Time of Eve Movie - Reviews

This movie is just all the anime episodes stucked together, therefore it doesnt add much to the entire 'eve no jikan' thing.

 So if you have watched the anime, no need to watch this movie. If you havn't, the movie is better if you want the whole story in one pice.

The animation is very nice, with detailed backgrounds and fluid character movements.

I gave the story an 9 because after it was finished I was a bit in a 'we want more' mood, so no 10 here. The story is done so you realy feel along with the characters, which is good of course.

The characters got an 8 because some of them didnt develop as much as others.

Sound was very nice, credits were compared to the anime a bit worse, so hence the 9.

EDIT: Review edited after being called retarded. After I saw the entry about the movie I was very happy, "finaly, more eve no jikan!". So once I found out that it was exactly the same I was angry and wrote this review, I hope its a bit more 'normal' now.

I've seen quite a few movies and shows that deal with the interactions between humans and androids and what happens when those androids start becoming self-conscious, but none have done so in a way as thoughtful, mature, and nuanced as Eve no Jikan, and in only 105 minutes. There's no extremist apocalypse or dystopia like you'd find in A.I., I, Robot, Blade Runner, or any other Hollywood sci-fi films. No hyperbole, but no sugar-coating as well.

The animation and music do a serviceable job. They neither detract nor distract from the story or the characters, which is where it really shines.

I loved the story. As I already said, the themes aren't new, but the way it's handled was refreshing. There are no gunfights and battles between humans and androids, no android revolt against their human oppressors. In fact, this is simply a story of Asimov's Three Laws of Robotics taken to their uniquely logical conclusion.

The way the main characters dealt with what they saw at the Time of Eve café and how it impacted their wordlviews seemed very real and genuine. By that, I mean that how they reacted, the things they did and said, their prejudices and how they changed, came across as how I myself and the people I know would behave faced with the same situation. 

As for the characters themselves, all had something hidden or secret about them that brought you in. Just like how I'd love to see how the larger story plays out, I really want to see how the two main characters and all of the secondary characters continue their lives and work through the little bits of them we're introduced to during the film.

I don't want to say too much and spoil anything, but I only have one real complaint about the story and it's characters: this movie left me wanting to know so much more about them and the world they inhabit. In short, the story is too short. I want sequels. Lots and lots of sequels.

Secret Santa 2014 Review: Eve no Jikan Movie

Story 8/10

Androids live alongside humans as their partners in day-to-day-life; but their burgeoning sentience is not recognized by the populace at large, so they're mostly still treated as menial labourers. And at least one radical group with some influence has an interest in keeping things this way. But where do those robots go when they're... for lack of a better term, off-duty? In Time of Eve, we take numerous visits to a special cafe wherein androids and humans are held as equals, and the androids seem to be developing their own personalities to fit the new role.

Focusing on events in the cafe, Time of Eve is very much a slow build, and unfortunately the payoff isn't quite strong enough to warrant the journey. Said journey, on the other hand, is relaxing, clever thought-provoking, surprisingly funny, and highly engaging, and makes interesting use of the laws of robotics in an unexpected context. The feel of the story having been made to use an episodic structure comes through, but in and of itself this doesn't detract from the flow of the film. 

Animation 8.5/10

Understated, but fluid and very well done overall. Colour palette is muted, which seems to fit the overall style of the film. The main set, the cafe, is appropriately unassuming for a subversive locale of clandestine meetings, but all of the elements come together well. The robot designs are excellent, and what little we see of the androids makes me curious as to their inner workings as well, which I would term a success.

Sound 7/10

The score is very sparse and spare overall. Kind of disappointing, particularly in a feature-length film; I can sort of understand in a fairly contemplative and dialogue-heavy show not wanting to overpower the discourse, but you can try a bit harder than this. The voice acting fluctuates in quality as well, but there are some definite emotional moments which are successfully hit. Overall, the production takes a hit here, but not enough to spoil the fun.

