) is a Japanese science fiction anime television series produced by Madhouse. The series is created,written,and directed by Masaaki Yuasa,it was broadcast for 12 episodes on WOWOW from April to July 2008. In North America,the series is licensed by Discotek Media. The story revolves around an enigmatic character named Warp,and takes place in a strange world mixed with a universe where changing bodies and trafficking memories are possible.
In 2008,Kaiba won the Excellence Award at the 12th Japan Media Arts Festival.
In Kaiba's universe,memories can be stored as information via a memory chip;when individuals die,their minds live on. This digitization of mental information allows for the transfer of one's mind to someone else's body,and the theft and manipulation of other people's memories has become the norm. Society is largely divided into two classes. In the skies are electrical storms,which cannot be passed through without losing one's memories. Above them lies the realm of the wealthy and powerful,who barter others' bodies and memories for their own enjoyment and longevity. Below the clouds is a troubled and dangerous world where good bodies are hard to come by and real money is scarce.
The series begins with a man named Kaiba (Warp) as he awakens in a ruined room. He has no memories,but he has a hole in his chest,a triangular mark on his stomach,and a pendant with a picture of an unknown girl inside. After being attacked,Kaiba escapes with the help of an unknown ally and,through his travels,slowly regains his memories. Meanwhile,the woman from the pendant struggles with her own convictions and her past,which may be intertwined with Kaiba's origins.
No. | Title [10] | Original airdate |
---|---|---|
01 | "Your Name is Warp" Transliteration: "Na wa Wāpu" (Japanese: 名はワープ) | April 10, 2008 |
02 | "Stowaway" Transliteration: "Mikkou" (Japanese: 密航) | April 17, 2008 |
03 | "Chroniko's Boots" Transliteration: "Kuroniko no Nagagutsu" (Japanese: クロニコのながぐつ) | April 24, 2008 |
04 | "The Room of Grandma's Memories" Transliteration: "Baasan no Kioku no Heya" (Japanese: ばあさんの記憶の部屋) | May 1, 2008 |
05 | "Abipa, the Promised Planet" Transliteration: "Akogare no Hoshi Abipa" (Japanese: 憧れの星アビパ) | May 8, 2008 |
06 | "The Muscled Woman" Transliteration: "Kinnikushitsu na Onna" (Japanese: 筋肉質な女) | May 15, 2008 |
07 | "A Forgettable Man" Transliteration: "Kioku ni Nokora nai Otoko" (Japanese: 記憶に残らない男) | May 22, 2008 |
08 | "False Face" Transliteration: "Bakenokawa" (Japanese: 化けの皮) | June 12, 2008 |
09 | "Kill Warp!" Transliteration: "Wāpu wo Ute!" (Japanese: ワープを討て!) | June 19, 2008 |
10 | "Kaiba" Transliteration: "Kaiba" (Japanese: カイバ) | July 10, 2008 |
11 | "Spinning Fans" Transliteration: "Mawaru Fan" (Japanese: まわるファン) | July 17, 2008 |
12 | "Everyone in the Clouds" Transliteration: "Minna Kumo no Naka" (Japanese: みんな雲の中) | July 24, 2008 |
Kaiba was awarded the Excellence Award in the Animation Division at the 12th Japan Media Arts Festival in 2008. [11] [12]
THEM Anime Reviews gave the series 4 out of 5 stars, and praised the anime for its outstanding animation, story and visuals, saying, "Visually, Kaiba excites. It is certainly soft on the eye and the art style leaves the animators open to draw some incredibly evocative backdrops for the worlds that our lead visits and sees. The grace of its aesthetics, its power and emotionality when it does get it right make it an instant recommendation". [13] Anime News Network highlighted the animation and the story of the series, lauding multiple aspects of the show, calling it a "Well-thought-out setting, fascinating visuals and the plot builds up as series progresses". [14]