Kino's Journey

After watching Pokemon as a kid I left anime for a long time. Then I was introduced through Sword Art Online. It wasn't the worst thing but thankfully it was the polar opposite of American cartoons in terms of art style. I did some digging for better storylines and discovered a talking motorcycle. I have never turned back on anime since!

Then perfect word to describe Kino's Journey is "intriguing". She is not always a moral character. Instead she is a pragmatic character and manages to survive. Seeing through the eyes of someone who isn't an idealistic vigilante allows us to observe events and draw our own conclusions. If you feel like watching a thinking anime, this is for you. If you want to turn your brain off after a hard day, that's okay too; honestly I do that myself a lot.

Based on a Japanese light novel of the same name, we follow Kino, a traveller, and her talking motorcycle, Hermes, as they ride from country to country in a vast, sudo-futuristic world of many peoples and civilizations. Less of an overarching narrative or large scale world building, the core of Kino's Journey lies in each of its episodic visits to a new country, typically exploring some political or organizational ideal to its extremes, along with the moral lessons or implications we could learn should a society like it exist. The art style is quite strong, with crt scanlines superimposed over all its visuals, watercolour motifs through most of its backgrounds and scenery, especially when in nature, and the foregrounds washed out colours, giving that sort of punk aesthetic. I very much enjoyed it, the characters were all fantastic, although there was the odd bit of eye-rolling at some of the reveals or melodrama. There is also certainly violence and some tackling of heavy themes, so not for children. Definitely on the more grounded end of anime, I would highly recommend if it already seems something of interest, was good.

If your reading this, you've probably already read the summary so I'm just gonna go on with my thoughts. My friend, who knows my taste well, introduced me to this anime and it definitely was something I like. I've watched and completed many different ones, but this anime was probably the one that struck me most so far. It's unique comparing to all the others. It will give you a different kind of emotional experience through the eyes of a traveler, and many life lessons along the way. You get to know the complex character of Kino very well as you go on throughout the episodes. Which is another reason why it is different from other clichè anime with simple characters that are very easy to figure out.

Animé is known for showcasing characters with super-human powers, or mostly not even human at all. It is known for it's original and bizarre stories and story lines, which seem to fascinate every animation fan. It is a big hit among viewers who enjoy watching the endless possibilities of story making. It is, I believe the very nature of japanimation. But to be honest it is very rare to see an animé much like this one I'm going to review about, called –"Kino No Tabi".

Sometimes called "Kino's Journey" or "Kino's Travels" –"Kino No Tabi" is probably the most artiest and most thought-proving animé I've seen (really!). Based from the sensational novel series by Keiichi Sigsawa that became popular in Japan back in 2000, "Kino No Tabi" is the unique story of a young traveler named Kino, and Kino's traveling companion, a talking motorcycle named Hermes. Together, they travel from country to country, meeting different people, and exploring different cultures. They learn and discover new things as they travel, and thus, making this show a delightful series, because you learn with its characters.

It is likely that you'll be surprised with the series' unconventional stories, and it's unusual characters (that appear in every episode) it may seem slow sometimes since the characters do much talking than anything else, since this is after all the way that this show uplifts itself –through the characters' interactions with one another, especially the conversations with Kino and Hermes. You will marvel at Kino's calmness and rational ways of dealing with matters that most of us don't give a damn about.

Kino is an intelligent, and charming character despite having to act coldly at times. Another unusual thing about "Kino No Tabi" is Kino's gender. It wasn't made clear in the first to third episodes, since some characters in the stories refer to Kino as a boy and some called her "miss". What's even more confusing would be Kino's use of "boku" (a Japanese pronoun used by a male to refer to himself) when speaking. But this will be made clear during the 4th episode. I don't want to give spoilers, but it was a cool concept by the author to make Kino's gender a mystery.

Featuring the voice of Ai Maeda as Kino (she played Shiori Kitano in "Battle Royale 2: Requiem"). Hers is perfect for the character of Kino, since it's quite hard to distinguish her voice (if male or female). As you know, most animé have women do the voice acting for some male characters (especially if the characters are young boys). So it won't be surprising if her character, Kino is a boy –or maybe not.

All I can say, "Kino No Tabi" will not be like any other animé you've seen. It's a brilliant series that uniquely unveils various human philosophies. It's one of those shows you'd be glad you took the time to watch.

From the people behind the shows –"Serial Experiments Lain", "Haibane Renmei", and "Boogiepop Phantom".. "Kino No Tabi" is another show yet to impress you with it's brilliance and it's unique expression of a radical sense of "beauty".

This is one of those little gems you discover late one night binge- watching anime. No one has ever mentioned it to you, you have nothing else better to do, and the cover art doesn't remind you of another action-packed vampire love story. That being said, I went into Kino's Journey blind and I came out enlightened. It was like I was a child exploring the world for the first time again.

Along with her talking motorcycle companion, "Hermes", Kino is a traveler who has a rule to never stay in one place for more than 3 days. The world is similar to Earth except that what are considered "countries" are really independent, walled cities that are seemingly very spaced apart. Each episode is self contained as Kino visits one or more country, and just as Kino and Hermes, we experience each place for the first time. The countries have their own unique histories, customs, and cultures. All are interesting; some are dangerous.

There is something so powerful in the quiet storytelling of this series. Kino's Journey really explores the very edges of what it means to be human. We are all flawed, yet it is how we deal with our flaws that defines us. Similar to many other series I have watched, I just wish there was more.

There are only two other anime that I have seen that have mastered the art of quiet storytelling: "Mushishi", and "House of Five Leaves".

As of now (Jan 2014), the English Dubbed version is available on Amazon Prime and Hulu Plus. NOTE: Amazon Prime doesn't have any commercials.