Kino no Tabi: The Beautiful World - The Animated Series
Duração: 23 min per ep
Gênero: Adventure, Drama, Fantasy
Estudio: Lerche
Sinopse:
When 15-year-old Kino is feeling weighed down by heavy thoughts, one thing always manages to cheer her up: traveling. Nothing fills her heart with joy like exploring the beautiful, wonderful world around her and the fascinating ways people find to live. However, Kino is not as helpless as her cute appearance and courteous demeanor suggest. Armed with "Cannon" and "Woodsman," her trusted handguns, Kino isn't afraid to kill anyone who would dare to get in her way. Always by her side is her best friend and loyal companion Hermes, a sentient motorcycle, who supports Kino through the sorrows and hardships of their journey. Together, they travel the vast countryside with the shared goal of always moving forward, and a single rule: never stay in one country for more than three days.
As Kino and Hermes encounter new people and learn the rules of their civilizations, they grow and find out more about their own values and virtues. But as Kino slowly discovers the world around her, she also finds herself facing dangers that linger within the vast unknown.
[Written by MAL Rewrite]
Nenhum episódio encontrado.
Comentários
Hybrid_Rainbow29
Keichii Sigsawa's 'Kino no Tabi (Kino's Journey) The Beautiful World' is one of the longest running ongoing Light Novel series in existence, generally releasing a whole volume of material every year since 2000. In that time it has received first an Anime adaptation in 2003 directed by the late Ryutaro Nakemura, and this 2017 adaptation by Studio Lerche. For fairness, I will not try to compare this version to its source material or the previous adaptation too much and try to judge it based on its own merit. The premise of the series is that it follows the Journey of a traveller named Kino and theirtalking Motorrad Hermes through their travels across a world made up of small countries which each encompass their own unique ideologies, cultures, and traditions. From this, Sigsawa uses the perspective of Kino, a traveller with no ties to a particular culture of their own and a maintained neutral outlook on the morally grey activities which they often come across, to look at multiple facets of philosophy and the human condition. This results in a very interesting and thought provoking episodic series, whatever its incarnation.
While this will be a positive review overall, as I did find more to enjoy about this adaptation than I didn't, I will start this review off discussing the negatives of the series first, as they are perhaps the more glaring issue with this adaptation, and the one which may turn potential viewers (be they familiar with the source material or not) off.
The biggest issue with the adaptation is without a doubt the stories that were adapted for this versions. For those of you who didn't know, the stories from the LN selected for this adaptation were picked from a poll in which fans of the LN were asked to vote for their favourite stories from the series. While this may sound like a good idea on paper, as it means we get to see what the fans themselves picked as the highlights, sort of like making the series a Band's Greatest Hits compilation which can in turn help to entice new viewers, the issue comes about when the stories placed near each other cause the series to feel extremely uneven.
What I mean by this is that in the original source material, these stories would have been written in the order they were for a reason. That becomes apparent when we see how tonally conflicting the series can be, as the episodes can often be radically different in terms of tone so that one week we witness a deep and quite dark study of the way that humans take their lives for granted but then next week get a silly, action packed episode. This often extreme tonal dissonance which occurs between the stories can often feel jarring, and lead to the feeling that the series suffers a severe identity crisis in which it doesn't quite know what it's trying to be as a series.
It doesn't help also that some of the stories in the series perhaps aren't what I would have selected as being among my favourites. The worst offender perhaps being an episode which is itself a compilation of short stories which each feel insufferably self parodying and painful to watch (this is episode 9 in case I've convinced you to skip this episode when you watch).
Another major problem with the series is the direction it takes. Lerche are a studio whose work I'm only familiar with from this year, and from what I can gather, the popular consensus seems to be that they're an extremely uneven studio, and that certainly reflects in this adaptation, which additionally serves as a showcase for both the studio's strengths and weaknesses. They certainly aren't a studio known for subtlety for one thing, and when the series does try to showcase its more philosophical side by showcasing the actions of people within the societies that exist in this world, their emotions and negative reactions to things which dilute their customs can sometimes feel a bit overblown, not helping is some really overacting VA work for those characters. This can unfortunately cause the side characters to feel a bit like caricatures, and the way such scenes are so sporadically directed to have some sort of dynamic breakdown suddenly occur can often lead to it looking a tad more silly than it was possibly intended.
Additionally, the studio's trademark heavily saturated lighting can sometimes cause the colour pallet to feel overblown and processed, and this becomes an issue when it subtracts from any atmosphere the story in question is trying to convey, and for those with more sensitive eyes can perhaps look a bit ugly when it is done wrong. That said, this lighting effect when done right can actually help to enhance the atmosphere in some episodes, and make some genuinely lovely background art which brings the world of the series to life, looking appropriately Beautiful as the title implies.
Now, with these admittedly very large issues of inconsistent story quality and sometimes harmful directorial choices, I will say that the series is actually good overall, when it manages to overcome these issues. More specifically, when the strength of the source material is able to shine through in the stronger episodes. For me, these would include episodes 1, 4, 5, 6 & 10. Each of these episodes appeal to the main strength of the series, a frank look at philosophy and the human condition, sometimes told through a surprisingly dark and chilling lens which invites the viewer to reflect and think about the morality of what just transpired.
On the side of characters, Kino and Hermes are of course the main characters of the series, travelling across the world with a neutral stance towards the (often terrifying) events they encounter which in turn helps us the audience to view them with a similar lens. Unfortunately, there's pretty much nothing in terms of development for the main character as a slight result of that aforementioned episode order, with the possible exception of episode 10.
Adding fuel to the fire is the addition of episodes which don't feature Kino as the main character, as we also see stories told primarily through the perspectives of other travellers who Kino met on their journey, such as their mentor, and Shizu; the former prince of a dead kingdom who travels with a talking dog, and later a unique child. These characters are likeable enough on their own, and does provide a counterbalance by looking through the different perspectives of characters who lack Kino's neutral ideology and solve situations differently from how they would, but it does become a problem in the second half of the series when their episodes dominate and cause Kino to feel almost insignificant in their own series.
On the technical side of things, I already discussed the advantages and disadvantages of Lerche's heavily saturated lighting. The animation looks fine for the most part, though it does look fairly safe, there's nothing much unique about it. Some people criticised this change in artistic style from the 2003 adaptation, but this ignores the fact that Sigsawa's own illustrations for the series have changed through the years he has been working on the series. The 2003 version reflected the designs he used at that time, while this version reflects his current artstyle, so it isn't really "betraying the source material" as many said.
The OST isn't particularly grabbing, while some of the side characters do overact a bit, the voice acting is generally fine for the most part, with Aoi Yuuki being typically lovely as the voice of the main character, and Inori Minase providing an appropriate mix of nervousness and calm to her one-off character. The OP and ED are both quite lovely (and evidently where most of the animation resources were allocated above all else) capturing the more calm and tranquil aspects of the series, as well as its serene sense of beauty.
Perhaps the most frustrating conclusion I have come to in this review is that I still don't quite know who I'd recommend this series to. I suppose if you consider yourself a "Super fan" of the source material you should at least try it, outside of that it becomes a bit trickier, as I've seen from the community mixed responses to the series, some newcomers feeling unmotivated by it, others enjoying it, and similarly mixed opinions from fans of the 2003 adaptation. I will say that if you're a newcomer, the 2003 adaptation is probably a better bet to go on, as it has a much more consistent tone and represents the strengths of the source material in a much more solid way by ignoring some of the sillier storylines that pop up in this version. And check out this adaptation after that if you feel you can tolerate it.
