Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou

After all those weird, strange, crappy and trashy animes that I have watched recently (retro and current), it is that time again where I find a calming series to detoxify all that nonsense. Heh. Oh who am I kidding? Does it really work? But yes, it is that time to diversify a little and watch one since all the bizarre and sh*t show is getting too hectic. Lucky for me, I stumbled upon this retro piece, Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou. In a time when humanity is on a decline and thus humanity now living in a peaceful and quiet age, we follow a girl working at a café (that hardly gets any visitors) as she waits for her owner’s return while experiencing the idyllic life of the countryside. Sounds boring, uhm, I mean calming enough for me to check it out.

Episode 1
Alpha Hatsuseno narrates the owner of the café suddenly left her running it as he left for somewhere. When will he return? Dunno. Now we see Kokone Takatsu making her way to deliver a package to Alpha’s place. I guess in a time where there is no internet, no Google Maps and not even any e-hailing services! Eventually she makes it there and it seems the package is a camera delivered by the owner. As they chat, it now occurred to me that they are both androids! Gosh. Kokone then has a direct message from the owner to her. Uhm, so they have to kiss each other transmit the data?! Is Alpha’s memory not high enough to process it?! Yeah, I think so, the way she is tired out after that, I think she doesn’t have enough RAM! Anyway, the owner states that he might be away for a while and hence this camera for her to take photos and reminisce about things. Uhm, so really, Alpha doesn’t have much memory capacity?! I mean, this camera can take up to 300 shots. Is that enough?! The girls hang out for a while as they talk a bit about their name and origins before Kokone help her set up the camera before leaving. After that, Alpha goes to talk to Oji-san who runs a patrol station, about today. No wonder Oji-san found Kokone a bit familiar since they both look alike. Yeah well, technically they are sisters. So with Alpha wondering what kind of photos she’ll take today, she has Oji-san be her model. Seriously? How are you going to ask an old man to pose? Eventually she couldn’t and drops the idea. Despite the many sceneries she wants to take, there is one that she must take by today. It is the silhouette of the island in the distance of some northern ruins when the lavender filter sets upon during dusk. However she was so captivated by its view that she didn’t take the shot. So I guess she’ll settle for this scooter shot of hers. The only picture of the day but she’s satisfied with it.

Episode 2
As Alpha heads to town to buy a new rake, suddenly a thunderstorm and a lightning zaps her! OMG! Had not Oji-san find her, she could’ve been scrapped metal by the roadside! He sends her to the doctor. Wait, can a doctor fix an android? Oh forget it, looks like she can. So good news is that Alpha will be okay since the lightning only hit the exterior of her body and her skin only needs to be replaced. In the meantime, she has to live with the flaky skin and on the last day when Oji-san and his grandson, Takahiro come to pick her up, WTF her hair is all standing?! Is this some after effect of the surgery or something? But don’t worry. The effect will go away in a week. A WEEK! FOR AN ANDROID?! Alpha returns to her normal café life. She brews coffee while a storm is brewing. Heh. Sorry for bad pun. Coffee beans might be a little burnt but she still enjoys it while listening to the sound of the ocean. Then one day it suddenly dawned to her. The first place her owner took her. Instantly she bolts there on her scooter. Looks like it is a hilltop view of some submerged ruins. The doctor is also here so they witness this picturesque view together. When night falls, the lights of this sunken city start to turn on as it glows like a beautiful bed of flowers. But wait… ELECTRICITY STILL RUNNING IN A SUBMERGED CITY???!!! HOW IS THIS F*CKING POSSIBLE???!!! WHO IS RUNNING THE ELECTRICITY AND WHY IS THE WHOLE AREA NOT GETTING ELECTRIC SHOCK?!

Quiet Country Café

Episode 1
Alpha and Kokone hanging out together in the countryside. Nothing much happening. Then Alpha returns to her usual routine. Brewing her coffee and drinking alone. No customers as usual. As she continues to hang out, she notices the café is rundown and in need of repairs. Yeah, but repairs are expensive. Oh well, no customers so where to get money? But uhm, can’t she repair it herself? Is it not in her programme? Haha, just kidding! Then one night a big bad storm is coming. Oji-san invites Alpha to come stay at his gas station. Okay. Well, I know she is a guest but isn’t is strange for Alpha to be just taking shelter while the old man walls up his station with wooden planks? A young android resting while an old human doing all the work! Such irony! Of course as the storm rages, she is worried about her café. Yeah, did she turn off the gas, hahaha! Sighs… Next morning, storm is over. Eh? Where was Oji-san? Didn’t see him all night. Don’t tell me he got blown away by the storm! Alpha takes her belongings and returns home by foot. Well, looks like the aftermath isn’t bad. Oh, there’s her broken store sign. When Oji-san visits later, he sees Alpha playing her lute. Oh well, her café’s blown off. So how? Don’t worry, now it is outdoor café! Brilliant. This might work. Alpha then tells Oji-san she plans to travel and might not be back for a while. Hey, even an android needs some change in routine. Oji-san gives his blessing. Maybe when she gets back, she can rebuild her café. Oh wait, is this trip to see the world or gather resources to repair her café?! Alpha then goes to see Takahiro and tells her about her trip. It seems she wants to entrust him her scooter since he can ride it. Yeah, can’t bring that huge chunk of machine along. Who knows which remote parts of the world she is going to. Takahiro is now the owner of her scooter as he goes hang out with his friend, Makki who can tell he is a little worried for Alpha. Well, Alpha’s trip is just beginning.

