Anime: Kurau Phantom Memory

Kurau Phantom Memory (KPM) is a show produced by BONES and without having to say anything more you already know what to expect from it. The exact same thing you find in all their shows; good production values, interesting scenario and completely messy plot. Direction is done by Irie Yasuhiro who also did Alien Nine and FMA Brotherhood. This combo seemed to be able to produce something good but, nah, it turned out to be amongst their lesser works as they seem to have paid less attention to the fine details. The artwork for example is quite unimpressive to the most part since the backgrounds look dull, facial structure is simplistic and motions are a bit stiff. All these may be somewhat excused in a slice of life comedy but here we have a coming of age / sci-fi / mystery / adventure and such things strike far more negative. When the setting is a moon colony, you are not content with just the cars not having wheels and the sky being one big dome.

Effectively the whole sci-fi setting is completely useless since it could all easily have taken place today. To the most part it is just the coming of age of an artificial girl, as well as her family having to deal with a shady organization that is after her weird powers. Do you need a space colony for that? They sure don’t act or think any different than they do today despite the time being a century in the future. Thus the whole thing is just there for show and to the most part it doesn’t even look impressive so what is the point in the first place? Combined with the lack of vivid facial expressions, cool action, fan service and anything all too eye-captivating, you get one heck of a dull show.

Now before I go on I must say that I am a fan of non-fan catering shows and this series does a good job at not rubbing a dozen anime fetishes at your face in a sleazy attempt to sell. That is very good. On the other hand, it is not trying to cover up its dull looks with something else, such as interesting uses of technology based on its setting, cinematics that boost the dementia factor or allow us to better understand what the characters feel, or interesting battle choreographies and smart storytelling. This is all too serious, in a bad way.

The story is as I said BONES all over the place so get ready for one hell of a bumpy ride. The core story is very interesting and has to do with the use of a new type of energy in the future, and how a girl has control over it and can change the shape of the world with it. Predictably, some shady organization is after her at the same time she is just trying to grow up and live a happy life. Add some conspiracies and beings from other dimensions while you are at it. It all sounds too good yet in practice you get this boring plot where they are mostly talking and crying and running around and I feel like I am watching a Brazilian soap opera in space. The mystery exposition is dull, the slice of life moments feel overdone and out of place in this sort of story, the action scenes is just running around, special effects are just glowing people, and so on, and so on. Damn BONES, you are so good at ruining good stories.

You know what? To hell with the story; it is just an excuse to shoehorn drama and not draw wheels on cars; the scriptwriter barely tried to offer some exposition to the whole setting and focused on the cast. The characters are all the meat of the show and are definitely interesting for all the development they receive and how the story is driven by their actions. The focus is of course given to the lead girl Kurau (and Christmas her loli version lol) since everything in the show is about her. The way everything unfolds may be dull as hell but the relationships and dynamics amongst the cast are great.

Voice acting is like the animation serious but not in a bad way. There are no memorable voices here but at least no irritating squeaky ones either. The soundtrack has some interesting soft pop/electronic pieces that are fitting the serious/dull atmosphere of the series, but they both lack variety and are eventually not memorable for any reason.

I find no value in this anime since there is nothing exceptional in it. Even the characters are eventually passable for being all too serious and its good story ideas are all gone to waste because BONES hires amateurs to write the scripts. I also did not enjoy it much, since it is not trying to be captivating and hardly makes good use of its own premise. So no, I do not recommend this show; it is dull and unimpressive in presentation.

You couldn't make Kura Phantom Memory today. For all its charm - and it has a lot of charm, despite its flaws - it is a product of an older, simpler time.

Most striking is the pace. Where today's series barrel through their material at breakneck speed, advancing the plot at every turn, Kurau is not afraid to meander, taking 24 episodes to tell a story that could easily be done in six. Of course the journey is more than the destination, but there are times when it feels like the series has entirely lost its way, particularly in the early episodes. Most of the detours are interesting, but irrelevant; at times Kurau seems more a set of loosely connected threads than a single narrative. I found myself thinking of Kino's Journey, which had a similar meditative tone.

But Kurau purports to have an overarching story, and on that basis it feels decidedly weak. Early standalone episodes make sense as scene-setting and character development; the first episode even feels rushed, going through three or four substantiative developments. But as the main plot progresses it makes less and less sense for Kurau to be taking time out from her efforts to save the world (so to speak) to help out individuals. To be fair the series makes some efforts to keep the main plot ticking along, with large-scale pursuit showing up to complicate Kurau's smaller-scale efforts. But the plots fundamentally fail to mesh, because their scopes are too different. Perhaps Kurau is trying to be GitS:SAC, but police have to investigate crimes both large and small. Kurau spends most of her time on the wrong side of the authorities, where she'd be best served keeping her head down.

