AMNESIA – Episode 01 Ramblings

AMNESIA (anime) is an otome game anime adaption done by Brains Base. It is set to go for 13 episodes in the 2013 WINTER Anime Season.

OFFICIAL ANIME WEBSITE

Basic Information for First Episode: http://otome-jikan.net/2013/01/amnesia-anime-debuts-first-episode/

WARNING: Spoilers from the game and also image heavy. You have been warned.

When I heard that the first episode of AMNESIA was going to be streamed on January 8^th, I knew that I had to finish the game. I had previously done Ikki then Toma’s route but I quickly replayed a few scenes and endings, then completed the GOOD ENDS for all the characters. By all, yes I mean Ukyo as well. I really don’t know whether to cry or laugh at how many BAD ENDS you can get in that route.

Anyhow, with the game still fresh in my mind I watched the first episode and okay…I really want to know what they are doing with this in 13 episodes. My friends and I were all speculating which route they’d go down and Shin, being (and I quote) “the poster boy”, we figured it’d most likely be his that the anime goes down. However, for those who have played the game or read the reviews Rin and Ili have done on the game, you know which the real route is. Ukyo. Of course, he’s the Joker so really, would the anime really do his route? I don’t think so, at least not if they follow what they had done with the other otome game anime adaptions. We were also thinking “there’s no default name in the game for the heroine, so what are they going to call her?” Our answers: “KANOJO” Yup, they are just going to call her by ‘you/her’ in Japanese. Ww There wasn’t even a name for her on the official anime website.

A few friends watched the episode when it first streamed live and from what I see, they’re making the plot confusing. So in knowing that, I thought why not watch the first episode and try to understand or guess what Brains Base is doing with this adaption.

I like the animation and music and of course the voice actors xDD Much better than what Studio DEEN had been doing to other anime adaptions. Unfortunately they didn’t use the music from the game and the only thing that comes close to the original BGM is probably the music in the interlude. It has the same ‘chime’ to it as it does between scenes and chapters in the game.

OPENING SONG

The main characters and their respective symbols are introduced. They even have a flash of the heroine almost kissing someone but it flashes through 5 guys. WHO IS YOUR BOYFRIEND GURL?! What I want to know is why they chose this face for Toma…OMG He looks so pained and well, considering how he’s so desperate to protect the heroine because he promised her when she was young, that is how I’m reading it. As for the other faces, I think I just want to read too much into it.

Shin, what are you chasing after? The culprit of that case?

Ikki, that determined face of yours reminds me that you were serious from the start.

Kent, is that a soft expression I’m seeing from you? ;w;

EPISODE 01

The episode starts off where the heroine is running from a burning building. The clock reads 8 and I’m going to assume it’s night. It then cuts to a scene where she is dumped in water from a small boat, most likely into a lake. Another cut and she’s about to cross the road, then to a café. Screen turns black after it wavers. She wakes up at the back of the shop and the date reads 4^th August. The heroine has no memory of anything at all so she has no idea who is talking to her.

Fainting usually means that the heroine has remembered parts of her lost memory, but it seems like as if she’s completely lost them again. She wakes up not knowing who Sawa, Shin or Toma is. On top of that she is frightened of Orion, although she’s supposed to know who he is. It’s been 4 days since she’s lost her memories and Orion probably would have explained everything to her.

With this section I was confused at first, thinking that Brains Base had changed the dates or something but as soon as Orion started talking later in the episode it made sense. I guess they rewrote the opening to make a quick start at the story so it ended up like she had completely lost her memory on the 4^th. Later in the episode Orion explains everything from the start and the reason given for the heroine’s forgetfulness is that she is confused.

Having established that the heroine had fainted then the scenes she was seeing at the very start of the episode are her memories. These scenes are from Ukyo’s route!! O(・∇・o)(o・∇・)o  Seeing them there when the episode started got my hopes up. “OMG They’re doing Ukyo’s story?!” It’s totally possible and I reality, that route covers a lot. Though by the looks of it, they’ve animated it so it looks like she drowned in a lake rather than a well. Hmmm…The fact that she’s on the verge of getting killed every time is a sign of Ukyo’s route! =33

On the walk home and then back at home, we get bits and pieces of information telling us about the heroine’s relationship with everybody. It seems that Shin and Toma are her childhood friends, and everyone but Shin (he wasn’t in uniform) works at Meido no Hitsuji. This could possibly be Ukyo’s route and Shin’s at the same time, since Shin works in every route except his own.

