Hidden on Disney+ is an insane sci-fi series that hardly anyone has seen. Fans of time travel and time loops shouldn’t miss the anime Time Machine Blues
Are you a fan of science fiction series? Then you have been gifted with a more than rich selection of fascinating material this year. Already about 20 series started that deal with the topic of time travel. However, the overabundance of streaming services has one major drawback: many exciting shows are completely lost in the mass of new releases. This also applies to the funniest sci-fi series of the year.
Hiding in the shallows of Disney+’s series line-up is the time-loop anime Time Machine Blues (the streamer’s first and so far only anime series!), which hardly anyone has seen. Not only is the series a loose sequel to the acclaimed cult hit The Tatami Galaxy, but it’s also a stand-alone, diverting and utterly weird sci-fi gem that deserves more attention.
This is Time Machine Blues on Disney+
The story of Time Machine Blues begins simply. The unnamed protagonist lives in a small college dorm where his friends are making a film about a student who travels back to 19th century Japan
Time Machine Blues
As there is an extreme heatwave, it comes in handy that he has the only room with air conditioning. By mistake, however, a bottle of Coke is tipped over the remote control for it. The desperate and sweating students now have to do without cool air.
But then the group discovers a time machine. However, they do not use it to change historical events. They want to travel back in time to repair the remote control for the air conditioning. The plan eventually escalates into a complex and complicated time loop.
This is why the quirky sci-fi RomCom anime is worth watching on Disney+
Series about time travel are experiencing a real boom this year. But none is as funny and quirky as Time Machine Blues. Instead of an epic story, the anime reduces the concept of a convoluted time loop almost completely to a single location: the Shimogamo Yusuiso dorm.
Time Machine Blues
In just six short episodes of around 15 minutes each, a captivating time loop puzzle unfolds full of surprises and cleverly placed details to discover. Just trying to follow the path of a remote control through multiple time levels is brain-melting fun.
Besides the time machine madness, the quirky characters and the look at their emotional woes through the sci-fi lens lend Time Machine Blues an endearing charm. For example, the protagonist racks his brains over whether and how he should ask his adored fellow student out on a date – a RomCom dilemma cleverly combined with the time travel theme.
With its sci-fi wit, quirky ensemble and pared-down concept, Time Machine Blues is reminiscent of the Japanese sci-fi secret tip Beyond the Infinite Two Minutes at many moments – for good reason. Both the plot of the anime and its novel are based on a play by Makoto Ueda (already filmed as Summer Time Machine Blues), who also penned the stage adaptation and screenplay for Beyond the Infinite Two Minutes.
The only downer and also one of the reasons why Time Machine Blues has received little attention in this country: Unfortunately, the anime can only be streamed in the original Japanese with subtitles. Unfortunately, Disney+ has not provided a German dubbed version. But that shouldn’t stop you from giving this wacky time-loop gem a chance.
