The story reminded me of the film Kimi no Suizo wo Tabetai but only a bit more defined. Being a series it made me connect with the characters, specifically the two main characters, Tsukasa Mizugaki and Isla.
Speaking of Pancreas, after realizing the series's likeness to the film, the book The Little Prince came to my mind. Though as I've said earlier the anime being a series made a connection in me that had me emotional invested in the characters better than the I want to eat your pancreas film.
The series is set in future world where androids, called Giftias, are bestowed upon families to live as either a substitute or an addition to their own. They have their own personality so distinguishing a human and a Giftias is quite a task as per described by the main character Tsukasa.
Tsukasa was employed in a government firm tasked to retrieve Giftias. After a certain amount of time, 9 years to be specific, Giftias will have met the end of their lifespan. If they weren't retrieved, the Giftias will turn violent and being android/robots, they can be a danger to the populace.
As part of the retrieval firm.agency, they are tasked to recover, "retrieve," the Giftias before the time they expire. It is mandatory and set guidelines, procedures and standards are kept when retrieving Giftias. Giftias are well aware of these procedure, unfortunately the owner/clients can be stubborn as to not let the Giftias be retrieved. Giftias though are aware of these, they are to follow/respect their owners.
Unfortunately, the branch Tsukasa was assigned to goes beyond that. Whenever they do retrieval assignments, they have to establish some sort of closure between the client/owner and the Giftias. Something frowned upon or rather non standard when it comes to other branches of the government firm.
Tsukasa was then partnered with Isla, a Giftia, a standard in the retrieval firm. In field work there will be two person in a squad, the marksman role and the spotter. The marksman role is commonly assigned to the Giftia, they will do most of the work in the retrieval, from talking with the client, retrieving the Giftia and such. They are the carry of the team. The spotter on the other hand is an adviser, or rather an overseer, of what's going on.
Isla, though a veteran, having one of the longest worker in the retrieval branch, her work with Tsukasa often spell them both problem. She is a klutz and often time childish, though her way of denying this is her showing herself as an android.
The series goes on with the partnership between the two, Tsukasa and Isla, improving from strangers to lovers. All with the fact that Isla's lifespan is sooner. From the start of the anime and the moment the two joined together, Isla's timespan was 2000 hours, about 3 months less.
Though comedy was employed in order to break the deep emotional moments, it was well received. It made the series more beautiful. Such silly moment does strengthen the emphatic bond between the audiences and the characters.
Such moment was:
1. the first successful retrieval mission of Tsukasa and Isla, they had a very heart touching moment. Even though the client at first didn't want to give her Giftia upon overhearing the conversation between the Giftia and Isla, she had a change of heart. She gave her Giftia with a beautiful closure.
Even though Tsukasa was deeply affected of how the task they do, the client was grateful.
The comedy happened in the post credit. On their way back, Isla somehow drank a bit to much of tea so in their drive she explained out her problem of holding her bowel on their way back. Tsukasa's deep thought of what they just did suddenly vanished.
2. one of the first supervised retrieval assignment they did, the owner and the Giftia suddenly ran away. Isla quickly noticed the ploy of the runaway. The supervisor immediately ordered Isla to go after them. Isla obliged and jump off the railing off the high floor of the building.
Even though Isla was expected to do her part in grace and ease, instead of jumping off to catch the runaway, Isla fell to trash bags on the ground floor of the building. This happened with Tsukasa's thought of Isla as a very cool and veteran retrieval unit in their firm/agency.
There are more to see but I'd rather not talk about it. It's better to watch the film than just read it in my not so accurate wordings.
As for the main theme of the series, memories is somehow associated with the soul. Due to the fact that Giftias are not living beings, the opted call the soul of the machines as memories. The retrieval agencies regard themselves as the one who rip apart and the the memories of the Giftias.
It's beautiful and romantic at the same time. Somehow because of this, I was reminded of the anime Future Diary, specifically the OVA, redial, even though Yuno Gasai of the first world died, her memories were kept and was reborn into the Yuno Gasai of the third world.
Unfortunately, this memory retrieval and transfer is not possible in the world of Plastic Memories. Somehow it's the reality check that we have to live in. That no matter how, things gone will always be gone. They may return in one form another but it will be different. Not the one that was lost.
Fortunately for this matter, memories as memories not as a soul was well defined/explained. Even though their stay together were short, Tsukasa's and Isla's, the memories they have for each other are real and no one will take away that from them, specifically from Tsukasa.
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Same premise happened in the Kimi no Suizo wo Tabetai and Plastic Memories, yet it is in the series that I was moved to tears. The reason was bcause emotional connection was well established. Aside from that, The Little Prince reference was absent in the series, something that I have well thought of as a masterfully crafted beautiful work of art.
I wonder if me crying for the series in Plastic Memories would have not happened in case a reference was plugged in the series.
Either way, both have a beautiful story. And a bit of a connection with The Little Prince, in my opinion.
The aviator will be Tsukasa, the Little Prince as Isla, the Fox is Kazuki, the rose would probably be Michiru and the rest of the flower would be the rest of the crew. The snake in the series would be the lifespan of Isla.
That's just all my opinion of associating the series to the beautiful book.
Still, whether I'm wrong or not, the fact I did cry and felt a connection between the characters in the series was because it was a series. It had length in it.
I think I'd be having the same emotional connection with the characters in the Kimi no Suizo wo Tabetai if in case it was made a series.
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The closure between Tsukasa and Isla was well written. Fully defined and explored.
Imagine having tendency to opt escaping in order to save his love one. And the beloved trying to accept the reality they live in while keeping herself in control.
IT WAS ALL BEAUTIFUL! EACH MOMENT OF THEM BEING TOGETHER.
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As for the post credit. I wish there will be a second season, more to come. A sudden return. Not just an animation of the spin-off I want to see the hereafter of the story. Who was the new partner of Tsukasa and so on.
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Lastly, the beautiful, beautiful line of the reaper each time they collect the memories of the Giftias:
"I hope one day, you will reunite with the person you cherish," Isla to each of the Giftias they successfully retrieve on their own.
Each time before the Giftias close their eyes, smiles are always drawn in their faces. They have a very happy life. This is the one closure the Giftias need.
One simple sentence.
Quite contradictory to the hassle and work they have to put up for the owners.
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Odd enough, the Firefly King was actually satisfied with how things ended. Only wish he wants is to see what happens in the hereafter of the story.
What is to happen to the lover who accepted reality? Will the two ever reunite again? Was all the fluttered in the Firefly King's mind.
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