The political side of this is perhaps what dates Kurau the most. Kurau and her fellow Rynax are a tiny minority, disproportionately powerful, but there's never a moment's doubt that they're in the right. Comparisons to terrorism are obvious, but Kurau studiously avoids making them. The world government is undoubtably oppressive, but the show fails to make the case that it's outright evil (beyond a few particular characters). The assumption seems to be that rebels will automatically have our sympathy.

While Kurau's plotting and pacing date it, the stylistic details remain surprisingly current. Faces are drawn with natural proportions, clothing is sober but stylish, and ironically it's the flying cars that are the most retro part of the package (in their existence, but also in their decidedly '80s styling). The city feels like it could be a vision of the future from the '50s - or the '90s, or today. Animation unsurprisingly falls below modern standards, and the visual effects are very simplistic (plain yellow lightning is the go-to visual), but it's never bad enough to obstruct the story. Voice acting is good, with some moments of real tenderness between the leads; that said, the primary cast is actually remarkably small. Music is elegant but largely forgettable, aside from an excellent ending theme which is frequently woven into the final scenes of an episode.

The series walks the line between science fiction and fantasy, sometimes uncomfortably so. In places the world is carefully kept consistent: all the unusal happenings derive from Rynax, who have some simple and consistent properties. But space is treated sloppily, and the relationship between Rynax "pairs" seems to vary across the series. While most Rynax possess people, some appear human in their own right, and again this is never really explained consistently. It doesn't damage the plot too much, but the laziness is annoying.

It's the same laziness that drags down the plotting. There are moments of narrative brilliance, but too much sloppiness in how they're strung together; the series doesn't know whether to be fully episodic (which would mean sacrificing an interesting plot) or plot-driven (in which case it should have been shorter). Much of the artistry is fascinating, but I found myself paying more attention to the style and the production than the content. Like much science fiction, Kurau Phantom Memory says a lot more about the time it was created in than it does about the future. For those with an interest in retro-futurism it's utterly fascinating, managing to seem far older than it actually is - the plot seems pre-war on terror, the sets and tone pre-cyberpunk. But as entertainment in its own right, it falls decidedly short; the plot isn't enough to hold it together, and nor are the (believable but simple) character interactions. It pains me to say this, because I did enjoy Kurau, but it's probably not for most viewers.

I find that I prefer softer, character-based anime over harder, action-based. That's why I watch Japanese anime and not Saturday morning cartoons.

So, whereas I find an anime like Xenosaga to be boring, I find a series like Air TV to be great. This series, Kurau, is more like Air TV, and less like Xenosaga -- but really, the most parallels could be drawn to Witchblade. In fact, superficially, the stories are almost the same:

There are two females, in a dependent role, working against an outer world that they can't control, and trying to find their own happiness inside a small coccoon. The older woman fights for a living; using supernatural powers, while the younger does the cooking. However, where Witchblade has hypersexualized fighting and segments of fan service, Kurau is just normal. Also, the fighting is a lot less graphic in Kurau, which is great if you want to watch Anime with your kids.

Now, I've only watched up to episode 7. Some reviewers say it tapers off after the beginning. However, if "tapering off" means less of the unnecessary violence used to grab attention in the beginning, then I'd be fine with that.

Finally, I'm watching the dubbed version over Netflix streaming. I wish I could get Japanese with subtitles, which is my preferred format, but Netflix streaming doesn't give you that. Oh, well.

In the far future when mankind has advanced technologically to colonize the moon, two girls are hunted by the authorities for their mysterious supernatural powers.


Perhaps that's one of the reasons why this series doesn't get enough attention; it's so easy to dismiss KURAU Phantom Memory as just another generic sci-fi/action title. Of course, there are several familiar elements such as mecha, power plant disasters, conspiracy theories, beings from another world, and rogue subjects from questionable scientific experiments, but the lack of any elaborate explanations only goes to show that most of these technical details are mere plot devices. At its core, KURAU Phantom Memory is a drama about personal relationships.

