They Were 11 (1986)

Dirs. Satoshi Dezaki and Tsuneo Tominaga

Japan

IMDB Page - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0091309/

Plot Outline

In the near-distant future, a group of young students from across the galaxy are prepared to take the final test that will grant them access into a prestigious academy and also a life as the most respected individuals on their planets. Their task is to man a dilapidated and abandoned space station for 53 days by themselves; if a crisis takes place they can call for emergency help but the test is failed. When they get onto the station however things quickly go amiss. Not only does the station carry a sinister past but they discover that, instead of the pre-requisite ten people per station, there are eleven individuals, causing paranoia and suspicion.

Background Information of Interest

This anime is an adaptation of a famous work by Moto Hagio, an exceptionally important female author in Japanese manga (comics books), especially in creating works for young girls. I have not yet read any of her work – or any of her female contemporaries who were just as significant in developing manga for girls as well – but it does raise questions, especially in an age where there is still some segregation of entertainment by gender, that this animated films exists which is set in a genre (sci-fi) which is usually viewed as a male genre but yet clearly has universal appeal to anyone. (The original manga from what I have gathered was published in a magazine that catered to young girls). As will be talked about later on in this review, there are social issues analysed within the narrative, including that of gender relations, which adds to the significance of this.

Also of interest is that one of the co-directors, Satoshi Dezaki, is the brother of the later Osamu Dezaki, a very well regarded animation director. I have not heard a great deal talked about Satoshi Dezaki, or his co-director Tsuneo Tominaga, but both do deserve credit for this film.

Positives

The subtextual references to social issues within the film are one of the best aspects of the animation, the most significant of which is gender. One of the biggest cruxes of the narrative is that [Spoiler Warning] the female character of Frol is actually a genderless hermaphrodite whose species has their gender decided for when they are adults. What is also significant is that in her/his world, the female population are treated as the weaker gender by the male one and that Frol is trying to get into the academy so (s)he can become a man. [Spoiler Warning Ended] Japan has a long history of social issue with gender and the treatment of women, but the fact the original manga is from the Seventies also means that it comes at the point where debates on sexuality and gender, and the rise in feminism, had reached a peak globally. The issues with this in the story are still pertinent for me despite the perceived belief that gender relationships have improved. The work also touches upon another issue that is significant for everyone in the endurance one has to face in education and in trying to reach lifelong goals like the best career and social stature. Japan has a very challenging educational system where its young boys and girls have to push themselves to go to the best schools, but it can be sympathised with by anyone, especially for a British citizen like me where private and public schools are a significant aspect still. There are still intelligent and thoughtful anime being made now, and there is certainly works from the 1980s that are exceptionally stupid and crass - not in the entertainingly stupid and guilty way but just bad - but there is a concern with the current anime industry from the fans themselves that it is pandering to low brow tastes, whether it is self-referential to the point it alienates people who don’t get the references or pushes gratuitous T’n’A with additional shots of girls’ underwear (and bear in mind, I think this problem is also existent in Western entrainment and has been just as bad). I have not seen enough Japanese animation yet to be able to make an accurate comment on this issue, but I have found that a lot of the older works I’ve viewed, even the terrible ones, have felt much more thoughtful in tone, attempting to give the viewer a story designed to make them sit back and ponder on it even it has failed miserably. They Were 11 is an example of this which is successful.

It is also an all-round entertaining sci-fi anime, with great animation and an engaging story. What makes it better is that, while its plot has no issues in going into melodrama, it thankfully avoids having to up the action stakes to an unnecessary tone to interest the viewer. Most of the film is characters standing around talking, aside from one or two scenes, and it is still immensely enjoyable.

Negatives

It isn’t perfect though, particularly in the fact that with eleven characters, it feels as if the cast is too large. Even if everyone has their moments, I did feel that too many of them were one-note and just there to pad out the cast. Even with the most important characters, the film in the middle does slip into an episode which is just exposition of them explaining who they are and their back stories which disrupts the flow of the narrative.

Also, even though the film does touch upon issues about gender which are interesting, you can take issue with the portrayal of Frol. While an interesting and important character, Frol is nonetheless both the physically and mentally weakest character of them all and the fact that (s)he is the only ‘feminine’ character in the cast will raise justifiable gripes with some, especially with how her/his narrative arc plays out and affects everyone else’s. I will say however that, not only do you need to realise that the original source material is forty or so years old and of its time, but that it does not detract from how interesting Frol is as a character and how her/his personal issues provide the most interesting sociological subtext of the whole film. In fact Frol is far more interesting than anyone else in the film, which is considerably great since there is plenty of interest in almost everyone else including the main male character (that I’ve barely mentioned him shows where my interests lie and how I view the film as having no central character).

Highlight(s) of the Film

During the final half, where the plot becomes more serious, there is still a moment of light relief where a food fight suddenly takes place, both adding to the humour of the film while also continuing the character arcs. Unless you find the Japanese pop song that is played during the montage of flying food a little sickly sweet, it’s a moment which a lot of people will enjoy.

Also it has to be emphasised again that the social issues in the film are one of the best aspects. For the most part it is a fun science fiction animation, but that you can obviously read them in the work is certainly applaudable.

Final Comments

It is not the best animation out of Japan, but it deserves some recognition. Some anime fans from what I have heard from anime fans themselves have a terrible habit of only being interested in the ‘new’ works with complete disinterest in past examples, something which is baffling for a fan of cinema like me where the appreciation and recognition of film’s history is an important part of the interest. Thankfully there enough people who know of this work and appreciate it, which is how I came to know of its existence, and I want to do the same by writing this review. After seeing this adaptation, I want to explore the manga or at least Moto Hagio’s other work, which is probably the best recommendation of this adaptation’s quality. If you are interested in animation, science fiction or a good story, this is recommended if you can find it.