert vulgar term here] laptop. But for the most part, the art was otherwise fluid and appealing.

And here we finally get to the characters development of the series. Aside from some typical characters archetypes (like you know, that tsundere that thinks about what to do as a tsundere before acting like a tsundere), not many of the characters are really fleshed out. The prime example being the male protagonist, Mizugaki Tsukasa. Besides the fact that he may be a straightforward and caring type, not much else is known about who he is or why. The characters in this series felt bare and some even slightly foreign. So for a sci-fi genre that focused almost solely on drama, either the buildup of tension was mediocre at best or I'm just a callous ----.

Aside from the obvious misplaced sci-fi elaboration in "Plastic Memories" and my rant, the series was still fair. Don't be demotivated by this review (or others) to put this show in the bin, decide for youself where you stand. For some this was a real tear-jerker, decent for others, and appalling to the rest. Just don't dive into the series expecting to get that sci-fi fix.

In this show, androids are part of everyday life for many people, and are by most, treated like any other person. They look the same, act the same and even feel the same emotions. They even seem to have a digestive tract, taste buds, and even a beating heart. Literally, they even have to work-out to keep muscle mass.

Making one of the main characters be an "android" is arguably where this show tries to make itself stand apart from the rest of these types of romance shows as this genre type is quite common and excluding the android part, the characters don't really have too ... much personality to them to set them apart from other shows.

I guess one thing that was intriguing about this show is that they skip the whole "prejudice towards androids" thing, as that arguably happens in most shows/movies when androids are introduced in society (like Time of Eve, for instance), here they are treated more or less like any other person. This fact, however, comes with the biggest gripe I have with this show. The androids in this show are more or less EXACTLY like humans, with the main difference being that they have a limited lifespan of about 9 years. Because of the fact that they are so like humans, the story really wouldn't be ANY different if you replaced the "androids" with just normal humans. If you still want the limited lifespan to be a factor, make them terminally ill or perhaps in the future genetic clones that may only be able to live for a few years before their bodies fail. That way, I wouldn't have a problem with the inconsistency of being able to recreate perfect human androids, but unable to make them last more than 9 years. Even worse though, for dramatic purposes, when these androids are close to death -- unless they are specially taken care of before failure -- they turn into berzerking murder-bots.. seriously? There was no better way to introduce drama than that?

In the end, my point is that the element that could make this a unique romance show is rather inconsequential and the android part hardly affects the storytelling at all, and when it does it just feels contrived. A show like 'Time of Eve' or a movie like 'Her' wouldn't at all be the same if the Android elements are removed because they are so integral to the storytelling.

The show is not great, but at least serviceable enough to give it a watch. There are, however, so many better stories out there worth your time.

Story 7/10
I think the concept is great: a job where you take away someone's loved one, and the company's standards don't allow for empathy. It could have made for a good drama. However, as some reviewers pointed out, the transition from serious scenes to the total opposite is extremely abrupt and ruins the mood. I think the show would be better off without the over-the-top dramatic romance or trying-too-hard comedy (think that one episode where the main character tried to get the girl to pay attention to him) scenes. A little, sure. But too much, I think you're ruining a great concept. The scenes that ... actually focused on the retrievals were good and emotional - I think because the show is about this aspect, they should have had more of these and less of the behind-the-scenes romance.

Art 7/10
Character art was decent, and some background scenes were beautiful (while some were just okay). One thing that really stuck out to me was the typeface and style of the font in the opening sequence - not the first thing that someone comments on, but I found that really beautiful. On another note, the white outline (not the horizontal highlight, the outline) that is on everyone's hair gives me the impression of one of those chibi picture dramas - meant for comedy and not seriousness.

Sound 6/10
I didn't find the soundtrack anything special. The theme songs didn't seem intriguing to me either - I just skipped them; usually if I found a theme good, I won't skip it.

