Series Introduction / Snapshots

Blood and boobs and gore and ass feature prominently in the new paranormal mystery anime Mnemosyne. It’s a 6 episode series of 45 minutes each, airing the first Sunday of the month on AT-X until summer.

For AT-X’s 10 year anniversary they’ve chosen something unusually violent, and steering the ship is director Ueda Shigeru, who’s been randomly overseeing episodes of shows ranging from Honey and Clover II to Binchou-tan and even Gundam 00. The script’s done by Oonogi Hiroshi, who’s been heavily involved in writing Noein and Aquarion, and he’s also penning Mnemosyne‘s upcoming novelization.

The full title of the show is actually Mnemosyne – The Daughters of Mnemosyne, and with Mnemosyne as Greek mythology’s personification of memory, who also happened to give birth to the nine Muses, perhaps we’ll eventually see a massive influx of hot ladies. The first episode introduces us to Asougi Rin, a bespectacled green-haired beauty seemingly in her mid-20’s, who runs a firm called Asougi Consulting, where she solves people’s problems with the assistance of the lolicious Mimi. Yet appearances lie, and these ladies are in fact much older than their perky breasts would have you believe, possibly owing to immortality, as evidenced by Rin’s meeting with the pavement after a thirty foot fall, following a forced adieu to dear limbs from a couple of shotgun blasts. It’s the year 1990, with laptops using phoneline modems and everything, and Rin’s attempting to find a lost cat when she suddenly runs into a young man in trouble with yakuza gorillas. Disposing of them quickly, she takes the poor fellow home, and after boozing up and hearing him out, she decides to investigate the reason for his anxiety of nothing seeming real. It eventually takes them to a mysterious research facility, where they’re welcomed by piercing artist Yamanobe Sayara.

As always, AT-X video quality is garbage, and Mnemosyne will likely look much more attractive when it’s released on DVD this spring. For now all we can do is appreciate all the precious shades of crimson through greasy glass, but the high quality animation makes it bearable. And the nipples. Negishi Takayuki‘s music instantly brings you back to the nostalgic anime of the late 80’s and early 90’s, and the other half of sound is pure class, as none other than silk voice goddess Noto Mamiko (Kotomi in Clannad) voices Rin, and who else could play alcoholic little girls other than Kugimiya Rie (Louise in Zero no Tsukaima)? In addition we have Oohara Sayaka (Alicia in ARIA) as an assassin, and Tanaka Rie (Lacus in Gundam Seed) reprising her crazed Suigintou performance as the head of research.

This series is unlikely to appeal to anyone who fears blood, but all the fans of gruesome deaths and naked women should squeal with joy, because there’s no end of it here. Luckily it’s not the only component, since the plot could turn out quite interesting. For now there are mostly questions of what the floating bubbles and the burning tree could be, and why the girls can’t die, but also the strange man who rose out of a pool of blood, thus giving plenty to plot with in the remaining five episodes. Taking a guess, this anime will be very episodic in nature, with new missions every time, and details of an underlying mystery being resolved as we go on. Parallels can certainly be drawn with Darker Than Black, but Mnemosyne has gone one step farther with violence and sex. The biggest drawback is the slow release schedule, as it’ll take a whole month before we see Rin’s next adventure.

33 Comments

  2. “It’s a 6 episode series of 45 minutes each, airing the first Sunday of the month on AT-X until summer”

    Ah Man! Why did you have to tell me that. I was actually looking forward to this series butwith such a long gap between releases I’ll probably never get a good chance to watch them all. Oh well. Still looks interesting.

    Andre
    Reply

  10. I am glad i watched this episode. It is not just about the blood how realistic is this. It seems to have a lot of supernatural stuff and yet interesting in its own way. Although the beginning was kinda dull.

    banzemanga
    Reply

  11. @Falconx0101
    Yes, Higurashi is certainly more interesting that this series BUT that only applies to the first season. The second season was too dull for my taste.

    @AnonforAReason
    You can’t judge a book by its cover. And you shouldn’t judge this series by the bloodshed. This series is not about just killing and torturing but what makes it interesting is the mysteries behind all of it.
    Why the killing and the torture is happening. If people where to watch torture videos they rather go for snuff videos. In anime, they explain why something happens most of the time. Which is the beauty compared to cartoons made from another countries other than Japan.

    banzemanga
    Reply

  18. Boobs, butts, blood, biolence, borture, biercing…shizzzz…
    Must..not…succumb to the dark side….

    Bloody amazing episode. Though I wonder what happens if Rin’s body is scattered across the world. Will she be able to regenerate? Or must all her body parts be within a particular distance?

    Love Mamiko Noto’s part. Serious mami chan is amazing!!

    Jayars
    Reply

  19. This anime was soooo cooool!!!
    this is just like you are watching kiddy grade + tokyo majin crossed!!
    very nice animation and interesting female characters!!!! with a +40 min ova style!!!
    JU TEN +

    😀

    Tensai Otaku
    Reply

  29. The first 45-minute-long episode feels like another clone of Resident Evil– a hot babe with blood all over her body destroying a secret laboratory full of zombies. It is not necessary a mark of failure for an “action” anime to have a weak plot with little or no character development. However, with 45 minutes (equivalent to two regular episodes) to make so little progress on a formulaic story, I can’t say I am satisfied.

    Matroid
    Reply

  31. It’s a horrible show!

    Blood and gore, yes, but if you were watching this in hopes of another Higurashi-like show, don’t get your hopes up. It’s totally fake, and it’s perfectly predictable. BORING.

    Also, the wait’s not worth it. No sex, if you were looking for that, also. No nudity, basically, as well.

    If you like wasting your time with pointless shows like this, go ahead and watch this, though.

    miyuki
    Reply

  32. It’s a horrible comment!

    Opportunism and ignorance, yes, but if you were reading this in hopes of getting some “useful-like” information, don’t get your hopes up. It’s totally one-wayed, and it’s perfectly predictable. MEH.

    Also, the read’s not worth it. No neutral point of view, if you were looking for that, also. No clue, basically, as well.

    If you like wasting your time with pointless comments like this, go ahead and read this, though.

    .
    .
    .
    No pun intended :p, though I actually see some potential in Mnemosyne and it’s atmosphere and fighting scenes are somewhat outstanding imo.

    Neara
    Reply

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