As I said before, despite this adaptation's glaring faults, its uneven quality, I still found it to be a fairly faithful adaptation of the source material. Especially in those stronger episodes that I highlighted. And it does reveal many of its cracks, especially in the second half of the series, but for what it was, and for those episodes I liked, I do give it credit.
RPWPA
A Masterpiece anime is rare to find and it's specially rare nowadays since the shows mostly focus on bad harems and shitty romance but sometimes a new season comes out and there is that one anime that is just beautiful and tho they don't come every season but i'm happy to say that this season had two of those, Kino and Net-juu. Kino is an episodic SOL anime with a dark tone which isn't really everyone's cup of tea but it sure as hell is mine, you start with Kino and Hermes (The mottorad) traveling to a new country with every episode being a unique andgreat well-thought out story, you get to see all different kinds of people with different culture and ways of thinking which is the very basis of this anime, i mean it is called Kino no tabi the beautiful journey for a reason, the reason people don't like this is that they try to logic out every thing based on how they feel or how they think but even in real life there are places with a fucked-up way of thinking that they consider normal and the same way around so just deal with what is present to you and you would surely enjoy this much much more.
The characters are great from the main cast to all other side characters with each of them being unique with great characteristics and not just repetition or flat characters like in most SOL being produced now.
The voice actors were great and even though i liked the old voice of kino, the new one still does a phenomenal job of portraying kino's feelings.
The art is great and that was one of the things i was worried about since almost all anime uses CGI horribly and the art seems inconsistent so i'm happy to say (aside from some parts in episode 12) the art is very consistent and beautiful.
When they announced a new season i was worried that it was going to turn into some moe-shit anime like most sol anime now so i'm happy to see this remake being as good as the original with it's new added stories.
There was a hint at a new season at the end which is very nice to see tbh.
Overall a solid 10/10.
Would recommend to even Non-anime fans.
KANLen09
"The world is not beautiful, therefore it is." This review will be based sorely on the 2017 remake/reimagining of Kino's Journey, while references to the original 2003 will be debatable as well. To boot, the original series was a cult classic to people who have watched it, and the reboot by studio Lerche this year made a good transition with the visuals and music, and personally and honestly this is a good watch even if it's action-packed, adventurous SoL. This is the story of Kino and her motorrad Hermes, on an episodic journey to showcase the countries they have been to: its characteristics and what makes it standout for the country, even if for the citizens of the respective countries they come from.
Honestly, I wouldn't go so far as to call the 2017 version a reboot of Kino's Journey, but like as mentioned, a reimagining with sprinkles of the original anime mixed into the substance as well, and I kinda quite liked the direction it took, even if some scenes were hard to understand and swallow.
Characters:
The simple Kino, her adaptation of the name from a traveler of the same name who got murdered (Episode 11 spoilers) riding along with her motorrad Hermes, both characters take the cake for being the main "protagonists" of the show. I say it that kind of way because the show's narration doesn't quite explicitly focus on them all the time, but then it's still fascinating to see how Kino survives with Hermes on the journeys of good and bad and getting a fine taste of what's to come.
And also, this time we have another set of people: Shizu and Riku (from Episode 6) whose intention is the same: to travel around and experience life that's a journey. Unfortunately, I feel like their on-screen time could have been given a bit more than just 2 or 3 episodes, even if their plot started out a bit later. Unlike Kino, Shizu is more regressed and too also has a heart of gold, with the dog companion Riku, they both make good progress with their lives too.
Overall, this series doesn't need to overshine the main and supporting characters, but they at least get the job done for showcasing a simple, yet intriguing series that keeps you on your toes.
Art/Animation:
Again, Lerche has done great on the series, albeit that most people prefer the original due to nostalgia. The truth is that while this series has nothing new to offer, it at least got an upgrade to the visuals and music (which I'll discuss later). For a world that's portrayed as "not being beautiful, therefore it is", the environment looks lush and beautiful and could not go any further. But with that said, some liberties are taken directly from the original source material, but it's honestly not too bad. Surprisingly enough, I did notice a fair share of lack in quality, but it quickly overshadows that with the immersive story. Another job well done.
Sound:
This might be the 1st of a few times where I actually like Yanagi Nagi's music composition with the OP and ED, it sticks out in a very melodious atmosphere, and honestly it could not get any better than this. Her music makes you feel like you're experiencing something totally new and fresh, and that's how I like how she portrays the surrounding and makes the sound of music combine with the visuals to give it a good-sounding edge over the rest of the other shows out there. Overall, high praises for the music and BGM, the reason why it compels me to watch this show.
Overall:
As mentioned, there's some debate over this and the original to further extent, and I don't blame anyone for it, because we do share our own opinions and have a liking for the ones we love. With that said, Kino's Journey -The Beautiful World- 2017 reimagining is one show from Fall 2017 not to be overlooked, even if the aesthetics do fall apart at times and have people overwhelmed by how it sticks out like a sore thumb to the original. I personally liked the calming atmosphere, and it is truly one of the great shows of the season.
kokuborou
Life is a journey and the road ahead is filled with a lot of obstacles that we must overcome to reach our final destination...... First of all this is not a sequel for the old Kino it's a remake with some changes for the art style , plot and story which i will mention them in this review.So let's go on a journey then.... The first 2 episodes despite being bland their purpose is to get the viewer used to the plot, story and characters and captivate your attention with the improved animation and scenery(landscape). After those 2 episodes things get better and some episodes will leavea good impression after finishing this series.The story is simple and relaxing following Kino on his motorrad through his journey from a country to another meeting different people and learning about each country's customs and culture during his 3 days stay. A variety of themes are explored and morals to learn from them at the end of each episode.
The characters are better explored in this series especially the side characters who get a spotlight in some episodes (the focus is not only on Kino like in the old series) which is a strong point and brings a lot of diversity to the story and plot. The visuals are gorgeous and the scenery is very captivating and this is an essential factor for the main concept of this show.An interesting fact from this show is how they portrayed the bond between motorrads&travelers and presented both of their perspectives about the meaning of a journey.
One big problem this show has are some episodes who lack substance and don't manage to get the viewer attached to the characters and story.For example they should explored more about the characters backgrounds and how they end up in that situation instead the presentation is rushed and it leaves a dry taste in your mouth after finishing an episode. Although the old Kino did a better job at that the remake has some remarkable episodes that will surely become your favorites.
The scenery, ost and animation are superior and for those who enjoy those stuff from an anime if the old Kino didn't seem appealing to you this remake will surely captivate you , especially the opening song animation having a rich visual vocabulary and innovative concepts. So my advice is to give it a try and don't binge it you need to take your time with this show and enjoy each minute from it.
Xesh
tl;dr The 2017 version takes the mantra "The world is not beautiful, therefore it is" and crushes it under the wheels of a thousand horribly-animated 3D-CG motorrads Why a 1/10? Why such a low score? It is because there is no reason to watch it. The 2003 version is better, and Lerche's remake has no good ideas and none of the things that made the original so loveable. This new Kino, cutesy and staid, has only really succeeded in becoming a clunky metaphor for the anime industry at large—gutted, and a hollow husk of her former self. Kino's Journey has been lobotomized in favour of something moreaccessible and easily digestible. All the magic is dead. Gone are the days where Kino riding Hermes around the countryside was given the dignity of normal 2D animation. That old friend you loved, the sepia tones and the somber beauty of an angular, awe-inspiring world, is no more. There's something unsettling and depressing seeing some new studio snatch up this I.P. and make it dance to the tune of modern anime trends, and thinking about this well after finishing the series has been the only time Lerche's remake made me feel something akin to what those old Kino episodes did.
