Well, after having watched the recently aired 4 episodes of Time of Eve I thought I'd write a review, or at least attempt to do so.

First of all, this review may contain spoilers which isn't really my purpose but the risk stands there and if you don't feel like taking the risk of getting too much of an insight into this show which in turn might spoil it for you then it would be very inept for you to proceed with the reading of this review.

Anyway, I digressed. Back to reviewing.

A little insight on the art/animation. As one would expect, when the amount of time that's being invested into each episode takes more than one month, the quality is astounding. One thing that amazed me quite much is the play with the light, it's absolutely realistic and gives this show an ambience like no other. In fact, that's pretty much when one should realise that waiting around 3 months for each episode is the least one can do. Just speaking of the art, the quality of each long awaited release is absolutely worth the wait.

As for the storyline. The general concept of this very story isn't one of the most original ones as one might have already noticed after reading the anime's synopsis. Similar notions can be found in other anime series such as Ghost in the Shell, Magical girl lyrical Nanoha, Elfen Lied, and the hack// series, etc. Slightly different yet still all of them do have a similar gist. The ethical controversy of whether one should regard an android as a sentient being thus human, or quite contrarily not even consider such a possibility such as "robot = human" in the first place because of the logical presumption that those androids are unable of feeling and even less capable of actual thinking thus absolutely "inhuman" and therefore don't need to be treated in a more humane fashion. The discrepancy between humans and androids that has been invoked in the folks' mind is quite huge and most people don't have an issue with bearing such thoughts, but there are some who eventually start to struggle with that very idea, one reason for this might be the fact that androids look so humane and their behaviour has become, thanks to the improving technology and what not, quite humane throughout the years. In fact, that's pretty much the main subject of this ONA - A society where robots are considered as mere servants who are "Three Laws compliant", which was first introduced by the famous Sci-fi author Isaac Asimov, and where the turning point becomes the "Zeroth Law Rebellion". I could go further into details but that would increase the chances for me to spoil it for you which I don't want to be blamed for, so I'll skip that.
So far, this sounds actually pretty unoriginal, now doesn't it? The thing is...the originality lies within its unoriginality and whoever is into sci-fi and the issues brought with technology and science will, indeed, be attracted to this show. But apart from that this ONA might also be quite appealing for people who normally aren't much into androidXhuman animes because this isn't like those mecha animes where robots were built for warfare. No, this is more of a futuristic slice of life so to say. A future that might await our coming generations where they'll be confronted with the same philosophical, moral issues, and where the "Zeroth Law Rebellion" could make its first appearance. The possibility is there.

Me being such a philosophy and sci-fi lover, I am absolutely fond of this show. And of course I recommend it heartily. To me, this is probably the best series that has been released in 2008. A must see for every anime lover out there!

While I hesitate to compare "Time of Eve" with any other giants of Anime, [for me if someone compares a book to Tolkein's or Frank Herbert's LoTR or Dune, that is a kiss of death for me, as that is like setting someone up for disappointment from the start], this will stand out as both an excellently written and entirely plausible sci-fi series, and an excellent future-psychological study of what might happen to humanity when we have dehumanized ourselves by humanizing mechanical objects.

Presupposing the "Ghost in the machine" idea, aka that AI/robots/etc will become in some way self-aware, everything about this series could be a commentary on the daily contemporary life in a -possibly very- near future Japan by people of that day.

The emotional richness of the characters and the atmosphere of the whole series is astounding.

This is everything that makes Anime an art form, and form of entertainment with a depth derived from the freedom of animation from the confines of reality, even though this could be made into a live-action show without much change at all. The writing is superb, and the themes crisp and clear without bludgeoning you over the head. You empathize with the characters, an they all have a distinct uniqueness... even the robots who cannot express emotion with anything like the range of a human! So that is really high praise. And the animation itself is as good as you can get, this is big budget anime-movie quality.

This will, I believe, in time stand up to any of the biggest names in Anime, it needs to be redubbed in every language as soon as possible and as widely distributed as possible.

As much as I hate tripping over myself to give "Time of Eve" adulation, I cannot find a single thing wrong with the show. It hits all the high notes, and keeps an excellent pace, the music is subtle, but always finds a way to be "just right" for the situation. I like the ending music as well, very upbeat but "normal sitcom/show, nothing futuristic about this at all" while still making you think of a clean sci-fi future world.

