Animé-Bento-Column (or the ABC’s) is a monthly article by Sara Elkhatib and Jojo Mpora. They cover different aspects of their favorite medium: Animé.
From the stone wheel to the smart phone, our technology can, and has, made our lives infinitely more convenient. Most Animé loves looking into the future and predicting the various ways our technology might evolve with society. There are so many pieces of cool gear in fiction we will probably never have…but that can stop us from wishing we did. Here are our Top Ten Animé Gizmos and Gadgets we would love to get our hands on.
10: Air Trecks from Air Gear
Okay, I know what you’re thinking… ”They’re just shoes with wheels, I can buy them at a sports store.” Well do me a favor and shut your face for two seconds. The Trecks are fully motorized. They include a Wheel Motor, Hydraulic Cushion System, and Power Injection System. So you can go as fast as a car, do tricks, and fall safely back down to earth without worrying about broken limbs. These bad boys are also fully customizable, right down to the screws and colors. If that didn’t sell you, there is also wifi-like connection that tracks your speed and compares you to the other riders in your area. The only thing that kind of sucks is the 100,000 Japanese Yen price, which is just about 1,000 USD just so ya know. It’s a fast commute to work and school and even better for the environment. Engineers: please make this happen!
9: Therm-Optic Camouflage from Ghost in the Shell
Imagine sneaking up on your enemies and taking them out one by one. Or just sneaking around to avoid that one person you’re dreading eye contact with. Becoming invisible is a pretty common fantasy, especially because of Harry Potter’s Invisibility Cloak. I mean how else do would it be possible to actually sneak into “restricted sections” without being caught? While using the reflection of light and bending of heat, the soldiers of Ghost in the Shell are able to look transparent. However, if technology like this really existed, chances are it would never be for civilian use and if it was, a decent amount of chaos would ensue.
8: Medabots from Medabots
So you have a pet dog, and that is cool and all, but how about trading that pooch for a self-aware, battling robot companion? The Medabots are comprised of four main parts. This includes the “Tinpet”, which is the skeleton of the bot; all the parts which is whatever you see on the outside; the medal, the heart, soul and brain of the bot; and the “Medawatch”, the watch that checks the status of the bot and can even teleport it to where you need it. Why would you not want them? They actually experience emotion and can respond like actual people, but that isn’t the fun part. The main point to having a Medabot is to battle other ones, win, and then take the losers valuable parts. The weapons are plentiful, ranging from machine guns to rockets, from tasers to swords, and many other things to make your bot fly and swim, adding to your strategy and the look of bot. Of course if we make this a reality, these things would probably also be in the military and not in the hands of, say, a middle schooler.
7: Dual Disks from Yu-Gi-Oh
If you are into Animé, you have probably tried some of the Animé based card games. In the shows, they normally have monsters popping out from the cards, attacking the enemy monsters. Introducing the dual disks, a holographic projection system for dual monsters. As we play the card game, we imagine the creatures we summon coming to life, but imagine doing it on the streets, hardcore like a boss with the world to see. It’s pretty obvious why this made it on our list.
6: 3D Maneuver Gear from Attack on Titan
Zipping from building to building, suspended in the air by strings, sounds fun no? And no, I’m not talking about Spider-Man, but rather the equipment of the hunters on A.O.T. Some of the physics may be off in the show, but really how realistic are we trying to be when dreaming? The 3D maneuver gear uses gas pressure to fire its hooks (like a CO2 canister on a paintball gun) from triggers on the handle of the blades into solid surfaces then swing to the next firing point. The way they move is just like flying, which is one of the things that humans have wanted forever, just don’t run out of air.
5: Holographic Housing from Psycho-Pass
In the futuristic world of Psycho-Pass, most of the things you see around are holograms, even your clothing. All it takes is the push of a button or vocal command, and you can control the appearance of almost anything in your life. Your entire room can be customized to your liking and you can just zap on any clothes you want. In this screenshot, Akane’s room originally had no windows or extra decoration, and is in the middle of the city. I don’t know about you, but I get lazy with folding my clothes at times and this could save time and money. The only thing is…I wonder if you are naked if the clothes malfunction?
4: AmuSphere (revised NerveGear) from Sword Art Online
I know that everyone reading this has at one point wished they lived in some alternative world, with powers or cool technology or the ability to fly. Whether you’re a gamer or nnot, we all like to imagine. The improved Nervegear links into your Nervous system through the glasses so you see yourself in the wonderful world of Sword Art Online. This artificial world is so advanced, you can taste the food, hear things, and smell (what seems like) just like in the real world. I think it is safe to say that if this existed, over half of us would lose the rest of our lives to this fantasy world.
3: Pokéball from Pokémon
So imagine this: you are walking your dog, and you come across a store that you really want to got to. You need what is in that store but the building has a strict no animals policy, what are you going to do? You don’t want to tie up your partner and leave him in the hot sun, and you don’t want to risk him getting stolen. It’s such a terrible predicament. Well here is how you do it: grab a Pokéball and safely store him until you get outside. Sounds pretty amazing if you ask me. A Pokéball (for those who didn’t already know) is a device used to store the creatures in the Pokémon world. A capsule with an almost infinite amount of space to carry any creature of any size. “What is in a Pokéball?” you might ask. The writer of “Pokémon” has never truly explained what is in one of them, but what we do know is that the Pokémon is well rested when it is released. There have been many theories by fans that seem pretty plausible, but for the most part it is unknown. But think about it. Having your animals stored in a safe place and making them easier to carry seems pretty legit.
2: Automail from Full Metal Alchemist
Don’t like your current boring flesh and blood limb? Not as badass and it could be? Look no further! Swap out those things for fullmetal! Automail is a prosthetic part that links with the nerves where your lost limb used to be, and operates like an actual body part. Our technology isn’t too far away from accomplishing something similar to this, but the perfection of automail reaction time, between a real limb and an automail one, is outstanding, It moves around like the real deal. There have been many other weaponized parts in the world of Full Metal Alchemist. Of course you must go through the painful process of linking your nerves to the actual part, but it is all the worthwhile when you get to have a cool metal arm or leg. It goes without saying, but the practical use for veterans, or people who suffer accidents is undeniable.
1: Capsules from Dragon Ball
When moving, you have to go to so much trouble packing your stuff. You have to organize it, box it, assemble any friend that isn’t “busy”, get a moving truck, and then finally move EVERYTHING. What If you could simply put all that stuff in your pocket and drive there? In the world of Dragon Ball, there are little capsules that are able to hold a tremendous amount of equipment. Each capsule is assigned to each of your large items so you don’t get them mixed up. From clothes to furniture, houses to transportation, these things are pretty much Pokéballs for inanimate objects. It seems pretty obvious why this would be number one. Plus that phrase, “Yeah, it’s in my back pocket,” won’t be just a sarcastic joke anymore.
All images are owned by other properties and are as follows:
Air Gear, Attack on Titan, Full Metal Alchemist, Dragon Ball, and Psycho-Pass belong to Funimation, Ghost in the Shell belongs to Bandai Entertainment, Medabots belongs to ADV Films, Yu-Gi-Oh belongs to Konami, Sword Art Online belongs to AniPlex of America, Pokémon belongs to Nintendo
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