What is the purpose of this show? Why does it exist, and why watch it? That's why I'm here writing this, to warn adventurers that some countries aren't worth going to—that they look like the towns you know, streets you grew up on and vistas you have grown to love over the years, but are now dead countries, joyless and cheap and filled with a million identical cardboard cutouts of high-gloss Akihabara maid cafés staffed by energetic catgirls in miniskirts. Those old memories would be worser for it. There is no beauty here, only popcorn and a quick flip to the next channel.
The world is not beautiful, therefore it is; some worlds are ugly, and sap the life out of those you love.
Is this show any worse than others this season? Probably not, but it all depends on what you value as a viewer. If you want something easily watched and easily forgotten, Kino's Journey 2017 is definitely for you. But if you want something meaningful, something that you might love and cherish for years afterward, please just watch the original.
ggultra2764
To say this remake of Kino's Journey is a disappointment would be an understatement. The original 2003 series was a hidden gem of the decade that depicted a series of short stories that were parables focused on elements of the human condition observed through the traveler, Kino. The stories tended to vary in their mood and intensity, being either bizarre, insightful, or having a dark and twisted element to them. In spite of the changing moods, the 2003 Kino's Journey adaptation did a great job with balancing them out with exploring both the joys and pains of being human. This remake sadly lacks the subtlety andnuances that made its 2003 counterpart a pleasure to watch. The stories for this remake are more blatant in exploring the moral they are focused on and many of them seemed to lack the time to allow the viewer to be immersed into exploring the various lands visited by Kino, thus reducing the impact of when the true side of the visited country gets revealed. The story order also felt more disjointed as several episodes of this series shifted over to exploring other characters like the swordsman, Shizu, and the slave girl, Photo. While interesting characters in their own right, there's little further elaborated on with Shizu following his introduction and Photo only has a single episode devoted to her. But perhaps the worst element to this adaptation of Kino's Journey is the series often getting too immersed into showing off action when Kino and Shizu get into any sort of major conflict. Said action scenes mostly have nothing to do with exploring the moral of each of its episodic stories beyond showing off the anime's animation and goes against the whole point of Kino's Journey about the series as a whole being moral-focused parables with an occasional cruel twist. Anyone who has seen the 2003 adaptation of Kino will notice the rather jarring difference in story mood, focus, and presentation choices as some episodes for this remake adapt stories also featured in the 2003 anime like the Coliseum arc and the Land of Adults story.
The only real praise that I can give this remake of Kino's Journey is the improved artwork over the original series. There is greater detail put into character designs and scenic shots are more pleasing on the eyes. Animation is also more fluid for the most part with more natural movement depicted with characters, especially noticeable during the anime's action scenes. In spite of the improved animation though, the use of CG animation still sticks out badly compared to the regular animation and is quite noticeable at points where complicated animated sequences are depicted, particularly whenever Kino is riding on Hermes. Also in terms of a presentation choice for a series like Kino, the more detailed and brightly-colored visuals don't mesh well with a series like Kino that is more focused on exploring the morals each story has to offer up on an element of the human condition.
Overall, I would say Kino's Journey 2017 easily makes for the biggest disappointment I have for an anime series this year. In spite of its improved visuals, it felt like Lerche did not have a clue on what made Kino's Journey an enjoyable series during its 2003 run as there were points where it felt like the series was unsure over what it wanted to focus on and then when making the effort to explore a moral, the focus of it felt forced and lacked the subtlety and impact offered from its original series. If you want a better option at seeing how Kino's Journey could be adapted in animated form, I strongly suggest checking out the 2003 series over this subpar adaptation for it.
Nyron
Have you ever wondered what Kino's Journey would be like if it were garbage? Well, look no further friend! I shouldn't have to spell this out, but this is a review that draws heavily on comparing the two Kino anime. It is not an objective view of the 2017 anime alone. I would have found it boring and shitty regardless of the 2003 show's context, but then this review would lack the indignation of seeing everyone's favorite anime indie art film reduced to a cheap and casual throwaway series. Are you new to Kino's Journey? Well lucky for you the whole original series is available on a numberof streaming services for free and there's no need for you to waste your time here.
Memorize the phrase "boring and shitty", because that can be used to describe most of this tonally devoid, shallow, toothless, low IQ series.
THE PREMISE:
Kino's Journey is the tale of a person named Kino who is on a Journey. WOW, right? But it's not a traditional adventure story, it's a much more philosophical one. The pitch is that Kino stops at a country for exactly three days, takes in the culture, and leaves. Every different country presents a different moral dilemma to consider, and Kino serves as an outsider looking in, generally choosing not to get wrapped up in their affairs. You'll get presented with prompts that cause you to consider the nature of communication, humanity, society, free will, morality, etc and each adventure has a little take-away and food for thought. Like a demented book of fables, Kino shows us something about our world by exploring the one she lives in.
If that sounds great, this is not the series for you, because this adaptation is basically about one of the girls from K-On! scooting around shooting people with a psychotically apathetic smile on her face, presented in the most boring ways possible.
THE STORY:
The original Kino's Journey introduced us to Kino, the philosophical nature of her Journey, and the shit she has to go through and how she copes with it.
This adaptation opens with Kino eating cake and then some guy gets murdered, with the moral of the story being "if everyone owned a gun, society would be peaceful" and that's about it. Kino then goes to a place and kills a bunch of people for the sake of testing her skills and avenging a character we're never introduced to. She never shows emotion and seems completely disinterested in everything that's happening around her. She has no established rules or moral code and by episode three she's a traveling murderer and not much else can be derived from her time on screen.
THE ART and ANIMATION:
The original Kino was low-budget for sure, it was indie as hell, but had incredible direction and cinematography to make up for it. The series original series is moody, tense, eerie and kind of surreal. It still holds up today as something unique and fascinating.
This series looks like Sword Art Online. All the characters look the same. All backgrounds are devoid of real detail. All colors are bright and cheery at all times, with flat colors and no thought about lighting. All camera angles are flat shots of talking heads or just panning shots of nothing. There is no cinematography going on here. Kino's bike is CGI because modern Japanese animators can't fucking draw, but they're also paid $500 a year, so who would want to?
The opening sequence is a poppy borefest of BIRDS BIRDS BIRDS because Kino said something about birds once. It's like this whole thing is directed by a high school student.
WHAT DOES IT SOUND LIKE?
The original series' music is pretty cool, with acoustic guitars and panflutes and one darn great OP.
This series has j-pop. It's about as generic as an OST can get. It feels very upbeat at all times, no matter what's going on.
Kino here sounds kawaii. Her bike's voice actor sounds like, uh, Mechazawa from Cromartie High? Soothing and male? Originally the bike's voice was grainy and cynical-sounding, adding to the series' eerie atmosphere. In this one, the voice aligns with the series having no atmosphere at all, so I guess it's fitting.
All side characters sound as over-acted and generic as you could expect anime characters to sound. Kino's Journey has gone from one of the most off-beat Japanese properties to one of the most unimaginative and anemic.
ARE YOU JUST MAD THAT IT'S DIFFERENT?
No, I'm mad because it's shit.
2003 Fullmetal and Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood are different series. They're both good and do different things with their different tones. One is a drama, the other is action shounen.
