Forum - View topicKino's Journey: completely blows away expectations.
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P€|\||§_|\/|ast@
 Posts: 3498 Location: IN your nightmares |
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I just got done watching volume one of Kino no Tabi (Kino's Journey). Of course I was expecting it to be good having heard alot of good things about it in the Favorite Character thread (I think). And I agree that Kino is an amazing character also. But anime like this fits my particular preferences in genres of anime I like; philisophical adventure drama with action and comedy. But the culmination of all of these aspects is just flawless. It's rather slow moving but I enjoyed Someday's Dreamers and .hack//Sign so this anime is right up my alley.
Kino's Journey from my observations also takes inspiration from other creators while still being truly unique and fresh. Some sources of inspiration I can name are Osamu Tezuka (I keep being reminded of Black Jack with the brand of folklorish storytelling) and ABe Yoshitoshi (the whole show has a very Lain feel to it and Kino had to have been modeled partially off of Lain herself). What are other member's impressions of this anime? |
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DuelLadyS
 Posts: 1705 Location: WA state |
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Heckuva show, isn't it?
I have a hard time describing Kino... for me, it was kinda like the Aesop's fables book I had as a kid, or the greek plays I read in high school... it seems like it should be slow and boring, but the maturity and craftsmanship of the storytelling really draws you into Kino's world. And it gets better as the series goes on too- Kino's one of those rare shows where the ending really stuck out for me as being something special and powerful. That reminds me- I still need to get a shadow box to put the Hermes liscense plate in. |
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frentymon
Forums Superstar
 Posts: 2362 Location: San Francisco |
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I absolutely love Kino's Journey. In fact, it's number one on my list, beating out Kimi ga Nozomu Eien, Twelve Kingdoms, and Haruhi. It's just so fascinating yet witty, while maintaining a semi-dark yet relaxed atomsphere throughout. It's often compared to Haibane Renmei, but I found in it a biting wit which I never noticed in Haibane Renmei. Whenever I give praise to a series, I usually break it down by aspect, so I'll start with music.
The OP is by one of my favorite singers, Shimokawa Mikuni. The sequence, vocals, and background all fit together really well. The lead-in to the chorus with the three gunshots fired is incredibly well done, as was the very first scene in the OP when Kino starts up the motorbike. Acoustic guitar really fits Shimokawa's vocal style, and the fact that the background didn't overshadow the vocals made her voice really stand out, and subsequently, made for a very nice OP song. The ED song was also really nice, and it almost reminded me of something taken from Utawarerumono. Background music was really nice, and definitely contributed to the relaxed atmosphere of the series. I really like the animation; it's not flashy and uses somewhat darker colors. The character designs are a bit on the chibi-ish side, but is still more realistic than that of most series out there. Landscapes and backgrounds were really well done, and helped enhance the atmosphere of the series. The fight sequences were surprisingly well done, and even though the series does not focus on fighting or battle at all, the fight sequences were superior to that of many shounen series (many of which exclusively focus on fighting). The plotline is absolutely stellar. The series is episodic by nature, but the plot moves cohesively and fluidly between episodes. The atmosphere throughout the entire series is relaxed and refreshing, yet maintains a dark satirical tone throughout the series. The series mocks many flawed aspects of today's society with a biting wit and clever hypthothetical situations, which is represented by the numerous lands Kino visits. Everything, from censorship to methods of cease-fire, is mocked and put in almost a humorous light. Irony is present everywhere, and the almost comical stupidity of many of the people Kino meets makes you laugh at some of the completely ridiculous ways people in certain countries in the series live their lives. Everything is brilliantly pieced together, and the workings of many of the countries can easily be compared to that of our society today. It is amusing in the context of the series, but yet, many of the ridiculous happenings in the series actually mirror many aspects of our society. Kino is a wonderfully panned out character, but much of the time is nothing but an idle observer. Often times, it seems as if the author himself (Keiichi Sigsawa, I presume) is partially present in Kino, discussing his viewpoints about some of the occurences Kino witnesses. Kino is always calm, occassionally sympathetic, and is very adept at knowing what to say and how to act around certain people. Kino assumes a neutral stance throughout a good majority of the series, and while Kino comments on what is witnessed, never