While I have a few primary source in mind, my first choice of analysis is the anime series Time of Eve. The series, as a whole, is only six episodes in length, but I will be focusing upon the first, 15-minute episode, entitled “Akiko.” Directed by Yasuhiro Yoshiura in 2008, Time of Eve, was originally aired over the timespan of a year, providing a strong emphasis to each individual episode and its associated story.
Essentially, Time of Eve takes place in a futuristic Japan, and androids have become so common place that a number of cultural dilemmas, regarding the relationship between humans and androids, have begun to arise. Although androids continue to faithfully follow the Three Laws of Robotics, the governmental Ethics Committee has begun to run public media describing the dangers of giving androids too much responsibility.
The Ethics Committee's campaigns, and certainly the series as a whole, are chocked full of interesting messages. One televised ad, for instance, visualizes a red, ripe tomato being picked by a mechanical hand. As the tomato is picked, a collection of small gears and wires protrude outward, followed by text displaying “Would you eat a tomato created by machines?” The first appearance of this ad is soon followed by scenes showing robots performing jobs that, in the present day, may be considered manual labor, performed by humans (for example, construction work). However, despite the apparent usefulness of androids in the Time of Eve, the news media are quite judgmental towards people who care too much about their robotic servants – calling such people “android-holics”.
These observations, however, are just a small selection of the material presented. I believe there are a large number of parallels which may be drawn, regarding realms varying from international labor and domestic products to the civil rights movements of various social classes.
Essentially, Time of Eve takes place in a futuristic Japan, and androids have become so common place that a number of cultural dilemmas, regarding the relationship between humans and androids, have begun to arise. Although androids continue to faithfully follow the Three Laws of Robotics, the governmental Ethics Committee has begun to run public media describing the dangers of giving androids too much responsibility.
The Ethics Committee's campaigns, and certainly the series as a whole, are chocked full of interesting messages. One televised ad, for instance, visualizes a red, ripe tomato being picked by a mechanical hand. As the tomato is picked, a collection of small gears and wires protrude outward, followed by text displaying “Would you eat a tomato created by machines?” The first appearance of this ad is soon followed by scenes showing robots performing jobs that, in the present day, may be considered manual labor, performed by humans (for example, construction work). However, despite the apparent usefulness of androids in the Time of Eve, the news media are quite judgmental towards people who care too much about their robotic servants – calling such people “android-holics”.
These observations, however, are just a small selection of the material presented. I believe there are a large number of parallels which may be drawn, regarding realms varying from international labor and domestic products to the civil rights movements of various social classes.
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