Among the myriad varieties and pleasures of the 2004 Asian American
International Film Festival, the science-fiction anime feature Parasite
Dolls proved
a stand-out, and for fans of the genre, it is essential viewing.
Making the rounds
of the festival circuit, (including a screening at the 2003 Big Apple Anime
Festival), this production comes skillfully directed by Kazuto
Nakazawa and Naoyuki Yoshinaga, with scripting by Chiaki Konaka
and with Art Direction by Sato Masaru – all
experienced in the field.
Dazzling with a variety of hip, stylish, near-future,
urban-techno-noir settings reminiscent of Bladerunner and Ghost
in the Shell, Parasite Dolls, like these just-mentioned,
classic inspirational opuses, deals intelligently with the endlessly fascinating
themes of human-looking android creations developing minds and personalities
and possibly souls of their own and the consequential, complex moral/ethical
dilemmas that ensue.
Set in Tokyo in 2034 and sharing the same background social/political
milieu and time period but otherwise no other direct connections
with the popular series Bubblegum Crisis and AD Police, Parasite
Dolls can
be enjoyed completely independently. The tri-part narrative structure revolves
around the products of the prosperous, powerful, giant Genom Corporation thriving
from the creator, Dr. Quincy's, technologically sophisticated "Boomers." This
term refers to simulacra gifted with AI and so advanced, they look more beautiful
and possess more strength than the humans they so closely resemble. The AD
police monitor the activities of Boomers through BRANCH, a specialized division
whose members function undercover in plain clothes.
The first part, "A Faint Voice," focuses on BRANCH agents Basil "Buzz" Nikvest
(Inoue Kazuhiko) and his Boomer partner Rod Kimball (Uchida Somei) investigating
a mysterious drug associated with crimes committed by malfunctioning, "mad" Boomers.
While trying to discover the nature of the pharmaceutical, and then during
the attempt to stop its distribution and malign effects, the protagonists make
surprising and chilling discoveries.
The next segment, "Dreams", concerns Boomer prostitutes whose
numbers equal their human counterparts. When a vicious serial killer targets
many of the AI "working girls", female BRANCH agents Reiko Michaelson
(Okamura Akemi) and Eliza "Angel"; Lynch (Inoue Kikuko) teaming
with Buzz, take on the case. Clues indicate the next victim to be a particularly
gorgeous and desirable call-girl Boomer named Eva (Hyouto Mako), who possesses
an uncanny talent to sense and to fulfill her clients' erotic dreams.
It turns out that Eva has the unprecedented ability to dream also – of
haunting, disturbing visions of a small red-clad girl-child apparently connected
significantly to herself. The solution to the murderer's identity and
Eva's fate proves intertwined in startling, bizarre and poignantly moving
ways.
The final portion, "Knights of the Roundtable," deals with the
disappearance of BRANCH's general manager Takahashi Koji (Ikeda Masaru),
who, just before vanishing, had a serious falling out with political honcho
Sonime (Kashino Yukimasa). Suspecting Sonime to be the culprit, Buzz and Reiko
do some sleuthing that leads them to Takahashi, a discovery occurring simultaneously
with the outbreak of terrorist bombings throughout Tokyo. The explosions get
cleverly staged to pin the blame on Buzz who must turn fugitive to clear his
name. In the process of doing so and of freeing Takahashi – Buzz, Reiko
and their superior officer uncover a sinister, unexpected conspiracy.