directly points out the stupidity of certain townsfolk or the workings of a country as a whole. Numerous times when watching the series, I amost envied Kino, and was amazed at how well things were handled in situations where I would have gotten myself into large amounts of trouble. On top of all this, Kino is a skilled gunsman, and can completely wipe out people over twice as large. Kino does have a personality as well, somewhat overshadowed by all the occurences in the surroundings, but it is subtly hinted at throughout the series, especially during conversations with Hermes. Hermes' existence provides an alternate view on occurences throughout the series. Kino and Hermes largely agree on many things, but the two often hold fascinating discussions when their viewpoints differ. Hermes is somewhat more childish than Kino, and occassionally says preposterous things, but is neither over-the-top nor exaggerated. He can be surprisingly intelligent at times, pointing out things that even Kino had not noticed. Hermes is slightly more optimistic than Kino, and sometimes is able to alter Kino's stance on certain things, reminding the viewer that Kino is far from a perfect entity. What is most impressive about Hermes in my opinion though, is how the original author and the producers were able to include a talking motorcycle while not making it seem one bit silly or strange at all. Normally I talk a lot about seiyuu, but in Kino's Journey, I don't really have much to say. Kino's seiyuu fit really well, as did Hermes. Hermes' voice was just right to produce a somewhat childish tone of speech while retaining some semblence of intelligence as well. Kino's voice is perfect for a character who is solemn most of the time but often breaks out many witty remarks. Besides the two main characters, the seiyuu for the masses of people the two meet throughout their journey were all well casted, and I don't have any complaints. Overall, an absolutely wonderful series, and my favorite series of all-time. Oh, and spoiler, for those who have seen past Episode 4: spoiler[It was really hard to not include any pronouns when talking about Kino! Maybe I'll be found out on my purposeful amibiguity...? I hope not...] |
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adonais
Posts: 302 |
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Marvelous post, frentymon (did you write up all that on the spot, or did you pull out some essay from before..?? Either way, nicely written!)
I guess you're right, that is a spoiler, I hadn't thought of it that way! (hope I didn't mess it up for someone with my older posts on Kino's Journey..  )
I just have to ask this, it's been on my mind since I first saw that episode and I can't shake off the feeling. I apologize that it is a spoiler for the OP; watch the rest then come back to this thread! 
In the "Land of Books", I get this total recall sensation every time I listen to the story of spoiler[the girl who is hospitalized in a post-apocalyptic world, and lives out her life solely in a world of fantastic stories through the books that she reads (or if they are read to her, I forget). Then one day she is provided with a mind-interface device that enables her to truly travel to these worlds and live the stories of the books in her mind, so that she will never have to face the harsh reality that the world has ended outside her window. Reading this, Kino reflects, "what if I'm still in that machine, living out the story of a book..." And I can't help but wonder, what if that really is the true story behind, well, everything.. It would sort of offer an "explanation" (although I do not insist that one is needed, but still) and rationalize a lot of things that we see, as elements belonging to books and fantastic stories, if not the real world.] There is no substance for this speculation really, I just find it a fascinating thought, and I almost wish that the author had thrown in just one more ambiguous hint.. Anybody else have thoughts on this? [EDIT: And I can't believe I even forgot to say, Kino wa sugoi da, forever in my top-3 anime!] |
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Randall Miyashiro
 Posts: 2451 Location: A block away from Golden Gate Park |
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The series reminds me of Galaxy Express 999 and Matsumoto in general. It is also one of my favorites of all time. The origins episode was amazing, but I'm also glad that there is so much left unsaid. The series gives the impression that these are just a dozen of the many countless stops Kino has made.
I was also very aware of the pronoun ambiguity when I first watched the series. The other thing that is funny is that I speculated that Hermes was all in Kino's head for the first couple of episodes, since nobody was acknowledging his presence. |
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Keonyn
 Subscriber Posts: 5567 Location: Coon Rapids, MN |
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It's a terrific series, I agree. Thought provoking and well told and fairly stylized. It has a very artsy feel to it and as such I've found some of my more action oriented friends certainly don't enjoy it but I thought it was amazing and it also blew away my expectations.
