Kino no Tabi: The Beautiful World

Ok, so this will be my first review for MAL. I've written for other resources but haven't done so for a while, so bear with me.


I've recently finished this anime, and I can say I am still surprised. Although I heard rumors that this was something really good, I tend to be skeptic and so I was caught of guard. Why?

Let's start with the story, which tells of the journey of a traveler and his motorcycle, while they visit a long range of countries or just meet someone on the way. The actual fact is: there isn't one sole story but 12 short stories that ... link together not by episode order but by events. And yet the fact that each one of this stories manages to be deeper than whole plots from many animes amasses me. Each episode approaches a theme of society, like censoring, violence, communication problems, right or wrong, the ability some people have to bite the hand that just fed them, and so on. And at every time I found myself smiling in front of the screen while realizing how superbly intelligent each of the episodes plot was. In resume, each of them is really well constructed, some exceeding the others, and you need "keen eye" to get every aspect of them.

There is a wide range of characters as expected from an anime that tells about travels over a world. While some of them are forgettable, some of them also stay in your mind. But the fact is, they are there to be a supportive role to the main character, Kino, and this is why my rating in character was high. But before that let's look at Hermes. Kino's travel companion. A Motorad, in short a motorcycle that talks. While I found this odd at first I grew found of the bike. He (it's a machine but I will refer to him as "he") usually asks a lot of questions to which the main character responds enigmatically most of times, he his kino's closest thing that can be called a friend and it's interesting to see how they interact. It was an interesting choice for a supportive role. Finally, Kino. Kino is the best character I've seen in a while and one of the best overall. I can't think of any character to make a comparison because I don't remember ever seeing a character like her. Calm, intelligent, skillful, sometimes unreadable, extremely wise for someone so young and still as capricious as a child could be. Though not fond of killing, will do so if necessary without felling remorse. An unique character that I enjoyed to watch throughout the whole anime, and if considered alone would deserve 10.

Animation wise, Kino's Journey is extremely solid. It kept the art quality throughout the whole anime, something I praise. Although the majority of supporting characters have an ordinary design, this being the downside, some of them exceed in this aspect. As does Kino. Movement is very fluid, each frame seems carefully drawn and the backgrounds are outstandingly well donen also. One thing I thought interesting and enjoyed was thing the interlaced video. Which gives the anime a different feel from any other.

As for Sound, voice actors do a good job in overall, Kino's VA does even better. The background music is practically inexistent, this would be thought as a bad thing, but in this particular case it is not. Not even once in the whole series did I fell it lacked music in any situation. It's "almost" absence gives the plot an even more serious look, keeping views attention more centered in it, while using sometimes a tone from a single instrument to denote a particular scene. Lastly the opening and ending theme. In one word, superb. They fit Kino's Travels like a glove. The opening theme has become one of my all time favorites and the ending is very good as well and it's actually performed by Kino's VA.

Enjoyment is probably the thing I appreciate in any anime, and the thing that will variate more from person to person. So how did Kino do enjoyment wise? 10/10. Perhaps my initial skepticism helped but the truth is even if I hadn't been skeptic, I probably would not rate differently. Kino no Tabi brought me to many smiles to be rated otherwise. It is something I will re watch and probably discover things that missed my "eye" on the first watch

Overall Kino no Tabi is very artistic, intelligent, surprising, and approaches a variety of themes, that always create discussion withing societies in a cold and sometimes brutal way, that leaves you glued to the chair with eyes fixed on the screen, and perhaps like me smiling unconsciously as I joined each plot line realizing how intelligent they where. Do not wait long to watch this. The only people to which I wouldn't recommend this, are perhaps to a younger audience or people who don't enjoy to think much during an anime.


That was long :). Well if you read it through, feel free to give me feedback. It's all ways good to improve this or further reviews.

Kino's Journey is a collection of societal parables, told through the eyes of a wanderer who visits countries and observes them. Kino, the main character, takes a somewhat prime directive stance toward the civilizations, although she is sometimes coaxed to interfere out of compassion.

The show is a collection of parables, and as such, the societies it portrays are exaggerated portraits of a certain societal trait. It's possible that some viewers will feel as if they're being beaten over the head with the moral on some of the episodes. As for me, I thought that it was refreshingly straightforward, and had no problem ... accepting it for what it was: a story.

