Hey, everyone, it's time for a new review! There are a few spoilers which will be warned with SPOILER! and END SPOILER! There will be a strike through across the spoiled content.
I recently finished watching a short anime series called Amnesia. In all I think it is good. I think it is wrongfully labeled as a reverse harem, and while there are lots of guys that are in a relationship with the main character, that's only a small part of the story, and it is only one at a time. There is no doubt that this series would classify as a romance, but there is much more to it than that. I feel it is fair to consider this one more of a mystery, as the audience finds out information at the same time as Heroine. I made some predictions, and sometimes they turned out to be true(as with what Toma was doing to Heroine in episode nine), but for the most part I only knew what was gradually presented, making it a more intriguing mystery than having too much given early on.
From what I researched, this anime is based on a dating video game marketed for a female audience. (1) The main character has no name and is referred to as [The] Heroine. I actually didn't even catch that until episode six when I thought, "I know all the guy's names, and the names of some of the supporting characters, but I can't remember what the main character is named." As it turned out, she doesn't have one, and she is never called by name in the English dub. (I only watched this series in English, so I don't know if she is referred to as Heroine, or something else in the original audio.) Heroine doesn't seem to have much of a personality in the anime, other than what the other characters mention about who they know the past her to be. I think this can be attributed to two things. 1) She has no memories, so I'm assuming that might have an affect on her behavior and mannerisms. 2) Since this is based on a dating game, perhaps Heroine is a chance for female viewers to use her as a self-insert into this world.
The story follows Heroine having lost all of her memories thanks to a spirit named Orion who accidentally caused her amnesia when he entered her world. Together they try to piece together what was lost while Heroine attempts to live her life as normal. Not knowing who to trust, she has to rely on clues given by the other characters. Each time she "dies" in one of the worlds, she is transported to start over on August 1 in a parallel universe, in which her life is similar, but somewhat different. For instance, in each version of the world, Heroine works at a maid cafe, but her co-workers are liable to change, and more importantly, so has her current boyfriend.
Over the coarse of the story, Heroine is shown to have romantic relationships with five different guys depending on the world. Each guy has his own unique personality (which I'm assuming is based on the potential dates in the original game). First up there is Shin, who is the bad boy with a good heart. Secondly, Ikki--the man who all the girls like, who, in addition to being handsome, is shown to be kind, and a good co-worker. Thirdly, there is Kent, a math genius, who looks at things from a logical viewpoint (similar to Sheldon Cooper from Big Bang Theory). The fourth choice is Toma, who seems to be the normal, nice guy, who Heroine has known since childhood. And lastly, there is Ukyo, who is the mysterious one. Heroine's relationship with each of these guys: whether romantic, friendship, colleagues, or total strangers differs in each universe.
I think that the fact that there are five guys interested in the main character is the reason this anime is considered a reverse harem, but I disagree. For one, she is only allotted one boyfriend at a time depending on the world she is in SPOILER!:
In each world Heroine is trying to regain her memories. Since certain memories pertain to a single world, Heroine sometimes is confused by what happened in a previous world, and what has yet to happen in another. I think what makes it a good mystery is the fact that the viewer him/herself isn't even sure what to think. The audience is piecing together the clues as Heroine and Orion figures them out. A few of the characters catch on to the fact that Heroine has lost her memories, as they notice her acting different from usual, or she falsely remembers something that never happened in that world. Since Heroine has no basis on what to go on in each new world, the risk of her remembering something wrong puts her in danger a few times.
Some parts do seem rushed, such as Kent's arc. I feel he didn't get as much time as the other characters. I also wanted to know more about Ukyo's relationship with Heroine, especially given what he said when he introduced himself to her. Perhaps if two extra episodes were given, particularly for Ukyo, his confession in episode twelve would have had more of an impact.
Something I really like about this anime that I feel the need to mention is that it doesn't take place in high school. That's not something that can be said about most romance anime. The characters attend a university, and even then very little time is spent in a school setting. The majority of the plot happens at Heroine's workplace, in one of the characters' homes, or in one of the marvelous outdoor settings.
The art of this anime is beautiful. Of course the characters are all stunning. The main five guys are obviously intended to be attractive since this is a game for females, but even the minor characters (Waka, Mine, Sawa, etc) are pretty. The use of color in this anime is fantastic. For one, each of the guys have their specific color. I especially love the costumes. Heroine's rose motif is lovely along with the pretty argyle stockings. I like that four of the main guys' costumes are based off playing card suits. The cafe uniforms--both male and female versions--are adorable.
The settings. Wow. Even if some of these worlds are only temporary, the animators take advantage of using such beautiful settings. There are some gorgeous, spacious landscapes, especially of the sky. Screenshots of the landscapes alone are something worth looking at. Even the locations, such as the cafe, is ornate, and, as is its theme, enchanting. The park the characters visit, the location of their retreat, the shrine in the eleventh episode--magnificent details.
As mentioned earlier, I watched the English dub of this series. I think the dub is pretty good. I love the actress selected to play Mine, as her voice is as adorable as her personality. Other good voice acting choices include: Ikki, Kent, Shin, and Waka. Heroine seems like a difficult character to play, as there is so little to go off of with her, so with that in mind, the actress did pretty good.
I think the ending to this anime is brilliant. It works well for the story, and fits with its original source material. Some people may not like the choice that this anime made for its ending, but I find it satisfying, and in a way it's something that everyone can be happy with. SPOILER!:
In all I found this anime to be original and enjoyable. I think it is a good mystery in which the romance is a secondary trait. It can be confusing at times, and I would agree that maybe twelve episodes was too little time for the plot to expand as much as it could have. The art is beautiful in all aspects: characters, settings, and animation. It's not for everyone, but I would recommend it.
Amnesia: 9/10
Music: Blackmore's Night
Beverage: Mio Berry Acai
1. "Amnesia (visual novel)" Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia (April 4, 2015). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amnesia_%28visual_novel%29
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