carlo06 - 2013-12-30 03:53:52

Do androids dream of electric sheep? Oh, I'm sorry, I got mixed up for a second. Nevertheless, the question is a pertinent one in this case.

Eve no Jikan, or Time of Eve, is a short series consisting of six 15-27 minute episodes, which were later combined with new footage into a movie (which I have not yet seen, but will probably watch soon). It is set in a near-future Japan ("most-likely"), where robots have been long in use for the betterment of humanity, and androids, human-like robots, have just started being used.

Things kick off when Rikuo discovers the phrase "Are you enjoying the Time of Eve?" in the log of his household android, Sammy. Curious, he decides to figure out exactly where this phrase originated from, and with his friend Masaki, stumbles into the Time of Eve, a secluded cafe with an odd rule of entry; do not discriminate between androids and humans.

No one inside the cafe displays the typical status ring above their head that signifies they are an android, so it is near impossible upon simple observation to determine whether one is human or not. Rikuo and Masaki decide to interact with the cafe's few patrons to discover their true identities.

Among these patrons are a collection of interesting and mysterious characters whose backgrounds and identities are each explored at some point in the series, be they a young girl and her elderly guardian, a pair of lovers, a hyperactive girl or a quiet bookworm.

Also important to the cafe is Nagi, the friendly but stern (when it comes to enforcing the cafe's rule) waitress/barista. She is particularly interesting and remains that way throughout the series.

With each episode a different facet of artificial intelligence is explored, and we, the audience are posed questions. Can androids love? Can androids lie? Can androids create art? How should androids be treated? For the most part we've heard these questions before, but despite this, Time of Eve is still a pleasant and enjoyable watch.

I watched the entire series in one sitting, and I think it's best watched this way. There are really only three different environments in which the story is told; Rikuo's living room, Rikuo's school classroom, and the Time of Eve cafe itself. Considering the series' length, each environment became quite familiar but never wore out their welcome. The cafe especially gave off a warm, homely feeling that really made me want to go there myself (and I don't even drink coffee).

The world as a whole is presented as very realistic and, in the short time we have with it, just feels very possible. Several background details about the world given through dialogue feel very believable, such as younger generations personifying and identifying with androids more so than older generations, seeing them less as tools and more as companions, and the effect this has on society (albeit, these effects are mostly spoken about rather than shown, but still). Other times we see the distrust that individuals have for their artificial servants, or the degree to which people take for granted the technology they have at their disposal.

At the same time, other plot threads told from a differing perspective are raised and foreshadowed, making me hope this series has a continued future planned for it. I'd love to spend more time in the world of Time of Eve.

The characters, like the setting, feel realistic. What little development there is is good, and understandable given the series' length. Again, I would like to see more.

The animation quality felt a little stiff at times but was for the most part solid. It is my understanding that this was an independent project, so props to the creators for getting it to the standard that it is. It was never bad, just never above average, but didn't need to be in my opinion. The CGI that was used didn't feel out of place, like in many other, higher-budget works.

Sound, I liked. There was no opening, only an ending, which was good, fitting. The short bit of music that plays at the beginning of most episodes served to help immerse me and make me feel at home at the Time of Eve.

All in all, Eve no Jikan/Time of Eve was a very nice, realistic sci-fi story that was easily digestible and left me wanting more. There were also two emotional moments that made me feel for the characters being affected. Again, very nice. Though mostly not original, I am always a fan of the concepts and themes surrounding artificial intelligence. If you are the same, you will like it too.

zking - 2013-10-31 13:43:19

If you're anything like me, you've at one point or another just finished some epic anime that has completely blown you away. Now that it's over, you find yourself either contemplating the meaning of life, or just with no idea where to go from there.

Time of Eve is a nice place to go. It is a calm and simple anime which causes the viewer to develop inward thought to a unique topic while still remaining simple and relatable.

The animation varies from CGI to what would be typically regarded as an anime style, but it does it very fluidly and does not take away from the show.

The soundtrack, while not amazing is quite enjoyable and fits the nonchalant tone of the story.

The characters are some of the most relatable that I have encountered in a long time, having no quirks or random anime-esque ideals behind them, they are very real people and is a very nice change of pace.

Overall, yes, I did enjoy my Time of Eve. A definite recommendation for those of you who would like to spend a nice afternoon watching a nice, short anime.

heidenreich.issac - 2013-08-13 18:39:07

Yes i am a Fanboy of this show, I realize all its faults but I still love it.

