One thing I like about animation is that it can show anything, express any idea, and even let us see what the future might be like. For example, we have yet to make use of robots in our daily lives in part because it’s difficult for us to imagine a form that would make them truly useful, but in the anime Code Geass Guilty Crown there’s a great kind of personal robot called a Fyu-Neru that has four spider-like legs with wheels on the ends, enabling it to roll and climb anywhere as it accesses and displays information humans need. The currently-running anime ROBOTICS;NOTES takes iPad-style tablet computing into the future, showing us a world in which an incredible range of gaming and information retrieval can be done with touch interfaces. Another good anime series that lets us see the possible future of technology is Psycho-Pass, written by Madoka Magica and Song of Saya creator Urobuchi Gen, which shows us a world in which police carry “smart” weapons that only fire when held by the designated owner, and only when pointed at criminals (or potential criminals). They also have floating digital assistants that wake you up and help you get dressed then calculate your calorie allowance for the day.
Technology from the future in Psycho-Pass.
