UlasanAnime.com – The article begins with a casual mention of “MoshiDora” and a link to an illustration on Pixiv, indicating a lighthearted start. The author then reflects on a conversation with “2DT” about the anime “Spice & Wolf,” noting that while its economic concepts are basic, it introduces significant big-picture ideas to a young audience. The concept of silver content and its impact on a nation’s wealth and a country’s potential bankruptcy due to leaked information, despite the intrinsic value of silver, is highlighted from the first book. The author humorously suggests that learning to charm a wolf-woman, a more intangible skill, was the more practical advice offered.
This line of thought extends to “Ouroboros Wave,” a Haikasoru title from the previous year that the author feels has been somewhat overlooked. The author describes it as a generic, near-future science fiction anthology about human colonization of the solar system, which may have contributed to its lack of attention. The anthology format is seen as a weakness, as the overarching connections between stories are minimal, primarily limited to the shared setting. While some characters reappear, their previous appearances are not crucial to understanding subsequent stories, and only one interesting element carries over, making its omission insignificant.
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A shared strength and weakness among the short stories in “Ouroboros Wave” is their thematic and conceptual similarity. Whether the story involves catching a terrorist on Mars or investigating alien life beneath Europa’s ice cap, a similar “magic wand” is employed. The character development is generally weak, with perhaps only the first story offering a notable exception. However, the strong thematic and conceptual parallels with other franchises like “Crest of the Stars” and the “Mobile Suit Gundam” (UC timeline) allow for interesting comparisons. Conversely, this also highlights how those other series far surpass “Ouroboros Wave” in terms of characterization.
The author specifically focuses on “Ouroboros Wave’s” persistent emphasis on organization. This is understood within a Japanese cultural context, where, the author posits, corporate environments are not typically known for progressive, productive, and innovative management styles due to social structures and culture. From this perspective, the modular and performance-driven organizational society presented in “Ouroboros Wave” is a radical concept. It is described as almost “Borg-like,” with an implicit equality among individuals in understanding their roles within their life’s mission, which is seen as very Japanese. Simultaneously, it critiques hierarchy and forceful conformity, the passive-aggressiveness inherent in such work cultures.
The author states that this aspect of “Ouroboros Wave” would be a minor footnote if viewed solely from that cultural perspective. For the author, organizational management is akin to any other branch of information technology or logistics, where progress towards technologically superior methods is empirical as time approaches infinity. Just as airplanes and spaceships were non-existent 200 and 100 years ago respectively, so too were the assembly line and Scrum 200 and 100 years ago.
The core issue, according to the author, is that while the proposed organizational structure in “Ouroboros Wave” avoids common pitfalls (like those made by Nisioisin, such as being outdated or factually incorrect), these concepts feel underdeveloped. The author likens it to describing a Faster-Than-Light (FTL) drive without explaining how it works beyond current understanding, lacking an equivalent of a “warp bubble” in its depiction of organizational structure. It’s as if the way people organize themselves today lacks any rational basis for their methods. The author speculates if “the webs” or a break from tradition might serve as an explanation, but feels it addresses the wrong question. The author notes that their own workplace operates in a manner not entirely dissimilar to what is described in the book (given Earth’s size), and they are aware of the challenges involved. The fact that “Ouroboros Wave” fails to address these challenges is considered a significant letdown.
Despite these criticisms, the author acknowledges that for younger audiences, the book might be eye-opening. It could illustrate how technological concepts extend beyond tangible items like Dyson spheres and personal electronics to encompass project management and corporate governance, or how currency trading involves high volume and rapid responses. This is seen as a common narrative technique of using current technology to depict a bright future while simultaneously educating curious readers about unfamiliar subjects. However, the author concludes that “Ouroboros Wave” did not effectively achieve this educational goal.
