Kurau: Phantom Memory - Episode 1

From the studio that brought us “Wolf’s Rain,” “Full Metal Alchemist,” “Rahxephon,” and “Cowboy Bebop: The Movie, BONES unveils a new futuristic anime series known as “Kurau: Phanton Memory.”

The year is 2100 and little Kurau, daughter of the scientist Dr. Amami, is turning 12. Kurau sits in the sidelines at her father’s research laboratory eagerly waiting for what the day will bring. And in the midst of Dr. Amami’s latest experiment, something goes horribly wrong and Kurau is left victim to a thunderbolt of pure energy. It is later learned that Kurau’s body is now inhabited by a life energy force known as Rynax, which are apparently binary beings that always exist as pairs -- one of which is too weak to awaken. Ten years pass and the now older Kurau works as some type of agent or bounty hunter. She is sent on a “mission” and we are able to catch of glimpse of the superhuman powers she possesses after the accident years ago. The other half of the pair finally awakens by the end of episode one setting off the motion of the series.

The story itself is a great concept. It has a “Figure 17-Armitage-Ghost in the Shell” sort of feel to it. If there’s one thing for certain, “Kurau” holds a great deal of promise, but could go either way depending on the execution of its subsequent episodes. We’ve only just begun to scratch the surface of this mystery.