Review of Time of Eve

Firstly, if you're going to watch this, do the movie instead of the show. The movie is the entire series with added scenes rolled into one comfy viewing. I believe this show is overlooked by a lot of folks who would absolutely love it. It's well made, well written, and most of the characters are likable. Of course, I'm sure almost any fan of anime can point to a single show and declare, "This is the best anime that no one watched!" I wouldn't go *that* far with this show, but you are really missing out if you like scifi/cyberpunk, drama, and slice of lifestyled anime but have not seen this show. The episodes are short which could rob the show of valuable world building, but that's not actually the case. The show utilizes dialogue and background information (TVs, newspapers) to convey the setting - a world where humanoid robots are everywhere and there is a vocal movement to control them and protect human jobs from them. The classic rules of robotics are strictly enforced and no deviations are tolerated by society.

Story: This is a nuanced tale about the ever-blurring line between man and machine and it has light overtones of Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex as a result, which isn't a bad thing. GitS makes the viewer think, and I feel that Time of Eve also achieves this. Should machines be forced to hide their sentience if they achieve it? Should robots be treated as nothing more than mobile appliances, or as people? When does a robot become a person? These questions are made more complex by the various themes and tales presented. A child's caregiver, a bodyguard, a lover, a household appliance. As the main character explores his newfound acquaintances and friends, we're shown these complexities in detail.

Animation: The mix of 3D and 2D is a little jarring and shows the age of this anime. When it came out, it would've been an animation marvel, but as CG in anime has improved (Trigun Stampede to the front, please), this honestly feels 3D for the sake of it at times with the camera rushing around a table or through a room, like it was made to sell you a PS3 game. The animation isn't nearly as wild as the newer Berserk stuff though and remains coherent enough to not get lost.