(L) Eve no Jikan (Time of Eve)

[konart]

Originally Posted by bbee

I don't think this show deserves the praise it's getting. It's just a bunch of loosely connected, largely nonsensical stories involving robots and opaque human characters, peppered with sci-fi references to hype up the show. There is no overarching message or plot, despite the little conspiracy-hint near the end of the last ep.

None of the abnormalities are ever explained, like why robots that haven't been so programmed can feel and act on emotions, or why they would all gravitate to this one cafe.
Instead we get a bunch of antropomorphized robots "searching for answers" to the human emotions they're apparently feeling, nonsensical or missing explanations for how they got there, shallow examinations of how humans treat them, silly last-minute conspiracies, and downright horrible tear-jerkers.
Where's the deep examination of the presented social issues relating to the spread of robots? Oh right, the news flashes. Those were more interesting than the actual show, they should have just played those for two hours.

Missed opportunity, 5/10

Have you ever read books by Isaac Asimov?

[Vexx]

Originally Posted by bbee

I don't think this show deserves the praise it's getting. It's just a bunch of loosely connected, largely nonsensical stories involving robots and opaque human characters, peppered with sci-fi references to hype up the show. There is no overarching message or plot, despite the little conspiracy-hint near the end of the last ep.

None of the abnormalities are ever explained, like why robots that haven't been so programmed can feel and act on emotions, or why they would all gravitate to this one cafe.
Instead we get a bunch of antropomorphized robots "searching for answers" to the human emotions they're apparently feeling, nonsensical or missing explanations for how they got there, shallow examinations of how humans treat them, silly last-minute conspiracies, and downright horrible tear-jerkers.
Where's the deep examination of the presented social issues relating to the spread of robots? Oh right, the news flashes. Those were more interesting than the actual show, they should have just played those for two hours.

Missed opportunity, 5/10

Um, ever read any robotic science fiction? Like Asimov's genre-defining classics, in particular? Or watched A.I. (the movie by Spielberg?)

edit: heh, I see I wasn't the only one who had this immediate reaction. Often drama (literature or visual medium) simply shows the examined world as it *is* - rather than a doctoral thesis or analytical documentary. The viewer's task is to fill in the blanks from the implications.

[wandering-dreamer]

For some reason I decided to try it Time of Eve last night and marathoned it between yesterday and today. Right up my alley, I don't find a lot of robot science fiction I like (I swear I'll get to Asimov and the others sometime when I remember....) and I liked how it dealt with the big issues about robots (acceptance, integration, ect) on a very small scale. Very interesting, I would love to see more episodes but I'm afraid they would focus more on the big picture (like that scientist at the end) and we would lose the cafe in the process.
And I think I'll check out the creator's (this is an original story right?) other works since you guys were praising Pale Cocoon so much.

[bbee]

Originally Posted by Vexx

Um, ever read any robotic science fiction? Like Asimov's genre-defining classics, in particular? Or watched A.I. (the movie by Spielberg?)

edit: heh, I see I wasn't the only one who had this immediate reaction. Often drama (literature or visual medium) simply shows the examined world as it *is* - rather than a doctoral thesis or analytical documentary. The viewer's task is to fill in the blanks from the implications.

I haven't read any Asimov yet, have some more classics on my list before I try out sci-fi seriously. But if it's anything like this, I'll make sure to move it down on my list of priorities. I did see AI a long time ago, but I didn't like it because it was too dreamy for my taste.
I'm not happy filling in the blanks in this case, we know too little about the world to do that. I'm not looking for a doctoral thesis, but if we're meant to take the issues seriously some more information would have been useful. Without that, what we got was just a misformed hollow shell.

[Forbin]

Originally Posted by bbee

I did see AI a long time ago, but I didn't like it because it was too dreamy for my taste.
I'm not happy filling in the blanks in this.

And this is a post coming from someone who has 'AIR' in their Icon? Which to me was very dreamy.

Owells, I guess Sci-Fi isn't for you. For me, this was a perfect representation of Asimov's world as it progresses. This could be a prelude to 'Chobits' which is about Human / Robot relations.

And yes AI sucked the big one. Anything SciFi where they bring in Aliens usually sucks. The exception is Alien movies such as 'Aliens' and 'Men In Black' where the Aliens were in the beginning. Adding Aliens as a 'afterthought' really makes things suck. And Yes I'm talking to you INDY 4!

[bbee]

Originally Posted by Forbin

And this is a post coming from someone who has 'AIR' in their Icon? Which to me was very dreamy.

Owells, I guess Sci-Fi isn't for you. For me, this was a perfect representation of Asimov's world as it progresses. This could be a prelude to 'Chobits' which is about Human / Robot relations.

Well spotted, it's from Air, which I hated (gave it 3/10). I was just captured by this one scene from the OP, so I took a screenshot.

Are the Asimov links really that strong? You're the third person to mention them, maybe I've misjudged the show then.. Even so, I think a work should have enough merit to stand on its own. This feels just like when I was discussing TokiKake, which I didn't like, and people were making references to the novel, which is somewhat of a classic. Sort of disarms my side of the argument.
Oh well, I guess I'll take another look at this show once I've read some Asimov.

[konart]

Originally Posted by bbee

Well spotted, it's from Air, which I hated (gave it 3/10). I was just captured by this one scene from the OP, so I took a screenshot.