Characters 8/10

Quite strong overall. Both the android and the human cast members have a lot going for them, and it says a lot that it's often difficult to tell the two groups apart. The biggest flaw in this category is that the show mainly takes the form of 'snapshots' of life among the cafe-goers, and most of them don't get to develop too much in the course of the story. Those that do have satisfying arcs, however - even one robot with less than 20 minutes of screentime manages to make his final moments meaningful, and both of the main characters grow a good deal over the course of the show.

Overall 8/10

Sci-fi slice-of-life is something I haven't experienced a lot of, but Time of Eve pulls off the idea well, exploring hard sci-fi concepts with surprising finesse in a very compact format- almost like the visual application of the concept of the short story collection, which puts me in mind of I, Robot immediately - a positive connotation for a work in this genre. Yes, I enjoyed the time of EVE.

Story:

The story of Time of Eve is a simple, yet quite satisfying tale that plays in a future in which many households have servant androids that appear human save for a glowing ring above their heads. The main character, Rikuo stumbles upon a cafe where the only rule is that the patrons of the cafe, whether Human or Android may not discriminate or treat each other differently based on that difference. In classic Asimov-esque style, this raises questions about wha it really means to be human, what it mean to discriminate, and can be used as a metaphor for discrimination in our own world. Love it or hate it, the story at the very least is unique and surprisingly thought-provoking. The only complaint that I have is that the ending seems a bit cliche. I do not wish to spoil anything, however the last 15 minutes or so are definitely not the strongest part of the movie and almost take away from the earlier parts, which are positively captivating.

Animation:

Time of Eve is a beautiful movie. There is an amazing contrst achieved here, where the outside is portrayed in more pastel shades as well as grays, and pale beiges, whereas the inside of the cafe is an explosion of light and color, with lush greens and warm brown tones, as well as dynamic pieces such as cieling fans that give the atmosphere of an organic and living envoronment. This subtle, yet important attention to detail makes Time of Eve a great pice of art and a fantastic piece of visual media

Sound:

While truly not lacking in the audio department, Time of Eve does little to amaze. It has a very distinctive sound, especially when characters enter the cafe, however most of the music serves as an ambience to the dialouge, rather than to be featured on its own. There are a few truly great musical moments though, as the teme of music comes up several times, as a secondary plot device. Over all, the distictive sound of the movie does it justice and helps support the work.

Characters:

As expected from a movie that revolves around what it means to be human or not, all the characters are well-made and symbolic in one sense or another. From the overly perky girl Akiko, to the friendly old man, Shimei, the cast is a very likable group that you will care for. At times it will seem as though the cast is limiting in its sixe, as there seems to be a small number of characters actually involved in the story, however by the end it turns out that is is just right, giving the viewer a wonderful sense of personal connection to the characters.

Overall:

If you saw and liked movies/ovas like Pale Cocoon, then this movie is a no-brainer. It is a fabulous piece that is Beautful and simply a joy to watch. For everyone else, I still highly recommend it, especially if you like your movies a little more thought-provoking than most.

Story: 9
Well this anime does a very fine job of exploring the fine line between humans and robots. It explores the idea that eventually robots and computers in general could develop very human like emotions and even freewill. It shows that as our technology progresses the line will become more and more blurred.

Animation: 9
The animation was about what you would expect from a high end production nothing to complain about here. The everything from character movement to lighting was done excellently.

Sound: 8
The voice acting was spot on. I think that some of the background music could have been a bit better but the sound effects were right on par.

Characters: 10
Due to the whole premise of this movie the characters are what makes or breaks this anime and boy oh boy does it make this anime excellent. It does an amazing job with not only character development but also character diversity. There are many lovable characters and most of the main and secondary characters are well fleshed out.

Overall: 9
This anime is for those of you who like psychological anime. This is a shining example of how to do psychological anime correctly. It's not only very engaging but it's also psychologically realistic. If you are looking for a happy go lucky anime that is easy going and fun this isn't for you but if you are looking for an anime that explores deep and interesting questions regarding what makes humans human and love psychological anime then this is an absolute must see.