Kino no Tabi: The Beautiful World - Tou no Kuni - Free Lance

Waking up from a nap, Kino is relieved to see that a certain tower from afar is still proudly standing. Located in the heart of the Tower Country, the immensely tall tower stretches high into the sky, reaching seemingly infinite heights. The tower looks like something out of a dream, but the breathtaking construction is unmistakably real. Intrigued, the traveling partners Kino and Hermes—the talking motorcycle—journey to the tower to get a closer look at the building.

Despite already being unbelievably tall, the tower is still being built by the townspeople to this day. Puzzled by the origins of the tower, Kino and Hermes ask around the town for information, but they fail to obtain any definitive answer. They continue to observe both the tower and the townspeople during their stay, hoping to understand the reasoning behind building a tower that requires so much effort. After all, there is always something to learn—even from the strangest of countries.

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

Kino Main

Maeda, Ai Japanese

Hermes Main

Aigase, Ryuji Japanese

Sigsawa, Keiichi Original Creator

Kuroboshi, Kouhaku Original Character Design

Reviews

Jan 9, 2021

EpisodicFan

Recommended

I won't write that much for just ten minutes of an episode. I will just say that the themes explored in this one perfectly resonate with the recurrent ideas I have been able to find throughout this entire series.

The plot of this episode alluded to a Sisyphean struggle, an absurd endeavor whose only purpose is itself, as dull and soul destroying as it is. The characters presented here are entirely content with their role, mainly because they are ignorant of what it entails. They just focus on the small parts they play on the grand scheme of things, with one exception. One boy who wants ... to break free from the cycle, in the same way Kino did: by travelling and seeing all these different struggles from an outsider's perspective. However, he lacks either the courage or the means to do so. Kino, upon further reflection, was able to escape her own loop because of external circumstances that aided her in that, such as meeting another traveler and finding Hermes. In any case, the ending for this episode is just brilliant. The struggle isn't over, and it's inescapable, so the option the boy is offered, being incapable of breaking free, is to find self expression in the pointlessness of his work. If this isn't great commentary on how fighting the mediocrity of human existence isn't usually just trying to stand out while still performing the same duties as everyone else, I don't know what is. I am biased, as I find this concept both fascinating and true, but I just adore it.

The rest of the episode is up to the standards set up by the series in regards to the presentation, the pacing, the sound and the characters: all around very well produced. This story deserved to be told separately because it truly captures the spirit of what I believe Kino no Tabi to be about.

Reviewer’s Rating: 9

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May 26, 2019

Rezto

Recommended

Kino’s Journey – Tower Country, serves as an extra episode to Kino’s Journey. It is shorter than an average episode, clocking in at just 14 minutes, which is more akin to 11 minutes when considering the opening and ending. This is a bit disappointing, as another country could have easily been explored in a new episode of normal length. Yet, this is definitely a welcomed addition.

It may be confusing what order you should watch this series, especially since this is known as episode 0. I would recommend watching in order of release date. This is not necessary, and if you were to watch this episode ... first, you wouldn’t be at all spoiled. Yet, this is still advice worth noting.

This is a gruelling tale centred around Kino’s visit to a large city that inhabits a massive tower in its middle, which has been built upon for the last 233 years by the country’s citizens. When asked why they continue to build, the people reply with a vague, indirect answer, simply stating “because it’s our job.”

It’s strange just how perfectly this episode sums up the overall show. From its consistent art and sound to themes and story, everything about it screams, “this is Kino’s Journey!” A reoccurring theme throughout this series is humanity and the lack of it. It seems that people have been living for so long that they go to whatever extreme means necessary so to find meaning in their life. Here, the menacing tower represents that idea. It is built manually, brick by brick, until it is so tall that it loses its stability and comes crashing down – then to only be rebuilt, again and again.

At night, when Kino starts to fall asleep, she is approached by a timid, frightened young man. After a quick commotion, the stranger begs Kino to take him travelling with her, and is quickly turned down; but for what reason does he wish to leave so desperately? It’s quite clear, really: he wants to find a real meaning in life, just like Kino. Fortunately, he will eventually find this meaning through the minor advice given by Kino at the end of the episode.

To conclude, I highly recommend this episode to any fan of Kino’s Journey. It has a great, clear message which can be fun to try to decipher. Given how short it is, there’s no reason to ignore it.

Reviewer’s Rating: 10

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Sep 27, 2022

VeiledEdge

Mixed Feelings

Spoiler

This second Kino's Journey special is simply your below-average episode of Kino's Journey. She visits a country. Country is weird. Kino leaves country. I don't have much more to say about this special, but there's a minimum character requirement for reviews here so I guess we go into over-analysis mode here. I'm going to throw a spoiler warning right here as I will be spoiling this special, all of it. All 14 minutes of it.

Kino rides into a country where everyone works on building a huge tower located in the heart of the country, and nothing else. It's appropriately pointed out that there are ... no inns in the country, and Kino has to sleep in a warehouse kind of small building. A young boy approaches Kino and tells her that he doesn't want to die working on the tower. He asks her to take him and make him a traveler. In Kino fashion, Kino declines.

We don't know why they're building this tower. Not until it collapses under its own weight. Then it's revealed that every time the tower collapses, the country starts building another one in an endless cycle. The boy comes once again to Kino in hopeless frustration and asks for help. Kino then suggests that if they're tired of doing the same thing, to add some flavor to the tower. She suggests t they color or make designs on the bricks. The country's mind is completely shattered by the idea and they enthusiastically start building the next tower with designs on the bricks.

The interesting thing to point out about this sociological thought experiment is how accustomed and complacent people in the country are about building that tower. It's simply what the country does. This has a huge parallel to anyone's daily life. It's a good contrast to the Centipede Dilemma:

A centipede was happy – quite!
Until a toad in fun
Said, "Pray, which leg moves after which?"
This raised her doubts to such a pitch,
She fell exhausted in the ditch
Not knowing how to run.

If one simply does something every day, like work, go to school, etc. it becomes unquestionably routine. So when it gets questioned, one's reality can be shattered. Think of The Matrix. Everyone just assumes that life and the universe are as perceived. Once we start questioning that, we have a moment of existential crisis. I know both of these examples are very different, but it's a similar effect.

This special is bad when compared to the best Kino's Journey episodes, but it's still pretty good when compared to all anime as a whole. It's interesting and thought-provoking. It's philosophical in a uniquely 'Kino's Journey' kind of way. If you liked the main series, you'll like this.

Reviewer’s Rating: 5

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Recommendations

	Poll: Kino's Journey: Tower Country Episode 1 Discussion cyruz - Jul 29, 2008	37 replies	by Archean-Return »» Jul 4, 2023 2:30 PM
	AKA Episode 00 - So, should I watch this first? kodial - Aug 2, 2011	2 replies	by Doom1991____---- »» Dec 5, 2016 11:22 AM