Review of Time of Eve

Eve no Jikan tells the heartwarming story of segregation in a futuristic society and how a boy named Rikuo experiences both sides of the issue. It is reflective of our modern world as well as cultures from centuries before. I believe this short series would be one of my favorites if I wasn’t so perturbed by a detail that was never resolved. I can only describe it as a significant plot hole left behind by careless writing, and it distracted me for the entirety of my viewing. I will spoil a little of this anime, but let me explain; Rikuo’s connection to the android worldis through his maid robot, whom he assumed had no sentience. Once he learned of her escapades, they develop a special understanding of each other. This bond combined with Rikuo’s obvious attraction to her should indicate a romantic undertone, right? Actually, their relationship never sprouts out of the ground. I know for a fact that the maid robot has sex functionality since she pretty much mirrors a female in every way. It wouldn’t be a realistic future if you couldn’t bang your life-like Roombas. So why didn’t they go the obvious route and contrive a taboo romance between Rikuo and the android? Although this complaint seems like a nitpick, it is exceedingly frustrating to watch such a low-hanging fruit never be harvested. It is apparent that the writers intended Eve no Jukan to be a love story, so I’m not sure why they scrapped it at the last second. Regardless, this is an enjoyable watch. The protagonist and his robot slave may not have hot metallic sex, but they stand alone as solid characters. They live in a city where robots, although possessing many human traits, are treated as objects and abused (though not sexually for some reason). It is fascinating to see the different perspectives in their society and how Rikuo learns to accept the right thing.

Would have rated it 8/10 if they kissed and 9/10 if they smashed, but Rikuo and his virgin sexbot get a 7/10. This ONA made me think deeply about its qualities and I hope I could provide an in-depth review to express that much.