Are You Enjoying the Time of Eve?
It questions how we, as humans, should treat machines we have created to think and act like ourselves. Do we treat them as inferiors, we as masters, them as slaves (which may be the purpose we have initially created them to serve)? Or do we start to see them as equals, as their behavior and thought patterns mimic us and we blur the line between what is human and what is not?
For that matter, what does it truly mean to be a human being if the only difference between a man and a machine is the amount of metal that comprises your body?
Since a lot of anime traditionally deal with existentialism, a lot of animated works have been compared to Philip K. Dick's aforementioned work, most notably Ghost in the Shell.
I think Eve no Jikan (Time of Eve) fits K. Dick's world better.
I'd probably go so far to describe Eve no Jikan as Blade Runner re-imagined as a slice-of-life show.
Eve no Jikan follows Rikuo, a high school student whose family owns a female android named Sammy. In Eve no Jikan, androids are a common household appliance for well-off families, and look almost the same as humans, like the PCs in Chobits. However, as a legal requirement, androids are required to have a hologram ring above their heads to differentiate them from humans.
Rikuo is bothered when he checks Sammy's diagnostic logs and finds that she disappears to a certain place during the afternoon. Out of curiosity, he decides to follow Sammy and retrace her footsteps, ultimately arriving at a coffee shop, named, of course, the Eve no Jikan.
This coffee shop has only 1 house rule, as you can see in the image above: There is no distinction between Humans and Androids. Everyone is treated as a regular customer. As such, inside the store, Rikuo finds that androids do not have the legally required hologram ring hovering above their heads.
From there, the story follows the patrons of Eve no Jikan, showing their usual routine outside the coffee shop, and Rikuo's inquisitiveness into the reasons why each patron keeps coming back for more Eve Blend coffee. This causes ire on the part of Nagi, the resident barista, who keeps reminding Rikuo of the house rule over a refill of hot java.
I ought to take this time to note that my coffee drinking goes up at least by 40% after every episode.
To go into more detail would spoil too much of the story, and this is one of those shows that I dare not spill the beans on (excuse the pun). Eve no Jikan is, very much like its signature Eve Blend, a cup that is meant to be enjoyed personally, sipped through slowly, and goes well with good discussion.
I also half expected Rikuo to ask the immortal question to Nagi: "Do androids dream of electric sheep?". Philip K. Dick would have enjoyed his Time of Eve.
The show is streaming on Crunchyroll for free, and it's only 6 episodes long. Open it up and kick back with your choice of brew, I'll be sitting at the counter.
Eve no Jikan follows Rikuo, a high school student whose family owns a female android named Sammy. In Eve no Jikan, androids are a common household appliance for well-off families, and look almost the same as humans, like the PCs in Chobits. However, as a legal requirement, androids are required to have a hologram ring above their heads to differentiate them from humans.
Rikuo is bothered when he checks Sammy's diagnostic logs and finds that she disappears to a certain place during the afternoon. Out of curiosity, he decides to follow Sammy and retrace her footsteps, ultimately arriving at a coffee shop, named, of course, the Eve no Jikan.
This coffee shop has only 1 house rule, as you can see in the image above: There is no distinction between Humans and Androids. Everyone is treated as a regular customer. As such, inside the store, Rikuo finds that androids do not have the legally required hologram ring hovering above their heads.
From there, the story follows the patrons of Eve no Jikan, showing their usual routine outside the coffee shop, and Rikuo's inquisitiveness into the reasons why each patron keeps coming back for more Eve Blend coffee. This causes ire on the part of Nagi, the resident barista, who keeps reminding Rikuo of the house rule over a refill of hot java.
I ought to take this time to note that my coffee drinking goes up at least by 40% after every episode.
To go into more detail would spoil too much of the story, and this is one of those shows that I dare not spill the beans on (excuse the pun). Eve no Jikan is, very much like its signature Eve Blend, a cup that is meant to be enjoyed personally, sipped through slowly, and goes well with good discussion.
I also half expected Rikuo to ask the immortal question to Nagi: "Do androids dream of electric sheep?". Philip K. Dick would have enjoyed his Time of Eve.
The show is streaming on Crunchyroll for free, and it's only 6 episodes long. Open it up and kick back with your choice of brew, I'll be sitting at the counter.
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