You not only think you COULD live in a world like this, it makes you want to. Of course maybe because all the robots are good, and only people harm people, this is all robot-takeover propaganda, but if it is, I still love it

Extrapolating on Asimov's rules of robotics and what they would mean for modern society, this series posits the everyday life and interactions between man and machine. I enjoyed, immensely, the interplay between characters human and non-human alike. I think it really challenged the viewing audience to speculate whether kindness and decency towards man made things is completely out of order, whether humanity is lost when artificial beings are created but not given the same considerations. For what do we achieve when androids are given all the menial tasks we don't want to perform in order to thrive as a society, and what do we lose in turn? And ultimately what does it mean to be sentient?
I sincerely hope this is not the end of story. I'd love to see more of this world!

Hi,

My CR Username is "KakashiFox" And ill be review "Time of EVE".

I Loved the series,I Recently just finished watching the Final Episode,It's a great anime and many people will like it,
But it does have it's up's and Down's the series Plot is pretty simple,It's in Japan in the Future and they just recently
Made Androids that are Almost anything from Parent's to Maids to teacher's and That's what is ment by "Time of EVE"
An episode is Approx 15-16 Minutes including the Ending and Opening of the series,The final episode consist's of
26 Min's the Animmation is by Far the greatest i've seen You might enjoy this Anime watch the first episode atleast
It only consist's of 6 Episodes of the First Season.
Thanks,
KakashiFox

I recently stumbled upon this gem by pure coincidence. The ad for the final episode appeared on CR's front page and the art style alone forced me to look into it.
It turns out the art style isn't the only thing which makes "Time of Eve" worth watching. Rarely does an anime achieve such well imagined characters over 20+ episodes, never mind 6. The transformation of Masaki in particular is a joy to behold (which culminates in a particularly moving scene in the final episode).
It's certainly one of few animes I've seen that successfully conveys living with androids as a realistic possibilty. Much like the recent District 9, the series distinctly displays what can only be described as racism towards these "objects". It is perhaps this element that sets it apart from the huge number of robot-related animes in existance.
However there is also the incredible camera style, something I rarely notice in an anime. Every now and then you'll see a scene from a semi-first person perspective. Or the camera will start in the middle of the scene's room/area and then shift to the characters/action. It's little moments like that which make ToE a masterpiece in its own right.
Then there's the music. I only gave it 4 stars simply because there isn't much music in ToE. But what there is, is very special indeed. I have to congratulate whoever created the ending theme. It's simple and catchy, but matches the series perfectly. There are also a few scenes involving solo piano music, however I won't spoil them, since they're all stand out moments.
The ending leaves room for another season, along with the final written statement being "The End?" which only enforces the idea.
Personally I'd love to see a second season. The series is easily up there with the greats and it's short nature constantly leaves you begging for more.

Excellent series - intelligent, beautiful, insightful. I was impressed that they got be to care so much about so many characters in so few episodes.

Overall - Just wish it was longer... but it's great if you have limited time
Storyline - Not necessarily new, but still well-developed and believable.
Music - Really liked it.
Characters - This is where the series shined. The characters were realistic and the relationships between them were fun to discover. However, I was a bit disappointed at the development of one character (name rhymes with Slammy).

An excellent anime, tho it was a bit short and left you wanting more. I really love the animation and music, its awesome. The storyline seemed to develope well, again it seems like there coul easily be another 10 or so episodes.

Another yet juicy story line that gets the viewers attention. Each episode is an amazing breathtaking experience for the audience just to be in awwe when watching it. The beginning of the anime and the ending really concludes nicely. When I watched the first episode of this series when it just came out. I was shocked at how amazing it was done. When hearing the news that each episode will come out months later I would usually just quit on the series. But not this one, time sure does fly after watching the first episode. Not to mention that each episode that came out, I looked forward to the next and to the next episode. Time of Eve is an series that just sucks you right in wanting more and more of the protagonist as he shares his moments in the cafe. This series is one of the best in originality and in particular to the storyline. Overall this series is nothing but a thrill ride and a

Time of Eve is a rather peculiar show to review. For one thing, it is only six episodes long, clocking in at around 15 to 20 minutes each, but the finale extends for about 30 minutes. Usually, short anime are not able to properly convey the right combination of character development, plot, and conflict.

