Quartile rating: 8/10 · 1 rating
Three back-to-back anime films by three different directors make up this sci-fi trilogy three years in the making.
Memories (1995) is an anthology of three short films — Magnetic Rose, Stink Bomb, and Cannon Fodder — each with a distinct directorial voice. Magnetic Rose, directed by Koji Morimoto with a screenplay by Satoshi Kon, is visually stunning and emotionally resonant, with haunting imagery and a deeply psychological narrative. Stink Bomb offers dark comedy satire. Cannon Fodder, by Katsuhiro Otomo, is a remarkable one-shot aesthetic marvel with a dystopian tone. The anthology format means plot and acting consistency vary across segments, landing above average overall but not exceptional. The cinematography and visual artistry, particularly in Magnetic Rose and Cannon Fodder, are genuinely outstanding. The novelty is high — the anthology's range of tone, craft, and thematic ambition makes it a singular work in anime history. The endings are satisfying in parts but uneven across the three segments.