Her contacts on her mobile are Shin, Toma, Sawa, Mine and her work. She probably got a new phone on 1^st August…so that’s Shin and Toma’s route. From memory she had her phone data every other route.

During the scene with just Shin and Toma, they mention the trip that had been planned. This is that trip everyone from the café will be on, though which one it is, we have no idea. I doubt it’s Shin’s since that happened before August. Toma’s route didn’t have one (?) It could be Ikki’s? xDD I’m just being hopeful here. I love that guy QwQ

Let me just put in the crazy Ukyo that was animated here *sobs* I wouldn’t be surprised if everyone thought that this guy was some serial killer out to get the heroine…It’s all a misunderstanding for now. You don’t know enough about him!! This is why I’m hoping Brains Base would do his route!!

AFTER INTERLUDE

It’s the next day and as the heroine gets to work, Ikki is outside with his fanclub. It’s interesting to see how many shots of those 3 fangirls there are. I don’t remember their names but they were Ikki’s ex-girlfriends who are now pretty much ranked at the top with Rika (no you haven’t met her yet).

Inside, Ikki and the heroine are listening to Waka’s morning meeting speech. Haha Oh dear. Waka’s personality is like a mix between the “CUSTOMERS ARE OUT ENEMIES!!” and “I’ll kill you personally.” Soldier personality. When the heroine makes a mistake you can even see his black aura, though that changes to a charming smile when she fixes it up. Are they trying to mix all 5 Wakas together? xD Well, we haven’t seen the quiet one from Kent’s route or the FABULOUS one from Shin’s either…yet xD

So needless to say, the second half of this episode really just revolves around Ikki’s route. He tries to use his eyes on the heroine, the fangirls are everywhere, and akjwhefolajsfd THEY EVEN HAVE THE PARFAIT SCENE THERE!! Please excuse all the Ikki appreciation screenshots I took =33

Then in the midst of all of this they stick in Kent. Haha He really didn’t get much of an appearance. He’s role in this episode seems to just be making sure the heroine’s day at work goes smoothly. From Waka’s response to Kent’s explanation about the heroine shift it sounds like she’s only worked there for a very short time and from all the routes I think Ikki’s fits the best? No surprise there at all.

Another day has ended and she’s talking to Orion as she walks home. Yes, talking. My impression from the game was that she’d stare at Orion and just say everything to him in her mind. It would look like she’s always staring into space. In the anime though, she’s saying everything out loud. Sure, it may seem better because we can see who she’s talking to but that only us as an audience. I do hope they make her speak in her mind later when she’s around other people.

The ending scene kinda got me. The heroine finds a photo of her with her face scratched out in her mailbox. Then the 3 fnagirls appear saying “you broke your promise.” The girls aren’t supposed to be there!!! NOR IS THE SCISSORS SCENE A MEMORRYYYY!!!!! That’s supposed to happen on a date with Toma…. (ノ ゜Д゜)ノ ==== ┻━━┻ Well peeps, it looks like they finally put a piece of Toma’s route into the episode, even though it’s in the wrong time frame!!

ENDING SONG

They…really spoil the game here. It’s also because of this ending movie that my friends and I are getting confused ww I mean, honestly, how on earth are they going to incorporate all those scenes into the story? They come from different route which all split off from 1 place at the very start. The only thing I can think of is possibly going down Ukyo’s route where she gets her memories from other parallel worlds as well. It’s possible. It’s just me being hopeful here as well but lakjoefjkd It would also just give AMNESIA a nice storyline to follow instead of trying to squish all 5 routes into 1 crappy harem ending like…some other anime.

The heroine really doesn’t have a name and I don’t know what to think about that LOL Thanks for staying true to the game Brains Base. I wonder if she’ll ever get one as she starts to remember. And guys, please don’t mind about the cage…haha yeah…the…cage…*sobs* Also love how they end video with Ukyo. First Ukyo is just normal kind Ukyo looking through the telescope and then…it all changes. Great way to end it! THANKS! I totally needed these feels after watching the episode!!

Brains Base, I love your animation so far. I’m confused with where you’re going here but hey…I still want the next episode haha xDD

Doropyan

Advertisement