Nier: Automata Ver1.1a
Entry updated 1 January 2024. Tagged: TV.
Japanese animated tv series (2023). A-1 Pictures. Based on the action Role Playing Game Nier: Automata developed by PlatinumGames and published by Square Enix. Directed by Ryouji Masuyama. Written by Ryouji Masuyama and Yoko Taro. Voice cast includes Natsuki Hanae, Yui Ishikawa, Kaori Kawabuchi, Daisuke Namikawa, Tatsuhisa Suzuki, Atsumi Tanezaki and Aoi Yūki. Twelve 24 minute episodes. Colour.
We are told that in 5012 CE Aliens invaded Earth using Machine Lifeforms (see Invasion; Robots): civilization was destroyed in this Disaster, with the remnants of humanity fleeing to the Moon. In 5204 these survivors started a rebellion using Androids, with operations controlled from the Bunker, a Space Station orbiting the Earth; over the centuries the conflict has settled into a stalemate. In 11945 the Moon's Council of Humanity hopes this will be broken by the new YoRHa androids, who are accompanied by floating robots called Pods and sometimes use flying Mecha. The series' main characters are two YoRHa androids: the reserved 2B (Ishikawa) and the more outgoing 9S (Hanae), who first meet whilst investigating Machine Lifeforms aptly named Goliaths. During the resulting battle, realizing they will not survive, they set off their black boxes with the resulting explosion destroying the Goliaths and themselves; their consciousnesses have being copied and transmitted beforehand, to be Uploaded into new bodies on the Bunker. The pair are then sent back to Earth, ostensibly to aid the on-ground Resistance but primarily to investigate the Machine Lifeforms, some of whom have begun to behave strangely despite their supposed lack of sentience: mimicking human behaviour picked up from books and other detritus found among the ruins – including marriage, stage plays and Religion. 2B is a Battler, 9S a Scanner designed to hack Machine Lifeforms: but doing so to one that is mentally unstable (wearing a necklace of near-dead androids) he finds the experience more like Dream Hacking.
The local Resistance group is led by Lily (Tanezaki), with another prominent member being an enthusiastic Scientist named Jackass (Kawabuchi) who suggests a ceasefire might be possible with the Machine Lifeforms. 9S responds it would be a betrayal of those who have died fighting to free Earth. Humanity's mantra is "Glory to Mankind"; 9S seems more susceptible to their dogma than 2B and the more independently minded Resistance, who engage in commerce with a village of peaceful Machine Lifeforms that have severed themselves from their network, whose leader is named Pascal (Yūki). There are other independent Machine Lifeform communities, including a monarchy.
One such community creates an android: 2B's and 9S's attempt to destroy it causes a second android to emerge from the damaged body and carry it off. Later, having read up on humanity (including the Bible), the first calls himself Adam (Namikawa) and his brother, Eve (Suzuki). When 2B meets Adam again the latter explains that, to improve their efficacy, Machine Lifeforms were given the capacity to evolve (see Evolution): this resulted in their wiping out their creators centuries ago, who were "simple. Infantile. Almost like plants"; they found humanity "far more alluring", though they too are long extinct – however, their androids, made in their image, are similarly fascinating. Subsequently, 2B kills Eve, which drives Adam mad: he joins with "the core unit that manages the Machine Lifeform network", forming a giant Monster that, Kaiju-like, attacks a City (albeit the ruins of one), whilst those Machine Lifeforms linked to the network become frenzied, either committing Suicide or attacking the androids on Earth. Adam is eventually destroyed, but 9S had recently hacked him and becomes corrupted: 2B kills 9S, mourning that his subsequent upload will be from an earlier back-up copy, so his current self will be lost. However the corruption left enough of his data in the network for him to regenerate his current identity into a nearby Machine Lifeform.
The season one epilogue fills in some backstory: whilst 9S is being repaired on the Bunker (an event that took place between the deaths of Eve and Adam) he interfaces with its server and learns humanity fell extinct in 4200 (i.e. before the invasion). Though kept secret, rumours led to a steep decline in Android morale: YoRHa was designed to revive spirits, spreading the story that a few survivors had managed to reach the Moon to found the fictitious "Council of Humanity" (see Cultural Engineering). Android Secret Masters, manipulating events for as yet undisclosed motives, can be inferred. It is not clear what 9S remembers after awakening. A second season has been commissioned.
This is a very good Anime, more focused on the backstory and the AI-based social structures (see Sociology) that have arisen on Earth following the extinction of the biological participants, than on the battle scenes – which are nonetheless well executed. Matters of consciousness (see Metaphysics) and Identity are raised, including a variation of the Ship of Theseus Thought Experiment. The animation is often impressive. [SP]
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