Project Itoh: Harmony Review

“Does humanity have a place in a perfect world?”

Harmony presents a wonderfully intriguing dystopian concept, namely that of a utopia. An obsession with good health has lead to a society where no one dies and everyone strives to support each other, and Tuan hates it for the loss of personal control over one’s own body that comes with it. With a past haunted by loss and a failed attempt at the ultimate act of rebellion, Tuan will face her own beliefs and doubts when someone else decides to shake up the “perfect society.”

Once I’ve decided I’m going to see a movie I generally don’t do much research ahead of time. Having now seen Harmony I went back and read Funimation’s summary. I highly recommend avoiding it if you haven’t read it yet, as in my opinion it spoils some key plot reveals that were a surprise as I was watching.

Harmony raises numerous philosophical questions, and has interesting things to say about them. Concepts ranging from the natures of consciousness and happiness to what an ideal society really is are explored. The central plot and action are decent, but let’s be honest: it’s all a vehicle for the philosophical dilemmas and messages. I found it engaging, but even I disagree with a lot of the conclusions it seems to draw, and some viewers may find them off putting. And one of the twists with the most potential turned out to be largely a throwaway to set up something else.

Still, the moral and philosophical issues raised are thought provoking and will stay with me for a long while. Overall while Harmony could have been much more what’s here is good enough and it’s worth checking out.