Bakersfiled 2001

Observations on Kokoro Library

I finally got a chance to see all 13 episodes of this very strange TV series that was originally aired in an 11PM time slot, or so I've heard. After the first few episodes you wonder why this series was on late at night, but after seeing the entire series you start to understand that this is a very strange show. It's not clear until episode 11 that this is really a war story. This is sort of like Jin-Roh in a parallel universe with some sort of merging of German and Japanese culture, but this time the Japanese left their imprint on Germany. There was a brutal war which left the town near Kokoro Toshokan in ruins, although the town itself was not occupied by the enemy. The town was garrisoned by a what looked to be a reconnaisance squad, dressed in what appear to be Wehrmarcht uniforms and armed with Mauser bolt action rifles. For transportation they had two VW Schwimmwagen, the amphibious version of the Kubelwagen. The girls apparently inherit one of these vehicles. So far the soldiers could be right out of a story about the last days of the Third Reich as the Russians poured in from the East. However, one piece of equipment lets you know this is Anime-the soldiers have a what appears to be a useless piece of equipment, an unarmed but very advanced robot. The robot, July, spends its time helping to shelf books at a ruined library where the squad is holed up. One of the troopers there meets a woman named Kokoro. One jarring effect is that the soldiers are rendered in the standard realistic "action anime" style while the female characters are rendered in the big eyed cute cartoonish style.

In the last days of the war the enemy advances to the bombed-out town, but they can be stopped if a key bridge over a gorge can be destroyed. The only problem is that there are no explosives. The power supply of the robot is used as substitute for explosives. Before the robot "dies" she expresses "her" (one can only guess her gender from her voice; she's a nuts and bolts classic style robot) hope that robots can be used for peaceful purposes in the future. This robot doesn't have any cosmetics to make it look humanoid. It does have a very wide head which looks like a sideways football-the ears that we see in the Chobits style robot June are just the tips of the head sticking out! At the cost of one robot, the town is saved. Most of the main characters in the story are either surviving soldiers from that squad or their descendants.

A legacy of the war is the large library built an hour's drive outside of the town as a memorial by one of the soldiers. Its current staff are the three daughters of that soldier and the woman Kokoro. In this parallel world French maid outfits are the standard librarian uniforms. Libraries also seem to have broader charters than in our world, also serving as social welfare institutions. Young girls, such as the current Kokoro, and another character, seem to be sent off to be librarians in training instead of sent to foster families. A foster family might be a better place for Kokoro. (Kokoro, besides meaning heart, also means the essence of things and mind or mentality.) Her two older sisters both have issues. The eldest, and seemingly the most balanced at first introduction, is a very troubled woman. In spite of being an accomplished amateur photographer, too many years in isolation have taken their toll on her. She is obsessed with Kokoro and overprotects her. Iina's bedroom walls are covered with photos of Kokoro and she has a selection of Kokoro dolls that she sleeps with. When Kokoro leaves to go to a librarian training class, Iina becomes totally dysfunctional, finally forcing one of Kokoro's little friends to dress up as Kokoro and take her place. Iina desperately needs to take up the delivery man on one of his invitations to go for a drive sometime. However, the sisters are snobs and think that a delivery man is below them, even though they are willing to manipulate him into performing favors for them.

Aruto, the middle sister, at first appears to be the irresponsible one, sleeping all day and sneaking out to go to the beach. However she is a published romance novel writer who stays up all night writing her books in secret, or so she thinks. At least Aruto has some contact with the business world and a Japanese style editor/handler who is constantly hectoring her about deadlines. Aruto tries to tell Iina that they shouldn't try to overprotect Kokoro, but Iina, ironically, fears that Aruto has a little too much interest in Kokoro. Aruto, also tries to protect Iina, discouraging the innocent advances of the good-hearted delivery man. Aruto is a little hung up on her own body and there are hints that she is a little too interested in Iina's welfare. Both Aruto and Iina really need to get away from the library. Kokoro deserves some credit for having the smarts to occasionally escape the library and explore the outside world. At least she goes out and makes friends and has contact with the outside world. She's the only one who comes up with fresh ideas to keep the library going.

Overall, this is a beautiful anime to watch; it's clear that someone paid a tremendous amount of attention to detail. The opening and closing sequences are very well done. The overall series has a sort of wistful air as if it were being told in flashback. It reminds me of some foreign films, especially considering the problems of the two elder sisters. Kokoro is a child in a difficult situation. The design of Kokoro varies a little. When she is in her uniform she looks and acts like an overdressed doll, as some other reviewers have complained. In street clothes she is rendered in a more naturalistic style, almost to the point where she can't be recognized. It's a pity that the "compuroid" librarian June only appears in two episodes. She looks as if she wandered off a Chobits set with her mechanical ears that open up so she can plug in her charger-much more convenient than the Hand Maid May set-up. June is the fulfillment of the original Kokoro Library dream of peace.

 

 







Last Update: 13 October 2002
Web Author: Doug Ikemi