B-BUT THIS ONE IS MORE FAITHFUL TO THE SOURCE THAN THE ORIGINAL ANIME
I hate to break this to you bud, but the Kino novels are probably mostly crap, written by a hack, and the original anime's directors, writers and artists are what made the show memorable. I love Nightow, but no one wants a faithful Gungrave adaptation. It's the same situation here. The author supplied a cool character and premise, and people with more talent than he made Kino a franchise worth remembering. That's that.
This series has no tone. It's just bad and effortless. It's a lifeless application of "How to Make a Marketable Anime in 2017 in 5 Easy Steps" except they fucked it up because they applied it to Kino's Journey and not fantasy light novel #8473.
There's really nothing redeeming here.
Go watch the original.
Unless you're just into anime because you want something that looks the same as everything else you watch and have no interest in thinking or feeling any mild discomfort at all. Then yeah, watch this. I hate you though.
TakaCode
“Sometimes having a remake of a well-known series isn’t a good idea at all because it can potentially damage a franchise for good” -Me 2017 The Orginal Kino's Journey or as I like to call it OG Kino is an endless classic that many anime fans love. It had great worldbuilding, amazing themes, and messages; the episodic episodes were well told and well written that had a point. The characters despite being episodic were all memorable and likable due to them being well written. The visuals while being basic had great direction and cinematography and music while not having many tracks was still great. Plus boththe sub and the dub were very good.
While I was watching OG Kino I decided to watch the new Kino alongside with OG Kino weekly. After watching the last episode of New Kino as well watching the last episode of OG a day prior to watching the last episode of New Kino and am going to say this right now.
New Kino or as I like to call it Lerche Kino completely misses the point of the original series in every way possible as well completely disrespects fans of the original series.
After watching OG I was satisfied with what I watched, however, Lerche Kino makes me facepalm because Lerche Kino took everything that was great from the OG Kino and manages to fuck it all up to a point where I can say is THIS IS NOT MY KINO.
With all that said Hello everyone this is Shawn aka KurataLordStage and welcomes to my review of Kino' Journey 2017 (Lerche Kino) and with that all that said let's us begin.
Story.
The story of Lerche Kino is the same as the original Kino. It follows a young girl called Kino and her talking motorcycle Hermes and they travel to many different countries and forests, each unique in its customs and people. She only spends three days and two nights in every town, without exception, on the principle that three days is enough time to learn almost everything important about a place while leaving time to explore new lands.
The story of Lerche Kino is a mess. A very boring, uninspiring and poorly directed mess.
To get things started the show doesn’t have much atmosphere. I know am talking about the visuals this early but this is the problem that Lerche kino and it hardly goes away. Because Lerche has almost no atmosphere most of the worlds that Lerche Kino goes to arc bland compared to the original. You see every Country in OG has a different and unique atmosphere that showcases the tone of each country as well as the theme. Lerche Kino hardly does this because each world that Lerche Kino shows are either watered down versions of OG Kino or they are just uninspiring new Country’s that OG Kino did not showcase.
One of the examples of Lerche Kino being uninspiring is in episode 1 A Country Where People Can Kill Others. That episode alone completely sets the wrong tone of the series which I will explain soon after a compare the first episode of OG Kino. The first episode of OG Kino which is called Land of Visible Pain where Kino visits a town where people with incredibly advanced technology, however, it appears that everyone is living in total isolation and shuns any contact of other people. Once Kino finally started to have a conversation with one the town residents he reveals the advanced technology of the town allowed them to modify their bodies so they can understand each other thoughts allowing for much easier communication. Ofbersly this idea eventually turned sour because it meant that people could no longer hide thoughts on each other and so the nonstop communication eventually drove everyone in the town into isolation. The main themes that were explored in that episode were human modifying, isolation and the consequences of relying on advanced technology. OG Kino did a great job with the first episode and its easily one of the best first episode I have ever seen in an anime.
Lerche Kino Episode 1 A Country Where People Can Kill Others is a perfect example of how to not do the first episode. Kino travels to a country where murder is legal and the reason why she even wants to travel to that country is that she want's to kill someone just for her own satisfaction that she killed someone. She want's to kill someone not because she has a grudge against someone or anything like that but she wants to kill someone just for her own satisfaction. Do you see how this series completely misses the point? Not only that the episode itself doesn't really change the nature of the murder of that town not to mention there's barely any theme exploration as well having characters that you can sympathize with in that town.
Don’t get me started with the Colosseum arc in episode 2 because that arc was atrocious. Not only the themes were butchered to hell but the pacing, writings, character interactions/development and production values were abysmal. It felt like a badly made shounen series.
Another problem with Lerche is pacing and worldbuilding. The pacing in Lerche Kino is honestly pretty damn bad. Most episodes just drag on to the point where you just get bored and let’s be real unlike OG Kino most of the events of Lerche are not that interesting in a slightest due to the show butchering its themes and messages for no reason other than appeal to the lowest common denominator of anime fans who like watching crappy light novel adaptations from A1 Pictures. As for worldbuilding, it’s very lackluster and almost none existent. Every Country in OG had a lot of detail put into it while most of the Country in Lerche Kino feels empty and lifeless.
However, I give Lerche Kino this.
As much I dislike Lerche Kino colosseum arc Lerche Kino did a good job with the Kino back-story arc and it was the only arc that I can consider to be good in Lerche Kino,
Overall the story of Lerche Kino is terrible. It has poor pacing, butchered arcs, no atmosphere, barely any themes exploration.
3/10
Characters.
This is where the show literally falls apart.
Why because the characters in Lerche Kino are a complete bastardization to the OG counterparts.
Seriously it’s like director Tomohisa Taguchi didn’t even watch the original series while directing Lerche Kino.
Let’s start with Kino herself. What did Tomohisa Taguchi do to you? The original Kino is a transient being and her personality was kept to a minimum. What makes the original Kino so great are her unpredictable reactions.
Lerche Kino has too much personality and she often portrayed as a little brat. What makes it worse he is her reactions which are almost predictable and this alone completely defeats the entire point of her character. Overall Lerche Kino is shit.
As for the rest of characters. They are all bland and uninteresting which is honestly a shame because characters like Shizu and Shishou were interesting in the original while in the new one they are bland and uninteresting.
Overall the characters in Lerche are a big failure.
2/10
Visuals.
The original Kino wasn’t the best-looking anime in the world is as it sticks to the old washed out color pallet for every episode but what the original Kino had over Lerche Kino is constantly as well having great cinematography.
Why am I bringing this up? Because the visuals in Lerche Kino is shit.
Terrible lighting, subpar character designs that are inconstant and constantly go off model, awful background design that doesn’t fit with characters that are in it. What makes this worse is the camera shots and overall direction. For example Episode 1 we have a close shot of Kino traveling while the backgrounds are just burred out and overall less detailed. Also unlike the original Hermes is completely done in CGI and it was horrible. Poor Hermes you DESERVED better than this.
As for the animation itself, it’s pretty okay overall.
The main reason why I really dislike the visuals of Lerche Kino’s because not only it abandons the charm and consistently from the original but it actually butchered a lot of messages thanks to this shows shitty visual direction and poor camerawork.
Overall the visuals of Lerche Kino are shit and it completely missed the point of the original Kino.
3/10
Sound.
The soundtrack in Lerche Kino is bland and very forgettable.
The opening and ending themes are pretty decent overall and they fit into the series quite decently.
As for sub vs dub. They are both pretty good overall so I have no complaints.
5/10
Final Thoughts.
So that was Lerche Kino. A bad remake that has terrible production values, shitty writing, butchered themes, lackluster characters and awful pacing.
This is honestly one of the worst anime remakes I have ever seen in anime.