Character 5/10
I'm somewhat okay with stereotypical characters, except for the tsundere and the klutz. I found the tsundere here just.... way too annoying. Who the heck barges into someone else's dorm room unexpectedly? She bounces back and forth between 'You're an idiot' to the main character and 'I want you guys to succeed' to the main couple. The main girl, or the klutz, doesn't have any real redeeming qualities, I feel. She's also annoying and helpless, and the only reason that the story is as dramatic as it is is due to her time limit. Moving on, the main character is ditzy and doesn't seem to know anything - who gets a job and doesn't even research what it's about, and then proceeds to tell the boss that he doesn't know what he even signed up for? Not only that, but he fell in love with a girl who he simply saw in the elevator - and she was crying too! And then he's stupid enough to actually believe the dumb advice that people give him about how to get a girl, like come on, you went to school, how do you not know what's socially acceptable? Then there's the creepy blonde pervert who seems to have a thing for the main girl. She's only there for the fanservice aspect, with her larger-than-DD chest and the fact that she always shows her cleavage and likes to grope other big-chested girls. Other than these four, the rest of the characters were enjoyable because they weren't in-your-face trying-too-hard to be funny.

Enjoyment 5/10
See Story and Character

Today feels like a day for rants. Plastic Memories was kinda disappointing. I expected more from Hayashi, the scenario writer for games ChäoS;HEAd, Steins;Gate, Robotics;Notes and Bravely Default. It was decent, but the amount of lost potential imo was too much. To describe the anime in a sentence: Hayashi started to implement his familiar writing style, then decided halfway that he was gonna focus on a completely different direction, but opted against changing the first half of the story.

The story is good written as concept, the directing and execution of said story was poor. Tsukasa fails his college entrance exam and is ... offered a position at SAI Corporation due to his father's connections. SAI Corp is known for its production and management of androids that possess human emotions called "Giftia." Tsukasa's position is in the Terminal Service Department where their main job is to recover Giftias that are close to their expiration. He is then paired up with Isla, a female Giftia who was never given any responsibility other than serving tea to her co-workers.

Tsukasa and Isla make house visits to retrieve these Giftia from their "owners". Giftia have complete emotions rather than being a tool or a pet, they are friends and family to these people. So naturally parting ways with their giftia can get very emotional for both Retrieval Teams and Clients. While working as a team, Tsukasa and Isla gradually become closer to each other, as does Isla's expiration date. Thus, we have the story. Watching these two grow and deal with the stress of their unpleasant job.

Despite having this great set up and a decent cast of characters, they only nail half of the focus. My main gripe is the blatant out of place comedy that ruins really great scenes. For example at the end of episode one, when Chizu overhears Nina and decides to sign the retrieve form, you get that amazing atmosphere with "Again & Again", then the heartbreaking moment when Nina who is so worried about what's gonna happen to Chizu when she's gone, and finally Chizu's gratitude for being so understanding of the value Nina had to her. The feels are strong, then in an attempt to break the tension on the car ride back, Isla starts to shudder and worries she's about to pee herself....... what a buzzkill. And this happens over and over throughout the series.

Things pick up and get tense halfway through when the team has trouble retrieving a target. There's a chase, some conflict of interest between government and private response teams, and some trauma history that is unearthed which causes some friction between characters. Then once the episode is over..... the show suddenly turns away from the whole thing like it could not have happened and now it's strictly SoL Rom/Com? But..... things were getting interesting! Oh well, I like romance, and this had some great moments..... only to be ruined shortly after. Especially when you thought it wasn't going to go down that incredibly cliche moment of awkwardness between a "couple". You are proven wrong with the two worst episodes of anime they could have produced. I'm honestly impressed the last episode was handled as decently as it was. I expected it to be either an ass-pull, a vague closure, or overly dramatic. But instead I really enjoyed it.