Although the show is frequently dark, exploring the depths of mankind's ruthlessness and stupidity, there was a core of hope to the show. A message that, looking out at the world around us, and looking in at human resilience in even the worst of societies, you can't help but have hope for the world.

Excluding the few actiony episodes, the show generally keeps a slow, contemplative tone, and a pace to match it. I imagine that this will lose some people who are looking for something faster and with more bang.

This show is one of my favorites, and stands out as an incredible testament to the power of the medium.

*This Review may contain spoilers*

This is Kino's Journey? I'd rather stay at home.

What many people believe to be a great series, Kino's Journey is a collection of short stories revolving around different countries, customs, traditions and beliefs. The main character Kino travels to these countries with her talking motorcycle pal Hermes, and together they observe the world through outside perspectives.

In fact, its almost as if Kino is nothing more than a representation of the viewer. Kino does nothing but observe....ever. She never interferes or judges or saves, when she so easily could. She does nothing but watch the people of these countries act like morons, ... much like the viewer is forced to.

Due to this, unfortunately the feelings of helplessness and despair sets in and gets comfortable for the entirety of the series.

I was amazed at the stupidity of it all. I get the concept...we're supposed to feel like nothing can change these awful, horrid events...we cannot change the way of the world. We're about as powerful as a traveler with no soul or heart, but how does that translate into entertainment? All it did was frustrate me.

For example...Episode 5, Kino and Hermes meet 3 old dudes that have all been working about fifty years...One is polishing old tracks and making them sparkle. The second is dismantling those tracks piece by piece. The Third? Well, he's repairing the tracks! Kino meets all three and says not one word to any of them of the futility of their efforts and lives.

Worse than that, the twelfth episode had two countries at war massacring a third to decide the winner! BY POINTS!

Kino doesn't mind. Kino doesn't care. Neither do the citizens of the two larger countries. They're cool with it, who cares? I mean, its not THEIR homes and families being destroyed in a conflict that has nothing to do with them...

Helplessness and despair.

Kino, however, shows glimpses of humanity both in her past and towards the end of the series. She does not seem adverse to murder (she kills at least five people throughout the series) and yet she shows a tiny fragment of pain and loss when someone she connected with on a few levels dies (due to an irrational decision to get melted rather than move). These moments are brief, scarce, and quickly forgotten when she hops aboard Hermes and rides nonchalantly towards the next country.

Kino's Journey disappoints on plot, but what really stood out to me was the animation. At first, I dismissed the art with the feeling that it was "too kiddy". As the series progressed, the style grew on me and by the end I came to enjoy the "differentness" of it. That is a matter of taste though, same with the soundtrack, which was repetitive and inconsistent at the same time. The opening and ending songs were enjoyable enough, but the few tracks within the show itself often took away from scenes as much as they added in spots.

In the end, I did not enjoy Kino's Journey. The series frustrated me and did not make me feel at all like there might be hope for ANYONE in that world. Actually, there was one happy story in the span of 13 episodes, but among all the death and despair, I had forgotten it. I couldn't, in good conscience, recommend this series to anyone looking to anime for an escape or an enjoyable experience.

What do you say about an anime that is just about a traveler, journeying to different countries on the back of her talking motorcycle. Sounds boring, right? WRONG!!! This episodic anime, through odd little stories and dialogue, actually explores different aspects of human nature, in one of the most unique ways I have ever seen.
There is little to no character development, but in this kind of story, there is no need. There is one episode that gives the back story to Kino, and that was enough.
The different countries Kino visits, and the people Kino encounters will make you cry, will enrage ... you, and at times disgust you. But, while it's making you run the gammit of emotions, it will make you stop and ask "What if?" The episodes each have great lessons to teach, without throwing propoganda in your face or preaching to you.
The animation is clean and beautiful. The colors are not bright and vibrant, but to me, it makes this anime seem a little more realistic. The music is beautiful, and at different times, enhances the emotions of this beautiful anime. I adored this anime, and I'm looking forward to watching the movie. Definitely one for the "slice of life" anime lovers. ^_^

I stumbled onto this anime without knowing what to expect. Once I started watching it, I became very moved by it.

