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Xam'd: Lost Memories
Anime Review
One of the forgotten BONES anime of the 2000s: oh Xam'd: Lost Memories, we barely knew you. Perhaps this is an exaggeration. Surely many people still remember it, if only for its unique launch method - on Sony's Playstation Network, in America first, too! It was a series of firsts, but did it hold up to scrutiny?
Akiyuki Takehara is a young student living on Sentan Island, preoccupied with his own life. The ongoing war is merely something that is happening "elsewhere." It doesn't affect him. That all quickly changes when a terrorist attack on his bus brings the war directly to him - and changes him forever. He becomes a Xam'd.
His newfound form is confusing and unwieldy, and he rampages about, nearly being caught before a lone girl named Nakiami saves him. She helps him learn to control and understand his strange transformation, while also trying to help stop the war that's rampaging around them.
 Our hero, Akiyuki, goes on many adventures involving his friends, Haru and Furuichi, who end up getting involved in the war as well, each in their own way. It all hurtles into a wild mess of bizarre creatures, spirituality, armies, and strange transformations. Xam'd feels like someone stuck Studio Ghibli and Evangelion (or RahXephon) into a pot and mixed it well. With BONES animating, of course.
Originally the series suffered from a poor translation on Playstation Network, but when Sentai Filmworks picked up the series, the Blu-ray and DVD received a better effort, making a previously confusing story much clearer. Still, at times the story lacks clarity, particularly near the end, making all the excitement leading towards the final battle hard to follow.
Despite this, the characters are surprisingly strong and really drive the story forward. Combine this with excellent character design and solid art, and you have a winning formula for memorable leads. Akiyuki, Haru, Nakiami, and Furuichi all feel like real people, especially in that they don't suffer from the typical anime trope of "staying the same forever."
 Xam'd at times takes on themes that are heady and more mature than it can handle. Particularly, the religious and wartime overtones get left underdeveloped. It's definitely not a kid's anime - this is reinforced by an abrupt and brutal suicide by a character that leaves the viewer stunned. Another scene features a parent engaged in a brutal fight in which their face is injured, leaving them blind in one eye.
Despite all this violence, Nakiami, who feels like the true protagonist, is strong throughout it all. Her influence on those around her is subdued but ever-present. She's a wonderful, self-sacrificing character that holds the series together. In the end, Xam'd is a little weird, and a little wordy, but strong female characters like Nakiami make it all work. It's a unique series that deserves a thorough look.
Reviewed by Ben Huber, February 2013
Below: Scenes from Xam'd: Lost Memories.
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