Robot Carnival

Robot Carnival is a brilliant animated anthology of anime films focusing on robotics and artificial intelligence. Released in 1987, it has only become more timely with the rise of AI as a daily reality in our lives. However, there’s nothing preachy or overly serious about Carnival: it is pure sci-fi pleasure, reminiscent of the earlier Heavy Metal anthology, though with a different fluidity and graphic design.

The segments include "Deprive," "Nightmare," "Starlight Angel," "Presence," "A Tale of Two Robots: Chapter 3," "Cloud," "Franken’s Gears," and "Opening" and "Ending" (the last two being the wraparound segments that bookend the film). The most effective and entertaining, in the humble opinion of this author, are "Opening" (directed and written by Katsuhiro Otomo and Atsuko Fukushima) and "Ending," in which a massive "cube from space," a huge, hideous robot space station, lands, presents itself as a "robot carnival," and then apparently goes on a genocidal killing spree. Ending concludes this narrative in dramatic fashion.

"Star Light Angel" (by Hiroyuki Kitazume) features a young anime princess at an amusement park who wins the affection of a robot. The robot quickly joins her on an outer space adventure to defeat a giant robot menace, reminiscent of "Voltron." In contrast, "Cloud" is no conventional, action-packed sci-fi anime but a weirdly lyrical meditation on a lone, wandering robot. His thoughts manifest behind him as he journeys, taking strange, shifting poetic forms, culminating in an atomic explosion. It raises the question: is this the culmination of his creative thought, or a realization of his soul? The ambiguity leaves us uncertain, but intrigued.

"Franken’s Gears" is about a mad scientist who creates a giant killer robot. The scientist, with a satellite strapped to his back, isn’t depicted in the traditional anime style; the animation feels more Western. This segment stands out for its fluid animation and fantastical imagery, which linger in the mind long after the rest of the film may have faded.

Undoubtedly, "Presence" is among the most bizarrely effective and beautiful of the films, although it’s shot through with uncomfortable subtexts. A British inventor, estranged from his wife and family, secretly creates an artificial daughter whom he smashes in a fit of fear. She develops a sentient "personality" that disturbs him as much as the human personalities of his family. Years later, as a white-haired old man, he has a vision of this automaton returning to him. But we wonder if it will end as tragically as before.

"Nightmare," "A Tale of Two Robots: Chapter 3," and "Deprive" approach the anime genre in a more conventional manner, but still distinguish themselves through artistry and technique. "Nightmare" (by Takashi Nakamura) is a dark, cyberpunk horror fantasy in which a man is chased through a Neo-Tokyo cityscape by a flying sorcerer who animates an army of cybernetic horrors. "A Tale of Two Robots: Chapter 3" offers a steampunk battle between two giant wooden robots in a post-apocalyptic city. Notably, the antagonist is an English-speaking American mad scientist who pedals a bicycle to power his giant steam-powered destroyer.

Lastly, "Deprive" presents a typical superhero narrative in which a disguised android rescues a princess from a villain who looks like a futuristic heavy metal rock singer. While standard old-fashioned anime fare, it is charming for that very reason.

Robot Carnival is a vastly enjoyable experience—a beautifully designed, drawn, and animated collection that, when taken together, offers perfect and complete entertainment. Although some of its elements might now feel cliché, it is never conventional, and it is never dull. Even a robot might crack a smile.

Robot Carnival | Full Anime Movie (English Subbed) | Katsuhiro Otomo, Joe Hisaishi

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