Now with the characters. They are interesting at first, but how many times do I need to be obviously reminded that Michiru and Kazuki are Tsundere? Or that Sherry is a borderline Yandere? Or Eru is yuri freak with a speech tick? They are so one dimensional it's painful. Michiru has an interesting past, but it's hardly shown to affect her actions beside from one episode. Also there are a couple lines in one ep that implies Kazuki and Yasutaka had some kind of relationship. But it's never looked into. There's a large cool world with lots of stories to be told. TELL THEM! They tease us with build up then continue to bore us with simplistic, unfocused, what seems like useless filler episodes. They were interesting but don't have an affect on our characters pass that one moment. Instead you wait til halfway through the series to flip a switch from the focusing on the job of our characters, to only focusing on Tsukasa and Isla. I forgot they even had a job retrieving Giftia after episode 5. The romance was expected, but I didn't think it was gonna be so much cheesy fluff after the events that transpired midway. "How should I ask her out *uncomfortable suggestions from others " "W-w-w-would you like to go to the park *blush" "*sees Isla in a towel *blush" "Michiru goes all Tsun Jealous" rinse, repeat, with maybe four or five awesome scenes in between for 7 episodes. Then the admittedly good ending.

Don't get me wrong, I really liked the show, the animation and music were great, and it had some really nice moments in between my gripes. I guess maybe I hyped the show a bit too much for myself? I was expecting great things from the combo of Hayashi and the same team that produced another original anime "Mikakunin de Shinkoukei" which I absolutely love! Plastic Memories 5/10

TL;DR: Plastic Memories had a promising start, but lack of focus prevented it from truly soaring.

Plastic Memories was an anime I really looked forward to this season. Written by the writer of Steins;Gate and animated by the skilled Doga Kobo, it seemed like it would work out. Unfortunately, as a friend of mine described, while not incompetent, Plastic Memories put all its eggs into the wrong basket, investing in its far weaker areas without playing to its strengths.

Plastic Memories takes place in a future where androids called Giftias look and behave exactly like humans. People purchase these Giftia for many reasons, often companionship or love. ... However, these Giftia have a limited life span of 81.920 hours (nine years and four months). When the Giftia pass this life span (which is more like an expiration date) they become “Wanderers,” or violent, powerful, feral androids without their memories. To prevent such tragic cases, the Terminal Service exists; they go and collect the Giftias and erase their memories. Giftias whose OS is erased are reset and then can be implanted with a new personality or trashed. To take care of these Giftias, the Terminal Service operates in teams of a human, called a “spotter,” and a Giftia, called a “marksman.” They need to get the approval from the owner in order for this to occur, which sometimes involves the Terminal Service team to act as pseudo-therapists. Tsukasa, a new recruit to the Terminal Service who got his job through connections, is paired up with the clumsy and reticent Isla. While performing their job, over time, Tsukasa falls in love with her.

I won’t knock the setting. Is it strange? Sure, but I have a suspension of disbelief for such things. I’ll accept the setting, because it does show thought was put into it.

However, after the first half, I don’t know if the creators accepted the setting.

With its odd plot, Plastic Memories had potential. It could examine the fleetingness of life, relationships breaking down, the truth of memories. And those were just alluded to. One segment of Plastic Memories has Tsukasa and Isla working with an officer from another Terminal Service branch, where they (and we) learn that the Terminal Service No. 1, where the protagonists work, is different from the rest. Our heroes perform their job in a personal, caring manner, connecting to their “targets,” whereas the other Terminal Services went in, collected the Giftia in question by any means necessary, and left. Why does Terminal Service No.1 focus on a more caring approach? What are the implications of this? Plastic Memories sloppily addressed this for a few seconds and went on its merry way.

Infinitely more offensive is Plastic Memories handling of the aftermath of the “Marcia arc.” At the tail end of this arc, Tsukasa and Isla not only had to deal with a traumatized young orphan boy and his caring Giftia sister, but also were up against Black Market dealers. Introduced earlier in that episode (how’s THAT for foreshadowing), these scumbags con people out of their Giftia in order to sell them on the black market for cash. After this, Martha becomes a Wanderer and the team has to deal with her, as torn as they are. This mini-arc was masterfully done, and I had great hope for Plastic Memories after this. You have to understand, this isn’t me imposing my expectations anymore – this is what Plastic Memories gave us.
But it seems that the creators didn’t want to give us that anymore.

