In a future not too far from now, the global warming and the climate change have become far more serious than they are right now in the real world. As such, the international committee decided to forcefully reduce CO^2 emission levels in order to combat the crisis effectively and decisively (Australia now has a carbon tax, in case you missed that part of the news). For the market, this meant world-trade primarily shifted to carbon. Most of Japan got destroyed after a great Earthquake - but the carbon tax on the country is not lifted - turning Tokyo into something that could be called a “Jungle-tropolis” that absorbs carbon dioxide.
Project Atlas is commenced to plan the rebuilding of Tokyo and oversee the government organization, which the Metal Age group opposes due to its oppressive nature. However, Atlas - something that could be categorized as Megastructure - is built to house “only” 3.5 million people and most people are not allowed to migrate into the city - turning Atlas into a place for the privileged, elite, and high-rollers. The disparity between the elite within Atlas and the refugees living in the jungles outside of its walls set the background of the story.
It all begins when Kuniko Hojo - a young, athletic, headstrong girl, is released by Atlas of the women’s detention center after a two year stay for being a domestic terrorist, but is released to Momoko, Miiko, and Takehiko while still in her old high school uniform. She is not part of a group named Metal Age - she is the future leader of the Anti-Government organization. She is released into the custody of Miiko - a good friend, Momoko - a transsexual to whom she seems to have the closest bond with, and Takehiko - an ex-military renegade but also a good friend of Kuniko.
The trade for carbon credits in the world has effectively become the stock market and can make and break entire countries. Karin Ishida - a young girl with a strong interest in the world economy, and some deep knowledge about software and hacking. Recognizing her ability to control the carbon market, she founds Ishida Finance with herself as CEO. She controls the market through a program named MEDUSA, which she wrote. In cyberspace, it appears as a snake like animal, MEDUSA is a computer program built for Ishida Finance and is used to find debts around the world in countries whose CO^2 Emissions and Carbon Credits are not equal. Using these “debts,” MEDUSA generates vast amounts of money for Ishida Finance (-> Karin) through various manipulations of the Carbon Market. MEDUSA is originally believed to be the only program in the world that can perform these manipulations of Carbon Credits, but it seems that there are other programs similar to it operating across the globe. MEDUSA is hidden in the Marshall Island and is protected by a typhoon created by a weather satellite.
It all clashes when Kuniko learns of the Carbon Market manipulation - and what it could lead to. For Karin on the other hand, she learned of an even better and stronger computer and software named ZEUS. Very soon, their paths cross - and all the pieces fall into place at Atlas.
On a side note: It could be argued that Atlas is loosely based on the X-Seed 4000 - the largest man-made structure to ever have been fully envisioned. It would be over 4,000m high and end above cloud-cover. The structure would cost approx. 900 BILLION dollars to build - which is consistent with what is said in the show about Atlas: an unimaginable amount of money was invested into its construction. Also, incidentally, the X-Seed 4000 was designed for Tokyo - Atlas stands in former Tokyo.
I could go on and on about how cool this show is… but then you’d stop reading. It’s the first anime I watched in full HD, btw. May’n delivers an incredible performance in the opening track, which fits the show, and its story perfectly. The musical score in the show is very well made and thought through, I think. The voice acting is as it should be, and fits every character very well. Although you might be confused with Momoko - seeing that he, or she, is a transsexual - but has a male voice. So I’d presume he was a man before. The imagery above all is top-notch. It’s obviously CG-aided a lot of times, but you won’t notice it at all. It retains its hand-drawn anime feeling from start to finish. A pretty solid show, if you ask me! Go get your hands on it now, and preferably in full HD if you have a compatible screen.
Shangri-La
Directed by: Makoto Bessho
Written by: Hiroshi Ōnogi
Studio: Gonzo
Network: Chiba TV
Original run: April 6, 2009 – September 14, 2009
Episodes: 24
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