Time of Eve, however, does all that and more. I must say that it is probably the best science fiction anime since Planetes, and definitely worth your time.

Let's start with the art animation. Those familiar with Yasuhiro Yoshiura's previous works, such as Pale Cocoon and Aquatic Language, will find themselves quite at home with the animation style. Striving for an elegant sense of simplicity, Yoshiura's character designs are pretty and easy on the eyes. Every character has their own distinct quirks. Yoshiura also uses quite a bit of CG, from coffee makers to ceiling fans, but the CG is not at all overbearing or overwhelming in any way. In fact, they are very detailed without distracting the 2D character art. As for the animation itself, it is very awesome. The characters blink cleanly, running animations are buttery smooth, and the robots are made to be convincingly real, in a cute type of way. One thing worth noting is the clever use of camera CG work. Yoshiura uses a panning effect to great effect, allowing certain mundane actions (such as walking down a hallway) to look quite epic.I have to say that if this show ever gets released on Blu-Ray, I'll buy it in a heartbeat.

While there aren't many songs played during the course of the show, the limited OST is still impressive. Insert songs fit nicely, as do the finale ending song. What makes up for the limited soundtrack is the voice acting and the sound effects. Rikuo is voiced by the talented Jun Fukuyama (you might here some Code Geass Lelouch vibes). Sammy is voiced by Rie Tanaka, who creates a timid character but with a firm resolve. Nagi is voiced by Miki Ito, who brings to life a character that stands true to her beliefs. Other talented voice actors round out the cast, from Yukana as Akiko and Tomokazu Sugita as Setoro. All in all, I have no qualms with the sound quality of this show, other than the fact that there aren't a lot of background music tracks (That is understandable, since this show is only 6 episodes long)

The story and the character development together provide the strongest parts of Time of Eve. Every episode is essentially a one shot on a visitor (or two visitors) to the cafe, Time of Eve. While that may sound mundane on the surface, the screen play reveals each character seamlessly, precisely, and engagingly. This is done through peppery, fast, back-and-forth dialogue and tight pacing. Although you may not know everything about a certain character, you will know just enough to understand their conflicts, their hopes and fears, and how their lives intertwine with each other. While watching, you will laugh, cry, jump up in bewilderment, and open your mouth in shock. And that's just for one episode. Yasuhiro Yoshiura has learned from his previous work, Pale Cocoon, and concocted a show that does not waste any time or a single line of dialogue. You will find yourself attached to each and every character, human and android.

Time of Eve came out sporadically, about one episode every two months. That means by the time I finished all the episodes, one entire year has passed already. How a show can keep me up at the edge of my seats and only come out once every blue moon is a testament to the directing skills of Yoshiura. I enjoyed every single episode and the wait for the succeeding episode was plain torture. Now that it is all over, I will watch it again. Rewatchability for this show scores very high.

One thing that did bother me was the lack of a true, proper closure. Yoshiura teases the viewers with a ? at the ending scene, suggesting perhaps a second season is in the works. Oh, how I hope that's true.

This review might have sounded rather dry. Well, if a show is this good, I can't find anything sarcastic or sardonic to say. Just go watch it now on Crunchyroll. You will not regret it.

This Anime’s 3 rules are exactly the same as Isaac Asimov’s, a famous sci-fi writer who was the first to writing about human society, robots, and possible futures or utopia. Whether or not this boarders copyright or infringement laws, I’m not sure, but this anime defiantly stole intellectual property.

Having said that, I have to admit, it is interesting that the Asian creators of this Anime took the 3 laws in more of a psychological and social focal point: hurt being as a mental state. Meanwhile, Asimov’s earlier works used the 3 rules more towards a ‘survival for the human race’ or ‘survival for a group of humans who represents humanity’ point of view: robots using the rules to save humans. Of course, his later works displayed a wide variety of robot and human interaction similar to what this Anime brings to the table. But, it’s interesting to see how the Japanese views of this Anime’s authors put a foundation of Asian culture into a Western topic which originally was analyzed and reviewed by a totally different mindset, thus, allowing us, the audience, to question society and the things around us in a unique view. (Oh yes, the main character also does this, probably throughout the series).