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Dec 10, 2009 8:33 PM
#1

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THIS IS AN ANIME ONLY DISCUSSION POST. DO NOT DISCUSS THE MANGA BEYOND THIS EPISODE.
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I like that anime and kept me entertained from beginning to end.

When I saw the trailer of Roujin Z I thought the creator of the super bed was ingenious, and if it was possible to create such a thing it help greatly the bed bound citizens; maybe children wouldn't have to send their elderly parents to a nursing home and worried if they are properly taking care of and feeling guilty of not being there for them when they were there for you when you needed them.

Apr 28, 2011 2:00 PM
#2

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May 2010
57
This is probably the most underrated anime ever.
Nov 17, 2011 1:54 PM
#3
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Jul 2008
37
I just wish someone would release it on DVD in the UK. I have the VHS edition but it is very old and I don't have a video player that I would trust not to eat it.
Feb 7, 2012 9:12 AM
#4

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Aug 2010
47
Great anime, good story :D, nice details art & background.. ^_^
Apr 5, 2012 8:47 PM
#5

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Aug 2008
88
good weird anime, but the sound sucked to be honest!
*badass mode activated*
Apr 26, 2012 3:48 AM
#6

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Apr 2009
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The entire core with the embedded personality profile was the a bit smaller size than that of a tennis ball. It was dragged by the cat out of the hulk of the bed component and it probably assimilated the giant Buddha statue and other things it could find later.

All that just to get the old guy to the beach... again.
You see there's no need to wonder where your god is,
Coz he's right here! ...and he's fresh out of mercy.
May 31, 2012 4:33 AM
#7

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Oct 2009
9713
ZzZz...snorefest!
Oct 27, 2012 1:50 PM
#8
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Nov 2011
109
This anime really did turn out underrated. Sure, the animation was a bit lacking at times, and I found that the hyperbolous closing joke ruined it a bit for me, but apart from that, I found everything to my liking. The art was supreme, the animation was impressive most of the time, and the avant garde-ish music tracks did the movie a whole lot of good.
I liked the ultimate moral of the story; of the importance of proper elder care, while not trying to hide the uncomfortable issues by having the elderly simply locked away. Terada and Haruko were both great, nuanced characters, the roles of whom promoting the prestigefulness of being a devoted public servant/empoyee.
Feb 23, 2013 7:14 AM
#9

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Oct 2009
9
tofei said:
The entire core with the embedded personality profile was the a bit smaller size than that of a tennis ball. It was dragged by the cat out of the hulk of the bed component and it probably assimilated the giant Buddha statue and other things it could find later.

All that just to get the old guy to the beach... again.

this would be hard to catch if you didnt know japan's geography a little bit, but the buddha that was assimilated was most likely the kamakura daibutsu (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K%C5%8Dtoku-in)

this just makes sense knowing that the beach the old man visited was in kamakura. the scene at the very end made it for me haha
Mar 7, 2013 7:04 PM
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Jul 2018
564533
I always have a soft spot for stories about old people and their lovers, it brought a tear in my eye.
Jun 14, 2015 8:21 AM

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Feb 2008
4958
This really is an underrated gem. Pretty good movie, I'd say that it was even better than Akira.

"Your sight, my delight. Will you marry me?"
Oct 21, 2015 11:42 PM

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Feb 2015
1090
Unique way to explore geriatric care while staying funny. I liked that it stayed close to the character motives.
Aug 25, 2016 6:29 AM

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Feb 2013
24143
That ending was weird,lol.
A boring movie overall, you've got to feel bad about the old man though.
Sep 10, 2016 4:08 AM

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Dec 2007
1743
Puts Shounen mecha to shame. Respect your elders mothafukkas.
Oct 24, 2016 12:31 PM
The Shrike

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Nov 2009
11323
i expected to like it more considering all the names involved (Satoshi Kon for example). But I don't know, something was missing.

still a pretty relevant film considering what Japan's demographic situation and how they are using technology in almost every aspect of elderly care.
"Perhaps there is a universal, absolute truth. Perhaps it justifies every question. But that's beyond the reach of these small hands." Mamoru Oshii

There is a cult of ignorance (...) nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that “my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge.” Isaac Asimov

Mar 31, 2017 2:03 PM

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Dec 2016
30
This was... interesting.
Jan 12, 2019 9:44 PM

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Oct 2011
20805
sentimental and nice~ started off eerie tho..

Jan 15, 2019 11:47 PM
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Oct 2018
348
Farabeuf said:
i expected to like it more considering all the names involved (Satoshi Kon for example). But I don't know, something was missing.

still a pretty relevant film considering what Japan's demographic situation and how they are using technology in almost every aspect of elderly care.


Kon Satoshi worked on Roujin Z? His name isn't in the 'staff' list. (seeing Katsuhiro Otomo and Hiroyuki Kitakubo's names got my hopes up, though- not that I was dissappointed; I liked the movie, and was expcting something pretty low-key from RZ's reputation)

Nice to see anime focusing on 80yo's instead of the omnipresent kids/teenagers, though. And not just as "sweet, inspiring grandparent dispenses stock wisdom/retells heat-warming stories from when they were kids/teens" pap; it painted quite a nuanced, warts-and-all, relatively realistic (for a scifi comedy) picture of the old buggers.