It completely misses the point of the original Kino series and it has no charm on its own at all.
This is one no contest one of the worst animes from 2017.
You better off watching the original Kino and completely skipping Lerche Kino.
Final Score 3/10
NisemonoDesu
What a disaster of a remake. I’m going to keep this briefer than my usual reviews because I had no plan on reviewing this when I started watching it, so I didn’t take any notes and I’m certainly not rewatching any of it to articulate my thoughts. To understand what makes this such a failure of an adaptation, you have to understand what worked about the original Kino’s Journey. First, the original had a true visionary behind it—that of Ryuutarou Nakamura. For those unaware, this is the same guy who directed Serial Experiments Lain; it’s clear Nakamura has a penchant for highbrow philosophical experimentalism in his work.Compared to Lain, Kino is approachable and down-to-Earth, but in a way that still leaves you with food for thought. By the end of the OG show’s run, we still didn’t really know much about Kino, Hermes, or any of the other characters we were introduced to—and that’s fine, because for what that show was trying to be, it didn’t matter. Kino’s Journey wasn’t a show about the characters, the characters were just a vessel for the viewers to see the world and be fed ideas to think about.
Those ideas took the format of an episodic morality play. Each episode, Kino would travel to a new “country” which had its own laws or customs which would challenge the viewer’s perception of right and wrong. The stories were often told in the same way as fables, where the logic of those “countries” doesn’t make a whole ton of sense when you really stop and think about it—but that’s the thing: like with a good fable, you’re not supposed to think about details of how a society would practically function with such ridiculous rules. The scenarios aren’t supposed to be taken absolutely literally. Each country functions as more of a thought experiment into concepts like the futility of menial work and the danger of self-fulfilling prophecies.
This is the first way the remake falls flat. It largely eschews the heady themes and format of the original show and instead focuses on world-building and character development… and it sucks. For instance, we spend an entire episode developing the backstory of a character named Photo who it seems like they intend on becoming a recurring character, but we see them exactly one time and that’s it. And it’s a god-awful episode. We also spend a lot more time with Shizu, but it’s mostly to develop this new character Tii who is a completely uninteresting silent-loli. And the episode she’s introduced in is a god-awful episode. They try to build Kino’s characterization up by making her a badass action hero which feels both out of character and dumb. And the last episode of the show where they try to really lock that image of her in is a god-awful episode.
Not only is the new material bad, but they managed to fumble the parts of the original show they remade as well. They condensed Colosseum down from a two-parter to a single episode and lost a lot of its nuance in the process. And then they aired the episode Kind Country before A Country of Adults. Viewers of the original show will know that A Country of Adults sets up the events of Kind Country in a way that satisfyingly pays off. The remake airs them in reverse order for absolutely no reason and it totally ruins the foreshadowing and callbacks of that pair of episodes.
I’m honestly baffled as to how this happened. I get that Nakamura wasn’t involved, so the style of the show understandably sucks. But it’s still the same source material, so how could the quality of the writing fall off so hard? I’ve never read the light novel these shows are based off of, so I can only assume Nakamura adapted the chapters that fit his vision—which were the good chapters—and left only scraps for the remake to pick up. Whatever the cause was, the end result is that the original was interesting and thought-provoking, whereas the remake loses all the intrigue of the original by wasting time developing characters and a world in a way that raises none of those same interesting questions about what it means to be human.
The second thing that makes this remake miserable is the art style. I won’t harp on this too much since the original wasn’t exactly a feast for the eyes either—Kino’s Journey is about the ideas not the visuals. And yet, watching CGI sheep bounce off a CGI car driven by CGI Kino in the final episode just made me absolutely howl laughing, which is not a great note to end your show on.
I’m almost at 800 words for this review, but the TL;DR is this: skip this show and watch the original. Everything they remade from the original is worse here, and nothing new is worth your time.
Thank you for reading.
LaLeLuLiLo
Doing reboots, remakes, or any sort of revival of a certain work always seems to be an insurmountable task for just about any creator. It becomes sort of a balancing act where to the fans, the work doesn’t stray too far from the original that it loses the point of the original was all about, and it isn’t too similar that it feel like a rehash of what has been done before. It feels the need to appease old fans without blocking out new fans, and open up to new fans without insulting the old fans. When it comes to Kino’s journey, well it comesdown right in the middle of all these and maybe thanks duely to the source material that the show proves to be a competent yet vapid dud.
Depending on how you look at it kino’s journey is either a remake or re-adaptation of the 2003 anime or light novel, respectively. The series follows a motorist and her talking motorcycle as they travel around to diffrent counties, which serve more as walled city-states than actual countries. Kino only stays in each country for 3 days and 2 nights which most of the story is focused on. As each country is truly unique on its own as each one fluctuates when it comes to technology, culture, and ideologies, so in one instance they can be in a futuristic country and in another they can be in a pseudo early-industrial europe. The world of Kino’s journey isn’t interested in constructing a cohesive world, but rather create small vignettes to look into different ideas, ethics, and purposes in life. With the residents of each country, or just about any character serving as mouthpiece for some sort of idea. While kino serves as a stand in for the viewers as an observer for the events that happen in almost each episode. The shows are episodic in nature, and it usually goes comes full circle within or across an episode/s. However while this show does stay true to what kino is about, there are several aspects that it fails which the 2003 kino’s journey did better.Now don’t take this as me being nostalgic over the original show since i only watched a bit of it when i was younger, and only got around to finishing it this year.
Since kino’s journey is an episodic series with no clear overarching structure the show had the ability to tread new ground. Which it did as the show ventured into new countries, and meet new people. Yet at the same time it also has episodes where it retreads over what the previous show did. It’s because of this that i can’t help but compare the two shows, and why this series isn’t at the same level as it’s predecessor.
While this version of kino is more polished when it comes to its production value, the same can’t be said about its writing. The show comes off as predictable as the end result or at least how the show will pan out can be seen way before the halfway point. While being predictable isn’t a bad thing, it starts to become very weary after each episode. It’s also because of its predictability of the show that it starts lacks any sort of driving point to any of the episodes. Even its darkest of moments feel empty as all it can do has been presented and it has nothing more to say. While the older one was very on the nose on what message it was trying to convey, at least it tried to leave something thoughtful for the viewers to leave with. There’s also a pacing issue that happens in one episode mostly due to the fact that the older version lasted on that country for 2 episodes. Even in the older version it was one of the lower point in the series, but compared to this it changed my perspective on how well done it was in the older version.
Now these two come off more as nitpicks about thing i personally didn’t like which may not have bothered others. The first being that some of the episodes are wasted on other characters rather than on kino. I get that the show wants to focus on other characters that kino have meet on their travels, but this is called “Kino’s Journey” not “Kino and and other’s Journey. It’s not detrimental to the series, but i would rather the show just focus on Kino and only Kino. secondly is structure which is odd since it being episodic means it doesn’t really have a structure, but this is mostly focused on two certain episodes. The episode that is about kino’s origins, and the episode that sort of serves as a mirror between her and another character in that episode. It’s the problem that it tried to do the same, but also being different at the same time that the episodes lack the sort of emotional impact that the older version had.