Although many other anime titles have had similar themes in the past, KURAU makes no grand proclamations about ideals (ex. Love! Friendship! Hope! Etc.) and neither does it delve into any of these topics through abstract and verbose mono/dialogues. Instead, the viewers are simply shown the various relationships between the characters: those of colleagues, friends, couples, siblings, as well as parent and child. As if to stress the point that no man is an island, the story even introduces a new kind of bond: that of a Rynax and its pair. The connection between the two beings can be described as a binary existence characterized by intense (yet apparently asexual) longing and inability to live (literally and figuratively) without its pair. As the characters are separated by distance and, for some, by death, the series reveals the emptiness of solitary life and the joy of being with loved ones.

Just as important as the content itself is how the story is executed and in this, the creators of KURAU did a splendid job. Despite all the drama, none of the emotions seem exaggerated; quite a feat considering the number of characters (full-grown men included) who shed their tears throughout the series. Even if you’re sick of watching sad girls in the snow, this show gives you nothing to worry about since everything flows naturally. The pacing is also pretty even since there’s hardly any filler material and it doesn’t slow down to give long lectures about technical details or the philosophies of the characters. As the words “Phantom Memory” suggest, quite a number of flashbacks are shown but none of these drag on for too long and they’re always relevant to the development of the story.

The show isn’t lacking either in terms of audio and visuals. The character designs are unusually realistic and down-to-earth by anime standards, the animation of the battle scenes is pretty slick, the mecha are somewhat reminiscent of those in GitS, the landscapes of the terraformed moon and the scenic Swiss Alps are beautifully illustrated, and uncontrolled Rynax wreaking havoc are always a sight to behold. However, the impressive art is simply icing on the cake when compared to the integral role of the music in conveying the emotions of the story. Moonlight (ED and main theme) evokes feelings of loneliness, sadness, and at the same time, hope, while the cheerful and upbeat Natsukashi Umi (OP) serves as a counterbalance. The insert song Lonely Freedom also does well in highlighting several dramatic scenes with its mysterious and calming aura.

In spite of falling short of being classified as “epic” or “legendary”, KURAU Phantom Memory is a solid package nonetheless and is definitely worth giving a shot. This may be one of those cases which demonstate that a show need not be abysmally boring despite the number of cliches/tropes used.

Kurau makes an honest attempt at being a heartfelt action/drama hybrid, but shoddy character development and slow pacing prevent the show from actually succeeding. Although steps are taken to give each character a back-story, the results more often than not feel forced and unnatural. A lot of this can be attributed to the fact that the characters are somewhat unoriginal, and have little attributes to differentiate them from other anime characters.

A lot more can be attributed to the absolutely hideous dialogue. At its best, the characters' exchanges do nothing but develop the plot. At their worst, they do absolutely nothing at all. For those that think I’m exaggerating, here’s a sample exchange; names have been changed to protect the innocent (ok, not really, I just can’t remember them).

Frank: Jessica! Jessica!
Jessica: Frank! Frank!

The voice actors try their hardest to squeeze meaning out of this atrocious writing, but in spite of their efforts, the resulting characters lose a significant amount of personality.

Cardboard cutouts and a slow-moving plot could have been serviceable in something more action-oriented, but Kurau seems utterly determined to be tear-jerker. Numerous scenes abound in which the characters bawl their eyes out at the utter sadness of their situation.

Weeping in anime is always a double-edged sword. If the audience genuinely cares for the characters, then a scene where a character cries can be extremely effective (One Piece, Aishiteruze Baby). If, however, this is not the case, then the results are often more laughable than anything else (Alien 9, Saikano). Unsurprisingly, Kurau falls on the shitty end of the fence.

This is a shame, really, because the series really does have a lot going for it. Animation is almost always more than competent; action scenes are well handled, the character designs are good, and the series uses color exceptionally well. Moreover, the soundtrack is very good as well; I'm pretty sure that Kurau has the best ending theme that I've ever heard.

The story has an excellent initial premise and as a whole is much more creative than most series'. However, despite these strengths, the project just doesn’t come together well enough to actually recommend. I think it says a lot that I trudged through the entire thing, despite never really enjoying a single moment. The plot has the kind of ambition that really could have sparkled if the execution had been better, but in the end the glacial pace and pedestrian writing sink the show.

Slow paced, realistic series while it's about a woman with inhuman powers.

A slow paced series is exactly what this series is, since most of the series is following Kurau during her life. Lots of times there isn't happening much, although there is always that persistent feeling of a thriller-genre. And that's exactly what makes this series worth watching, the realistic atmosphere of a sheer unrealistic happening.