Considering how good the end product turns out with stuff like Roujin Z, Master Keaton, Monster, Paprika, Black Heaven, Black Lagoon, Mushishi etc (also Inuyashiki, which I haven't seen yet, but sounds fairly comparable to Roujin Z), it's frustrating how (even in seinen/josei) anime seems to always go to teens or younger as the default for characters.
Jan 16, 2019 12:00 PM
The Shrike

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Anime4Normies said:
Farabeuf said:
i expected to like it more considering all the names involved (Satoshi Kon for example). But I don't know, something was missing.

still a pretty relevant film considering what Japan's demographic situation and how they are using technology in almost every aspect of elderly care.


Kon Satoshi worked on Roujin Z? His name isn't in the 'staff' list. (seeing Katsuhiro Otomo and Hiroyuki Kitakubo's names got my hopes up, though- not that I was dissappointed; I liked the movie, and was expcting something pretty low-key from RZ's reputation)

Nice to see anime focusing on 80yo's instead of the omnipresent kids/teenagers, though. And not just as "sweet, inspiring grandparent dispenses stock wisdom/retells heat-warming stories from when they were kids/teens" pap; it painted quite a nuanced, warts-and-all, relatively realistic (for a scifi comedy) picture of the old buggers.

Considering how good the end product turns out with stuff like Roujin Z, Master Keaton, Monster, Paprika, Black Heaven, Black Lagoon, Mushishi etc (also Inuyashiki, which I haven't seen yet, but sounds fairly comparable to Roujin Z), it's frustrating how (even in seinen/josei) anime seems to always go to teens or younger as the default for characters.


Yeah, Satoshi Kon worked in the art department for this film. I don't think his role was important in the production though.

I agree with you in the lack of more "adult" characters in anime. But I think a lot of it has to do with the idealization of teenagehood in Japan. The few Japanese people I know talk about high school like it being the highlight of their life.
"Perhaps there is a universal, absolute truth. Perhaps it justifies every question. But that's beyond the reach of these small hands." Mamoru Oshii

There is a cult of ignorance (...) nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that “my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge.” Isaac Asimov

May 23, 2019 6:46 AM

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Dec 2015
255
a boring experience for me...
Jun 29, 2019 9:45 PM
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Jul 2018
564533
It started out simple and interesting with serious topic and then turned out into really silly movie.. too many nonsensical plot elements especially that computer transformations or picture to voice transmission.. its just used too many plot convinience to attempt a silly scifi movie. It really had potential to make a dark tearjearking movie maybe the budget wasn't enough. Not to mention the art/music were neither spectecular.
Aug 17, 2019 8:48 AM

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Jul 2008
441
The very end seemed unnecessary, but otherwise I liked the movie. I'd like to see more anime with older MCs.

One problem with this movie is how unrealistically kind that student nurse was. I think a lot of old people would prefer that bed to their current nurses, which probably aren't cute students who give them the love they need.
Dec 20, 2019 7:02 AM

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Feb 2018
1291
I loved the character designs, definitely a plus from classic anime (they sort of remind me of Gunbuster's character designs). The art style and animation looked really fluid too. I like how it really got into the story and didn't try to drag it out (also always nice to have a different take on cyberpunk and rise of technology, especially from a work that came out in such an important period of technological development; I almost want to think of this as the second film in a trilogy with Akira and Ghost in the Shell 1995). The ending was confusing at first, but once I read what happened it made sense. Overall it was an enjoyable, unique movie well worth the watch (also it helped me get through finishing a final for school). 8/10
Jan 20, 2020 3:15 AM
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564533
What a fascinating, obscure anime. It really, really does have Akira vibes. From animation and design, to voice acting, to something gigantic and disastrous and unusual happening at the very end leaving the audience perplexed.

I mean, there really is an anime for everything, isn't there? Never thought I'd be watching an anime that helps us sympathize with the elderly through a 90's perspective on artificial intelligence.

Shoutout to the Instagram account I saw the screencap of this from. I looked everywhere for it so that i could mention it but can't find it anywhere. The image was when the protagonist saw her name repeatedly pop up on the computers at the university and she briefly sat down in the chair only to receive an error message. But that's all irrelevant.

This was a fine anime, an undiscovered gem, and I'm proud to say I'm one of the few modern individuals who has seen it.

P.S. This is one of the first animes that I've seen (after watching over a 100) that has utilized "live-action", although both instances only barely making the cut. The first was at the very beginning during the segment of someone writing calligraphy. I can't believe they took a ten-second freeze to credit the person who created the calligraphy. Unless they were like a famous calligrapher and a special guest, but I'm not going to bother looking it up. The other instance was really live-'action' as it was just a still of an IRL woman on an in-anime sign. I forget if the sign was destroyed by a machine or not. I think it was. I think it was around the time that the old man was in an alley with "barrier trucks" on either side. When the protagonist was about to get arrested but Maedo swooped in as a distraction. Again, irrelevant. But it's interesting seeing real-life photographs incorporated in an anime... especially an older one. Even modern anime don't do this as often.

