Real Drive Mxd Media

Medium: Anime (Japanese Animation)

Property: Real Drive created by Production I.G and Masamune Shirow

About: Adapted from Wikipedia:

Real Drive is set in 2061 AD, fifty years after the development of the Network society. This new infrastructure was designed to create a utopia where people could directly connect with one another at the level of consciousness. As a result, an array of problems begin to occur such as personal data leaks and the spread of social disinformation. However, society has come to rely heavily on the Network and are unable to abandon it. [Sound familiar?]

In due course, a new Network realm with more effective security measures was developed. The security was designed to protect an individual's cyber-brain (a biological brain augmented with technology) from being hacked and having personal information stolen or tampered with. This new, more secure Network was called the Meta Real Network, nicknamed "The Metal." Yet problems persist with some individuals even becoming overwhelmed and allowing their consciousness to bleed into the Metal. Specialists called Cyber Divers investigate, decipher, and attempt to contain these aberrations in the Metal.

Master storyteller Masamune Shirow has been revealing his elegant yet scary vision of the Kurzweilian Singularity for years, most notably in his manga masterpiece Ghost in the Shell. A vision in which humans interface seamlessly with their technology. The world of Real Drive is no less fascinating (nor confusing). There's plenty of high-tech wizardry going on with zero explanation. However, just as one doesn't need to understand the chemical process of photosynthesis to enjoy a blooming flower, one doesn't need to see fictional code being compiled to enjoy the fantastical technology on display in Real Drive. And it's not all gadgets and virtual reality; the characters have real depth and personality, and the entire series is wrapped in a pleasant, sea- and diving-based motif.

The main characters are Cyber Diver Mr. Haru, Mr. Haru's intuitive assistant Minamo, an android named Holon, Minamo's brother Souta, and a Network architect, Eiichiro Kushima.



Minamo hates peppers



Diving into the Metal



Of course I highly recommend checking it out! Also, so far, I haven't been able to find any Real Drive mini-figures. I'm not saying they're not out there though!

Related Websites:

Real Drive @ Wikipedia

Real Drive Official Site