Throw a cute female lead, overpowered cell phones, Oasis (yes, the British rock band), and some cutting edge animation together and what do you get? Eden of the East: Production I.G.’s latest masterpiece.
The storytelling of Eden is thriller-esque, and believe me when I say you will spend the first few episodes trying to figure out what the hell is going on (six episodes in and I still don’t fully get it). Rest assured, however, that you will latch onto what is handed to you like a hobo onto a ham sandwich.
First off, we have Saki Morimi. The story begins with her visiting Washington D.C. on a college graduation trip. She was looking forward to tossing a coin into the fountain in front of the white house and making a wish, but gets depressed when she discovers the distance of the fountain from the street. She tries anyway however and is approached by policemen.
However, some naked guy on the other side of the street attracts the policemen’s attention and Saki is given a chance to escape. The guy’s name is Akira Takizawa, and he and Saki become fast friends.
Apparently, Akira has lost his memory, but there are clues sprinkled throughout the story that make me think he used to be a certified badass or something. There is also his phone. The phone comes equipped with a concierge (Juiz) and 8.2 billion yen (!!). Akira eventually learns that he is one of twelve individuals who have been commissioned (somewhat against their will) to save Japan. The organization, is known as Selecao.
Overall, Eden has a nice balance of suspense and character development. I have to admit that I was a bit put off by the seemingly generic “guy who lost his memory” thing, but they put a nice spin on it in the sense that he erased his memory on purpose. A part of me keeps watching just to find out why he did it.
Saki seems more like a ‘tween than a college graduate. She just floats around on whatever wind blows in her direction (i.e.: naked guy who lost his memory…I will skip my job interview to hang out wit him!) I understand that she is in love, but it just seems weird to me because usually someone with her lack of direction would have probably never went to college in the first place.
Last but not least, the opening song is Falling Down by Oasis. I consider myself a moderate Oasis fan, and I really enjoy the songs led by Noel Gallagher (guitarist). His younger brother Liam usually sings lead vocals.
Main character issues aside, I can’t stop watching this because I am dying to see what happens next. The show is only 12 episodes, so I hope everything wraps up nicely. Check it out!
