No matter how well made a film is, sometimes it's the case that an idea is more interesting in concept than in its realization. It's not necessarily anyone's fault, and that doesn't inherently mean something is bad; if there is some prior material involved - such as, in this case, Kikuchi Hideyuki's novel - it's always possible that the issue is one of the direction that the adaptation took. I think of 1989's 'Venus wars,' for example: whatever else may have been true, the story was set on a colonized Venus, but that notion didn't meaningfully come into play, and the story may as well have been set in another galaxy. It's kind of the same with 'A wind named amnesia.' The plot is predicated on the notion of a post-apocalyptic world brought to ruin by a strange wind that erased all human knowledge and memory, and that very thought catches one's attention. There's potential in it for taking a hard look at human nature, and human society, and for that matter exploring ideas like memory, or morality, through that lens. I think this feature does touch very lightly upon such threads, to some small extent. I assume the novel does more. But more than not the picture simply broaches a post-apocalyptic world that's not so truly different from any other that fiction has ever given us. Moreover, it doesn't fully or convincingly present the major plot beats that it does bear, and is kind of tactless and forthright in how it approaches said beats. It's enjoyable, but it still feels rather incomplete, and less than entirely grabbing or satisfying.
The tone is surprisingly light and unbothered given the scenes of action and violence, and the dramatic notions on hand, let alone the ruminations that the narrative could have carried. That light tone diminishes the would-be strength of any revelations herein, which already fail to impress in the manner they were presumably intended to. For everything that the title could have said or done - and everything it does in fact say or do - the treatment comes across as simply insufficient. I'm not casting aspersions on anyone, neither Kikuchi nor the screenwriters, nor the director, but that's the reality of this adaptation. There are swell ideas in the scene writing, and the characterizations, but the same issues hold true. Meanwhile, though I enjoy the original music, it also isn't specifically striking. Really, if anything herein stands out to any degree, it's probably the animation. It's not particularly special, but we expect good things of an iconic studio like Madhouse, and they reliably turn in good work. I appreciate the detail and texture in the beautiful backgrounds and environments, the swell character designs, and other active elements. Still, if I'm being honest, there are plenty of other places where we can get excellent animation from Madhouse or their brethren. If it's not so stellar in this one instance as to leap out, and if the flick otherwise doesn't especially speak to us, then the lasting value dwindles.
I like 'A wind named amnesia' well enough. However, I see the possibilities of what it could have been and is not, and even setting those aside, the film as we see it just don't carry much weight. I'm glad for those who get more out of it than I do. I'm just of the mind that there's no need to go out of your way for it, and this is something best reserved for a lazy, quiet day, when you want something that neither requires nor inspires major engagement. Take that as you will.