I love these series that make you think and explore human nature to such a degree and I love the almost storybook world that tries to tell a story and make its point without fussing too much about making it seem plausible or realistic. I find it hard to convince people to give it a shot though, I've suggested to several people they try this series and so far not a one has done so despite the affordable thinpak set that's available. |
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madscientist
 Posts: 31 Location: Denver, CO |
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I really enjoyed Kino's Journey myself. Very thought provoking at times, greatly executed, and the lead is very mysterious and likeable. One thing I really am disappointed about though is how the Licensed release did not include the prequel movie (which just reading the description may contain a spoiler of sorts, so be warned before clicking the link)Life Goes On. I suppose it could be because it came out close to 2 years after the show, but still, I wish they would release it on a DVD with maybe some extras with it to justify the price. I also got the feeling too that the show was just too short. They could have drawn it out a bit longer I think and still not had to fluff it up with filler material like some shows. There were just some things about Kino that I feel they could have gone deeper into. Oh well, I love the show and am glad I own it.
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Steve Berry
Posts: 522 Location: San Francisco Bay Area, CA |
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I also very much liked this show-- although I have to admit, there was a stretch in the middle-- eps 5-8 or so (largely the arena arc)-- that just didn't interest me as much. Still, there were some really, really good eps in there-- the one about the library and the one about the holy text still occassionally run through my mind. The final ep is also very very good.
Re: the extra "movie" that was made (really another ep)-- I was also sort of dissapointed that it wasn't included. It's also very interesting, and gives you some real insight into Kino. There's also another ep that is a 1/2 ep -- the pilot??-- that is also very good. It involves Kino journeying to a country where their whole economy is geared towards building this amazingly high tower. It's very interesting, and fun too. I often wish these two eps (which I particularly liked) were included in the series versus some of my less favorite ones (like the one about the servant/maid, as an example). If you download stuff, of course, both eps are available online, and are well worth getting for the Kino fan. Still, for all my gripeing, this show is very good. It really reminds me most of Mushishi, although Kino's Journey is far more ...outright "philosophical" to me-- when it's really clicking (and it does so repeatedly) it's easily as good as the best of Mushishi to me-- and that's about as high a compliment as I can pay. |
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Mohawk52
 Posts: 8202 Location: England, UK |
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As much as I liked Kino's Journey, and the stand alone episodes, to me it had that unfinished feel to it, like a string of beads with a hook at one end but no clasp at the other. Alsospoiler[it seemed to me that Kino was training for something that never seemed to happen. ]
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varmintx
 Posts: 1204 Location: Covington, KY |
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Kino’s Journey is also my favorite show. It doesn’t try to develop your usual character. Instead, Kino is more like a real person; an observer of the rest of the world. Our protagonist doesn’t rush into action every time the opportunity arises, choosing instead to survey the situation, and gather information. This isn't a superhero; many times during the series we are shown late-night practicing with the gun. As stated earlier, Kino doesn’t just somehow know all the answers;, doesn’t espouse trite solutions to the problems the show presents. Rather, when Kino speaks it is usually to ask a question, or to clarify something. But, it wouldn’t be natural for a person to just always be a silent observer. The character has thoughts of their own, and gives them. And, Kino indeed takes action when it is necessary. Given the situations, action is often necessary.