Afterwards, Plastic Memories becomes primarily a workplace romantic comedy, with Tsukasa falling in love with Isla. Sure, fine, that romantic relationship can happen. It’s not a big deal. But at the same time, it almost completely does away with its setting. All of a sudden, it’s Tsukasa fumbling around on how to ask Isla out and everyone giving him advice. Suddenly, all of the eggs switched from the drama basket to the slice of life basket. This, in itself, is not entirely reprehensible. But then, Plastic Memories forgets its hook – its setting. Yes, the second half, for episodes at a time, all but disregards the setting of Plastic Memories almost altogether. With occasional whispers until the finale, Plastic Memories sunk into generic territory with cliché dramas (Isla and Tsukasa aren’t partners for an episode! But now they are! Isla can’t accept her love for Tsukasa! Tsukasa can’t ask Isla out! They’re an awkward couple!) and hard-hitting episode titles like “Rice Omelet Day.” A workplace comedy is not by itself bad, but when you have such a unique setting, use it.

The cast cannot support this outside of acting out of generic roles. The protagonist, Tsukasa, is exceedingly underdeveloped and uninteresting. He’s 18 and a nice guy, but that’s it. We get some good stuff when he’s sad, like with the Marcia arc or with the expertly handled finale, but hey, that’s it. Isla, as the same friend from above described, is a Rei Amamiya moe-blob android. Yeah, she’s cute. And she makes tea. She’s also your clumsy dojikko who’s afraid about losing her memories. Describing Isla is nothing more than a checklist, because, unfortunately, she is merely a collection of tropes thrown together.

The rest of the cast similarly suffers, and can be described with disjointed sentences. Michiru, I suppose, is the most developed, as her adopted father was a Giftia who she let become a Wanderer (This particular case was also the last case where Kazuki, Isla’s previous partner, and Isla worked together). Unfortunately for Michiru, that’s all she has going for her; otherwise, prepare the tsundere checklist, because she’s got all the tropes. The aforementioned Kazuki is scary and weak to alcohol, but she appreciates her coworkers and Isla. Zack, Michiru's partner, is a teasing young boy. Constance is the new Giftia partner of Kazuki, and he is calm. Kazuki is scary, but she appreciates her coworkers. Yasutaka is one of those casual lazy characters that Rikiya Koyama sometimes plays. Sherry is his serious partner. Eru is a technician who... likes cute things. These characters appear and leave, never developing, and only exist for Tsukasa and Isla to develop off of them. Even there, the show does not take Tsukasa farther than his bland traits nor Isla farther than her robotic moe characteristics.

As far as presentation goes, the show generally hits it out of the park. Shiny hair gradients aside, the character models are nicely done, and the show has a good time working with semi-futuristic environments. Doga Kobo finds a nice balance there, making the show seem futuristic enough to seem slick without seeming centuries in the future. The soundtrack hits all the somber notes well, as well as the (inappropriate) cheery ones. While the characters are bland, the voice cast does a good job with what they’re given, with Sora Amamiya admittedly making Isla very cute.

At the end of the day, Plastic Memories sells itself as a decent romantic comedy, with a finale so well done that you would be tempted to forgive the remaining sins of this show. But you can’t. With bland characters and a jarring tonal shift in the second half from a dramatic futuristic show to a slice of life romantic comedy that forgets its Giftia setting, Plastic Memories didn’t remember to stay focused throughout its run.

Story - 4 (mostly for its second half, barring the finale)
Art - 7 (good but not spectacular)
Sound - 7 (Good but not spectacular)
Character - 3 (Bland, underdeveloped, and/or cliche)
Enjoyment - 5

Overall - 5.2 (rounded to 5)

THIS IS A ROMCOM DRAMA, this is not a science fiction show.


Plastic Memories is like a failed wedding cake , imagine you take out all of the ingredients for a wedding cake but then you ignore it and start playing with the plastic groom and bride over the flour, the eggs and the frosting.
At the end you have a mess and realize that the only good this to salvage is plastic bride and groom that can be washed. In other words this could have done without the futuristic robots and have been about a cancer patient and it would have worked as well.