One of the best aspects of this anime is the story. Each episode is a parable about the darker side of human nature, especially when it comes to being heartless and ignorant. These parables are based on scenarios that could actually exist in the real world and make the viewer think about their personal ethics as well as the ethics of others. Yet, despite the hard truths, there is an element of hope that comes from the anime's main character, Kino.

Kino has become my number ... one favorite female protagonist in anime. As I progressed with the series, I found myself admiring how swiftly she could defend herself with a gun, how considerate she was of others, and how resilient and wise she was for her age. She teaches the anime's ultimate lesson, which is that if you are conscious of your identity, actions, and the world around you, then you can survive any bad stuff life throws at you and maybe make a positive difference in someone's life.

When it comes to the art, it is good, but nothing too special. The art has its moments of beauty, like when Kino stares up at the night sky or is in a field of flowers. Other than that, it doesn't play a significant role on the impact of the anime. Meanwhile, the sound provides a meditative atmosphere for the viewer to chew on certain events, thoughts, and morals.

Overall, this was a fantastic anime that shows how poignant the medium can be. If you want an anime that makes think about what you are watching, then I recommend this. However, due to the strong violence in this anime, I would not let children watch this.

These 13 episodes are packed with compelling storylines all revolving around the character of Kino who is journeying from fictional country to country on her motorbike.

The animation is acceptable, nothing fancy but enough to keep your attention. The music adequate, servicing the tale with audial emotion. The direction satisfactory, a worthy adaptation that has faith in the source material.

Where this anime shines is in the story which is undoubtedly the most important factor of any moving picture with a narrative. Kino's Journey has masterful storytelling at its core, each episode is like a fairy tale, a myth, a legend, a lesson. ... Its not groundbreaking, its simply universal.

Each country in this tale has its own philosophy to life, its own distinctive customs, and the anime repeatedly asks how far can you respect a country's customs and at what point do you make a stand for your own beliefs.

The people Kino meets, the situations she finds herself in, the difficult choices she has to make, the way she deals with them and the lessons she learns make this anime entertaining and thoughtful. Two traits that a lot of anime shows are hard pressed to find and attain.

One of the biggest criticisms the anime medium constantly faces is that it merely a form of entertainment. With the abundance of shows, especially in the recent years, that are evidently nothing more than blatant attempts to cater to hormone-overflowing young men with endless amounts of fanservice, it is easy to see why many skeptics share this common misconception. And while there are numerous titles that break the mold and provide watchers with much more than just flashy action sequences featuring gun-toting, well-endowed girls, a great deal are quickly forgotten, destined to only be watched by a small fraction of individuals who are ... well aware of the true potential of this medium. Kino no Tabi – The Beautiful World fits these criteria quite nicely. It is truly a gem in the rough that many people are too near-sighted to be able to see and appreciate.

At first glance, the premise of Kino no Tabi is remarkably simple. The female protagonist, Kino, and her anthropomorphic motorcycle visit numerous countries, sometimes several in the span of a single episode, each of which has its own traditions and customs. Over the course of her journey, Kino finds herself in the midst of these societies - some of which have downright appalling practices. The absurdity inherent in said cultures will undoubtedly raise an important question – could any of these societies actually exist in real life? However, it is important to keep in mind that Kino no Tabi is an allegorical work that, for the sake of being truly enjoyed, must not be examined through reality-tinted glasses. Its episodic nature may be an instant turn-off for some viewers, and although it is not untrue to say that it does not matter in what order one watches its 13 episodes (barring a two-episode arc), the will to continue the series does not come from the suspense established from cliffhangers, but rather from the curiosity brought about from wondering what kind of place Kino will travel to next. Unfortunately, like the vast majority of anime of this nature, Kino no Tabi’s episodes are prone to inconsistency. The fluctuation in quality is most evident in the two-episode Coliseum arc placed strategically in the middle of the series (whether or not this placement was intentional is anybody’s guess). Not only does this arc deviate from the standard episodic format, it is, arguably, not nearly as philosophically meaningful as the rest of the stories presented. While the arc does give the writers the opportunity to showcase the abilities of the highly skilled yet passive Kino through intense fight sequences, something that was undoubtedly in high demand after her expert marksmanship and competency with knives are revealed, it felt horribly out of place and negatively impacted the slow but consistent pacing of the rest of the series.

