Synopsis from Netflix : Inside a vast , self- replicating city bent on eliminating all life, mysterious loner Killy emerges to guide a remnant of humanity desperate to survive.
This 105 minute movie is based on Tsutomu Nihei’s 1998 10 volume manga , produced by Polyglon Pictures and released as a Netflix Original in 2017.
The story begins with narration by the young main female character Zuru, one of the top food hunters called Electric Fishers. ” Nobody knows when the world became this way. One day, the contagion suddenly started and humans lost the power to connect to The City. After that, The City expanded on its own ( * made by the mysterious non-human Builders *), and humans were seen as illegal residents, and exterminated. It happened long before I was born. “W ell, that pretty much sums it up.
The characters in the story are survivors of an apocalyptic event that happened thousands of years ago…..when exactly, nobody knows. A contagion or virus killed off a particular human gene called Net Terminal Gene ( NTG ) that supposedly connected humans to a higher ” Authority ” and allowed them to access ” Netsphere” , the place through which The City was controlled. At the same time, the robotic Safeguards determined who could access Netsphere, that is, only humans who possessed NTG. When the contagion happened, ” Silicon Life ” ( non – humans/ AI ) now determined that all humans should be eliminated, with Safeguards ( they actually look like CCTV , lol ) now used to detect the presence of humans.
In the present time , there is a village of 150 humans that is protected by a perimeter . The people have no idea who put up this protective barrier. Meanwhile, they are running out of food ( their food is sludge ) . The problem is, the source of food near their village is almost depleted, and they are now forced to go farther away , which makes them more vulnerable to attacks. In fact, very few hunters survive the hunt. Their food supply will last for only a month, so a group of very young new hunters decide to hunt without authority from the elders. They encounter a mysterious lone traveler, a human, named Killy , who rescues them from extermination. Killy returns to the village with the survivors , and fortunately , he has food that looks like a small sponge that when soaked in water expands to a size that can feed them for a month. They later learn there are plenty more where it comes from, ( the food is manufactured somewhere below the village , about a 10 day journey. ) They then go with Killy on a dangerous journey to that place .
Who is Killy ? Killy says he’s human , comes from a place down below the village, and he’s been travelling for who knows how many years, forever searching for a human who still possesses a Net Terminal Gene. This gene is the only thing that can save humanity. The villagers ‘ journey is intense and thrilling. They know it’s dangerous , but there is no other option. What is there to lose ? They have put all their hopes and their lives on Killy.
I stop at this point. The fact is, the world of Blame! is WTF massive , and the science is so complex I stopped trying to understand it . Despite that, Blame! is definitely worth watching, and deserves my high rating.
This is all for now. Thanks for reading.
PS…… I hope I get to post my thoughts on another excellent Netflix Original anime, VIOLET EVERGARDEN , the earlier , the better. I’ve given this 10/10 rating.
Renxkyoko's Space 
I thought you reviewed this before . . . anyway, I like the self-contained nature of it (episodic stuff on Netflix is invariably incomplete) but I didn’t like the ending. Reading about the original material you can see they changed stuff a bit and also condensed a whole lot.
I’m three episodes into Violet Evergreen but the world is confusing and the pace is slower than the glacier melting in the artic. Not sure I will make it through many more episodes.
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I did mention this anime in one of my posts.
There’s supposed to be a sequel. In fact, there’s even a prequel called NOISE! that tells the back story of Blame!
The original manga is comprised of stand – alone adventures of the villagers. Killy comes in later in the manga version.
Violet’s flashbacks will explain her backstory, and why she’s devoid of emotions and empathy. She doesn’t even know the meaning of love . It’s slow paced , I know. But the story is basically character development. The action is in her flashbacks.
I hope you can finish the series , disperser. I gave it a 10/10.
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Is NOISE on Netflix?
As for Violet, I don’t mind character development that “feels” natural. This is deliberately vague and slow; the show doles out little tidbits through an eyedropper.
Sadly, my patience for that kind of approach is not very good. We’ll see how long I last but so far there’s no character I care about, not even Violet, and she’s the only sympathetic one in the bunch. I’m also not a huge fan of flashbacks. I don’t mind the judicious use of them but here they look more like they’re dropped in at random. Plus, the tech that would facilitate the very existence of Violet seems absent from the world.
Perhaps I’m becoming more cognizant of my mortality and I’m more critical of the use of my time. Anyway, we’ll see.
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Nope,not on Netflix.
It’s really slow paced, but you should watch beyond the 3rd episode.
The 8th episode hit me right straight at my kokoro. I think I used up a box of Kleenex.
Watch the entire series, disperser.
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You’re not exactly helping the cause . . . I like my kokoro; not particularly want to get hit there.
I’ll watch a few more, at least, but can’t promise I’ll put mu kokoro in jeopardy.
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If sludge was the main meal I would welcome the city killing me off.
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Yep. There’s nothing else to eat. I don’t even know why there’s even sludge in that steel monstrosity .
there’s a prequel titled NOISE ! , and I think that is where everything is explained.
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