With technology ever advancing, one of my fears is that it will revolt against its creator. Machines and AI are everywhere, and I've seen a lot of sci-fi movies about them being more advanced and as well dangerous. I know I can't deny how those machines and tools have helped us to make our lives more convenient, but I can't help myself imagine what if like us humans, they'll also turn against their creators? I know I'm probably just overthinking because of the sci-fi horror movies I've watched plus the anime movie I just watched this morning. They all portrayed how machines with AI can pose a threat to us, and I lowkey noticed how even though it's not like the national-level threat that those movies portrayed, they somehow evolved and gradually became a threat to us.
For example, it became a threat to those who were in the labor industry. Before a lot of workers were needed in those industries, but with the rise of machines, the need for human laborers declined—and that's just one of the many things that changed since technology rose to its glory. So I can't help but think what if those machines would gain consciousness and they'll realize that they can exterminate humanity? If that would happen it would really be horrifying to live in that kind of world—just like the future world where our MC lived. Now be with me as I share with you the anime that somehow made me feel fear of living in the world with machines and AI—Blame!
About the Anime
Blame! is a seinen movie that features a dystopian future where machines with AI rule over the world. This movie was animated by Polygon Pictures and it aired last May 20, 2017. Its genres are action, drama, sci-fi and suspense while its main themes revolve around the concept of mecha, psychology, and survival. This one-hour and 45-minute movie was an adaptation of a sci-fi action manga that was written and illustrated by Tsutomu Nihei.
In a future where the human population dwindled after a sudden contagion happened, the machines ruled over their world. Humans were treated as illegal residents and purged, and so to survive they went hiding in the perimeter where machines couldn't infiltrate. However, even though they're safe, they're still struggling to live in that place because of the scarcity of food. That's why Zuru and her comrades ventured out to the dangerous city to find food for their village, but their supposed-to-be careful expedition turned into a dangerous one when they encountered a bunch of terminators who were out to kill them.
Some of her comrades died, and she almost died also if not for the appearance of the strange man named Killy. He easily killed terminators in one shot, and that somehow made her suspicious of him. He claimed to come from the levels thousands below the city and this greatly baffles them. But, upon hearing further his story and intention, they were somehow convinced that this strange man could be their hope to find a way out of the grip of the machines and to restore the thing that was lost after the contagion.
In the first part of the movie, I was really excited about how it would turn out especially when Killy was introduced. The premise was really intriguing, but for me, it kinda fell short on the world and character building. I was expecting that they would delve further into Killy's backstory—given that he's really mysterious and emotionless character. Well, he's not entirely emotionless because there are times when I saw a hint of humanity in him, however, I felt that his character is too underdeveloped. And it's not only limited to his character but this underdevelopment extends to other other characters.
I feel that there's more to his character and also to others—especially the one that got introduced in the last moments of the movie. Also, like I said the world-building doesn't make that much sense to me because, like the characters, I felt that there's much more to it than what was adapted in that movie. I'm not familiar with its source material, but I think that movie was just a portion of the lore it has. Anyway, still there are aspects that I like about it and one of them is its pacing. I like how straightforward it is because I find it much better than having a nice intro and a rushed ending. The end was not rushed and like how vague the plot was, it also ended in an uncertain and open-ended manner. It isn't a new concept, but it's better than having a rushed and completely out of the context end.
As for the other aspect that I liked in this movie, it was its animation. The CGI felt uncomfortable at first because the movements seemed too smooth and fast for my eye to follow, but as soon as I got used to it, I enjoyed watching it. The fight scenes were nice and fluid, and the effects were totally on point. However, I find their expression quite bland at some point—like the emotions they emanate just don't resonate that much in me. Maybe it's not only because of their expressions but also their narration. Anyway, the settings and background visuals of this anime were probably the most astonishing aspect of it. The wreckage and ruin really set the mood right, and it totally made me feel how it is to live in that era.
Their characters' designs got me curious, so I tried checking out the manga it's based on, and there are certainly a lot of changes, changes that I guess were made to make it more appealing to the mass audience. Zuru was made cuter in the adaptation and her character design was quite different compared to her manga version, for in manga she looks more rugged there. On the other hand, Killy looks more battle-worn-out in the anime than in the manga. Their character designs were really familiar—it's like I've seen it in another anime—especially Killy who low-key looks like Toji from JJK. The soundtrack was decent though not memorable. The sound effects were on point, and techno background music really gave it a nice futuristic vibe.
Overall, my rating for this anime is 8/10. In its entirety, I really enjoyed following its story and action. Its sci-fi premise wasn't new because there are fairly a considerable number of anime series and movies with machines as their enemy. I was hooked on the mystery of the characters, but unfortunately, they failed to add depth to that part. It was such a shame that they weren't able to delve further into them, but that's somehow understandable given that it's only a movie and clearly they focused more on the improvement of the plot rather than the characters, but anyway, like I said I still enjoyed it. So if you're looking for a futuristic anime with a straightforward plot and nice dystopian visuals then look no more and try watching Blame!
Before I end this review, I'll share with you its trailer, so—
Have you watched this movie before? Or is this your first time seeing it? If you have comments about it feel free to share them. That's all for now, minna-san! I hope you enjoyed reading my review.
Arigatou and tanoshinde ne~
The pictures that didn't have source were screenshots from the movie while the last picture was edited in Canva.