Plastic Memories

## The Anime

### Soundtrack

The opening song to Plastic Memories is wonderfully forgettable. It's good enough to keep you watching from start to finish while also being endlessly listenable. But, after finishing thirteen episodes in one day, I can't seem to play the melody in my head. Yet, without it, the opening and therefore tone of the show would've been entirely different. Very peculiar.

The only reason I didn't cry at the end of the anime is because of the ending song. It's a beautifully melancholic song that practically spells out the ending of the anime. That being said, it's an incredibly emotional song that will always make me think of Plastic Memories when I listen to it. The way I'd describe the feeling when listening to this song is: Like being too happy to cry. That's it.

### Thoughts

I don't think I'd seen clips of Plastic Memories before I started watching it. Nor did I really skim over the synopsis on MAL. What I did see was an incredible amount of recommendations coupled with a relatively subpar overall score. That being said, I try not to let the views of others influence my own reviews. So, with that being said, I can only say that Plastic Memories is a simply heartwrenching anime. The premise and the plot is simple. It doesn't really deliver the full potential of some themes set up at the start, but it does deliver enough to weaken you just enough so that the most powerful theme this anime has to offer will hit you ten times as harder near the end.

So what is Plastic Memories even about? It's an anime that takes place in a relatively futuristic Earth that is primarily about the office-adjacent relationship Tsukasa, a regular human and Isla, an android "Giftias" with a relatively short lifespan. At first, what makes this show incredibly interesting is the setting. Tsukasa and Isla basically work as the people who retrieve androids that are near the end of their lifespan. It's a bit like Violet Evergarden; their department is the only one who uses tamer methods to retrieve said androids. They don't just forcibly capture them. Rather, they work with the "owner" of the androids to make their decision of letting go of their androids easier. It makes for so many good moments, from start to finish. Not as tearjerking as Violet Evergarden, but let me tell you it was close. On top of all that, you get to see so many more sides of the characters that retrieve said androids. It just hooks you in even more. The only reason this anime is a Mid-Mid and not a Gem-Gem is because the most important thing it wants you to remember is the relationship between Tsukasa and Isla. There couldn't have been any other way, really. If the anime had focused too much on the stories of the retrieval of Giftias it would have detracted from the romance aspect. Anyway, Tsukasa and Isla. To be honest, Tsukasa is a regular walking green flag guy. He's accepting, empathetic, compassionate, and courageous when it matters. He's also nervous and neurotic enough to be relatable. Not much to say other than that, though. The real highlight is Isla. At first, she's a very closed and borderline shy person that struggles to do her job as a retriever. Over time, after working with Tsukasa on multiple jobs, she learns to open up more. Then, it's revealed to the viewer in the middle of the anime that she doesn't have much time left. Her closed-ness before now makes sense. She's slowly degrading and you really feel how hard it takes a toll on her mental. The anime basically asks the question "What would you do if you knew your lifespan?". No matter how hard she trains, she won't be able to prolong her life. It's really the main source of her depression. She doesn't take gifts nor does she try to make any connections. It's just that she's distracted by the brightest person in her life that always tries to work and understand her that she opens up to the point that they both fall in love.

They even go to a festival and Tsukasa confesses under the firework-lit sky. The tragic part is the aftermath, though. It was so heartbreaking seeing her struggle to reject and keep her distance with Tsukasa. She really doesn't want to hurt him by having him fall in love with her. Of course through pretty heartwarming story shenanigans it was resolved and they lived as a couple for the rest of the anime. This is where the romance aspect really shines. Tsukasa and Isla's love is so gentle. They answer the question posed before by trying to live ordinary lives. They go on dates and eat together at home. They accept and love each other. I also loved seeing them struggle with the predetermined death of Isla. There were so many tearjerking moments, even till the end. The final episode really reminded me of the funeral sequence from Sonny Boy. They just did what felt right for them. Living life to the fullest till the end. They cleaned their house, wrote letters to their dearest friends, tended to the garden one last time, then finally went to the amusement park. It was beautiful. And the ending... Just like that, it ended on their second ferris wheel ride, the same one that was seen in the first episode. It was heartbreakingly beautiful seeing them share their first kiss as Tsukasa struggles to put the ring on Isla's finger symbolically as a representation of their love, but literally also as the device that puts her to sleep. Then, after a couple more scenes with the side characters, the ending song just starts playing out of nowhere. It really stops you in your tracks and leaves you some time to cry (though I didn't!). After that, of course there's a post-credits scene where Tsukasa shakes the new Isla's hand the same way as he did with the previous one. Heartwrenching.

I also thought the side characters were so good. They really left you wanting for more Plastic Memories is just a thirteene episode anime. They're all deep and really fleshed out. Even the more minor ones clearly have more "lore" than meets the eye. There's even a vague tsundere side love interest that's never explored. On top of all that, none of their appearances are macguffinlike. Their appearances make sense and flow really well in each one. No notes from me, perfectly written.

Finally, the aesthetics. Plastic Memories is 100% an anime that could've benefited from being made in the great year of 2026. I'm not saying it's ugly. In fact, it's above average. What I'm trying to say is that it's dated. The age really shows in a good amount of scenes, especially the more dynamic ones. I do think the general atmosphere is really something that is timeless, though. Other than that, truth be told, I didn't notice any breathtakingly good backgrounds, which is something I'd would have expected from a more modern anime. Eh, the background art's good enough. Oh, yeah, and the tech and sci-fi stuff are pretty cool looking, too.

When all is said and done, I must say that Plastic Memories is the textbook example on how to write a love story with an interesting setting without detracting from the romance. Even though it's not that creative, this is an anime that wears your tough armor over time so that you're ready to truly absorb the incredible romance between Tsukasa and Isla. And I certainly did. An unfortunately unforgettable anime. 10/10 Mid-Mid.

I hope one day you'll be reunited with the person you cherish.