An anthology film in three parts, each about a different sci-fi world and story. Anthology films have always been tricky to approach for me, but I think this one is particularly strong in that all the episodes work together and apart. I actually first heard about this film when doing a deep dive on Satoshi Kon, who was the writer on the first episode in this film, "Magnetic Rose" (Koji Morimoto directed). I’ve talked about Kon before, and even in this early project, the themes that will concern the rest of his career emerge. "Magnetic Rose" jumps right into the heady topic of memory v reality, all wrapped in a Gothic ghost story (in space!). The second episode, "Stink Bomb," isn’t my favorite, but it zips along and provides a bit of relief from the intensity of the last episode (Director Tensai Okamura says he doesn’t want the audience to get “philosophical”).

It also ticks the box for military vehicle porn, which is like a sci-fi anime staple. Even if I don’t care for this one, I see its use as a break, and other people might find the kind of anime comedy in it amusing. The final episode, "Cannon Fodder," is directed by Otomo and, despite my love for Kon, my favorite. It actually does the kind of gimmicky thing of the illusion of one-take, but I feel like it’s animation so forgivable (YMMV)? "Cannon Fodder" is incredible, both in terms of aesthetic and world-building, and I don’t think I’ve seen any anime quite like it before or since. This episode basically seals the deal on Memories for me.

So, if all three episodes are so different from one another, what makes it work as a whole? I think there’s really something special about the medium of anime and the genre sci-fi, and the title Otomo chose points to a quality all the episodes share and what makes Memories work as an anime film. Memories uses anime to marry this ability to bring the world of tomorrow into the now of today (but also it’s got that 90’s anime video aesthetic that traps it a nostalgic past) and a general cultural anxiety about scientific progress. Each episode deals with fear of a different technology/science, but they’re all facets of the same feeling, a foregone conclusion on fantastical scenarios. I tend to think anime (and manga) are best when they’re one-off shorts (self-containment is everything), and Memories presents three really good ones. - Lydia Creech