Great ... music, Op and ending and some original soundtrack will end up in my playlist.

Great seiyuu, Black Lagoon's Revy seiyuu is in this. All of the other seiyuu do a great job.

Character designs were very basic but the backgrounds had a lot of details and they really got my attention.

I enjoyed it as a romance.

I'll start this review with a question. Can a show be considered a great show if the ending is already presented to you early on in the show? The simple answer, Yes. The complex answer, It depends on how the story is built. Plastic Memories was a fairly good show that I do no regret watching, although I wouldn't consider it a "great" show. I'll explain. (Minor Spoilers)

Story: 5 (Mediocre)

The story follows main protagonist Tsukasa Mizugaki who works at a "terminal service". In this setting there are Androids that feature realistic human qualities called "Giftia". These "Giftia" have a life span of 9 ... years and after 9 years have passed the Terimal Service must collect them from the owner. Everyone in the terminal service is paired up with a Giftia, and as such Tsukasa is paired up with a Giftia named Isla.

A large amount of the show follows the protagonists as they retrieve Giftias from people all over the city. During the later half of the series we see our Hero and Heroine getting a long much better than just partners. Slowly but surely they start to develop feelings for each other. This is obviously a problem because Giftias have a lifespan of 9 years, what will happen?

Art: 7 (Good)

Art was good, I have no complains about the art or any mistakes that might have been made with the production of this anime. I feel like the facial expressions of the characters very well suit each and every situation as the story progressed.

Sound: 10 (Outstanding)

I really do love the sound, it supports the show in every aspect. The OP and ED both fit to the mood of the entire series. They did a great job with this.

Character: 6 (Fair)

Our main Hero Tsukasa is pretty average, nothing that makes him stand out from the rest. I found him very replaceable and that other characters from other series could have done the same as him and probably better. Our Heroine is a great girl who seems to start off as Kuudere but softens up as the series progresses showing great development for her. The other side characters don't help much with the progression of the show or the development of the main characters.

Enjoyment: 6 (Fair)

I have watched shows of the similar genre that kept my attention, this show was unique in what they wanted to show the viewer but i pacing of the show is a bit odd. It made me want to put it on hold for awhile.]

Overall: 6 (Fair)

Main flaw of the series is the character/plot development. It's not something like Clannad that over the course of 48 episodes show the lives of two characters in love. This shows a much shorter romance.

It's not a show you go running to you friends telling them to watch this show. It's the type you stumble across, decide to watch. Smile, and put it in a special corner with anime that weren't all that great but worth the watch.

Thanks for reading, give this review a thumbs up or thumbs down. I don't mind I would just like a lot of criticism. Talk to me on my page if you'd like.

I came to this anime courtesy of a funny picture I saw on the internet. The "Anime Makes You Cry Starter Pack" included such gems as AnoHana, Angel Beats!, CLANNAD, and this little number. I love sad anime, and I came into this with high expectations. The premise seemed novel, and the art was pretty good looking.

Boy, was I betrayed.

This isn't a bad anime, by any means, but it is a confused one. The idea of consistent tone is completely lost to the directors, which is stunning considering this was written by the same mastermind who gave us Steins;Gate. The plot bounces from colorful slice-of-life ... hijinks to unspeakably tragic emotional drama and back again with the vigor of a pinball in a dryer. The premise and world of this somewhat distant future is not explored very far beyond the world as seen through the eyes of our "good-natured idiot" protagonist. Characters' motivations are often murky, when they are delved into at all.

The series has a very neat futuristic vision that permeates the setting. The gadgets and gizmos are interesting analogues, but the series doesn't delve into the mechanics of how these things work, which is kind of a bother when they go full sci-fi in one episode and Tsukasa fires some sort of beam cannon that shoots...virus packets?

