Mnemosyne, episode 2

Well, we got an explanation, but I'm not sure I want it anymore. Apparently our buxom, bad-ass, hard-drinking (and in this episode, a raging lesbian) heroine Rin is immortal because her body absorbed a "time spore." Her loli partner is also immortal, by the way. But only women become immortal - when men absorb a time spore, they turn into superhuman beasts driven only by their base instincts. And they're called "angels." Female immortals have an uncontrollable sexual attraction to these angels, only to be "embraced" and then eaten alive by them.

Astounding. I have to admit I'm a little impressed. It takes a lot of creativity and chutzpah (mainly the chutzpah) to take that many ridiculous cliches and throw them out there with a straight face. There also some plot about a girl's brother turning into an angel and some assassin who demands to be paid in rare stamps, as well as some more indulgence in pain porn, but the exposition is the real point of this episode.

I'm half-tempted to continue with the show just to see how ridiculous it can get (and because it is gorgeously animated), but episode 2 managed to remove just about everything of interest from the show and replace it with cartoonish lesbianism and a monster that would have been embarrassed to be in Devil Man. It's basically hentai without the sex. What's the point in that? Not recommended unless that's what you want.

based on 2 episodes : ANN : Wikipedia : YouTube

Mnemosyne, episode 1

The premise of a private investigator with some kind of mysterious past stumbling into some big conspiracy why trying to save a stranger from some evil thugs certainly isn't anything new, but with slick character designs and a bad-ass hot chick (Rin Asogi) as the PI the whole things comes across as more old-skool fun than tritely unoriginal. The hook is that Rin's apparently immortal, opening up the door for incredibly bloody scenes. Unfortunately, that might also be the show's downfall as it skirts a close edge with near-fetishisation of pain.


While I'm all for brutal combat and I loved the tempura-frying scene in Ichi the Killer, torture for torture's sake gets old real fast. Add in a dominating lesbian with a piercing fetish and it gets mildly uncomfortable as well. It's not particularly explicit or disturbing, but it feels like the pain is being showcased as fanservice, and that's very disconcerting.

The plot's also rather weak as well: something about clones and implanted memories that somehow ends up resulting in an army of attack zombies. This is only the first episode of an OVA, though, so it can very easily develop into something better. I'm willing to give it a chance to develop so long as it doesn't dip into Saw/Hostel pain-porn.

based on episode 1 : ANN : Wikipedia