Ranked #184

Kaiba

The universe sits atop a house of cards, with revolution shaking at the base. And Kaiba truly does hold an entire universe in its hands.
This is Sci-Fi through and through, and every bit of it overflows with imagination and experimentation. The strongest aspect of this show is how comfortable the writers felt in their own world. They put passion into this, and tried to make something that would last in the audience's memories. Apart from any pacing or plot problems that may have arisen, this was written in confidence. None of the lesser points are because of weak willed writers unwilling to be adventurous. If you want to see something different and intriguing, I give a hearty recommendation on that basis alone. If you also happen to be a fan of Sci-Fi, well then, sharpen your knives and prepare for a feast. (Viewers with little patience should probably sit this one out though.)

Right off the bat, Kaiba starts with a character that has amnesia, and that sends up a bunch of warning signals. Many stories with poor writing will proudly display an amnesiac protagonist because it frees up the job of writing complex personality, pre-existing character interactions, and is just a giant gateway to spoon-feed plot and exposition to the audience. But do not fear, for Kaiba never once considers being a shoddy, overused amnesia story. In fact, the amnesia is more of just a presence that is ever-looming, not overbearing. They don't waste energy trying to cover holes with it, but instead rip apart the foundations of this trope and rebuild it anew, devoting the entire premise of this show to memories. Even if the execution wasn't masterful, they plunged head first into trying something different, and of course, that is where this show excels.

With the whole element of memory storage and body swapping, our main character Warp actually spends a great deal of time in a cheaply made, mute body, incapable of speaking. This does suppress how much of his personality can be expressed, and in the beginning, his position in the show isn't clear. The same can be said for many of his companions. But in the same manner that silent or minimalistic films make more from less, we are given brief moments to step into the mind of Warp. Each little morsel of his character development made more savory by their rarity and good delivery.

Unfortunately, the same cannot be said about the entire cast. Kaiba is more about the story, and does sacrifice the quality of its supporting characters for the sake of plot points. Being partially episodic, Kaiba sometimes tries to cram entire character arcs into one or two sittings. Leaving the writers to fall back on melodrama to try and relay an expansive history or grand emotions in a compressed time. It can distance the viewer from the characters and belay the intentions of the production team. In other cases, certain episodes will excel within their limited time, and give us touching, memorable characters and anecdotes. This is a fluctuation in quality that wanes over time, leaving most of the second half solidly written.

Much like GitS: SAC, it's less of a classical narrative, and more of a series of experiences woven together. The precision is still there, and the plot takes you somewhere, just not in the typical manner. Power, lust, greed, lies, righteousness, pain, and bonds of friendship all weave an ever tightening noose that threatens to choke the ruling class. In the world of Kaiba, human equality isn’t even an afterthought, and our crew is ready to take back their dignity, and a little more for good measure. Caught in a power struggle with ever shifting tides, the weak are forever pushed further into the abyss as the strong climb upwards. Puppets and scapegoats, forced into destructive bodies and unable to feel or draw happiness, they are scattered about as simple war machines. Despite all of their artificial power, they remain true helpless souls. With minds used, battered and abused, they dwell in the deepest pit carved by humanity, and sit there alone, betrayed by others' ambitions and their own tainted memories. Kaiba performs a tragic duel between our own identity, and the persona that others sculpt for us.

Kaiba takes up residence in the "here's what we can do with anime as a medium" category. It's artwork contests traditional design and usually comes up on top. On the technical side of things, it goes for fluidity rather than individual details, meaning this show rarely sits still. The frames keep turning, and action, reaction, and intricacy are all captured in the animation. They can afford to do this because of the simplistic character structures and complete lack of shading. Now this is a stylistic choice, and I think it goes well with the overall atmosphere of the show. At times it's truly jaw dropping, and you get the impression that any other style of art simply wouldn't have worked for this series. On the flip side, there are a few moments where nothing is happening, the movement stops, and the magic sort of drains away for a second. However, there is something in the art department that is uncontestedly good. The CG integration is hardly noticeable at all, even when the fast, sweeping shots cover a lot of background, it looks very smooth and naturally painted.

Sticking with story over characters, the score doesn't really have any character themes that show up like in other anime. There are mostly just soundtracks to enhance the action or accompany the mood of a scene. These only show up occasionally, and for the rest of the show, and bulk of it, we're given diegetic sounds and environmental noises that usually complement the atmosphere. In this aspect, it's not the best sound editing I've heard, but most of the time there are clean transitions, good sound effects, and nothing too obtrusively out of place. The music itself is poignant. The melodies of Kiyoshi Yoshida range from whimsical to pondering melancholy, and will stay with you long after the episode has run its course. Just like with Warp's character moments, the music is withheld until it's appropriate, and when it'll be cherished most by the audience. Now, while the compositions are very good, the implementation is a bit clumsy sometimes, and it can get noticeable when songs are reused too often.

Given how Kaiba tries to avoid dry heaps of exposition, the dialogue is an ever occurring source of world-building. Just like the viewer, Warp is trying to absorb everything from other people and his surroundings. This calls for more intricate writing, and is very effective in synchronizing the audience with the emotions and experiences of Warp, when it works. Sadly, the first couple of episodes were still exploring this, trying to find a solid tempo and direction, and so some of the scenes can feel scripted and unnatural. This is particularly noticeable with some moments of oddly placed comedy. But again, this all gets ironed out as the episode count grows, and it becomes a much smoother ride.

