[Let's Watch!] Kaiba: what is memory?

[seaglass27]

I watched the first ep last night. The storyline seemed slow but I liked the artwork as it reminds me of the original Astro Boy series. It's not a Tezuka work is it?

Perhaps we could arrange a time to discuss it on the chat. 10:00 PM would work well for me.

[Atria35]

I watched the first ep last night. The storyline seemed slow but I liked the artwork as it reminds me of the original Astro Boy series. It's not a Tezuka work is it?

Nope. I could see the artwork being influenced by him, but Tezuka didn't have anything to do with this.

[TheSubtleDoctor]

Yeah, Dr. Tezuka passed on in 1989. Kaiba, a 2008 TV series, features character designs by Nobutake Ito.

[Mr. Hat'n'Clogs]

never too wrong, your heart


I think this episode did a very excellent job of more world building and tone setting. Like the last episode, the universe Kaiba is set in is a very different kind of place. Are you lonely and horny? Copy your memory and put it in another body, then have sex with yourself. Get caught helping one of your girlfriends stowaway on a spaceship? Welp, I guess you're going to be executed, hopefully you loaded your memories on to something besides your body.

I am a bit surprised that Neiro is part of the resistance, as I guess I expected the resistance to be much more sinister than they appear so far. I actually found the plot to be interesting despite their not being much in the way of plot developments themselves, aside from Warp fleeing the ship from the guard.

[blkmage]

In case you weren't aware of it last episode, this episode really drills it home that this world operates on different moral and ethical principles. After all, do rules governing sexual conduct or capital punishment matter that much when bodies and memories are so easily created and destroyed?

Notice that the intent of "execution" wasn't death. In the normal case, it would've been a sort of metaphysical confinement as your body would be destroyed but your existence would be perfectly fine. Instead, it resulted in death because the memories weren't properly 'chipped'. Also notice that it's almost a given that you would've taken that precaution that it wasn't even checked and they were just shot at.

Something else that's interesting is that even though bodies are treated so callously and memories are so easy to transfer, there's still a legal restriction on creating copies.

[TheSubtleDoctor]

I don't know who this Butter guy is, but I don't like him.

Unlike Hatter, I actually really dig the political dimension of the resistance movement. It seems to fit with what a group of human beings would do to respond to the sort of state of the world that is Kaiba. I guess this element also helps put my feet on familiar ground in terms of sci-fi dyspotian story-telling (government conspiracy? check), and, with this series, it's nice to have a bit of the familiar to latch onto.

In the ultimate act of self-love versus genuine love of the other, she did it with herself. That is something I just cannot wrap my mind around...I dunno, man; the great part of sex is sharing it all with someone else. I don't just mean another body, but another someone. Wanting to get it on with your own self just copied and dumped into a shell...

...I couldn't do it.

[Mr. Hat'n'Clogs]

Unlike Hatter, I actually really dig the political dimension of the resistance movement. It seems to fit with what a group of human beings would do to respond to the sort of state of the world that is Kaiba. I guess this element also helps put my feet on familiar ground in terms of sci-fi dyspotian story-telling (government conspiracy? check), and, with this series, it's nice to have a bit of the familiar to latch onto.

I'm not sure where you got the idea that I didn't like the resistance movement. My main surprise was that the resistance was portrayed the way it was, which was in an interesting even-handed look at such a group. I was pretty unsure if this group would be villainous or heroic, and it is interesting to me that they seem to be both.

[TheSubtleDoctor]

I'm not sure where you got the idea that I didn't like the resistance movement.

I interpreted this statement

I guess I expected the resistance to be much more sinister than they appear so far.

as one expressing disappointment (I expected X but got Y! Boo!). Obviously, I have read more into it than you intended.

Ah, the joys of textual communication.

[blkmage]

Oh yeah, it seems like a strange design decision to have holes in your spaceships that suck loose memories and eject them into space.

[Mr. Hat'n'Clogs]

Because it was not stated clearly, this will have sexual content, so if you are uncomfortable with that, definitely avoid the show.

[goldenspines]

Yeah, not digging the "implied" sex scene. If you have to use that sort of cheap cop-out to get your viewer's attention, you've lost already in your story and your characters. If this is all this anime can pull, consider it dropped.

[Warrior 4 Jesus]

The second episode was weird, just weird. The rampant sexual themes were the very definition of strange. I found the episode both disturbing and humorous. I don't think the sexual scenes were unnecessary. They weren't there for fanservice but to provide some social commentary concerning identity, human lust, self-hatred and selfishness, among other themes. This was done in a surreal, thought-provoking manner.

[Maokun]

Uh I saw this thread with the corner of my eye and figured it had come and gone long ago since the series is kind of old, so I set to watch it on my own. I'm only up to episode 4 but I'm not sure I have the fortitude to sit on it for weeks

Anyhow, I found the character design offputting at first but it's grown on me now. Also, the fluid and organic animation made me realize this was by the same person that made Noiseman! which I love. The story is pretty garbled in the first two episodes, but from episode 3 on, they'll become more self contained and the workings of this strange universe will be elaborated on in emotional narrative, so if you have doubts up until now, hang on for just one more ep!

[TheSubtleDoctor]

Episode three was pretty unsettling. I felt a bit sick during the scene of Chroniko's memories, essentially a huge part of what makes her her, being extracted and disposed of like so much garbage. No, Yuasa, you don't have to convince me that human beings posses more dignity than that.

