Roujin-Z (1991)

 

'Roujin Z' is a bit of a weird one. Well, that is something a lot of people think about anime anyway. At the heart of this film is an indictment about how society treats its elderly almost as a waste product and how taking care of the elderly turns into a corporate moneymaking scheme. 

Huh, who knew this would still be as relevant thirty plus years later? 

Haruko is a med student and she also takes care of mr Takazawa, a very old gentleman who is bedridden and pines for his deceased wife. Haruko really cares for the old man, but she can't always be there at his every beck and call, which does bother her quite a bit. However, the family of mr Takazawa has given him up for some government experiment, as they don't give a shit about him anyway. So he is strapped to a high tech bed with a gazillion functions to take care of his needs. 

Except this is of course totally inhumane, as there is nothing in the realm of human contact, be it talking, listening or holding: only pure, clinical care. 

But this new contraption has a special military chip installed that makes it possible to learn new things, and when Haruko enlists the aid of a few elderly hackers to try and contact mr Takazawa, things get a bit bizarre as the computer starts to take on the voice and personality of mr Takazawa's deceased wife. And as he wants to see the seaside again, the machine just takes him. 

A chase ensues and there is even something of a mech-on-mech battle at one point, but in the end it is about compassion and caring, not spectacle. 

Is this a timeless classic? Not really. There's a bit too little of a gripping story or narrative present and there's a lot where you have to just accept events. But the heart of the story is about caring for our elders and the sometimes appalling fashion in which society discards them. Haruko is the heart and soul of the story, but the old gentlemen at the hospital who have found new joy in hacking computers are a hoot. 

Does any of this make sense? Not particularly, but it remains a quirky and fun film to watch, even if it isn't as memorable as others.