I don’t want to come down as not liking the show. I still thought it was an enjoyable experience during the moment. It still had many aspects that made kino fun to watch even if not all of it was fully actualized
Andy_Yang
Note: I have not read the source material (novel), nor watch the previous anime adaptation, so this review will be based on the 2017 adaptation alone. Kino no Tabi follows the titular Kino and her motorcycle Hermes as they travel from country to country. The appeal of the series supposedly based on the uniqueness of each country they visit, rather than some overarching grand adventure, so apart from some recurring characters, there is very little connection between the episodes, and indeed from what I heard it’s neither in the order of the original novel, nor in the order of the previous adaptation. Therefore the enjoyment of theseries rests on how interesting or thought provoking each individual country/story is. While I had high expectations , in general the stories fell rather flat for me. A couple of them could probably be considered “memorable”, but most range from mediocre to forgettable. And even the memorable ones are hardly masterpieces, just more unique than the rest.
This is not helped by the fact that each story has to be either one episode or half an episode long, which makes some of them feel slow and drawn out, while others feel too fast and hurried.
The ending, however, was just... bad. I'm not really how sure how they can close of a series in this format, but episode 11 seems like a much more fitting ending than 12, which consists of bizarre story followed by Kino murmuring half-asleep about where travel begin and ends. It's just... completely anti-climatic.
Kino travels through a myriad of different settings, from rural to urban, from ancient to modern, from land to sea. It could have been a great visual feast, but instead Kino no Tabi choose to use a drab, faded, one-look-fits-all type of feel. It works in the sense that the world feels coherent despite the different settings, however it takes away the uniqueness of each different country, and make them all feel like clones with minor adjustments.
Character animation is somewhat stable, however there are serious problems with certain animated sequences, particularly the 3D ones -- oftentimes the framerate is so bad that it feels like watching a slideshow rather than an animation.
The OP, ED, and OST as a whole is largely forgettable, and nothing from the OST even pops into mind. It's just... bland and boring like most of the show.
In the end, I’d probably rate the best stories 8/10, and the worst ones 3/10, and the ending 1/10. The series as a whole would sit somewhere at 5/10.
CureChronos
(Disclaimer: The following review may contain spoilers. Please do not read until you have watched the whole series.) In December 2020, I made a decision to watch something a little different from the usual tastes I've developed in anime over 2020, my anime breakout year. I was quite skeptical to dive into a more serious, deep, and thought-provoking series, which is the anime I am reviewing today: Kino's Journey. Though slow and not my type, this anime is a must-watch for anyone interested in animated stories that are more than just entertainment. It is a beautifully written piece that, as I experienced for myself, is hard todigest at first, but the more you watch, the more you'll come to enjoy what's on your plate.
Story: 9/10
Kino's Journey is a series of 12 different stories, one for each episode. In each episode, Kino visits different countries as she travels around the vast wilderness with her motorcycle sidekick Hermes. Kino meets many people and stumbled upon a few comrades, namely Shizu, Riku, and Tifana.
An old, textbook trick when it comes to slice-of-life anime, yet it really does go well with the context and aim of the story. While most other anime of the genre I've seen thus far have done so, the approach dulls over time. Not this series, however. Every episode features a new and intriguing country, giving each individual tale its own uniqueness. And in each country, viewers and our protagonists alike can learn something new about being human and the diversity of identity, thoughts, and beliefs of the human race.
For example: In episode 3, Kino stumbles upon a "Travelling Country" that is constantly moving itself around the world, which does cause an annoyance to other countries or cities as they are immobile from the path of this traveling nation. This nation accepts this fault of theirs and embraces an attitude that all living beings cause an annoyance to one another.
Kino's Journey can be seen as helping its viewers open up to how everyone in our world is very different and have our own strengths and faults- Hence the series name, "The Beautiful World". Some people may be able to accept that, some may not, but there's nothing inherently wrong with the above attitude.
What I mean can be illustrated in episode 6. Photo, a female slave in the episode, was bound to the control of an oppressive tribe in the alps. Despite the mistreatment, she doesn't show hatred against them and believes in a world where only people of virtue exist. This spells blasphemy to the tribe, but Photo isn't wrong at all for thinking this way. By doing so, she can see the world in a more positive and colorful light.
The world-traveling helps Kino gain a grander view of what the world is like. A girl originally born in a country that saw no value in prolonged youth, Kino takes such experience to heart, fuelling her desire to explore and travel, without a start; without an end; without a definitive place to call home. Her travels have helped her understood more about different people, helped her gain a sense of independence and thrill from discovery, and helped her find a hobby that would truly bring happiness and meaning to her life.
Today, in a world where people are confined to their own bubble and their homeland, where people refuse to broaden their horizons for various reasons, and in a world where traveling has become more of a luxury and way of personal entertainment, we seem to have lost what it means to go somewhere we previously don't know. These stories help us understand that.
Art: 10/10
Kino's Journey takes its viewers on an enchanting journey filled with stunning landscapes and country views. It doesn't slack off even on little details, like the petals in the wind from the flowerbed in episode 11, or the sudden stop every time Kino stops Hermes on the road. Swift animation of action scenes, such as the showdown in episode 1, or Kino's battle against the sheep army in episode 12, makes for a great change in mood or pace. Animators make good use of facial expressions, lighting, and even speed changes to bring out a suitable atmosphere for every scene.
Sound: 8/10
There's nothing particularly special about the anime with this category, but nothing dramatically bad either. All the SFXs were clear and suitable, music brings out a good touch if need be. Although, a larger variety of background music for each country would bring more to impress on the table, depending on the style and atmosphere of a place.
Characters: 9/10
Contrary to my usual reviews, this category is not my main focus when planning my verdict. Regardless, the series' characters were written very nicely.
Of course, Kino is an excellent character. She is mature, independent and composed in high-stress situations, and does not like to show her extreme emotions openly. She is someone filled with a desire to explore, but interestingly, she tries going into each country with a clean slate, maintaining a cautious attitude if suitable. I usually don't find enjoyment from characters with such traits, yet her curiosity during travel makes me find interest in her tales.
Her bond with Hermes is also one thing that added a nice splash of humor and fun into the serious storyline, especially the last episode. As they started their adventures together, it was cool to see the trust and support they had for each other every time they visit someplace new.
In episode 2, we are introduced to Shizu and his dog Riku. Shizu, coming from a sort of corrupted country, contrasts highly in terms of personality with Kino. Shizu likes to avoid conflict (Episode 8), and is comfortable with being "A humble man" (Episode 4). Adding him to the series is a nice way to show how different people deal with sudden situations during their travels.
Riku is quite adorbs sometimes, especially when on a later episode, he bonds with someone Shizu met in his travels- Tifana. Said segment is quite short, but two things: One, it further solidified Riku as a surprisingly nice supporting character for Shizu and Tifana, and two, now that I mentioned it, he helped Tifana open up.
Speaking of her, Tifana was originally shy and quiet, and is quite violent when she is forced to be. But later on she bonds with Riku, and yes, it is super cute. :3 I wish I saw more of her, since she's an interesting character.
Finally, there were so many characters throughout the whole series that would take too long to discuss. In general, the producers did an impressive job at utilising a variety of characters to give us a great representation of each country.
Enjoyment: 9/10
Originally, I wasn't quite fond of this series. But as it went on, it gave me surprise after surprise, the writing getting better and better. This anime had me thinking about lots of things, like values, attitudes, etc, and I enjoyed the process a lot.
Not only that, there were episodes I absolutely enjoyed, like episode 6 mentioned earlier. Episode 10, the Kind Country, also became one of the saddest anime episodes I have seen to date. The grief I had- The sign of true engagement and attachment to the storywriting. I applaud.
Overall: 9.1/10
Kino's Journey is a beautiful piece. It's the first anime I watched that's more on the serious end, but it's still filled with a lot of fun as well. I'm glad I stuck around to see some stories I see myself remembering for quite some time.
