TheStampede01

This anime is one of those rare gems that you find occasionally, that once you start you know has the potential to be very good. Its even more fulfiling to find out by the end of one of these that your expectations have not only been met, but exceeded. With a unique premise and a definite direction this is by far one of the best stand-alone OVA's I've ever seen. Also I'd like to note that this feels much more like a movie than an OVA and rightfully so considering the running time of about 1h20m.

Story- So your probably wondering what could be so unique and interesting about this anime that sets it apart from the rest? Well this anime is about the elderly, specifically how to take care of the elderly once they start to lose the ability to take care of themselves. In addition its also about technology and how we have started to become over-dependant on it. There is also a theme that technology is "dangerous" and is not something we can always control. The theme of how technology is starting to cross the line into becoming a living thing is also addressed. (theres even a reference to Blade Runner) All of these themes flow perfectly together and are presented in a very light-hearted and at times comedic way. However they are still there and will provoke thinking once you find them. So whats the "actual" story about? Well theres a volunteer nurse and shes looking after an old man who gets selected to test an experimental bed designed to fulfill any needs that an elderly person might have from feeding him to cleaning his "mess". Well this machine is powered by a nuclear core and bio-comupeter... so you can see how things are going to go wrong.

Animation- Some of the best animation that I've ever seen. The backrounds are painstakingly detailed especially near the end. The colours stick out and catch your attention, despite not being as bright or vibrant as newer cell-shading. The char designs are very expressive, detailed and varied (the faces tend to be a little too long though) the mechanical aspect is probably the most impressive for this work, but I don't want to say too much and spoil this.

Sound- The weakest section of this anime, but still quite good and fitting. Notthing really sticks out to me, but all of the BGM and music is fits in well especially for the more comedic and light hearted moments.

Characters- Some are a little cheesy at first, but still very likable. The MC a volunteer nurse is a genuinly self-sacrificing and caring person and her friends although not as morally pure have their hearts in the right place. The antagonist is somewhat unexpected at first, but grows on you and even Mr.Tareda is quite amusing with his catch-phrase "Don't mess with the ministry of public health!". The stars of this show are definetly the elderly though. Mr. Takizawa and the other folks at the elderly home, show that just because your old doesn't mean your not significant.

Overall- A very refershing and rewarding OVA. Its nice to see new and unique themes presented in anime well...some the themes are not very unique, but still presented in a very entertaining and light-hearted way. Deffinitely give this a watch if you have the time or have enjoyed similar anime like "Stink Bomb" from Memories or "Order to stop construction" from Neo-Tokyo.