A Wind Named Amnesia
Anime is a complex being. There are series that, to speak ill of, would spark riots and burnings at the stake. There are others (anime) that receive a glance, a rating on MyAnimelist, and are lost to the next new show. Those I would call the one-night stands of anime.
Lastly, there is anime, either a series or an ova that on the first watch leaves you with a sense of emptiness—the “Two Girl’s One Cup” of the anime world. On the surface, the plot seems excellent, perhaps deceptive, but the execution comes up short. A Wind Named Amnesia, in my opinion, is the latter of the three. Two Girls One Cup is branded as two hot girls with an ice cream cone, but there’s no ice cream. There is an ah-ha moment, but that’s for you to decide.
A Wind Named Amnesia is branded as an action, adventure, post-apocalyptic film. It is based on a 1983 novel by the legendary Hideyuki Kikuchi. Several of his other stories were also turned into ova, including Wicked City and the Vampire Hunter D series. It received media distribution in North America via Manga Entertainment and Central Park Media.
The Tale of Two Plots Part I (Sub)
A Wind Named Amnesia’s plot goes as follows: A phenomenon known as the Amnesia Wind has caused humanity to lose all memory resulting in a post-apocalyptic world.
The return to infancy (sort of) caused humans to lose the ability to read, speak, operate machines, etc. A group of extraterrestrial beings caused the event. Who, for reasons explained in the sub, felt that humans had become burdened by their civilization. The belief was that an infantile society might not make the same mistakes as its predecessors, leading to a happier existence.
Nevertheless, our story centers around John Rambo, look-alike Wataru who encounters Johnny, the young teen who restored some of Wataru’s mental capacity. Johnny was a resident at a government compound where humans were bio-engineered into weapons.
Johnny, before the Amnesia Wind, was given a computer-like cognitive ability and his memories were uninhibited. Johnny taught Wataru language skills, civility, and survival skills, including how to drive a stick! He also gave Wataru his name, which means wanderer in Japanese.
After their meeting, Johnny would commission Wataru to “Just see how humanity behaves, what civilization has become.” Johnny would eventually succumb to an undisclosed ailment, and Wataru would strike out on his own. Wataru arrived in San Francisco(1999), where he would meet Sophia. After destroying a robotic urban pacification unit known as a Guardian, Wataru and Sophia would become travel partners.
Their travels would take them to various locations. Each of these locations would represent an aspect of human emotion or human civilization. Many themes are covered in the film, Including religion, protecting children and the weak, family, greed, avarice, fear, and the dangers of artificial intelligence.
It should be noted that Wataru had several run-ins with Guardian units attempting to kill him. These units were controlled by a satellite in space. Finally, the story is broken down into four parts: The Initial Backstory arc, John/Sue arc, the Eternal Town arc, and the New York arc. New York was where Sophia was heading when the two met.
The Tale of Two Plots Part II (Dub)
While Johnny and Wataru have dinner, Johnny shares two theories, the first was that the cause of the amnesia was human-made. The idea is highlighted by a flashing radiation light in the background. The second theory he proposes is that man had become a threat to the universe, and beings from another world intervened.
Sophia’s statement near the end of the movie provides continuity with Johnny’s second theory. The aliens felt that they would become a potential threat as humans ventured into space. I imagine this was done for western audiences as aliens only using Earth as a science experiment wouldn’t be well received.
It is safe to say that I know where most of this anime’s budget went to, the animation. Madhouse Studio is to animation what Industrial Light and Magic is too special effects. Their work and attention to detail shine in this film, and it’s a redeeming quality. The same, however, can not be said for the movie’s soundtrack. The soundtrack sounds as if it were pieced together using leftover music from anime pilots that will never see the light.
Conclusion (Plot Number III or Whatever)
I am a glutton for punishment, so I watched this movie four times. Well, almost four times. The first time was the dub. The dub is as bad as vintage porn that has been dubbed in German. Unless you turn the sound down, you can’t enjoy it.
The second time was the sub simply because I knew it had to be better than what I had previously heard, and you can turn down the sound, and it’s still enjoyable! After watching the sub, I caught the continuity issue and skimmed it the last two times, to be sure. What I realized is that the aliens were no better than the humans they judged.
I get the feeling that if these anime were real, Wataru would have drawn the same conclusion. At least before Sophia had sex with him before leaving for her home planet. Last thing on her list before going back to give her a report on the state of humanity. She gets the Captain Kirk award for sure!!
A Wind Named Amnesia. is simply an ova that has an exciting premise but poor execution. It’s a film that, given the time and budget it could have been fleshed out better. I would suggest reading the novel and avoiding the movie. However, if you have a masochistic streak, the film is 80 minutes in length, so use your time wisely. Remember I told you, in the end, it’s Two Girls One Cup. It’s not ice cream, just scat, and vomit. Happy Monday!