Despite the lack of an overall sense of direction and consequently, a coherent storyline, Kino no Tabi fortunately does not suffer from the inability to connect and incorporate its many tales into an overarching theme. As Kino travels throughout the world and becomes acquainted with the people who inhabit it, it becomes clear that each of her encounters is essentially a separate journey into the labyrinth that is the human psyche to explore one of the many elements that make it up. The issues touched upon in the series range from the inherent pugnacious and competitive nature of humanity to the true purpose of altruism; from the tendencies of humans to blindly believe in prophecies to the consequences of not having a self-conscious.

While there are a number of series that boast profound symbolism and powerful messages, only a small fraction actually manages to convey them effectively through their incorporation into the plot. Kino no Tabi’s success in performing such a difficult task lies in its subtlety. An unobservant viewer could easily sit through all 13 episodes and see nothing more than a biker girl traveling to different countries and meeting new people. However, at the same time, the ideas conveyed in the series are clear enough that one does not have to be a literature or film major in order to identify and comprehend them. In that regard, Kino no Tabi succeeds in reaching the middle ground that even some famous literary works struggle to attain.

In philosophical works such as Kino no Tabi, characters often take a backstage role and are sometimes even demoted to serve only as plot devices. Although it is clear that neither Kino nor Hermes, the only two reoccurring characters, is the main focus of the series, together they play an integral role in its success. In terms of being a likeable character, Kino’s apparent indifference is perhaps her biggest strength and flaw at the same time. Kino constantly insists that she is merely a traveler and, as such, will not interfere with the internal affairs of any of the countries she visits. While it may be quite frustrating to witness Kino’s inaction in the face of imminent disaster, it is, ironically, also this complete personal detachment from the world around her that makes her quite realistic and likeable. In a medium plagued with hot-headed protagonists with a one-sided sense of justice, Kino stands out as a truly unique character.

However, the decision to sculpt Kino into such an apathetic individual was clearly not motivated by the fact that it would make her unique. More often than not, anime that attempt to explore philosophical or social issues are prone to something known commonly as author’s bias – the writers may inadvertently implant their own values and views into the minds of the characters. Thanks to Kino’s impartiality, the problem of author’s bias is eliminated completely, allowing the viewer to draw his or her own conclusions about the many issues highlighted throughout the series.

Hermes, Kino's talking motorcycle, acts as the perfect companion to his owner. Not only are his conversations with Kino thoroughly enjoyable to listen to due to the occasional humour, they also allow for further thematic exploration. In addition, considering the underlying theme of the series is the nature of humanity, his presence as a non-human makes their discussions even more interesting.

For a series made nearly 10 years ago, Kino no Tabi's animation quality is impressive. While the character design is quite plain, the animation itself is surprisingly fluid for its time, especially during the Coliseum fight scenes where there is a great deal of character movement. Given the nature of the series, the scenery is constantly changing, sometimes even multiple times in the span of a episode. The environment designs are simplistic yet strikingly beautiful at the same time. Kino's travels bring her to countless different cities, many of which have unique and beautifully depicted architecture, from modest brick houses surrounded by picturesque gardens to futuristic skyscrapers. Interestingly enough, the soundtrack in Kino no Tabi is, for the most part, absent. Apart from the lovely opening and equally euphonious ending, the series does not boast any memorable tracks. However, Kino no Tabi uses this to its advantage, as what many people fail to realize is that sometimes dead silence is the best way to make an emotional scene even more effective.

While Kino no Tabi is certainly not a series for everyone given its lack of a well-defined plot, limited character development, stagnant pacing, and questionable topics and scenes, it is a worthwhile watch for anyone who is looking for more than just pure enjoyment in the anime medium. Kino no Tabi may be a satirical work, but its true purpose is not to criticize humanity. As it does not attempt to draw any conclusions, it merely aims to make us aware of the negative, as well as positive, traits that we share as humans. While there are many aspects of human nature that are not at all beautiful, they are what differentiate us from other animals and make us who we are.

The world is not beautiful, therefore it is.

“Someone once told me that watching the birds made them want to go on a journey.”