This isn't a knock on the show at all. I'm enjoying both the message and the medium.

[Maokun]

Yeah episode 3 was really good. It was really sad to see that by selling her good memories, Chroniko's aunt also forgot that she actually loved her, to the point where she was able to have Chroniko sell her body (and ultimately die) for money.

[Fish and Chips]

So. This episode.

The closest any Anime has come to making me cry though is probably Kaiba.

Just letting you guys know, this is that episode.

[Mr. Hat'n'Clogs]

I actually held off posting on this episode at first because I wasn't sure what to write. That scene with the piano is competing with the ending of The Tatami Galaxy for the best thing Yuasa has ever directed.

I eagerly await the rest of this show if Yuasa can continue to pull this off.

[Mr. Hat'n'Clogs]

Episode four time, guys.

Perhaps it was just that I was talking to someone as I watched it, but I'd probably call this the weakest episode so far, which is not to say it is bad(it is indeed very good). I'm really curious now about how big of a role Vanilla will end up playing, and more hints at Warp's past is interesting. Also, twin children in this show are now guaranteed to be terrible people.

[Cognitive Gear]

Just dropping in to check on what episode you guys are up to now. I am going to try to catch up this week, four episodes should be pretty easy to fit in my schedule. If I don't, someone please PM me and get on my case.

[blkmage]

Unlike last episode, there's even less going on plot-wise here than last episode. What was neat about the episode is how it illustrated the minds. We've already seen one simple one before, where it was a room with a lot of books missing. This time, we seem to have an old lady who seemed to be losing it, but actually had an immense amount (that room was huge) of memories blocked off somewhere. Similarly, we had Warp's mind, which seemed to be less of a room and more of a maze. And of course, he was able to carry all of his memories around to evade Vanilla.

[Ante Bellum]

This episode showed a little more about the world they were in, but otherwise it didn't seem to do much. I like how minds look different and how it's possible to interact with the "locations" they create. Also, the grandmother's one memory being completely repressed and being shown as a clamped book. I don't know, I guess I just like how memory is portrayed here. Other than that, though, I don't have much to say about this episode.

[Makachop^^128]

This sounds like a anime I'd like O_O I have to check it out now

[Maokun]

I actually liked this episode almost as much as the third (my least favorite is the second.) It was a bit too self contained, but Kaiba has such a grand mythos and different universe that I think it makes itself a greater service to slowly introduce and expand those themes in closed, easily referenceable stories than by bombarding us with the infinite alienness of it all and hope that we understood at least a small percentage of it, like the first two eps.

[Mr. Hat'n'Clogs]

This sounds like a anime I'd like O_O I have to check it out now

I should give a warning on sexual content first, however, it might be of interest to you that it is by the same director as The Tatami Galaxy.

Unlike last episode, there's even less going on plot-wise here than last episode. What was neat about the episode is how it illustrated the minds. We've already seen one simple one before, where it was a room with a lot of books missing. This time, we seem to have an old lady who seemed to be losing it, but actually had an immense amount (that room was huge) of memories blocked off somewhere. Similarly, we had Warp's mind, which seemed to be less of a room and more of a maze. And of course, he was able to carry all of his memories around to evade Vanilla.

That is an interesting thing I did not consider when I was watching it. I actually hope it further explores what a person's memory looks like.

[Makachop^^128]

I should give a warning on sexual content first, however, it might be of interest to you that it is by the same director as The Tatami Galaxy.

Love Tatami Galaxy, um what kinda sexual content, I can deal with some but if its like abusive type sexual content I can't deal with that much lol

[Atria35]

Love Tatami Galaxy, um what kinda sexual content, I can deal with some but if its like abusive type sexual content I can't deal with that much lol

Well, in one episode, the main guy's body (just run with it- memories can be taken out leaving a body a shell) and a girl are in bed, it's consensual but you see the sheets moving rather violently and unmistakeably, along with some dialogue about it. Other than that it's just some innuendo.

[TheSubtleDoctor]

Stop making me al/m/ost cry, this show.

Also, that hippo needs ears.

[Warrior 4 Jesus]

Not much to say about Episode 3 that hasn't already been said. I found it fascinating, shocking and at times quite poignant. On the comical side, it's funny to see the sheriff falling head-over-heels for Chroniko/Warp.

Episode 4 is about Love, Life, Family, Death and Acceptance. It was about shared memories with loved ones being real treasures. Very telling. The grandsons annoyed me with their selfishness but really, is it so unusual that they'd be searching for treasure of monetary value rather than memories with loved ones? It's realistic and provides a different a contrasting perspective. A very good character episode.

[TheSubtleDoctor]

Like the rest of the show, episode 5 was unsettling in several ways. I don't really have much to say that's specific, except that the very end was veeeeeery interesting. I'm looking forward to being given more information.

EDIT: Yeah, Ante, this is the first episode in which things in the plot didn't substantially move forward via the world-building. Hopefully that info at the end will propel a double dose of storyline movement next time..

[Ante Bellum]

So. Just finished it. That was...interesting. Again, looks like something meant to tell more about the world instead of provide plot. Though, now I wonder what'll happen without the hippo body. I really want to know what happens next. A week is too long. :<