Dhruv Sharma
‘Eden of the East’ has a very interesting storyline with compelling mysteries, lovable characters and fluent animation. The level of well-structured suspense that is there in each episode is enough to make you crave for more. This plot remains to be entertaining all the way till the end of the first season but its biggest problem is that it never leads you to something significant. Even after the two sequel movies, the anime lacks a proper conclusion and after a point of time, it seems like the anime is making no progression at all. If you enjoy shows that can be picked up or left at any point of time because of their lack of an overarching story, then ‘Eden of the East’ is the perfect anime for you. But if you’re more into anime that connect the dots later on and everything that’s going on in them leads to something bigger later, you might want to look in a different direction.
The major highlight of ‘Eden of the East’ is its amazing production value. Coming from Production I.G Studio that is known for producing some great anime shows like ‘Psycho-Pass‘ and ‘Kuroko no Basket‘, expectations were really high from this one. The quality of animation remains smooth and consistent throughout and presents some amazing visuals with beautiful bright colors and backgrounds that look like they’ve been painted with the most delicate strokes. Overall, ‘Eden of the East’ is certainly an enjoyable anime but it could’ve been more of a masterpiece if only it had a conclusive end. Even then, I would surely recommend it to all mystery lovers out there.
Eden of the East Season 2 Release Date: When will it premiere?
‘Eden of the East’ season 1 premiered on April 9, 2009 and came to an end on June 19, 2009. Initially, the creators of the anime had the intention of coming out with a new season after the first one but they later changed their mind and came out with two anime movies that released on November 28, 2009 and March 13, 2010 respectively. Commercially, these films were a huge success and did work out in the favor of the series but even then, many fans were disappointed with the fact that the creators dropped the idea of making a full-fledged season.
It has been close to a decade now since the release of the show and now, it seems like the creators have left the series far behind. Being an original anime that does not rely on any light novels or manga, ‘Eden of the East’ can be revived at any point of time but only if the creators want to bring it back. After all these years, the chances of getting a new season seem to be very low and hoping for one would just eventually lead to further disappointment. Even then, if there is any news regarding ‘Eden of the East’ season 2 release date in the future, we will certainly update it here in this section.
Eden of the East English Dub:
The English dub of ‘Eden of the East’ is available on Funimation and Amazon Prime. You can also watch it on Crunchyroll with its original Japanese audio and English subtitles.
Eden of the East Plot:
The plot of ‘Eden of the East’ revolves around college graduate Saki Morimi and the mysterious Akira Takizawa, a Japanese man she meets while away on vacation in Washington D.C. She was making a wish at the Washington Fountain when she is confronted by the police but the man appears out of nowhere and saves her. He is completely naked and has no idea of where he is but strangely is carrying a gun and a cell phone.
After getting their way out of the police, Saki inquires about his identity to which he vaguely states that he has no memory. He makes a call to his partner who apparently is guiding him back to his apartment, and Saki decides to tag along with him. Once they make it back to their apartment, Saki notices a bunch of fake passports on the table along with a few more guns and ammunition. Quite intrigued by all of this, she again asks him what it’s all about to which he simply states that the apartment makes him feel like he is in ‘Taxi Driver’, a popular American thriller.
After talking to his partner some more, who reveals herself to be Juiz, he finally decides to use one of the fake passports that goes by the name of Akira Takizawa. He also decides to burn all the other fake passports so as not to leave a trace and the duo decide to head back to Japan to figure out the mess. They both know that his memory has been wiped but nothing more. They are guided by the strange voice on the cell phone who goes by the name Juiz and claims to be their partner. However, not being able to make head or tail out of the situation, they head towards the airport and book a flight back to Tokyo. While waiting for their flight, a news flash can be seen on TV about a certain missile attack on Japan.
After reaching Tokyo, they both head out to search for the apartment that is listed on his passport. At this point, Akira makes to attempt to hide his fears and confesses that he has no clue what’s going on. At this point, the two of them learn from Juiz that the cell phone they are carrying has a credit of 8.2 billion Yen and it is Akira’s duty to spend every last dime of it. Highly confused about the events and the mysterious voice on the cell phone, Akira and Saki set out to spend the digital credit as best they can. They notice that they are being followed by another man who is tracing each one of their moves through their transactions and Akira decides to confront him directly.
Surprised by the direct approach, the man asks him how he came to know that it was him who was following them, to which Akira replies that he recognized him through his cell phone which is similar to Akira’s make. Here, the man introduces himself as Kondō and asks Akira about ‘Seleção’, which is something that Akira does not remember,
The two escape to the apartment that is marked on their passport (which they discover is a shopping mall) where they again come face to face with Kondō. After many confrontations with him, they find out that they are part of a game where 12 people are chosen all over the country and given ¥10 billion to spend for the betterment of the state.
These chosen ones are called ‘Seleção’ and each one of them are given a fake identity and the cell phone with which they are able to contact with Juiz, the director of the game. They can spend the money as they wish but there is a catch. If they proceed to use the money for their selfish means or on something that is not beneficial for the state, they will be eliminated. In addition, ones who spend the entire amount credited to them. They learn quite quickly that they need to maintain a fine balance between spending their money and assessing its consequences in order to progress through the game. They also come to find out what happens if someone is not able to spend the money appropriately when they find Kondō eliminated in front of their very eyes.
Eden of the East Characters:
Akira Takizawa- A young man in his twenties who is suffering from memory loss comes in contact with another girl of his same age in Washington DC. He is completely naked and is carrying a cell phone and a gun but decides to help the lady when she gets into trouble with the police. After solving the matter with the police, she thanks him for his help and gives him her coat in order to cover himself up. He explains that his memory has been erased and that he has no clue what he is doing here. The two make their way back to his apartment, guided by a mysterious voice on the phone who claims to be their partner and calls herself Juiz.
The woman on the phone directs them back to Tokyo where she explains that they are part of a game and have been given ¥10 billion to spend for the betterment of the state. However, if they come to find out that the credit is being used for their own selfish means or if the entire amount is spent away, they will be eliminated. They are also competing against 12 other people, who have also been given the same amount. They all need to assess their situations accordingly and allocate the funds in a manner that they are able to evade the catastrophic events that are to follow.
Saki Morimi: Saki Morimi is a young woman living with her elder sister in a joint family and also the main protagonist of the show. She is suddenly dragged into the mysterious game after she encounters a strange naked man on a street while she was at a vacation in Washington DC. After a string of strange events, she finds herself travelling with the man trying to make head or tail out of the situation that she has been put in. She is mostly portrayed as a kind and forgiving woman who can certainly find her way around things if she wanted to. Although not apparent at first, her intelligence is the key to her survival and she uses it effectively in order to get herself out of desperate situations.
Read More in Anime Previews: Shakugan No Shana | Ergo Proxy
