Fractale
2011
Original language: Japanese
- action & adventure
- animation
- sci-fi & fantasy
The story
Clain lives quietly amongst doppels—holograms that replace his parents and friends. Alone on a typical day, he saves a shrine maiden from pursuers and treats her wounds. He’s mystified by her worldly charms, but she disappears—leaving only a pendant behind. When a curious girl emerges from the amulet, Clain’s life takes a chaotic turn as he seeks to unlock the secrets his new friend holds.
What it’s like
Soft, luminous anime frames wash the screen in sunlit greens, pale skies and warm interior light, with the bright, rounded character designs of Yoshiyuki Sadamoto giving the faces an open, tender look. The hologram-people, or doppels, carry a faint shimmer that makes ordinary streets and quiet homes feel slightly unreal, and the futuristic settings sit in a pleasant, half-abandoned calm until sudden flashes of gunfire and bright sci-fi effects break it. The score leans on airy, melodic strings and gentle piano, swelling into driving action cues for chases and fights. Pacing is brisk and episodic, with long stretches of quiet wandering between sharp bursts of danger. The emotional register moves from wistful loneliness toward curiosity and rebellion, following a lonely young man who slowly opens up to the strange new companion who arrives in his life. Intensity runs moderate: gunfights and brief, sharp violence, with dark undertones around family and abuse that surface in the storytelling rather than on screen, so it's not gentle viewing. Suits a rainy weekend binge for viewers who enjoy coming-of-age stories with cyberpunk textures, a dash of conspiracy and a wistful, hopeful heart.
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