The character designs are decent but nothing you haven't seen before. Tsukasa is the everyman character with boring looks to match his boring personality. Isla has the traditional albino pseudo-loli look made famous by Illyasviel von Einzbern. Eru is the fan-service genki girl technician who is only around to get her tits out. Kazuki is the somewhat-threatening mentor with ties to Isla's past. Michiru is your oh-so-typical hot-blooded tsundere who devotes herself purely to furthering the tragedy train that is TsukasaxIsla to its inevitable conclusion. Yeah, don't do us any goddamn favors, girl.

The art is crisp but everything seems to have this ridiculous white gleam to it. I guess it's because it's THE FUUUUUTURE and everything has to be shiny and spotless in the future. It becomes especially noticeable in the characters' hair, like they all bathe in vaseline before every scene or something. It's off-putting.

Soundtrack is actually really good. The OP visuals and song are a bit deceptive, but still listenable. The ED song is a performance by Asami Imai with random color filter shots of Isla making strange faces. It's decent to listen to. The voice acting is perfunctory, with no real standout performances, although Chinatsu Akasaki and celebrated veteran Megumi Toyoguchi turn in above-the-curve roles as Michiru and Kazuki, respectively.

The story is a pretty decent romp as long as you don't think about it so hard and as long as you understand that everything outside of the romance is treated with precisely zero importance. This is a romance story first and foremost: Guy meets girl, guy falls in love, guy finds out girl has about a month left to live, and decides to make that month full of memories for her to...take with her to data oblivion? This is where it starts to become physically painful to try and delve into these characters' heads or try to impose logic on the world outside of that possessed by demented sadists. Why would anyone think making and disseminating Giftia as they are presently constructed was anything less than a recipe for intense heartbreak? Why would you make androids that are capable of emotion, sell them to people, have them forge bonds, and then have your goons happily show up at their door to reclaim the "property" with a disturbingly hearse-like vehicle and plastic smiles? Is SAI Corporation secretly a major backer of some anti-depressant manufacturing company or something? I fail to see the purpose, because it's never explained, and that leads me to my next huge problem with this series.

A lot of things are NEVER explained or elaborated upon. They're hinted at. We see that the CEO of SAI is a bit of a shady, "ends-justify-the-means" kind of figure...but that's as far as it goes, because we only see bits and pieces of the world outside of the love bubble occupied by Tsukasa and Isla, and neither of them has the slightest hint of curiosity about anything outside of the other party. There's a sub-plot about the fact that Tsukasa's particular branch of the Terminal Service (read: the above-mentioned reclamation crews) is a huge profit loss to SAI because they conduct their recoveries much more humanely than other branches, but it never goes anywhere. Michiru has a tragic past, but it's resolved in one episode and never spoken of again.

Instead of diving into the science of this science-fiction tale (you know, the stuff that made Steins;Gate an instant classic), we have innumerable scenes of our supposedly true love pairing failing to communicate and generally being extremely awkward around each other. Tsukasa has the character depth of a mud puddle and similar perceptive faculties, but somehow we're supposed to root for this guy because he's... I dunno, nice, I guess? Isla deserves better, but chooses to spend the final 2000 hours of her life devoting herself to him.

And speaking of Isla, she's the one character that doesn't seem like a carbon copy of somebody from another series, and has some of the best dialogue and some truly funny moments in the show, especially her facial expressions. She's emotive, charming, clumsy, cheerful, but above all never a bore to watch. She's a bright spot in an otherwise rote and shallow viewing experience.

In closing, is there anyone I would recommend this to? I guess if CLANNAD: After Story made you sad, but you didn't want that pesky moral and message getting in the way, you can subject yourself to this emotional torture porn. The fact that Plastic Memories has no real message behind it just makes it feel empty. Sure, it'll make softies like myself tear up a bit, but there's no real substance, nothing to make you think after the credits roll for the final time. It's just unrelenting sadness for its own sake, and that is its greatest sin of all. Tragedy is a part of human life. Senseless tragedy, on the other hand, is something we see too much of in our cruel world. Personally, it doesn't make any sense to make it part of your entertainment options. There are better romances out there, and there are definitely better sci-fi stories.

I guess the funny image was right: it made me cry. I guess it's just a shame that was all it was capable of doing.