This article will cover some aspects of Vivy: Flourite Eye’s Song, an original animation aired recently that in my opinion has and will somewhat ‘fly under the radar’. I will talk about the premises, as they are unveiled in the first episode, but will hence refrain from spoiling anything else; I prefer to concentrate on some topics that may be extrapolated from the core concept the animation offers. I will say right away that, although I do not consider this to be a masterpiece, it is a worthwhile watch with stunning visuals and interesting ideas. In fact, I would argue that it has no place being as good as it is and yet it succeeds to slightly stand out amongst the hundreds of shows that are simply produced and do not have much to say.
The premise
As technology advances, so does the creation of AI’s: humanity constructs automatons that are meant to execute only one assignment (as in previous experiments they were unable to multitask). The series starts with the AI’s going berserk, defying their original programming and attacking humans. A professor will succeed to send back in time the data of a particular AI, Vivy, an automaton whose original task is to sing for others (an idol of sorts if you are familiar with Japanese culture). There are certain nodes in time she must change, with the help of another AI, as to change the course of the apocalyptic future.
The graphics
As mentioned, the art and animation is well crafted; I would not say it is unique in any form, but a certain attention to detail is noticeable. Some action and fighting scenes surpass many battle-focused anime I have seen recently and there is something to be said about the contrast of how some lively colors are used in key moments. Only occasionally the immersion may be hindered as from time to time there is a limited use of CGI or 3D.
The plausible roots / inspiration
The premises used are not new, but if you enjoyed the ideas of Terminator (for robots sent back in time) or Blade Runner (for the conscience and mentality of AI’s), then you will probably also enjoy Vivy. The dialogues for artificial intelligence is never easy, but there were moments when the writing resonated with the intents of the series; some moments were even reminiscent of parts Ghost in the Shell.
[For those who liked Ghost in the Shell, I am referring to the moment when in the anime series the Tachikoma units converse among themselves about their creators, in my opinion still amongst the best executed AI interactions]
The extrapolated concepts
While the show has its unique spin on already seen concepts, what it does even better is to rise several important issues. The notion of human beings as ungrateful creators, men that play God and use AI’s just for their purposes, just before blaming them for everything that goes wrong, is something that may be seen in everyday society. It is a bit more subtle in my opinion, but the egotistical and arrogant behavior that as a species we offer is just a minor part that emerges from this anime.
There is little room for the discussion of any sort of time paradoxes, but there is an interesting argument to be made about a choice. One question that emerges at a certain point is about what will be the correct future to choose, and as such that is the question that this article wants to throw out there for the reader. Imagine having the knowledge that in a distant future, things will go bad (like really bad) and imagine that you are able to change it. Now, if you have the ability to make a change for the better, why would you require the knowledge of a distant apocalyptic future to influence your decision? Why not just act either way and just build a better tomorrow? These may be optimistic and utopic thoughts, but that is their purpose.
There are other themes that may be explored, but I think that they would lead to other mildly nihilistic and boring arguments, so I will end the article here. Think what you will, and if you give the anime a chance, let me know if you liked it.