Joe's
Digital Garden

Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou

Unpopular Theory: Director Alpha is Alpha but from the far future. Evidence: She remembers Sensei and has her charm which is a unique item. I believe she is even using the camera at one point. Alpha bonds with flying machines and always seems drawn to the Dapeng. They do have dropships for going down to the surface. Sensei's description of A7M1 matches Osprey. This makes A7M1 Osperey, A7M2 Alpha, and then A7M3 the mass produced units (Nai, M, Kokone, etc.)

Everything else we see in the novel is actually Director Alpha's recollections of her time on earth. The Dapeng scenes are a hidden framing device.

Themes

  • Gender & Sexuality
    • Most of the robots picked their own names.
    • All robots are female except for Nai
    • Kokonoe explains that she is "gender" blind
      • Although Alpha seems to be able to tell genders apart
    • Alpha seems inappropriately drawn to Takahiro, but also is rather ace. Likewise Maruko is sexually harassing Kokone with her "memory" transfers. Sensei/Uncle's relationship. Sexuality is rather interesting here.
    • Male authors writing female characters in implied yuri romances.
    • Property and Labor
    • Solarpunk/Anarchist communities. There is trade and some vestigial notions of capitalism, but there appears to be no state, no military, no police. No hierarchical power structures. Individuals carry firearms for self defences, but never need to use them.
    • The robots have "owners" but this seems to mean little, as the owners are entirely absent from the story. As are the former owners of the towns and cities that are falling into the ocean.
    • Mutual aide: Uncle is always giving away gas, vegetables, and fruit away for free
    • Maruko insults Alpha for not working hard despite needing little and seems to be a workaholic with a hustle culture attitude despite there being no need for such hustle in this world.
  • Time
    • Alpha experiences time as rapidly speeding up. The story begins with details from day to day. But by the end is taking five or ten year jumps between chapters.
    • Destruction and rebuilding of the cafe
    • Osprey doesn't seem to grasp object persistence. She doesn't see a person who has grown older as the same person.
    • Mono no aware (eternity vs temporally)
    • Alpha also discusses her difference in optical perspective from humans.
  • Mysteries
    • The water goddesses, organic street lights and mushrooms
    • What happened to Dr. H.
      • Ayase is a student of his and receives a letter to see the Water Goddess
    • What are the purpose of robots, how were they created?
    • Characters speculate, and their speculations should not be considered truth, e.g. everyone recounts that everyone is trapped on the Dapeng, but this is not true, they have shuttles, but choose not to use them.
    • Alpha, interestingly, does not seem drawn to idle speculation about the mysteries. She just seems that something that "is"
  • Mental Health & Mono No Aware
    • Alpha is lonely and depressed, but hides it with cheerfulness. She knows that she is eternal in a world of the temporal.
    • This might have changed by the end: her companionship with Kokonoe. Coming to terms with the passage of time.

External References

  1. Ashinano, Hitoshi. Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou: Deluxe. Seven Seas. 2022.
  2. Ren. The Age of the Calm Evening Calm. <https://bringthetea.wordpress.com/2020/08/26/the-age-of-the-calm-evening-a-yokohama-kaidashi-kikou-review/>. Tea Time, 2020. Retrieved 24VG.
  3. kViN. An Eternal Anime About Transience: The Influences and Legacy of Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou. <https://blog.sakugabooru.com/2023/07/06/an-eternal-anime-about-transience-the-influences-and-legacy-of-yokohama-kaidashi-kikou/>. SakugaBlog, 2023. Retrieved 24VG.
  4. AngryJellfish. Overlooked: Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou. <https://angryjellyfish.wordpress.com/2012/03/09/overlooked-ykk/?>. 2012. Retrieved 24VG.
  5. vasamoto. A little background on Yokohama Kaidashi Kiko. <https://vasamoto.wordpress.com/2020/05/19/a-little-background-on-yokohama-kaidashi-kiko/>. The New Manga Canon, 2020. Retrieved 24VG.
  6. terrenceswiff. Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou (YKK). <https://terrenceswiff.wordpress.com/2016/10/14/yokohama-kaidashi-kikou-ykk/>. 2016. Retrieved 24VG.
  7. Friedman, Erica. Yuri Anime: Yokohama Shopping Log. <https://okazu.yuricon.com/2004/02/27/yuri-anime-yokohama-shopping-log/>. Okazu, 2004. Retrieved 24VG.
  8. Smit, Sarah Guinevere. Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou and Transgender Cyborgs' Experience of the Apocalypse. <https://www.animefeminist.com/yokohama-kaidashi-kikou-and-transgender-cyborgs-experience-of-the-apocalypse/>. Anime Feminist, 2023. Retrieved 24VG.
  9. Hirai, Chiaki. Joy in the Apocalypse: Ruminations driving through desolation. <https://www.animefeminist.com/joy-in-the-apocalypse-ruminations-driving-through-desolation/>. Anime Feminist, 2020. Retrieved 24VG.
  10. Sibakov, Tuomas. Imōto-Moe: Sexualized Relationships Between Brothers and Sisters in Japanese Animation. <https://helda.helsinki.fi/server/api/core/bitstreams/14fe16bc-8807-443f-815e-13f4cc30939b/content>. Master's Thesis, East Asian Studies Faculty of Humanities University of Helsinki, 2020.
  11. Yokohama KAidashi Kikou. <https://lostinanime.com/2024/04/my-taste-is-better-than-yours-episode-2-yokohama-kaidashi-kikou/>. My Taste is Better Than Yours, 2024. Retrieved 24VG.

Linked References