Story: The story of a human boy slowly realizing that robots are not so different from himself. The world of Time of Eve is full of people who think that Robots are driving people insane, making them believe that robots are the same as humans and the media will stop at nothing to get people to believe that Robots are completely different from Humans. The story felt too short and if it had carried on for another few episodes then it would have been perfect…for most people. Being a sucker for any romance plot line whatsoever, （￣ー￣）check out the Masculinity, The romance in this show was very subtly implemented and left a few hints towards the last few episodes.

Animation:I felt the animation was well done and set the mood very well with a relaxing atmosphere when it needed it and a wacky atmosphere when the characters demanded it. The character designs where memorable and were almost always interesting in one way or another.

Sound: Being a huge music fan i have to say the same points for Animation apply here. It wasn’t amazingly awesome but it was just above average and I could listen to many of the songs on their own. I have to say that “04″ is my favorite. Also that Piano scene (｡♥‿♥｡)

Character: I thought the character development was left at just the right point with the acceptance of the robots and the underline romance. It answered

enough to make it feel solid but left the lid off for your imagination run wild with possibilities. If you’re a person who needs everything to be answered and wrapped up nicely, then this isn’t the show for you but if your like me then it should be near perfect.

Enjoyment: As a fan of cyberpunk and futuristic fantasy, this lighthearted, mellow and strange show is excellent in terms of making you feel good. I love this show and I think the only improvement is that it should be longer but if you are looking for an action thrill ride then you come to the wrong place.

Recommendations: If you are looking for a similar story then i haven’t found one yet so if you know of one please comment it. In terms of the feeling it gives you then Pale Cocoon and Mizu no Kotoba are very similar and are created by the same Author.

I hope you enjoyed your Time of Eve ^_^

umraz - 2013-06-28 08:18:31

Review out of 100. 35 for Story, 35 for Characters, and 30 for Production Values.Story: (27/35) Great Setting, and had a lot of potential, but not enough time to answer all the question you might have. Very good for the time it did have though. (27/35)Characters: (26/35) Like the story, they were good, just underdeveloped. Again, this is because of the time it had, but it did good for a show with a run time of 1 hour and 45 minutes. Production Values: (24/35) Good, but nothing that will knock your socks off. It was an independent production, which makes it all the more impressive. Overall: (77/100) I feel bad for giving it this score, because if it were average length it probably would have scored much higher (so long as it kept doing what it was doing here). Honestly if I was judging it on how much it got done in such a sort amount of time (and how good it did it), it would get somewhere in the mid to high 80's probably. Sadly, being too short is a flaw that sometimes happens in anime, and this is a perfect example of it. With all that in mind, I don't recommend you skip this anime, as it is very enjoyable and well worth the time. You might want to consider watching the movie instead, as it pretty much the show in movie format with a few added scenes apparently. I have not watched it yet though. The story behind Eve no Jikan is a really good one. It takes place in the not too far off future where Androids coexist with humans, and look and act just like them. It explores the differences between humans and android inside this cafe where both are treated equally, called the Time of Eve. The setting of this show is a good one, and is worth the watch if only for the setting alone. It feels very real, as if a world where androids coexisting with humans is possible and not too far off, although some things struck me as weird (why do I see flip phones? Those things are all but dead now, let alone in the future). The stories told were very good, with each episode focusing on one character(s) that visit the cafe. The stories get their point across very well, that artificial intelligence like android can be more human than we think. For a show with only 5 episodes around 15 minutes in length and 1 at about 30, I'd say the story was very good, but you'll have more questions the longer you watch the show, and there simply isn't enough time to answer them all. (27/35)As you would expect from a show with that little bit of time, the characters are really lacking. There wasn't enough development in the characters, mostly because of time constraints. Don't get me wrong, in the time it had it did a great job with both storytelling and characters, but like I said above there is just so much more to explore. (26/35)The production values on this show were good, but nothing crazy special. Considering this was a independent anime, I'd say they were very good, as nothing felt out of the ordinary. Good animation and good music (24/30).A show with a great setting that explored what it means to be human by comparing us to androids. It brings up a lot of questions, but doesn't have enough time to answer them all. Ultimately, this show had a lot of promise, but didn't have enough time to deliver everything it wanted. If anything, I'd say it was VERY good for the amount of time it had to tell its story, but could have been much better if it was longer. (77/100)