Goober-fish
“You stood on the shoulders of geniuses to accomplish something as fast you could, and before you even knew what you had, you patented it, and packaged it, and slapped it on a plastic lunchbox and now, you’re selling it...” -(I really hate that man) Kino no Tabi: The Beautiful World - The Animated Series, or, Kino’s Journey: The Beautiful World - The Animated Series as the gringos say (they don’t), is nothing short of one of the most disappointing experiences I’ve ever had to slog through, and I’ve graduated college. This contemporary adaptation of the light novels of the same name written by Keiichi Sigsawaand illustrated by Kouhaku Kuroboshi also serves as a hard reboot/remake of the previous anime. If you couldn’t extrapolate already from my derisive tone, I admire the original adaptation immensely.
Remake and reboot culture has been running rampant in Hollywood for a decade now and apparently, its vile stench has begun to reach across the pond. Usually, when it comes to remakes or reboots of any kind, the popular attitude when approaching them is one of “cautious optimism”. I’d like to say that my attitude when it came to the announcement of this streamlined version of Kino’s was along those lines despite controversies surrounding the production staff and studio. I generally take gossip like that with a grain of salt, especially with a framework like Kino’s which in theory should be royally difficult to botch. Vitriol aside, the primary objective of any adaptation should be to stand alone from its source material, whether it’s a panel for panel or word for word reimagining. Taking the light novels and original adaptation out of the equation does nothing to aid this clumsy and uneven series, one that will likely be buried worse than its hidden gem of a big sister.
Time for the technicals. One of the biggest points of contention, when it came to this series, was its less than stellar production staff. I have time and time again been proven wrong by certain studios and animators but sadly I can’t vouch for this go at Kino’s Journey. If I could summate my thoughts on the art and animation into a single word, it would probably be “safe”. Nothing about the animation or art direction wowed me, nor do I really care all that much if it did (Kino’s 03 wasn’t exactly adored for its production qualities). The character models were polished, but entirely standard issue. On the topic of character models, Kino’s model was misguidedly off the mark. When Kino is made to look like a scrapped design off the cutting-room floor of a KyoAni drawing session, it entirely ruins one of the most vital aspects of her character (more on that later). There was nothing egregiously awful about the animation, aside from a few cut-corners with reused CG shots of Kino and Hermes. With the simplistic character models, I don’t imagine it was terribly difficult to animate and polish this series as much as they did.
The soundtrack was entirely unassuming so I’m not going to bother expanding my thoughts on it. Most newer anime are more concerned with how polished the aesthetics are, the soundtrack is usually secondary or tertiary. The opening and ending were skippable and most episodes didn’t even have time to fit them in. Aoi Yuuki’s performance as Kino was serviceable at best and derivative at its absolute lowest. I enjoy Yuuki’s roles however it didn’t sound like she was attempting to differentiate this one from any of her other characters. I contend that Mariya Ise or even Miyuki Sawashiro would’ve been better fits for this role. For you dub purists out there, it’s safe to say that this dub is perfectly passable (no funny business with the scripts as far as I could tell...screw you Funimation), but it’s nowhere near as good as the OG’s very underrated dub.
I’m not entirely informed on the process involved in cherry-picking the storylines to adapt from the light novels, however from my understanding, these storylines were voted on in some kind of popularity poll. If that’s true, then that just goes to show how much of a disconnect there is between producers and fans who have no idea how the “sausage is made.” The dozen or so storylines leave this adaptation feeling episodically inconsistent. Varying greatly in tone, scope, conflict, and characters, this adaptation feels as if it was only ever really interested in exploring the more shallow/surface level thematic elements in the individual countries.
There is a lot of squandered potential in these episodes, to say the least. For example, there was one particular episode that presented a pretty interesting moral quandary with a country that was constantly moving but in the process would trample and ruin other countries...however, most of the meatier content and thematic undertones are glossed over and played for comedy, shallow action, and a predictable/boring conflict. Despite the original adaptation’s similar approach of varied storylines, it at least provided a consistent utopian throughline that made each episode weave perfectly to create a consistent product. Tonally, this anime feels like a Jackson Pollock with shades of other shows thrown on a canvas that once resembled Kino’s Journey. Except I’d probably have more fun staring down a Jackson Pollock for 4 hours as opposed to wasting another 4 or so hours watching this show. Kino’s is often considered slow and thinky, which on its own isn’t necessarily a valid criticism as much as it is a matter of taste. Kino’s (2017) wasn’t slow or thinky in its execution as much as it was dull and uninteresting which is one of the biggest crimes for a self-contained episodic series.
To an extent, I agree with the sentiment that Kino serves as more of a neutral framing device to the actual star of the show, the titular journey itself. She is androgynous because her gender doesn’t matter (see my grievance with her character model), her age is vague, and her backstory is seldom explored because it has little importance to where she is now. However, there is one problem with this adaptation’s interpretation of Kino...SHE IS HARDLY THERE TO EVEN BE A FRAMING DEVICE. Sigsawa’s minimalist approach to Kino’s characterization is deliberate, she is our wish fulfillment and wanderlust incarnate, our eyes for this exploration into the deceptively darker side of humanity. Taking the character model out of the equation, they only really got HALF of her character right. Kino was not there to be the eyes for the audience, and when she was there she only half-assed her role. It’s like when Brando showed up to Apocalypse Now overweight and needing his lines fed. Kino aside, there are no compelling or noteworthy characters to speak of. Shizu, Tii, and Riku are hardly worth mentioning were it not worth noting that they are relegated to secondary protagonists in “Kino’s Journey”.
When the best episodes of your reboot/remake are the ones that were practically shot for shot reskins of their original counterpart, there’s a problem. Kino’s Journey is a source material rife with content that would’ve made for excellent food for thought had it been in better hands. Some of that content was explored in this anime but ultimately handled with little care, making for a half-baked soulless product. Utterly devoid of any nuance or didactic philosophical charm that the original provided in spades, Kino’s (2017) was a sorry attempt at streamlining the source. The only subtlety to be found in Kino’s (2017) is its subtle crawl towards commercial territory. Sadly, some of the episodes are mostly above average in quality when compared to a typical gimmick ridden, thrown together, edge-biting seasonal. Despite that grading curve, I cannot award this show more than its individual merits will allow. I love Kino’s but this just wasn’t up to the expectations that were previously set.
randomath
Just as a heads up, I haven't read the manga or watched the original, but I still enjoyed the remake overall. Kino's journey is a very beautiful and relaxing anime that is imaginative in how it creates its setting and characters. The main overall problem in Kino's Journey is that all the characters are either black or white. Either they have open minds like Kino and the main characters or are ideological zealots of their country. You rarely find characters that disagree with their country's viewpoint, or a country with a pluralistic ideology, so a lot of the countries felt unrealistic or exaggerated, like aself-insert of the author's more cynical viewpoints on how many people follow the herd mentality. One advantage of having simplistic characters is that it allows for many unique scenarios that Kino encounters in each country he visits, so even if I wish there were more nuanced characters I still found the plot to be interesting. Overall I would recommend this if an episodic anime revolving around interesting journeys is appealing to you.
Py687
It surprised me to see that many of the preliminary reviews were written by users who had not watched the original 2003 adaptation of Kino's Journey. While I believe it is admirable to judge the 2017 adaptation with fresh eyes and a clean slate, I also believe there is merit in comparing the reboot to its predecessor. As a disclaimer, I have not read the LN. Perhaps the difference between the two adaptations is best determined through their focus. The 2003 Kino no Tabi places greater emphasis on the world and the journey through its writing, episode sequence, and themes. The 2017 Kino no Tabi tendsto stress its characters over its world, though the 2003 version arguably accomplished this better as well in certain episodes.
