Fractale | Have you heard of it?
Now, this is an Anime that I am almost certain you haven’t heard about before. According to MyAnimeList, only 63, 811 people know of it and only 34,453 have actually completed the Anime. All this will strike the average watcher and/or reader as “Oh, this Anime just isn’t well-known” which can also be true. However, Factale, aired during 2011 when all things good for Anime were happening.
And so today, I will provide you with my own review and allow you, my fellow readers, to be the deciders as to whether or not you should give this Anime a look!
The story takes place on an island, where a “Fractale System” is beginning to collapse. One day, Clain finds an injured girl called Phryne under a cliff. She disappears leaving a pendant. Clain sets out for a journey with the girl-shaped avatar Nessa to look for Phryne and discovers the secret of the Fractale System. – MyAnimeList
Of the entire Winter Anime list, Fractale instantly caught my attention, perhaps because of all the words are written on the list, “fractal” is the term that I have encountered several times. I enjoy this show because it has some in-depth meanings on how technology impacts humans and apparent sociopolitical implications. Also, I find it unique and refreshing in its own simple ways.
In terms of character design, I find them pleasing but not really fantastic. However, you can surely recognize the character development. I particularly like Nessa, I thought she is going to be annoying doppel–data or memory that interacts like a human, who will screw up on everything, but it turned out that she is lovable, and despite her age, I find her more intelligent and sensible than Phryne. As for Cain, I truly enjoyed his character, I witnessed how he grows up from being an immature young boy to a mature young man. Overall, at the end of the series, I sensed that the characters grew into me because even the secondary characters like Sunda and Enri are worth mentioning when you talk about Fractale.
Artwise, it has nice and friendly ambiance. However, I find the colour tone and setting somewhat old-fashioned, but I guess that what makes it unique and easy to follow. The setting is supposed to be futuristic however they incorporated farms, valleys and plateaus, perhaps that’s why they used that “classic” an ambiance.
On the other hand, I almost lost my enthusiasm after seeing the first episode; the show seemed to be too shallow and carefree for me—that time I wanted to see something that is extremely thought-provoking and emotion driven. Little did I know, behind light ambience is where the irony hides. It is good that I did not drop it right away and stick-around until episode three because that is where the story begins to unfold.
A quick snippet of Fractale is it tells the story of a young boy named Clain. One day, he saw a temple girl named Phryne being chased by three armed people. Eventually, Phryne managed to get away from her chasers. After seeing her wounded, Clain brought her home for treatment and also helped her to hide from those who are trailing her.
The incongruity and the bulk of the story are in the title itself; Fractale system pledges a life of pure relaxation and technology-driven lives. However, due to the overly convenient lifestyles, people do not talk to each other and do not work for a living anymore. Further, the extreme dependency in technology is turning people into less “humans”. For instance, families in Fractale System do not live together anymore, and people just spend their days stagnant.
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