Ranked #2293

Kite

Kite has been one of the most controversial anime ever released, and there's a pretty good reason for that.

Overwhelmingly graphic violence. Extremely explicit sex scenes. A painfully grotesque outlook on people and the value of life. In its shocking first few minutes, we are dropped into an amoral society in which the good guys are bad and the bad guys aren't all that bad. It's a world where a ruthless killer gets more sympathy from an audience than a weaponless victim.

Kite follows the story of Sawa, who is troubled deeply by the brutal murder of her parents, one of the nasty stains in her sullied life. Instead of running away from the violence, Sawa learns to embrace it, becoming an assassin in a crooked city. In this world, assassinations are something done rather professionally by young people. They don't wear suits, they don't have the dark sunglasses and the sniper equipment. They have the noise of the world, their personal silence, and a destructive gun to work with. The people of this city have found a bitter normalcy in cutthroat business, carnal sex and rampant violence.

The OAV looks at Sawa as she forms a budding friendship with a fellow assassin, tries to resist the emotionless stagnancy of her relationship with her employer, and as she goes about her deadly job.

Kite still looks amazing despite its age. There is a tremendous amount of detail within the artwork. The animation was extremely well done as well. You get to see that bullet lodged in someone's skull when someone is shot. A man gets stabbed? You get to see the way the skin pulls and tears as the blade point rips through the flesh and yanks itself back out. There are absolutely crazy stunts that would put most blockbuster action movies to shame. Fierce gun battles, intense one-on-one fights, and not to mention the very explicit sex scenes in this anime are all animated exceptionally.

As for the sound aspect, I did notice that it mostly consists of sleazy background music; the sort of thing you'd expect to hear in a shady pub with red velvet covered chairs and lots of cigarette smoke. The sound was not that impressive, and I thought the seiyuu (voice actor) work could have been a little tighter, but overall the music is decent, save for the dated sound.

We are given a pretty good cast of characters. Sawa knows nothing other than using her body. And she puts it through different uses, from the firing of a gun to sleeping with her boss. The girl has got to live, and her life is not a good one, but she wants to live it. It's hers. She's tough, she's strong, but she's not fearless. If she were truly brave, then she'd say no to the sexual advances of her boss. If she were fearless, she would never scream in the face of danger. It makes her realer, in a world that seems to float within its own existence. It is far more intriguing to see a character who fights and actually has the potential to lose their life at any moment rather than watching a self-assured character fight and you're pretty sure they're never going to die.

Oburi, like a good assassin, observes things that other men in this anime do not. Even the accessories on a woman does not escape his notice. He is aloof for the most part, which makes his wry smiles within the anime something to pay attention to. His interactions with Sawa are captivating, and though their relationship defies convention in the society they live in, there is something deep and personal between them.

Then there is the supporting cast of characters, Sawa and Oburi's boss, who is a crude, conniving man and his sidekick, who is disgusting but more than what he lets on to be. Also, there's a myriad of characters who exist only to be brutally killed in some way or another.

Kite is an anime that will shock you and keep you on your toes. There are sights that will be hard to forget after seeing them. A standout scene, for instance, is when a little street girl watches Oburi pull out a gun and she doesn't bat an eyelid. What does it say about society when someone is no longer surprised enough to be scared anymore? It says it's a rather rough town they live in after all. There are only bad guys in this anime, and these are bad guys who are good at what they do. And it's pretty interesting to watch these people.

Another unforgettable image is watching a man get kicked in the crotch and seeing him vomit from the pain. The crassness and nausea-inducing carnage is enough to absorb anyone who is into gore. That being said, if you cannot stomach explicit sexual intercourse and extremely graphic violence, then you're advised against this anime.

Kite is a brutal tale about a young woman inwardly and conflictingly trying to be more and less of a monster than the beasts around her. Truly fascinating watch. read more

MAL rates this as an 'Rx - Hentai' but I would say that it is still an Rx, but not strictly a hentai. It has scenes of full penetration sex, and nudity, but it serves only to further the plot and help you understand the characters. Take this into mind that this is not a hentai, but has the graphic sexual content of one.

Story: - 8/10 - Very Good
The story in this OVA is rather hard to describe without giving many spoilers, but essentially it is about a teenage girl who is involved with a crooked cop after her parents are murdered, who makes her and another boy kill people who have done wrong. Doesn't sound special, does it? Seems we have seen things like this before, right? Wrong. This OVA provides so many subtle plot twists and turns that until the end of the show, you have no clue what is going on. Let me continue to warn you though, it is very, very graphic.

Art - 10/10 - Outstanding
Even by today's standards, the art in this is beautiful. The characters are well-designed, the layout of the rooms and city is good, and the backgrounds are detailed to the point of insanity. This OVA is about ten years old too boot, which makes the art even more impressive. Blood and gore is used heavily, but not in situations that it wouldn't be appropriate, and it is semi-believable considering the weapons the people are using for the killing.

Sound - ?/10 - ???
I can't comment on the sound, as I watched this on my computer, and my sound is broken. I would imagine that it would be good though. See other reviews to see how the sound is.

Character - 7/10 - Good
The characters in this OVA are actually rather good considering it's length. The line between hero and villain is stepped on many times. The character development in this series is very good too, as I have said before, it keeps you guessing who-did-what the entire show, and keeps you on edge. There are not many characters though, but the ones that are, they are put together nicely and have believable personalities.

Enjoyment - 10/10 - Outstanding
I haven't enjoyed an Anime this much is a long time. Too bad it is only 2 episodes. I would probably re-watch it if I had time, but it is rather memorable.

Overall - 8/10 - Very Good
Once you watch Kite, you will not forget it. It is an anime that is truly unique from it's counterparts, in a way that some thought to be impossible. A final warning is that this anime contains rape, blood and gore, full nudity, sex, mild cursing, and sex scenes involving characters whose age is hard to determine. I would say that this series would be alright for people who are looking for an anime that pushes the envelope on what is publishable. For the weak of heart - stay away, you will be revolted beyond belief. read more