Episode 2
We see snippets of Alpha’s travel. She narrates how meeting Oji-san, Takahiro and Kokone opened up her world. 3 FREAKING PEOPLE AND 1 BEING AN ANDROID OPENED UP HER WORLD???!!! Oh well, considering this time and ago so I guess it’s okay. Oh, did she forget about the doctor… During her travels, she meets new people, works for them for a while as she stays before moving on. When Kokone arrives for her usual visit, she is in shock! The café is gone and Alpha not around. Face of a heartbreak! Thankfully Oji-san around to explain things. Since he has the keys to her place, Oji-san tells her to stay at the café since it is getting dark. Kokone makes herself at home in Alpha’s room. Meanwhile back to Alpha as she is now… Lost! Oh well, part of the charm of wandering. Then she stumbles into a wide open space. A small shed there. She talks to the woman and learns this is an airport. In fact, her son is an android and will be arriving in an hour. Care to wait? Eager Alpha will definitely wait. Want to see a plane so badly, huh? And so the plane arrives. Alpha talks to the pilot, Nye. Eh? Why her shocked reaction to see he is male? Yeah, and his weird reply is that he notes she is female. HUH?! So as they talk, Alpha says she thought all androids were female and never knew there were male versions. Nye admits he has also not seen any other male versions around. Mainly because males are weaker and die faster. Oh… And then it seems she is curious about his crotch!? OMFG!!! THIS IS NOT THAT KIND OF ANIME!!! On that side note, I bet it is not something humongous but a paltry little weakling because you know, male robots… Sighs… Now we see Takahiro and Makki hanging out. They note about the other android, Misago whom they haven’t seen lately but she’s always naked! WTF?! Makki suggests taking a trip to Enoshima but Takahiro rejects it. Too far to go by scooter! Kokone writes a letter to Alpha and believes by the time she reads it, she’ll be home. HOW WOULD SHE KNOW???!!! And now back to Alpha as we see her selling grilled corncobs on the roadside?! Then she enjoys one while enjoying the view of Mt Fuji. Not what it used to be but she notes she likes this relaxed form. With Alpha feeling so satisfied with everything, she decides to go back to the café. Wow, that was a quick trip.

Out In The Country
Well, was all the calming or boring?! Actually I am feeling a lot more confused as there were so many questions plaguing my mind as I watched the series. So yeah, I could technically say that I was not calmed during my duration of watching this retro OVA series and also technically that due to this, I was not bored. Just a hell lot confused because of the setting and the things that I have seen here that definitely raises a lot of questions. But if the series feels incomplete and random, take note it is based on a manga of the same name. It doesn’t have much chapters but from what I can see (and briefly skimmed over its contents), definitely a lot was not animated and left out. However as I also noted, there were also glaring questions left unanswered when the manga ended back in 2006 (perhaps to maintain the enigmatic charm of the series). So I guess we’ll never know.

So yeah, because of that the story isn’t actually much. In fact, I don’t think there is a story to begin with. At least for this adapted animation. The whole thing is just watching Alpha past her time. That is all. THAT IS ALL! So they make her an android because she doesn’t age and can wait for a long time until her owner returns. Which I believe he will never. Because he is dead! OMFG! Yes, I can’t help think why he suddenly left the café to her and wanted to see the world. My most likely theory is that he is already old and about to die. Hence he wants to see the world with his own eyes before he kicks the bucket. And so our poor android girl is made to wait until kingdom come. Oh well, thank goodness for that camera and those memories that she can get by while she waits. Yeah, ever thought of adding extra RAM?

Firstly, one would start asking the obvious question of what the heck happened to this world. While it may not sound like an important question because it is just a setting for this series’ circumstances. But still, anyone curious would still ask what actually happened that caused mankind to be on a decline. Is it some war or disease that ravaged the world? Or heck, is it climate change???!!! Because as we have seen, many of the cities or towns that were once inhabited by humans are now submerged underwater and considered as ruins. Oh wow. This series was already foreboding! Some parts felt like crap and BS especially when the underwater city started lighting up! I still can’t believe that one. I believe LED lights are not widely used then! Even if this is the supposed future! The technological advances presented here are so outdated that it makes me feel old! Oh heck, I don’t think I see any such human technologies like the handphone or computer even of that era! Hell, I don’t even see a landline telephone!!! No wonder Kokone had to be barbaric and write a letter!!!

