This forgotten anime masterpiece on Prime Video should be seen by every fan

← Back to the feed

This forgotten anime masterpiece on Prime Video should be seen by every fan

Polygon · 2 months ago

This Polygon article makes the case that Memories, a 1995 anime anthology now streaming on Prime Video, is an overlooked classic that every fan of the medium should watch. The piece situates the film within a lineage of technology-themed anthologies, comparing it to 1987's Robot Carnival, and highlights the pedigree of the creators involved, including Akira director Katsuhiro Otomo and the late Satoshi Kon. The writer argues the collection's three science-fiction shorts collectively deepen anime's long-running exploration of humanity's fraught relationship with technology.

The film comprises three segments. Stink Bomb, directed by Tensai Okamura from an Otomo script, is a satirical tale of a lab technician who accidentally turns into a lethal chemical weapon, with its strongest moments found in his resulting isolation. Cannon Fodder, directed by Otomo, uses the illusion of a single continuous shot to depict a walled city endlessly firing cannons at an unseen enemy, delivering pointed commentary on class exploitation and manufactured conflict. The standout, Magnetic Rose, is based on a screenplay by Kon and a story by Otomo, and follows two engineers investigating a decaying space station haunted by the holograms of an opera singer; the article praises its animation and sound design for turning a familiar premise into a bittersweet meditation on how obsessive memory can become a prison.

  • Memories, a 1995 anime anthology, is now streaming on Prime Video.
  • Three sci-fi shorts explore humanity's troubled relationship with technology.
  • Magnetic Rose, by Kon and Otomo, is hailed as the standout.

Gaming

Read the full article at the source →