Animation: Less detailed to emphasize the focus on the story.

The animation is the first thing which looks at times beautiful (coloring!) and at other times a bit odd. This is mostly due to the character design, which sometimes feel a bit as if they lack something. The simplistic design is what might make this series look cheap or not detailled enough, but that helps the series in emphasizing the focus on the story. While it often happens that the details get more attention than the story or the characters, they tried to put the focus entirely on the story and the characters instead.

Voices: Realistic, good voices. Bad dialogues & script.

The voiceactors do a decent job. Kurau sounds like a woman who is not in her early teens anymore, which gives the series that little bit extra to make it a bit more realistic. If she would have a highpitched voice, nobody would look at this series in the same way. It's not a series for young teenagers, it's a series for an adult audience and the voice of Kurau reflect that. She's no teenager herself anymore, so she thinks different from a 'mere' teenager as well. This sometimes results in a bit cliche dialogues from her side, which tends to become annoying near the end.
The voice of Christmas on the other hand is done just decently. She doesn't really stand out and sometimes she becomes plain annoying due to her script (the persistent name-calling like in Magic Knights Rayearth or Fushigi Yuugi). Since Christmas is much more of a young child, she also reacts less mature and often enough that is just enough to consider her annoying.
Because of the often bad dialogue-scripts, one can get pretty annoyed at times, which is the reason I can't make much of it here.

OP/ED: Beautiful OP-scene and a ED-song, which got on the 'Best of Anime Compilation'.

The OP-song is nice, but not great. The supporting animation shows the happiness of life, the joy of friends being together and being alive, which reflects very much the tone of the series. That alone is worth a little praise.
Strangely enough, the ED-song is only supported by a 'zoom-out' of a certain person, which might be a bit boring. On the other hand, the song itself is worth a lot; the first time I heard it I loved the song, although I never had seen the series yet.
Moonlight (sung by S.E.N.S) is one of those song you might appreciate more when you hear it without seeing the anime, perhaps even before you see the anime. The fact that it ended up on the 'Best of Anime Compilation III' (compilation cd from the AnimeReactor Community) shows that I wasn't the only one with the opinion that it was a good song by itself.
The music throughout the series was pretty good, although they used the ED-song a lot in different variations. While the song itself is good, I enjoyed the various variations as well as background songs. Other than that are a few more vocal songs which add a lot of atmosphere to the series as well.

Story: Slow paced, captivating, but sometimes utterly boring.

The story is a knife with two edges; This is probably one of the biggest problems of this series: that the story progresses so slowly makes things realistic, but one might consider episodes as fillers, or just flat out boring. This never lasts long though, since KURAU does a good job at shifting; the first moment there is a slowdown because the character goes into hiding, while three episodes later, after the character has settled in and started life again, the action kicks in again. KURAU does this a couple of times in the right way, but this also helps in losing the pace when it finally has some action again, which will definitely frustrate all people who want to see more story/plot and less slice-of-life drama.

Plot: Interesting characters, good plot, but tends to get moralistic.

If any, KURAU does a good job in characters. KURAU is pretty much a likeable character, although she tends to be a bit too moralistic at times. She's not a Greenpeace-activist, but more a woman who wants to live her own life - which is what the scriptwriters sometimes tend to forget. Christmas does a good job as side-kick as well. Unfortunately, Christmas never really escapes the sidekick-role, which is pretty sad for such a major character. She reflects the innocent child, but due to her age, she never manages to exceed past that part, which is unfortunate, but understandable.
Other roles for people like Dag and Ayaka are done very well too, with enough character development and very likeable character traits. The way most of the important characters are introduced is done very well and they get supported by the story very well - or perhaps they support the story instead.
One thing I would want to point out though is that they bend the rules of physics in some ways in order to justify Kurau's powers. Although this is sometimes kinda annoying when you value realism, it doesn't disturb the atmosphere. The story is merely there to support the characters - and the other way around as well.

Is KURAU rewatchable - or even watchable?

KURAU is one of those series you can rewatch without too much problems, because you will most probably rewatch it because you want to see Kurau and her life again - not because you want to see the plot layout that much.
KURAU is one of those series which is watchable for a broad audience - as long as they are patient. This usually means you shouldn't be in the early teens, but rather in the 20s or older in order to enjoy this series fully - although I don't want to put people into predetermined boxes.

Kurau is a very nice series, if you can appreciate the pace.