Trailer For Project Itoh's "Harmony" Released

Joshawott

Joshawott

Monsieur Monster
AUKN Staff
Following the Japanese theatrical release of The Empire Of Corpses last month, Fuji TV's Noitamina block has released a brand new trailer for the next instalment in their series of films based on the works of late-author Project Itoh - Harmony.

Set in a world where advancements in medical nanotechnology and social welfare has created a Utopia, three young girls take a stand against the totalitarian society by attempting a hunger strike. Years following the failed attempt one of the girls, Tuan Kirie, is now a member of the World Health Organisation and when a crisis threatens the new world and she rediscovers another member of their unsuccessful suicide pact, the two have to come together and save the planet from itself.
While The Empire Of Corpses was helmed by Ryoutarou Makihara at Wit Studio, Harmony is being produced Michael Arias (Tekkonkinkreet) at Studio 4°C.  The movie stars Miyuki Sawashiro (Durarara!!'s Celty Sturluson) in the lead role.

Harmony is slated to be released in Japanese cinemas on 13th November; the date once reserved for Ergo Proxy director Shukō Murase's adaptation of Genocidal Organ, which was indefinitely delayed following the bankruptcy of animation studio Manglobe. The Empire Of Corpses was screened in the United Kingdom at both Scotland Loves Anime and MCM Loves Anime.

The original novel can be purchased in English, courtesy of Viz Media.

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Not that anime descriptions in general tend to be the best but it seems slightly confusing that it's a Utopia with a totalitarian society. Unless the totalitarian society is kind of a good thing and they're just opposing it for their own reasons. To be fair "saving the planet from itself" sounds exactly like a supervillain catchphrase.
 
I think, and only think as I haven't read the work as I am a hard sell for capital D Dystopia, that the implication is that it's a Utopia in the "We'll tell you what to do and you're going to be happy about it" sense (as opposed to the dystopian "We'll tell you what to do and you'll just deal with that") in that humanity isn't screwing everything sideways as is what us Homo-sapiens are want to do and that comes at the cost of the affordance of Humanity to do what great works it does in the screwing everything sideways.
 
I think ConanThe3rd pretty much sums up my interpretation as well. The kind of society the synopsis describes unfortunately won't come about naturally, because natural individual differences would realistically result in conflict (be it an argument or a full blown war). The latter part also makes it sound like things may not actually be as perfect as they seem on the outside.

I'm really interested in reading the novel but urgh, things cost money 9.9.
 
Well beyond anything else, Bee Colony 'topias are really crap at handling anything other than things like itself (IE: groups of humans of roughly equal size and power). So a meteor is going to punch them right in the face.

par l'exemple; a stiff breeze could probably take North Korea out if not for the literal rest of the world not wanting to deal with the fallout.
 
It being something like that would make sense.

I think it'd be interesting to have a story that looks at a society where everyone does agree to pretty much be the same and get along without needing to resort to some kind of "dark secret" (like people are being sacrificed for fuel or food or whatever). There's certainly some appeal in such a society, where you can be safe and content without really having to think too much or have opinions that could result in conflict.

As you mentioned, the issue would usually be whether giving up all the things we'd have to in order to live that way is worth it (and whether living like that can really still be called living).

Judging by the whole needing to save the world thing, I'm guessing this might not quite be that story (though who knows). Either way, it does sound like the kind of thing I might find interesting. That said, I'd also be up for the alternative story of the protagonists actually being well intentioned but accidentally being the bad guys because they assume there's intolerance and/or a "dark secret" when there really isn't (or something along those lines).
 
Smeelia said:
It being something like that would make sense.

I think it'd be interesting to have a story that looks at a society where everyone does agree to pretty much be the same and get along without needing to resort to some kind of "dark secret" (like people are being sacrificed for fuel or food or whatever). There's certainly some appeal in such a society, where you can be safe and content without really having to think too much or have opinions that could result in conflict.
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Due to individual differences and opinions, such a society would be impossible without some kind of enforcement suppressing dissenting views or actions though. Gatchaman Crowds insight did a pretty good job at showing what happens when you try and create a society like that.
 
I wouldn't say "impossible", improbable enough that most people would be happy to call it impossible (and perhaps not unreasonably so) but still within the realms of possibility. I guess if you're using our current society as the base it'd take some pretty extreme events and it's kind of difficult to imagine just how we could get there, although that's what alternate history is for. Even if we look at the real world though, there's plenty of evidence that people can go along with things that are ridiculous, counter to their interests and primarily serve a selfish few. It's really just a matter of convincing them that it's the best/easiest/only option.
 
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