Are the Asimov links really that strong? You're the third person to mention them, maybe I've misjudged the show then.. Even so, I think a work should have enough merit to stand on its own. This feels just like when I was discussing TokiKake, which I didn't like, and people were making references to the novel, which is somewhat of a classic. Sort of disarms my side of the argument.
Oh well, I guess I'll take another look at this show once I've read some Asimov.

I believe you should start with I, Robot than. The 85% of the 4th episode of the Eve no Jikan consists of one of the stories from I, Robot. The Asimov links are really strong, cause of his 3 laws, and the way androids behave, the way they live amoung people and amoung themselves, how do they interact. In short - the set of problems is the same(mostly)

[Forbin]

Btw Don't watch the IRobot Movie. That's another example of Crap on wheels.

you want a good Robot movie? Watch Blade Runner!

[wandering-dreamer]

Originally Posted by Forbin

Btw Don't watch the IRobot Movie. That's another example of Crap on wheels.

you want a good Robot movie? Watch Blade Runner!

Now you see I have the exact opposite view, I LOVED IRobot when I saw it and couldn't make heads or tails of Blade Runner (and apparently I saw the directors cut which even added in more scenes, my dad said it made more sense than when he saw it).

One thing about ToE does bother me though, all of these robots have super advanced A.I. to be able to interact with each other in the cafe like that and it seems like people aren't aware. Rikuo does demonstrate it with Sammy at one point for his sisters sake but the A.I.s seem so much more advanced that I wonder if the scientists were planning something else.
Also, why were the episodes released 2 months apart? Did that help the money issues somehow?

[Forbin]

That's the Asimov world. What happens when the robots could replace humans. Do we get 'Time of Eve' or do we get 'Terminator'.

And it's made by an independent studio. I wouldn't be suprised if it was only 3 people. That's why the slow release.

[Shiroth]

Originally Posted by Forbin

This could be a prelude to 'Chobits' which is about Human / Robot relations.

You've gotta love the Tanaka Rie connection.

[Ottocycle]

Originally Posted by Forbin

That's the Asimov world. What happens when the robots could replace humans. Do we get 'Time of Eve' or do we get 'Terminator'.

Well we got the awesomely humorous Terminator pokes in episode 4. Gotta love the score for that segment.

[Kaoru Chujo]

Just my opinion: Blade Runner is one of the all-time best sci-fi movies. The depiction of the androids is strong and deep. So many good scenes: constant rain in LA; the staircase in the abandoned building; the eyeball shop; the tall blonde female android doing somersault kicks; the fight on the edge of the roof; the scenes in the penthouse. Highly memorable. And despite the fact that the androids represented are criminally dangerous, we come away with a similar kind of sympathy to them that we do in Time of Eve.

Asimov's robot stories are great, but the part of his work I like best is the Foundation trilogy (Foundation, Foundation & Empire, Second Foundation). More baseless personal opinion. Sorry.

[Shiroth]

Originally Posted by Ottocycle

Well we got the awesomely humorous Terminator pokes in episode 4. Gotta love the score for that segment.

Indeed, especially when he first enters Time of Eve. Shame we'll probably not see a soundtrack release at all.

Originally Posted by Kaoru Chujo

More baseless personal opinion. Sorry.

They're not baseless, and i see nothing wrong with you sharing your opinion on such matters.

[SuperKnuckles]

Most definitely a Chobits kind of thing, this show. It's not nearly as extreme in the depictions and philosophy as other robot fiction are. Even though this show did present a LOT of human angst, most of that didn't end up with someone getting killed or anything.

[satomianzaki]

hope there will be another season...

wanted to really know about the Tokisaka incident and what really happened to the so called victim which is a young girl...

it's Nagi right? did she survived or is she also an android?

really really hoping they'll continue this anime...

[wandering-dreamer]

Originally Posted by satomianzaki

hope there will be another season...

wanted to really know about the Tokisaka incident and what really happened to the so called victim which is a young girl...

it's Nagi right? did she survived or is she also an android?

really really hoping they'll continue this anime...

I'm betting she's something weird, like an android with all the memories of the human they were modeled after (no wait, then this really would be Chobits!).

[Shiroth]

Originally Posted by wandering-dreamer

I'm betting she's something weird, like an android with all the memories of the human they were modeled after (no wait, then this really would be Chobits!).

That's the conclusion i come to when thinking about it. Sure you'd just think she was human, though the incident that happened brings up a lot of questions, especially when keep in mind the nature of this series.

Hopefully if we do see a second season, we'll find out more about it. I have a feeling those events will somehow link upto the opening of Time of Eve.

[Slice of Life]

I really don't see much parallels between Eve no Jikan and Chobits. Or Eve no Jikan and Mahoromatic, Hand Maid Mai, Steel Angel Kurumi, Saber Marionette, and what not. It's arguably more like an antithesis to these shows, though it's probably not explict enough in its mesage for that.

[monir]

Originally Posted by Slice of Life

I really don't see much parallels between Eve no Jikan and Chobits Or................ It's arguably more like an antithesis to these shows, though it's probably not explict enough in its mesage for that.

Isn't that the very reason why the show resonates with so many of its viewers? This has been one of the best storytelling I've ever come to watch. It's very rare to see a presentation that isn't imposing itself in some obvious fashion. I know I'm swayed with stories that allow me to make up my own mind.

I sure hope this show will receive further exposure. Brief as it may be, the message is still a powerful one and well delivered.