I've got so many observations to make about this film. But I'll spare anyone else the torture of having to read my tangents. Godspeed to MLA users and "Roujins" alike.
Aug 26, 2020 12:44 PM
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Dec 2019
384
SkyDrop said:
It started out simple and interesting with serious topic and then turned out into really silly movie.. too many nonsensical plot elements especially that computer transformations or picture to voice transmission.. its just used too many plot convinience to attempt a silly scifi movie. It really had potential to make a dark tearjearking movie maybe the budget wasn't enough. Not to mention the art/music were neither spectecular.


That's a fair point. It's kind of tricky to evaluate this movie because on the one hand its topic is novel (in anime at least) and is still relevant today in regards to our perception of the elderly. It chose to take the story in a silly direction with giant AI mechas but that's really fine. The plot conveniences are excused by the silly tone. It's not really what the movie did wrong but what was missing; the biggest problem with this movie is that they actually failed to humanize the old guy enough. He says about two lines the entire movie "Haruko", and "I'm so hungry", which cements him as more of a broken record, almost vegetable-like. The film needed to remind us/show us that this man was just like everyone else at one point by showing us more flashbacks of his younger days with his wife and how he got to a bedridden condition after she died. They also should have shown Haruko's experiences with her grandma and how she felt guilty about neglecting her before she died, in order to flesh out her character and motivations. The screen time spent on this can be taken from the time spent on the action, which can still be silly and contrived as long as the characterization is done well.

Ero-Camel said:
The very end seemed unnecessary, but otherwise I liked the movie. I'd like to see more anime with older MCs.

One problem with this movie is how unrealistically kind that student nurse was. I think a lot of old people would prefer that bed to their current nurses, which probably aren't cute students who give them the love they need.


Berry-Vodka said:

someone else thinks that she is related somehow with the elderly couple? like when the old was remembering the beach and there was a little girl with them... that would be a reason to justify the over kindness i think.


In the bar the nurse's friends mentioned how she felt guilty that she neglected her grandmother before she died. But still, her motivations should've been given more attention. Although it's exaggerated, her kindness is in tune with the movie's message that the elderly still need to feel human warmth.





Apollo18 said:


Considering how good the end product turns out with stuff like Roujin Z, Master Keaton, Monster, Paprika, Black Heaven, Black Lagoon, Mushishi etc (also Inuyashiki, which I haven't seen yet, but sounds fairly comparable to Roujin Z), it's frustrating how (even in seinen/josei) anime seems to always go to teens or younger as the default for characters.


Having seen all those anime, amen to that. The lack of more diverse protagonists contributes to a lack of perspective for young viewers who think high school is the highlight of their life.



Lastly, this movie reminds me of Skylar Grey's song Words, who wrote the song after regretting not spending enough time with her grandfather before he died because she was so busy with own career.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eZku7yyALbc
Oct 6, 2020 7:16 AM

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Mar 2018
747
it's one of those anime that tried to be futuristic but failed epically at it. the movie didn't age well and look ridiculous in today standards. i'm sure the movie premise' setting would have been quite sci fi when it came out, but now it's just silly and unrealistic. the main protag is quite an unstable character who is quite obsessed with her first patient and ready to risk her life which is ridiculous. why? because her grandma died alone. which makes no sense at why she would make a private incident decide which patient she should care for why it has to be her first patient.

all in all, it's a silly film with a silly ending.
Feb 7, 2021 6:49 AM

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Mar 2020
390
This was a pretty interesting movie exploring a sentimental area of taking care of old people. Haruko is also a cutie tho, mostly the reason I decided to watch this movie, found about it through that YouTube video called RITCHRD - PARIS
Dec 27, 2022 9:17 PM

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Oct 2017
523
Well, this was some pile of nonsense stacked upon more nonsense...
Mar 5, 2023 8:37 AM
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Feb 2017
871
I feel like this is the kind of movie that looks good in anime aesthetic edits but fucking sucks once you actually watch it
It's Aiko!!!!
Apr 1, 2023 10:05 AM

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May 2015
3062
I liked the movie, it was unusual and had some interesting ideas and characters. But that ending was a let-down, felt quite redundant. I think something dramatic like the old man dying and reuniting with his wife in a normal way, while sad, would make more sense. Still, a unique and entertaining story overall.
Oct 9, 2023 9:35 AM

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Oct 2013
21
The aging population problem of Japan has never been more relevant than today. They dont make political satires like this anymore.
Nov 4, 2023 9:00 AM

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Oct 2018
2663
It had it's funny moments, the narrative was more or less straight forward. The epilogue part felt unnecessary. But I love how Eguchi's design were adapted into animation. This is my favorite adaptation of his designs.

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It’s time to ditch the text file.
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