Then you start to question about the androids because they’re supposed to be so advanced but yet so human-like. I have to remind myself that this series took place between 1998 and 2002 so obviously technological advances that we see today such as the internet are not even well known or at least available freely to the public. Therefore it was mind boggling to see an android acting like a human but I guess this part is to tell us that they were created in our likeness and hence should share some of those human-like traits. Like eating and drinking coffee. Which of course conflicts and confuses me when they start doing all those stuffs and I have to go compare that obsolete technology with today’s standards. Aren’t androids supposed to help humans? Oh wait. Those are machines. Yeah. Now I get it. Hence Alpha being an android who bums around doing nothing, she’s the epitome of what humans want to live for! At least for those who want to laze around all day and do nothing.

As for the characters, unfortunately they don’t really offer much and they are mostly forgettable. As I have said, the entire adaptation just sees Alpha bumming around and doing a bit of stuffs as she waits for her owner’s return. Which I still believe he isn’t coming back like forever. Then from time to time we hear her monologue about life and the likes. Which isn’t many by the way and they don’t really hit that emotional note. So did her short journey refreshed her? Hey, why does she not want to go find her owner? Who knows? He might come back when she is on a world trip while looking for him and they might missed each other! Can’t have that! Who knows too? Maybe her owner stepped back when she was out! Time to go home.

Sometimes I want to think Oji-san is an android seeing this old guy is way tougher than Alpha. Even more so, his face is stuck eternally with that big wide smiling teeth! I think he is so old that if he shows another emotion, he might pull a face muscle! AHAHA!!! Oops, sorry. I don’t know about Kokone, it’s like Alpha needs a best friend. Android version. Then there is Takahiro and Makki who are just barely there. Takahiro might have a thing for Alpha but at the same time Makki seems to have feelings for Takahiro. Sorry, it wasn’t just fleshed out and forgettable. Even a short intro of Misago was like, “What the heck was that for?”. Speaking of which, it was kinda shocking to see her bare tits. I never thought this anime would have such fanservice but for that few seconds, yes, those are real android tits! So did Misago make her forgettable cameo for this?!

Art and animation are a mixed baggage. I wanted to say that the picturesque background was the draw of the series but unfortunately it is both good and bad. For the most part, the backgrounds and sceneries are nice to look at and it really does give the calm and tranquil feel of the countryside. However there were some animation parts which made the scene look weird like when it started raining as well as Alpha riding her scooter at night. Well, the effects made it look weird. I know, technological limitations at that time. But overall, the visuals are mainly stunning and beautiful to look at despite the dated and retro feel. However I also wanted to point out that the sequel had somewhat downgraded visuals. At least that is what I felt. Not only the characters looked a bit more cartoonish (I don’t know if polished is the right word to use) but everything seems a bit brighter as well. Then the backgrounds and sceneries have turned into pencil colour-like drawings and sketches. It is not that bad but it does feel a bit downgraded from the first season. This anime was done by Ajia-do who did Zettai Shonen, Honzuki No Gekokujou, Kakushigoto and Isekai Maou to Shoukan Shoujo No Dorei Majutsu.

But the real treat and clincher for me for this series is the music! Ah yes, if those background acoustic guitar pickings are so familiar it is because they are all composed by Gontiti (for the first season) and Choro Club (the sequel). Oh my God. Hearing those classic and masterful pieces would send nostalgic vibes and feelings of Aria The Animation. In fact, if you put both series’ OST and mixed up all the tracks together, I couldn’t tell which song is from which series! But definitely, there is a bunch of them as I have sampled, indeed their songs still retain that familiar trademark that I have come to know and love in Aria The Animation. Even in the insert songs and ending theme (Fuwa Fura by Hekiru Shiina who is the voice of Alpha – the song isn’t all that shabby either), their trademark permeates through the piece. So yeah, one of the greatest features for me is listening to these BGMs when the story is actually too boring to sit through and watching Alpha bumming around has started to become a chore. Now, where can I find guitar tabs for these beautiful pieces…

Overall, this series is indeed calming in its own way but sorry, it still cannot hold a candle to Aria The Animation. I’m sure I am tempted to make some comparisons but I’m too lazy for that! Otherwise, this series doesn’t actually offer anything much and in an extreme point of view, a huge yawn fest. But if it was something meatier and exciting, I suppose it would have defeated its purpose because remember, it is supposed to be one of those calming and soothing anime series. Boring it may be but at least it does its job. It makes me sound envious of Alpha because she doesn’t have to work and earn money and can bum around for a long time. I want to be like her too! Oh well, can’t complain. At least I have the privilege of watching animes. That’s good enough for me. Such calming and soothing appearance. Okay then. Just like Alpha, time for me to go back home to something more familiar. Time to return to more nonsense, strange, crappy and garbage animes next week! I think I figured out why humanity is already on the slow decline…