Niccolo Medici
04-05-2005, 12:34
I just watched an anime called "A wind called Amnesia"; trying to burn some time before I go out. I found this amusing. I picked out the movie off "On Demand" based partially of the vague description, and partially because I remember spotting the DVD some 5 years ago, picking it up and wondering if I should buy it. I eventually decided against buying it, and was happy to watch it now.
Imagine my surprise when I find myself already knowing what will happen! It seems that somewhere in my life I had watched this anime, but I have no memory of when or where. Rather appropriate, don't you think? I don't remember when I saw "A wind called amnesia"...
The premise of the anime is that wind literally came from the heavens and wiped out everyone's memories. This malicious wind, not content with destroying who they were, wiped clean everything, down to the most basic societal and bodily functions. The entire world was populated by cave men in the blink of an eye.
The movie follows one main character, who managed to re-learn many things thanks to a military experiment before the wind came. Armed with knowledge and a pistol, he travels the US, trying to find people willing to come with him and re-learn everything. He is pursued by an old self-guided tank, and accompanied by a mysterious woman who's obviously an alien.
Long story short, he meets a lot of strange people, nobody wants to join him, so he ends up escorting the Alien lady to New York and blowing up the Tank. He kinda falls for her, but they part ways in a "We may come back and kill you all, I don't know." ending.
The anime seems to be part of a greater genre in anime that I sorely miss. This kind of macabre, post-apocalyptic sci-fi theme used to occur quite a bit in anime; everything from Akira to this Windy one. They all seem to have been made in the late 80s and early 90s, but all seem to share this penchant for being watchable, forgettable, but still leave an impact on one's psyche.
Eyes of Mars, Birth, Galaxy Express, Akira, all have this same "flavor" of anime, this same dark premise and the story of the lone protagonist in a dangerous world. All of them I've watched, forgotten most of what happened in them, but remember them all fondly, as animes with a "greater message" to give.
I guess they are kind of a guilty pleasure for me, I feel a hidden shame for liking them so much; like a PETA member who enjoys bullfights. I pride myself on not buying into propaganda and studying closely the motives of others, yet these obviously environmentalist messages about preserving the earth and preventing humanity from dooming itself through technology seem to settle on my shoulders lightly.
It’s like getting a bedtime story from a hippy relative; soothing, well told, profound. Yet at the same time they child's mind will forget, and the story itself seems a little silly on closer inspection. The morals and values imparted though remain with the child.
Anyone know of some good series or stand alone movies in this genre? I need more guilty pleasures in my life.
Imagine my surprise when I find myself already knowing what will happen! It seems that somewhere in my life I had watched this anime, but I have no memory of when or where. Rather appropriate, don't you think? I don't remember when I saw "A wind called amnesia"...
The premise of the anime is that wind literally came from the heavens and wiped out everyone's memories. This malicious wind, not content with destroying who they were, wiped clean everything, down to the most basic societal and bodily functions. The entire world was populated by cave men in the blink of an eye.
The movie follows one main character, who managed to re-learn many things thanks to a military experiment before the wind came. Armed with knowledge and a pistol, he travels the US, trying to find people willing to come with him and re-learn everything. He is pursued by an old self-guided tank, and accompanied by a mysterious woman who's obviously an alien.
Long story short, he meets a lot of strange people, nobody wants to join him, so he ends up escorting the Alien lady to New York and blowing up the Tank. He kinda falls for her, but they part ways in a "We may come back and kill you all, I don't know." ending.
The anime seems to be part of a greater genre in anime that I sorely miss. This kind of macabre, post-apocalyptic sci-fi theme used to occur quite a bit in anime; everything from Akira to this Windy one. They all seem to have been made in the late 80s and early 90s, but all seem to share this penchant for being watchable, forgettable, but still leave an impact on one's psyche.
Eyes of Mars, Birth, Galaxy Express, Akira, all have this same "flavor" of anime, this same dark premise and the story of the lone protagonist in a dangerous world. All of them I've watched, forgotten most of what happened in them, but remember them all fondly, as animes with a "greater message" to give.
I guess they are kind of a guilty pleasure for me, I feel a hidden shame for liking them so much; like a PETA member who enjoys bullfights. I pride myself on not buying into propaganda and studying closely the motives of others, yet these obviously environmentalist messages about preserving the earth and preventing humanity from dooming itself through technology seem to settle on my shoulders lightly.
It’s like getting a bedtime story from a hippy relative; soothing, well told, profound. Yet at the same time they child's mind will forget, and the story itself seems a little silly on closer inspection. The morals and values imparted though remain with the child.
Anyone know of some good series or stand alone movies in this genre? I need more guilty pleasures in my life.