spoiler[I am going to focus on the second-to-last episode for a more specific explanation. The episode involves two countries that have brokered a peace between themselves by instead slaughtering a less-developed civilization. It would be easy to classify this as a gross oversimplification of international conflict, except that this is a single episode: brevity is a necessity, and this summarized point is still relevant. The U.S.A. and U.S.S.R. had plenty of conflicts in Korea, Vietnam, Cuba, Germany… Sure, millions of people suffered in those other countries, but there was no nuclear annihilation. In the show, Kino is asked point-blank to find a better solution. Despite the fact that she knows what’s happening is wrong, Kino cannot come up with one. Later, she is confronted by the natives who wish to engage in the exact same type of behavior that causes their suffering. Kino kills to protect herself. What is the lesson here? Is it some generic “kill or be killed” idea? Is it just a case of “too bad” for the natives: too bad you’re not advanced enough to defend yourselves? Is it moral for this culture to develop its own ways of killing its killers to get out of the situation they find themselves in? Is it moral for North Korea to develop nuclear weapons so it can longer be a puppet, instead, be one of the puppeteers? What about you? Can you come up with a solution that doesn’t involve some fairytale about the human race suddenly evolving to the point where conflict is no longer necessary? ] These are problems that cannot be solved in 22 minutes. What’s important is that the viewer be aware of, in at least a general sense, and question for themselves, these moral dilemmas. People often say “the show makes you think,” but this often means the show requires you to pay attention to figure out what’s going on in the context of the show itself or to understand what lesson is being taught through symbolism. In the case of Kino’s Journey, the goal really is to make to you think. Edit #2: I went back to remove the problem so at least the generalized parts could be read by people who haven't seen the show. It's not like I didn't read Frentymon's excellent post, it's just that when I watched the show, I never questioned it. Maybe in Japanese it's less obvious, but the English dub makes it pretty hard to not know. Still, I do apologize if I ruined it for anyone. spoiler[P.S. Yeah, that's actually pretty difficult to do without just using the proper noun over and over again.] Last edited by varmintx on Fri Nov 03, 2006 12:51 pm; edited 2 times in total |
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Iritscen
 Posts: 793 |
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Someone's not being subtle about the spoiler[gender thing]. Tsk tsk.
Indicentally, I actually still think spoiler[of Kino as a guy despite knowing better.] Anyway, Kino was an interesting mix of predictable/shocking. Sometimes I could see an ending a mile away (e.g. the story with the guy with the sword and talking dog whose name I've embarrassingly forgotten), but it was still interesting to watch it play out. Speaking of which, does anyone wish they'd make a show about that guy with the sword now? And maybe a second season with Kino so we're not so in the dark about things like The Master. That was one plot element hinted at in the very beginning that seemed to get lost as the show went on. Unless those extra episodes that you guys mention, mainly the movie, explain that a little more, but otherwise, yeah, some answers on that would have been good. |
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varmintx
Posts: 1204 Location: Covington, KY |
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Oops, I fixed it. Someone was on here a few weeks ago posting that there is going to be a second OVA, but they couldn't tell me where they got that information from. So, it's probably just an internet rumor, but there's always wishful thinking.
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dormcat
Encyclopedia Editor
 Posts: 9902 Location: New Taipei City, Taiwan, ROC |
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A second movie will be co-aired with Shana and Inukami! next April. Source. |
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Steve Berry
Posts: 522 Location: San Francisco Bay Area, CA |
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Pretty much-- it's exactly that. The OVA -- 1 extra-long 30 minute (?) episode is almost entirely devoted to Kino and the Master, so yeah, you can learn more about that character that way. Well worth watching, as I said before. I thought it added just that something to Kino's character and past that was lacking for me somewhat in the "main" 13 ep show. And the info on the second "movie" is awesome-- I'm very excited about that. I'd be very happy if they made a second season. |
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selenta
Subscriber Posts: 1774 Location: Seattle, WA |
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Heh, funny, people respect that spoiler[Kino being a girl is a spoiler... which I personally thought was pretty brilliant how they handled it. The Ouran High School Host Club description spoils the very same thing, unfortunately... but when I tried to edit it with:
"Ouran Private Academy is defined by two things: prestigious families and wealth. Prosperous people have copious free time on their hands. Therefore, the Ouran Host Club is about six attractive guys who choose to use their free time giving hospitality to ladies... and to profit from it. One day, the genius commoner student, Haruhi, accidently stumbles into this host club, and upon attempting to leave breaks a valuable vase and becomes indebted to the club. Although the original intent of the club was to use Haruhi as a novelty plaything for menial chores, when it is discovered how pretty Haruhi is, a full-fledged membership is granted and the commoner begins work as a member of this dubious elite club." Despite dormcat's seeming general approval, it still got shot down  I love it when you genuinely don't know those sort of things going into the show, especially if it catches you completely off guard. Even if it is an important as aspect of both shows... it's really not the point of Ouran, just the biggest running gag in it. Am I the only one who thinks this describes the show better without spoiling anything?]
Kino's Journey though? Hmmm.... I don't think much needs to be added to the above comments. It's an absolutely fascinating show on so many levels. The music is absolutely great, the story is interesting as some complicated combination of predictable and unpredictable, Kino is a great character, and as frenty said, it possesses a feeling that is truly among the most unique shows. |
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