Memories

Last night I watched Magnetic Rose which is the first segment on Memories. It was pretty much one of the greatest animated shows I have ever seen. It was right up there with Castle in the Sky and just behind Cowboy Bebop. I am really looking forward to the other two segments on the DVD.

So here is a quick recap of Magnetic Rose: A space ship that kind of operates like a salvage vessel picks up a distress signal from a broken down space station. The crew boards the space station to investigate and discovers that an AI system has kind of gone haywire and is creating a virtual reality based on the memories of the deceased opera star who used to live on the station. The story is quite poignant and the animation is awesome. But what really makes the show work for me is how it is built around Puccini's Un bel di vedremo from Madame Butterfly. The haunting beauty of the song permeates the action and adds a sense of depth and sadness that resonated perfectly with me.