I would recommend this year's adaptation if you are interested in watching a series that is not entirely sad, or entirely happy, but something that tries to display human hubris while keeping the spotlight on a cute, plot-armored girl. If you prefer something with more substance, greater focus on the world, equal prominence of the main character, and don't mind cruder presentation, then the 2003 original would be more gratifying.
Generally regarded to be more thought-provoking or morally ambiguous, the original anime owes its reputation partly to its director, Nakamura Ryutaro, who oversaw Serial Experiments Lain. This is not to say it lacked levity or lightheartedness, but the show very much exemplified one of Kino's mantras--The world is not beautiful; and that, in a way, lends it a sort of beauty.
The 2003 anime had moments of cruelty, of inevitability, of the human desire to change things for the better and of the tendency for those consequences to end poorly. It was also hopeful, touching, and a celebration of life. I want to make clear that the 2017 anime still retains most of these aspects. But the one thing that sets them apart is that Nakamura's version was far more subtle. There is little reading between the lines in the 2017 show, as characters do not hesitate to provide exposition or explain their motivations. It is hard to imagine the winter or library episodes existing in the current adaptation. Another major difference is the consideration given to Kino's backstory. The 2003 anime preferred to get it out of the way much earlier than the 2017 one, which pivoted our attention back to the world sooner. The newer adaptation keeps her origins hidden longer, as one might expect if the focus and suspense is on the main character.
Visually, comparing the new and old series is like comparing day and night. The art of the 2017 version is fantastic. The lines are sharp, the colors pleasant. Kino's design more closely resembles her appearance on the LN covers. In contrast, the 2003 version was rough even for its time: the designs were cruder, simpler; Kino looked more aloof, easygoing, sarcastic, and shrewd at the same time; she also appeared more androgynous, lacking moe or particularly feminine qualities. There were times when this was a detriment, such as viewing palatability and reduction of stakes (it is far harder to lament the loss of a bland, ugly world than a colorful, detailed one). And yet the cruder artstyle of Nakamura's storyboards allowed greater appreciation of the nonvisual content of the show--the tracks, the story being told, the atmosphere. Sometimes what is less beautiful on the outside may surprise you on the inside.
The music of the 2017 reboot lends credence to its slice-of-life description. Overall the tunes are more happy-go-lucky than the original, but this is not a bad thing. I find the OPs and EDs to fit their respective shows, though preference will depend on the viewer. The VAs were perfectly cast.
For better or for worse, Kino is more expressive this time around. It's easy to say this is a demerit, that it draws attention away from the "beautiful world," but it doesn't. It goes without saying that it is not necessarily wrong to give greater focus to Kino, for we accompany her journey through her eyes and her actions. Hermes remains mostly the same. The greatest departure the 2017 version makes, however, is the dedication of multiple episodes to characters other than Kino and Hermes. This decision allows viewers to see Kino's world from a different pair of eyes, and I found it a highly enjoyable break from the expected format. The biggest drawback is that these episodes take time away from Kino and her mostly non-meddling policy and the series would have been stronger for it if a second cour were planned.
Kino's Journey (2017) could be considered iyashikei. It is more casual, relaxing, humorous, and pleasant to watch, with a hint of thoughtfulness thanks to the source material. Kino's Journey (2003) could be called iyashikei, for different reasons. It is easy to call the new one an inferior remake, but overall it is neither worse than nor a reimagining of its predecessor. Some of its episodes are remakes, yes, but they have improvements as well as detractions. Parallels between both versions may be gleaned in a couple more. The rest are simply new stories presented from an angle that is perhaps more agreeable to the modern demographic.
Whether or not the newest Kino no Tabi is weaker than the original depends on what you expect or desire. But for most people looking for a pleasant show to spend half a day on, I think Kino no Tabi: The Beautiful World - The Animated Series is worth their time.
Burayan
This show is okay, but does not compare favorably to the earlier version. If you're thinking about watching both, watch this one first, otherwise you'll be disappointed. The excessive CGI was very distracting. The artwork lacks the character of the original, the characters look very generic. It's also a lot more colorful, which made it look "cartoonish" to me. The episodes themselves leaned toward "cute" rather than the more dark and philosophic stories of the original. Some of them are just short vignettes, and in many of them Kino doesn't even appear. As a whole, it feels rather dumbed-down, fluffy entertainment instead of engaging andthough-provoking.
I don't think watching it was a waste of time, but it will probably sit on the shelf for a long time before I watch it again.
BlackIndigo
Simply put this anime did the original an injustice. If you think you like this anime just go ahead and watch the original, it offers everything in this anime but better (except for the graphics). The only reason I didn't give this anime a score worse than this is because it did manage to introduce new characters that we were interested in when we watched the original. The original offered a unique experience that allowed the audience to truly relate to each country. I find myself after every episode in deep thought due to the amazing story. The Kino in the original seemed morewiser and disciple. Although the Kino in this anime wasn't bad, she felt uninteresting and I wasn't able to get attached.
Overall, ill say it's a decent anime but just go and watch the original if you want a better story that truly taps inside the human condition.
SoraSenpai
Story: A Multitude of stories that fans wanted to see animated. I felt like the episodes gave us everything. Happiness, sadness, anger, suspense, and sadness. A multitude of feels throughout the series. Art and Animation: One of Lerche's better animated shows. Beautifully done throughout the series. The background art was simply amazing. Sound: Opening and ending were fantastic. The BGM was great and fit the scenes perfectly. Characters: More Kino is never a bad thing. The characters and VA's were flawless. Very well done and awesome stories and development from each character. Enjoyment: Really enjoyed this series. One of the very few series this season where I looked forwardto watching the newest episode each week.
Overall: I've seen a lot of hate on this series because it "Fails" in comparison to the original. This is not a remake of original Kino. It's a bunch or parts in the story that fans wanted anime. You have to look at this series as a stand alone Kino's Journey. What makes Kino is still there. If you compare the two series you may like the Original better, or you may like this new one better. Either way it should not sway the opinion on whether or not this series is good.
PixEFit
Kino no Tabi: The Beautiful World - The Animated Series has ended this Fall 2017 season. This was better then I first thought it would be. This show is about a girl named Kino, who along with her talking motorcycle, named Hermes, travel their world. They travel to different countries and stay for only 3 days to learn about that country's culture and people. These countries are very very interesting and are basically the backbone of the show. No countries are similar and are quite varied in many ways. From what they look like, to the level of technology they are at. Although the countriesare the main part of the show, the characters are also interesting in their own right. Kino is a bad ass, smart, chaotic good sort of character with a mysterious past. Hermes is a jokey, reliable, intelligent companion to Kino who has been with her most of her life. This series is episodic, you do not need to watch any of the episodes in order. The art of this show is sharp and polished, very beautiful. There is only one problem I have with this show which is the animation quality throughout. It is all over the place, sometimes there are just amazing scenes where the animation is crisp cool and clear, then there are some moments where it seems like the frame rate dropped about 5 frames sometimes. This doesn't mean much to me, but this can cause some problems to someone who cares about that sort of thing. The music is good, its silent most of the show, although the music swells where it needs to. I adored this anime. I give this show a perfect 10 out of 10. I recommend this to anyone who has time to watch this show, anyone can find something in this in my opinion. This has been your spoiler free but not really review on Kino no Tabi: The Beautiful World - The Animated Series.
