Ranked #2134

Kite Liberator

Well, this is a tricky one to review as it's something that most people will have mixed feelings about as the original Kite was a very interesting work in its own right. But as you can see from the ratings I'm part of the contingent that liked it.

Story: First off I'll start by saying that I thought it was very interesting that they made a non-hentai sequel to a hentai-pigeonholed movie. Whilst the original focused on a gritty underworld story of corruption and violence (which featured nudity), Kite Liberator takes a completely different tact and focuses more on a kind of action-based sci-fi plot. Some might say that the absence of sex scenes makes the anime not seem like a true sequel and I would have to agree to some extent, but I feel that to do a sequel too similar to the original would have inevitably not have been as good. Now, back to what's at hand. The OVA in general is quite well paced. Even though it is only an hour long in length, the way the plot is constructed makes it feel like a full-length movie. In it's own right, the sci-fi plot is quite entertaining but I was disappointed with massive leap in terms of content from the gritty original to something completely fictional. At least with Kite you could imagine the events happening in real life.
The story element is something that most people will have differing views on but I think 7 is a fair score for this component.

Art: Well, I have to say that this was one of the standout features of the OVA. It was excellent, to put it simply. The combination of computer graphics as well as more traditional constructions made it very pleasing on the eye. Everything was well-rendered or accurately drawn and this component stood out justifyably, fully deserving the 10.

Sound: Another case of "doing what it says on the tin". The themes worked well with the scenes throughout and the sound effects and timing were spot on. The stereo effects were really accurate and made listening to the movie through headphones much more enjoyable than through standard speakers.

Characters: I felt you could empathise with the characters in the story quite well in a similar way as you could for the first movie albeit for different reasons. The main character really kind of reminds you in a lot of ways of Sawa from the first film. The only problem I had was that story didn't fully explain some of the character details and I was sometimes left wondering about a particular part of certain characters' backgrounds.

Overall, I would have to say that whether or not you've seen the first film, this is something interesting in its own right and it something well worth watching even with some of the issues that exist within it. 8/10 read more

Watching Kite: Liberator after seeing Kite is like test driving a Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano only to have to go back to your Prius when the ride's over: sort of disappointing in comparison. Of course, if you never got behind the wheel of that powerful vehicle of an anime, Kite, then I don't think there would be much else to be let down about with Liberator.

On its own, Kite: Liberator is a fairly decent action/sci fi anime set in an alternate version of present day. Space exploration is a facet of this anime, and a group of astronauts are in orbit, spending their days eating terrible food manufactured by a shaky bespectacled man who visits them every so often. He is the one link between the plot in set in space and the one set on Earth. Back on the watery planet, a paedophile who is being chased by policemen meets someone known as the Angel of Death--a young girl who takes out criminals and who waitresses on the side. Nothing too spectacular there. The space plot especially felt rather predictable and uninspired. A group of astronauts go into space, mutation occurs, lots of Alien-esque battles on the ship? Not that interesting and so very 1992 of the storyline. The plot set on Earth is a little more interesting, as we follow the assassin girl as she lives a double life, trying to pass herself off as a regular high school student despite being a formidable killer.

Art for this anime was spectacular. There some instances of tremendous violence, though I won't say they are particularly gory or shocking. There's a fair share of well-animated gun battles, with some great art direction. Effects such as a shaking camera to create more personalised visuals were used. Some of the scenes felt like you were indeed following a chase down in a subway, with you watching from the perspectives of passer-bys or even someone following those involved in the chase. The character design is trademark Yasuomi Umetsu: creepily similar to a sex doll with the characters' passive faces and strong though understated facial features.

Sound for this anime was good, and it was a lot better than the sound for Kite. Mostly though, it serves its purpose and doesn't leave you with memorable background music. There are the standard effects like bones crunching, bullets ricocheting, explosions and all that good stuff.

There are a few characters in Kite: Liberator that are paid attention to. Of course, there's the protagonist Monaka. She is a hard character to describe since she spends most of the time vacillating between one persona and the next. Which is the true Monoka? The bumbling, sweet, hardworking student who is on the shy side? Or is it the ruthless, cold-hearted assassin who gets the job done but lets her sense of vengeance dictate how and why she kills? Then there are the astronauts, who are not of any real importance other than plot devices. Gaga, the young policeman who becomes smitten with Monoka mostly exists as another plot device, linking the "innocent" Monoka to the violent one, as most of her targets are criminals he needs to apprehend. The only truly intriguing character in this anime was Monoka's coworker, Mukai. She actually is one of the few characters with actual personality, wit and a sense of grim humour. Plus, there is a lot more to her than the anime ever lets on. Numerous implications are made about Mukai, but her characterisation never reveals too much, as intended.

Overall, Kite: Liberator is a good OAV, but it doesn't rank up there with anything that is a must-see, especially considering that nowadays, there are a lot more graphically violent and sexual anime (if that's what you're looking for in watching this). Also, I felt that the sexuality in Kite: Liberator, though while toned down compared to Kite, served less of a purpose than what it did in the predecessor. In Kite, the hentai-like sex scenes served a purpose in showing the degradation and rape of a girl who has no choice but to let it happen to her. Momoka flashing her boobs in this anime? Pointless. Which leads to my notion that Kite: Liberator had a lot more fanservice, if you can believe, than Kite. I don't recall seeing Sawa from Kite's panties being flashed unless she had to strip down for her boss to have his way with her. Therefore, a purpose for us to see her underwear--she's going to have sex with someone. Momoka's tighty-whities being displayed every other minute for no purpose other than the ecchi-like reasons of falling down with her butt in the air? Fanservice.

If you're looking for a direct sequel to Kite, then you won't find it here. Saying this even is a sequel to that controversial anime is like saying an orange and a grapefruit have the same taste: they don't. The only thing truly relating Kite: Liberator to its predecessor are some thinly-veiled references and some allusions to a certain female assassin who liked to use guns with exploding bullets.

However, Kite: Liberator is not a bad anime. If you couldn't get enough of Kite, well, you won't be getting your fill here, sadly. A Prius isn't that bad, especially if you never took that Ferrari for a spin, after all. read more