My Cultural Diet

In the not-too-distant future — as envisioned in 1991 — Japan’s senior population is crippling the nation and putting an undue strain on staff and facilities. To solve this growing problem, the government unveils a high-tech solution: a fully computerized and nuclear-powered hospital bed that will automatically care for elderly patients without the need for human doctors and nurses. Unfortunately, when old Takazawa is put into his bed, it quickly runs amok, and it’s up his faithful nurse Haruko and an unruly gang of elderly hackers to save him from the runaway technology as well as the government bureaucracy. As you might guess, Roujin Z is a pointed satire of modern society’s dismissive treatment of its oldest members as well as its over-reliance on technological solutions for human problems (a theme that’s grown only more relevant with time). A bonkers script by Akira’s Katsuhiro Otomo and some uneven animation means that Roujin Z does feel a bit unpolished at times, but it’s nevertheless thought-provoking and consistently entertaining.

I may earn an affiliate commission on items you buy through Opus. These commissions will go directly to support the site and my blogging.