#giftia

After joining Terminal Service One, Tsukasa is partnered with Isla, a Giftia who is a veteran at her job, though has not been in the field for some time. The series revolves around Tsukasa and the emotionally distant Isla, as they go through the emotional journey of retrieving Giftias, who’s human partners aren’t always willing to give them up.

The show is, first and foremost, a romance anime, and whilst it uses it’s sci-fi settings strongly, we never particularly take too much of a deep look into how or why the Giftias are made, which I appreciated. This information wasn’t really necessary for the story the series is trying to tell, which is geared more towards making the best of the time you have left, no matter how short it may be.

The show is more than just heartbreak and tears, as there's a very effective comedy element to the show as well. Isla, despite seemingly being a pro at her job, is also very clumsy and awkward, allowing her to become more empathetic despite her sometimes distant personality. Whilst there can be some emotional whiplash as we go between comedic and dramatic scenes, I feel it important to say that one never undercuts the other, and that dramatic scenes are always allowed to play out until their resolution without awkwardly being interrupted by something comical.

The animation and artwork in the show is stunning at times. All of the locations and backgrounds feel fresh and distinct, and the characters are well drawn with great care being placed on the emotive aspects of the characters faces. The music is also wonderful, with a charming OP and ED, along with un-intrusive background tracks that only make the scenes more powerful.

The rest of the cast feels diverse, although some characters often fall too heavily into standard anime tropes. After all is done, the series leaves you satisfied, without a longing for more, in the best way. There’s no feeling that more could have been done with the story, or that something is missing. The series tells the story it wanted to, and it was a good story, if not a little bit heartbreaking.

If you enjoyed shows such as Clannad, Angel Beats or Little Busters, then I highly recommend Plastic Memories. Yes, I’m aware all those shows are Key adaptations, but I feel that you may need to survive those before being fully prepared to take on Plastic Memories.

For me, Plastic Memories was really something special, and it reminded me that I can still feel that void, even after more than 15 years of watching anime.