The shows opens with robots massacring humans while an idol-robot sings happily in front of a flaming auditorium full of corpses. Some old guy does something with a computer and mentions Diva. Then we some exposition about how AIs could not handle multiple tasks; instead each needed one singular mission. Next, we meet Vivy (a.k.a. Diva) and her human friend, a little girl called Momoka, at an amusement park. As you might guess from the name “Diva,” Vivy sings, but hardly anyone comes to listen to her. Later, Vivy keels over, and in some sort of mental space, a small, fast-talking flying cube calling itself Matsumoto appears to her. He claims to be a program from 100 years in the future. He tells about the slaughter he witnessed before going back in time, and asks her to spend the next century helping him prevent it. Matsumoto downloads himself out of Vivy’s head into a blue teddy bear. Trying to convince Vivy, Matsumoto predicts the exact location and time of a terrorist attack against a politician, and Vivy ends up saving the him. After talking more with Matsumoto and seemingly being persuaded to help, the two of them go save the politician again.
My first impression is that this is “Terminator 2 + idol anime.” Except Arnold Schwarzenegger’s role is taken by a blue teddy bear. I’m not sure what else to say. I suppose my main question is whether this is a straight version of Terminator 2 or if there will be some sort of bait-and-switch plot twist where Matsumoto is evil and trying to lead Vivy to cause the AI-pocalypse. The opening episode has excellent pacing, neither too slow nor too fast. It also does a fine job of evoking a sense of mystery. I’ve mentioned the Terminator 2 echoes, but don’t mistake that for criticism. The movie is rightly considered a classic, and there’s nothing wrong with repurposing elements of its premise for use in an anime. I will definitely be watching the next episode.
Vivy – Fluorite Eye’s Song- is available at Funimation.
Check out this interview we did with Loundraw, the character designed for Vivy -Fluorite Eye’s Song-.
Interview with Loundraw, Tsuki ga Kirei’s Character Designer
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Yes to the strong T2 vibes! And hints of The Matrix (“loading combat skills”) and also, in episode 2, Aliens (with the girl and the warehouse freight loading robot). If Vivy/Diva follows in the footsteps of Sarah Connor, Trinity, and Ripley, this is going to be good! Looking forward to finding out.
[…] First Impression: Jeskai Angel […]
Yeah, that T2 vibe was pretty strong. So I was a bit iffy about watching it, but it definitely is holding some interest. Hope it holds out.
It’s a very interesting premise. I’ll be checking it out.
[…] For fans of Ellen Ripley, Sarah Connor, and Summer Glau’s Terminator, Vivy Fluorite Eye’s Song is the perfect mix of believable female action hero, sci-fi futurism, and philosophical pondering. […]
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