Anime Kino's Journey

[2010DigitalBoy]

[quote name='Dagger']Indeed it was. The unlicensed Kino material consists of a pilot episode ("The Tower Country," 12 minutes long), the first movie ("Life Goes On," 30 minutes long) and the second movie. Everything but the second movie--which seems to have just come out on DVD, anyway--is either subbed or licensed.

~Dagger~[/QUOTE]

[COLOR="DarkOrange"]Mm. I mst have been confused by the gap between when I DL and when I didn't DL, because I can remember searching for subs, but I was probably looking for streams. Now I have a new hunt on which to embark![/COLOR]

[Dagger]

Thoughts on my second viewing of movie 2:

- What's the significance of the very first scene? Is the story circular (meaning that the beginning takes place around the end), and if not, what is it supposed to evoke?
- It's unusual (OOC?) for Kino to let Hermes tip over like that.
- The disinfection scene is about as close as a show like this ever gets to having fanservice. (Speaking of which, Kino in oversized sunglasses [spoiler]and nothing else![/spoiler] = ULTRA moe.)
- The CG stands out here and there, but not in a bad way.
- It's funny how Kino stands there [spoiler]humming loudly into space to make echoes[/spoiler] and not a single person turns to stare.
- The first time I watched it, I guessed that [spoiler]the boy would be dead somehow[/spoiler] the instant he was mentioned.

Thinking back, most of the Kino's Journey stories offer the viewer everything he needs to understand what will happen--I say understand rather than predict, because there's always a sense of inevitability to whatever does happen. You aren't left feeling that the writer was aiming for the simple shock value of a plot twist.

In other words, whether or not the outcome of a Kino story is surprising depends more on the viewer's reception than on the story itself. It depends on how passive you want to be while watching it (and phrasing it that way isn't meant to be a criticism of any particular watching style--personally, I lean much more toward being passive; I find it more fun to just accept everything as it comes and try not to guess at stuff, although sometimes I can't help myself).

- What is the meaning of "For You" as the movie's subtitle?
- I'm not sure of the timeline, but I've seen it said that this movie takes place later chronologically than any of the other Kino animated material. If that's so, I think it does show in parts... especially Kino's greater relaxation and comfort with herself and her surroundings (when she's [spoiler]telling stories to Inasha's family,[/spoiler] for instance; the echoing and even treating Hermes more casually could also be signs of this).
- Her smiles also seem more sincere and less guarded. ^^
- On the flip side, she seems even more immune to tragedy.
- After spending so long without any Kino anime, it was cool to see the bird theme come back in full force.
- Really like the motorrad riding scenes in this one.
- Great comedy bits between Hermes and the other motorcycle thing, and the timing of the cutting between that and [spoiler]Kino's conversation with the "postman"[/spoiler] is pitch-perfect.
- The [spoiler]monitor-screen battle[/spoiler] is the coolest (and creepiest) stand-off anywhere in the series.
- So who [spoiler]really wrote the last letter, and when was it written?[/spoiler]
- The self-referential final conversation between Kino and Hermes practically makes the whole movie.

~Dagger~

[Kanji]

Kino's Journey seems to be one of those niche series that hardly anyone talks about, and yet every single person who's watched it only speaks good things about it. I was recommended the series by multiple people a few months ago, and was only recently reminded that I needed to give it a proper look-see.

Anyway, they weren't kidding. Kino's Journey is a fascinating series that explores humanity in a veristic style. Every character that Kino and Hermes cross paths with exemplify some aspect of society, and yet they manage to do so in a very smooth way. It's so natural; Kino's Journey preaches volumes as a bitter/hopeful social commentary (depending the on episode), but it constantly deludes the viewer in such a way that each episode is always entertaining - I never once felt like I was being lectured on the flaws of mankind, and yet in many episodes this seemed to be an underlying message. I guess I'm totally impressed over the anime's ability to entertain and simultaneously provoke thought. These are the type of series that I love. And, as others have mentioned, there are no flashy gimmicks to draw in flocks of fanboy viewers. There are no distractions. Wonderfully subtle series.

I very much enjoyed the artistic atmosphere, too. From the minimalistic application of music to the scanlines to the sepia colors of scenes, everything in the series had a wonderful nostalgic look. This not only brought about a bit of stylistic beauty, but interestingly enough, made the world of Kino's Journey more familiar and easier to identify with.

I wish we'd learn a bit more about Kino; episode 4 (Land of Adults) was one of the most powerful ones, partially because we learn a bit more about the title character. Kino seems almost impossibly calm in some situations, and yet her complacence never seems unattainable. It's very interesting to get a few glimpses into what made her that way. The inspirational theme of Episode 8 (Land of Wizards) left me feeling magical, too.

A few people were talking about the wonderful ending theme. It's good stuff, but I'm much more addicted to the catchy opening song.

Guess I'll have to look into the movies next!

[Dagger]

[quote name='Kanji']I wish we'd learn a bit more about Kino; episode 4 (Land of Adults) was one of the most powerful ones, partially because we learn a bit more about the title character.

Guess I'll have to look into the movies next![/QUOTE]
Then you'll be happy to hear that the first movie ("Life Goes On") is another Kino flashback. :) It was directed by someone other than the man who directed the TV series & movie 2, so it feels a tad different, but it doesn't deviate from the source material or anything as far as I know. Also, each movie is only about thirty minutes long, so they pretty much feel like an extension of the show (although I would love another full TV series).

[B]Allison to Lillia[/B], another series of books by the Kino's Journey writer and with character designs by the same artist, is being made into a 26-episode anime in the spring.

~Dagger~

[FloraFreak]

[quote name='Kanji']Kino's Journey seems to be one of those niche series that hardly anyone talks about, and yet every single person who's watched it only speaks good things about it. I was recommended the series by multiple people a few months ago, and was only recently reminded that I needed to give it a proper look-see.

Anyway, they weren't kidding. Kino's Journey is a fascinating series that explores humanity in a veristic style. Every character that Kino and Hermes cross paths with exemplify some aspect of society, and yet they manage to do so in a very smooth way. It's so natural; Kino's Journey preaches volumes as a bitter/hopeful social commentary (depending the on episode), but it constantly deludes the viewer in such a way that each episode is always entertaining - I never once felt like I was being lectured on the flaws of mankind, and yet in many episodes this seemed to be an underlying message. I guess I'm totally impressed over the anime's ability to entertain and simultaneously provoke thought. These are the type of series that I love. And, as others have mentioned, there are no flashy gimmicks to draw in flocks of fanboy viewers. There are no distractions. Wonderfully subtle series.

I very much enjoyed the artistic atmosphere, too. From the minimalistic application of music to the scanlines to the sepia colors of scenes, everything in the series had a wonderful nostalgic look. This not only brought about a bit of stylistic beauty, but interestingly enough, made the world of Kino's Journey more familiar and easier to identify with.

I wish we'd learn a bit more about Kino; episode 4 (Land of Adults) was one of the most powerful ones, partially because we learn a bit more about the title character. Kino seems almost impossibly calm in some situations, and yet her complacence never seems unattainable. It's very interesting to get a few glimpses into what made her that way. The inspirational theme of Episode 8 (Land of Wizards) left me feeling magical, too.

A few people were talking about the wonderful ending theme. It's good stuff, but I'm much more addicted to the catchy opening song.

Guess I'll have to look into the movies next![/QUOTE]

yes you should.

The movie that follows the series, dives deeper into her childhood with her master.

And you left a wonderful post here, eloquent and insightful.