Killing Bites

Episodes 1-2

Sometimes a thoroughly entertaining experience can emerge when a series just openly revels in being trashy as hell, and the first two episodes of this manga adaptation are on the border of achieving that. You won't find any deep philosophizing, complex symbolism, or thoughtful examinations of the human condition here, but if all you want are generous doses of fanservice, bloody violence, and rock n' roll, then this is the series for you.

Of course, it doesn't hurt that the series has a winner in its female lead. Yuya, the male lead, is merely a bland college student so far, whose main function is just to be the outsider looking in and perhaps a humanizing influence on the heroine. Hitomi, however, is one of the nastiest heroines around – when she's not descending into Cute Mode over her guardian/creator, anyway. That's because Hitomi is a Therianthrope, which is an umbrella term for all kinds of humans who transform partly or completely into animals. Hitomi in particular is a ratel (aka honey badger), which means that she transforms to be partly covered by the hide of a ratel, grows a tail and animal ears, and gains savage claws and teeth. The first two episodes further make it clear that Therianthropes don't just take on the physical characteristics of their animal type; they gain some of their personality too. Hitomi is fearless, facing almost any danger with glee and a usually vicious temperament. Ratels in nature have been known to face down lions and ignore porcupine quills, both traits that have already come into play by episode two. Given that the series regularly engages in brief asides about animal characteristics, these animal kingdom connections will probably continue to be a regular feature.

The thin plot so far involves zaibatsu (big Imperial-era conglomerates) having persisted after World War II more intact than in actual history. They secretly use death matches for entertainment and some decision-making functions. Thanks to genetic advances, their warriors are now Therianthropes. This is really just a flimsy excuse to arrange lethal fights between hybrid humans, and Hitomi is a new rising star with the potential to shake up the establishment. In other words, the series looks like it will lean heavily on these fever-pitch battles while engaging in various shenanigans between fights. That's fine, because both the arena battle in episode one and the Hitomi/Brute Porcupine fight in episode two have a lot of dynamism to them. Even the non-lethal scuffle with the panty-thieving cheetah girl (who is likely one of the main supporting characters going forward) shows more energy and movement than usual, and the show has an overall good sense for making its action interesting.

Fanservice is also a significant component of the series. Battle-damaged or skimpy clothing and fur covering the female Therianthropes looks to be the norm, with the first episode delivering outright nudity (a female flasher) and the second episode featuring Hitomi going commando while chasing around the panty-thieving cheetah girl, who is then strongly implied to be a lesbian. No one's been all that shy about getting naked in this series; Yuya is easily more embarrassed over it than the girls. On the darker side, the series opens with a kidnapping and attempted gang rape, and the fact that the would-be-rapists all end up dead at their intended victim's claws doesn't blunt its impact much. This doesn't look to be the only incidence of darkly lurid elements that the series will have going forward.

The production values of the first couple of episodes are remarkably sturdy, with highly expressive faces, sexy character designs, convincingly bestial hybrid forms, and smoother-than-average animation. The musical score so far is a mix of heavy-metal-flavored and synthesized themes, which effectively pushes the energy level but also lacks finesse.

One aspect of the series that doesn't work as well so far is the drastic way Hitomi changes when her switch is flipped into Cute Mode, because it seems so at odds with her normal personality. Some may also take issue with Yuya becoming an accessory to the show's opening gang rape scene, even if he was duped into it. If that doesn't bother you though, then this series is shaping up to be a lot of crazy fun.

Rating: B

Killing Bites is currently streaming on Amazon Prime.