The voice acting is above the standard fare, but won't have you clamoring to see the actors in other roles. Everyone does their job, and they do it well, particularly one actor who does deserve special mention. Hisao Egawa knocks it straight out of the park from the very moment he appears on screen. Providing the voice of Vanilla, he steps directly into the character, encapsulating the absurd, blundering, and over-the-top personality of our not so noble sheriff.

In the end we walk away with a very well controlled space oddity that radiates familiarity from the writers, as if they've spent part of their lives in this future universe. A superb drama? Not quite. But an intricate story that explores outside the realm of typical series. With that in mind, this is not a show meant to be watched casually. An attentive viewer is required to get the most out of what it has to offer. If you're looking for something to put on in the background, hold off on this show until you have time to truly watch it. Otherwise, get ready for a fantastic Sci-Fi experience.

My final verdict for this show is a respectable 8.4 read more

Kaiba is a story that begins with a young boy who possesses no memories, a locket with a blurry picture of a girl, and a hole in his chest. From there on, it dives into a complex look at what it means to live, speaking to its audience in eclectic ambient music, flat hues, simplified textures, and caricatured expressions.

It is a story of heartache, rejection, and despair. It is a story of loss and of pain, and one that explores a world in which there is incalculable capacity for wrongdoing, cruelty, and evil. It is a story that hits its audience with difficult and complex moral problems, yet it offers very little in the way of solace or resolution for any of the questions it raises. It pulls no punches and promises no answers, and in doing so, retains a sense of honesty with its audience that few works of its nature posses.

And yet, in spite of the horrors and sadness that the world of Kaiba is embroiled in and consumed with, the core cast of characters are simply ones who—similar to each and every one of the characters they meet on their journey—are struggling with the questions of how to be, and what it is that constitutes being. In a world where memories and forms are stolen, bartered, and sacrificed as easily as clothing or food, identity becomes even more fluid and fragile than it is in real life. Kaiba takes this theme and extrapolates it into a reality so twisted and surreal that its commentary is impossible to miss.

Cinematically, Yuasa offers a unique directorial method of presentation that draws far more from Osamu Tezuka’s gekiga than from the prevailing influences of today’s directors. Yuasa’s adaption of Tezuka’s style goes beyond the obvious character model similarities (designed by Nobutaka Ito), infiltrating every nook and cranny of the narrative elements. A reverence for and homage to Tezuka’s method is present from settings and thematic scope down into the minutiae of presentation, particularly in shot compositions and depictions of action or psychoses that alternates between reserved detachment and unforgettable heart-pounding relevance. The surrealistic, futuristic depiction of the thematic emphasis on the relationship and nature of individuality, consciousness, memories, and flesh could be right at home in something like “Apollo’s Song”. The portrayals of intolerable human cruelty resultant from complex, struggling characters seem to spring right out of something like “Ode to Kirihito”. The heavy handed assault of dense symbols and exaggerated physical forms screams for a sense of old-school melodrama that much modern anime generally lacks—or often enough, when it IS present, it is rarely ever handled with the level of versatility and adroitness that Yuasa presents in Kaiba.

But this is not to say that Yuasa is somehow “ripping off” Tezuka’s legendary works in any way—in fact, one need not even be the least bit familiar with Tezuka’s body of work in order to enjoy this program. What maintains Kaiba’s uniqueness is that, both in spite of and because of its use of Tezuka-esque elements, it ultimately offers an experience that is greater than the mere sum of its parts. The skill with which Yuasa manipulates his characters and paces his episodes bridges the gap between the work and the audience in a way few anime series achieve; although the first episode resembles more a dream than a traditional narrative, it doesn’t take long for emotional attachment to form around both the primary characters of the show (as they are sparingly revealed) and the secondary characters that pop up per episode and often disappear just as suddenly. Much of the program retains a quality akin to something of a vague hallucination even after completion, however its narrative remains traditional enough that things like characters, plot, back story, and development are all recognizable.

What begins as a fever dream or a nightmare turns out to be a cerebral quest through amnesia, psychosis, revelation, doubt, and finally trust. Some of its mysteries are slowly unraveled explicitly, others are left to subtle allusions or drift wantonly in a haze of ambiguity. Development of the characters involved with the story of the protagonist alternates between exceptionally subtle and heavy-handed, though often times both ‘subtlety’ and ‘heavy-handed’ development occur simultaneously. It is most likely its themes and tone—outside of the visuals, of course—that will leave the heaviest mark upon its audience; Yuasa’s skill at sculpting atmosphere through imagery and sound is truly worthy of recognition.

In short, Kaiba is not an easy series to watch. It is one that will present to its audience powerful images with powerful connotations that are not easily shaken off by the invested viewer. Its characters are memorable and complex. Its visuals, no doubt the most obvious thing to distinguish it from its peers, may give false first impressions or lend to it unjustified labels of pretentiousness. In the end, it is a work that is extremely difficult to describe in full, and one that is likely to affect each of its viewers in radically different ways.

Recommended for fans of abstract cinema, surrealism, science fiction, Osamu Tezuka, other Yuasa works, or simply anyone looking for a short cerebral series that is nigh indescribable. read more