‘Memories’ is the brainchild of Katsuhiro Otomo (Akira, Steamboy) and is based on the Manga written by him (Memories of Her…) which itself consists of many short stories, three of which were adapted here for your viewing pleasure with the last of the three shorts also being directed by Otomo.
MAGNETIC ROSE:
The first of the three shorts is called Magnetic Rose and is a beautiful sci-fi tale chronicling the space expedition of a bunch of ‘space salvagers’ who go around collecting wreckages and such in order to make a living. Directed by Kouji Morimoto (Studio 4°C Founder, assistant animation director on Akira, animation director on Mind Game, Genius Party, The Animatrix, Robot Carnival) and legend in general and a script by Satoshi Kon. On what seems like just another day on the job they receive an SOS transmission from someone and go forth into the unknown in order to respond to it. The music (Yoko Kanno) is of an operatic nature and blew me away at the opening scene alone and this moment alone cemented the fact that I’d go on to love this piece. The music makes heavy use of Giacomo Puccini’s Madama Butterfly (Maria Callas) and it works with the art in order to conjure up feelings of awe and wonder as you gaze into the dark abyss that shrouds the main characters as they drift around the endless space. The music is seriously phenomenal and is masterfully composed and adds an unrelenting punch to each and every scene.
This would be praiseworthy enough, but when coupled with the fantastic visuals it really goes hand in hand to create something that honestly upsets me, because I doubt I’ll see many other pieces that match this. The character designs are strong; everyone looks distinct but wholly realistic and tangible. The mechanical designs are grounded in reality and are intricate and well thought-out. Voice acting is superb and the script is grown up and in the end accumulates to what is a bunch of realistic and human characters that become host to a cluster of emotions in the 44 minutes that they are on screen for.
The story is haunting, sad, emotional and just downright powerful and will leave you thinking about it long after it’s over. Beautiful music, great characters and gorgeous art come together for this tsunami of emotions that will whisk you away.
STINK BOMB:
The second of the three shorts is called Stink Bomb and is directed by Tensai Okamura (Medarot, Darker than Black, Wolf’s Rain) of Madhouse fame, the studio coincidentally bringing you this short and a script again by Satoshi Kon. The music here was composed by Jun Miyake, and unlike the first short this makes use of jazz and funk which works incredibly well with the nature of this film. The film itself is a black comedy of sorts and one that had me in stitches throughout its 40 minutes run time. Without delving too deep into the plot, the story revolves around a lab technician named Nobuo Tanaka who happens to have a bad case of the flu. After taking his flu shot he decides to go back to work where he spends most of his day sneezing at the detriment of his co-workers, one of which recommends that he take an experimental pill that they’ve been developing to rid his flu. Unfortunately for him the pill in questions happens to be something else entirely and reacts badly with his aforementioned flu shot as he starts to excrete a deadly odour that kills everyone near him...but of course he doesn’t know that!
The short is seriously hilarious and had me laughing the whole way through and I find that it is the perfect supplement to the first short which is super serious. Don’t let the comedic nature fool you however, the animation is top notch and looks superb with some spectacular scenes. A good laugh is needed every once in a while and this happens to be just what the doctor ordered.
CANNON FODDER:
The last of these shorts is Cannon Fodder and is both written and directed by Katsuhiro Otomo himself and is animated by Studio 4 °C. The music in this short was composed by Hiroyuki Nagashima. The whole thing is very unconventional from its art style to the way in which it appears be told in one shot with no breakaways throughout the 22 minute duration. The art style presents a bleak, smoggy world but one focusing on a young boy who is full of zest. This works well as juxtaposition between the innocence of the young boy and the grim world in which he inhabits. The world is one that is in a constant war as the city fires its cannons at an unseen enemy, and they do so ritualistically. Day in, day out they fire their cannons. The camera never pulls away from the action, swinging and swaying seamlessly from one scene to the next as you see the life of this one family in a world that never sleeps, one that is dark and bleak but one where the young ones still dream, even if it is misguided in what they want to become.
A futile world, presented with a beautiful art style, unique character designs and a strong message. A sad story, but one told in a way that isn’t heavy handed and one that will have you smile from time to time at the banter between the family members which adds to the emotional impact of it all.
SUMMARY:
These three shorts are phenomenal alone, each delivering something worth watching, but together as a compilation they truly complement each other and work together in order to create an astonishing visual/audio tour de force. The music blew me away in each of the three shorts, as did the art and visuals. It’s all remarkably high quality, undoubtedly so but truly distinct and gripping in presentation. You truly won’t be forgetting any one of these shorts any time soon and I without a doubt recommend you all to take 2 hours out of your day to watch these as soon as you get the chance. You’ll be left spellbound, you’ll laugh, and you’ll cry but one thing is for sure, you’ll be left with some great memories.
