Kuromukuro

There is a large number of mecha/pilot anime series out there for people to enjoy, and Netflix has already produced a mecha in space series in Knights of Sidonia. So what makes this one different?

One appeal is that unlike many other anime series, fan service is almost completely absent in Kuromukuro. With the exception of some minor occurrences, the characters are of a logical proportion, avoiding the over-the-top cutesy styles and expressions of other anime, without getting too gritty and realistic either. You will still have the outrageous hair colours and your typical high school antics, but the series keeps a similar art style along the lines of Gasaraki or AldNoah.Zero, without too many shallow attempts at awkward sexual tension.

Set predominantly around a group of high school students, the series starts strong, with revealing and developing its characters amidst some intense action, but soon begins to meander. A large number of mysteries are presented, and by the end of season 1 not much has been done to explain any of them. This is not unusual for a series of this kind, but, unfortunately, there is not a lot of memorable moments to fill the space, and this takes some of the veneer off of the mandatory cliff-hangar ending to the season.

This isn't to say that it is not an enjoyable season. A healthy balance is kept between the relational development of characters and the action in the series. Giant robots battle right from the start amidst glorious explosions, demolishing buildings and their environment. The combat lacks the nuances and uniqueness of the Orbital Knights from Aldnoah.Zero, while sharing some of the same premises. Most of the time robots are displayed recklessly hacking at each other, while the militaries of the world fire weapons at them. This wouldn't be all that bad if they hadn't repeatedly established that they have no effect.

UPDATE *Season 2 sees the action, and the plot, ramp up considerably. The pace increases and key elements are discussed in every episode. Characters are more flushed out, animation is a little tighter and the enemy characters also become more distinct. More engaging than the first, the second season finishes well and without compromising the characters they built in the process.*

Where this series shines is in some of the character's relationships and tensions with their family and with each other. Some of the main characters are one-dimensional, but a handful of them are compelling enough to draw you into their struggles, making you cheer for them when they overcome a particular issue, and feeling for them when they are put down.

Just a bit of a recap of my experiences fo far with watching this anime. As a fairly new viewer to this genre I find it very thought-provoking and captivating. I have secured curious interest in it because it has aroused my scientific, fantasy fiction brain. To really enjoy this you need to have this kind of curiosity. It is not complicated or difficult to understand. I believe that it is produced mainly for the young adults and the kind of gutter humour and comedic moments reinforce this idea. It is not without its artistic merits though as the animation displays will suit that age group and in line with the young peoples ways of describing and thinking.

It has a kind of excitement and vibrancy that will enthuse their jaded minds as most of the youth of today have been brought up to have a feeling of entitlement with few goals in privileged environments. So they will enjoy this gratuitous and superfluous series of euphoria for a few hours of entertainment bliss.

It get really exciting as it builds up to its climax and they gather the information that is necessary for the survival of the people on planet earth.

I find it really entertaining as you let your imagination believe that these space escapades could really happen. I think as a viewer you have to take into account who this series is made for and not get into any complex analysis or review and try to find some deep and insightful meaning but accept it as pure entertainment as refuge from the real world that we live in. Just sit back relax and enjoy.

What I found fascinating though was the positive use of female role models from a patriarchal society like Japan. They had women in leadership positions and amongst the spaceship pilots.

The initial mecha fight that this anime pre-viewed had me worried that this was something I wouldn't enjoy. I watched the English dub version of this, and aside from Johnny Yong Bosch voicing Ryoto Akagi, I'd say they all sounded just fine. Though, maybe I wouldn't have been bothered by his voice if I didn't asociate him with the voice of Meliodas from The Seven Deadly Sins. The mild cliffhanger at the end of season 1 did leave me hoping for a second season. Though, I really hope its story comes to some kind of stopping point if it does recieve a second season. Like is said in the title: this story is a bit like bad pizza. Not great, but even crappy pizza tends to be somewhat enjoyable.

KUROMUKURO is a superbly illustrated animation, with beautiful colors, well-drawn characters who look fairly real, interesting backdrops, and then plenty of action between good guy & bad guy characters and their mechas. The storyline is interesting and gripping as far as stories go for this type of anime, not being terribly deep but also not being flighty or silly as many of these things are. The main characters are pretty well done, not only physically but psychologically, and you can actually have some empathy for them as the story moves along through its two seasons. The bad guys are aliens come to Earth and they are, well, bad! It becomes the job of the local science agencies and military to fight them off and find a way to defeat them permanently. The two main characters, cute little Yukina, and the handsome Samurai warrior brought back from 450 years ago, Ken, do a good job of fighting through a complex relationship and a host of difficulties. Altogether a well done story and anime and surely one of the better ones that is definitely worth watching.

I have come to the conclusion that this kind of anime is aimed at an audience different than myself. Not sure what that audience is. I enjoy giant robot stories-- if they have a plot and good story line. This seems devoid of such, as if written as preteen fanfic rather than a professional script.

The story is plodding, as deep as a rain puddle, with no mystery or character development. The main samurai character is simply annoying with his constant anger and angst. The female lead, while understandable (she doesn't want to be a warrior), doesn't really affect the story in any meaningful way.

Regardless of the (at this time few) raving reviews of how wonderful this anime is... it pales in comparison with truly good anime. This is more like a Saturday Morning cartoon... and a cheesy one at that. I wish anime fans were more discerning, demanding and less copious with their praise. One tires of reading "Oh this is the best anime ever made!" for projects that really aren't that great. I suffered through eight episodes of this before hitting the the stop button, preferring to spend my time on something worthwhile. I would have appreciated more qualified and accurate reviews so I could have given this a pass from the start.