What’s more important, the journey or the destination? Usually this type of question requires a level of context to be able to answer properly. Sometimes the journey is nothing more than simple steps required in order to achieve something. Other times it’s the paths you take that leave the most impact overtime. If you were to ask me, I would generally say that the journey holds more weight as the journey is where one is able to grow and learn about themselves and the world around them. The destination, to ... me is a by-product on one’s journey and what they acquire from it. Because a journey is at its philosophical core a learning experience, one doesn’t even need a clear goal in mind, instead finding comfort and contentment within their own journey. Kino is the sort of person who embraces this kind of lifestyle and solely desires to travel. She is one who sees birds as beings able to traverse the land freely and wishes to follow; to see all parts of the world through the lens of her own eyes; expanding her own knowledge and understanding through discovering new people and cultures along the way as she goes on with her journey.

Kino’s Journey was initially a series of critically acclaimed light novels detailing the journey of Kino, accompanied by Hermes, a talking motorcycle as they travel across a mystical world full of many different countries, each unique in their customs, technology and people. In 2003 an anime adaptation was made by A.C.G.T, a lesser known production company, and contained 13 episodes, almost all containing their own short story where Kino and Hermes travel to a country, learn about the people, values, traditions, as well as what lies underneath, before leaving after no more than three days for fear of settling down. The show is episodic, with barely any linear narrative present, only being concerned with showing glimpses of their journey together and what Kino and Hermes experience with each new setting. The countries Kino travels to are more like their own civilizations, completely cut-off from each other as shown through differences in technology, infrastructure, beliefs, etc. Through this episodic style of storytelling, Kino’s Journey manages to showcase different aspects of society and the human condition in each episode, providing enough ‘food for thought’ to keep viewers intrigued about the different societies and how they came to be. It is a very philosophical show despite never going in-depth with the themes present. However, I see this as a strength in regards to the way Kino’s Journey executes each of its themes.

The main thing to understand when watching Kino’s Journey is that viewers are put in the position of observers alongside Kino and Hermes, who are also merely observing what happens around them with a neutral perspective. At the start of every episode, we are given a fairly rudimentary view at the setting and the people within it, each with their own distinct features and mysterious backstory. From there, our main characters ask questions that aim to bring light to the history of this country and/or citizens that help highlight the themes of each episode before unravelling the underlying reasons why certain things are the way that they are. The themes from these countries include societal elements such as religion, morality, communication, violence, etc. that while exaggerated, do contain a sense of realism to them, making each country seem more like an unnerving dystopia than just a simple place to visit. The way these elements are portrayed are never overly optimistic or pessimistic, instead I believe that Kino’s Journey accurately portrays these universal truths. It’s a presentation choice that can easily turn viewers away from the series, purely being seen as lazy writing if done poorly, but here it is arguably the show’s greatest feat: leaving each story open-ended with minimal explanation allows viewers to immerse themselves in the philosophical concepts presented and freely interpret what the core messages are behind each episode. There’s nothing here that feels forced and is in my eyes a show that respects the audience enough to tell an engaging story enjoyed on the surface, yet provide an abundance of thoughtful discussion for die-hard fans of the series.

The numerous locations Kino’s Journey takes place at are an important part of conveying the themes present in this show, but this show is more than just Kino and Hermes travelling to uncertain worlds in my eyes. To me, Kino’s Journey is primarily concerned about looking at the essentials believed to make up humanity. It’s an anime that, while exposes the dangers societies can face, ultimately aims to find answers to who we are as human beings, the challenges and tribulations which stem from life and the issues that may come as a result. While not every episode involves a new country, it does reveal a new shade of humanity, whether good or bad. The show tells us in the beginning that “The world is not beautiful” and it does not shy away of showing terrible pasts and heinous acts. And with each terrible event it seems as though Kino is always questioning the philosophy behind it all, yet never makes wholly assumptions based off them. Kino, despite how many times she may have seen similar cases of awful deeds, remains sceptical of everything and everyone. And with this trait, numerous questions arise about how circumstances may be flawed, but gives little comments on how these problems could be solved. No matter how dark the show gets, it never overpowers what you’re watching or hinder one’s enjoyment. Alongside the morbid subject matter, Kino’s Journey offers some light-hearted and uplifting events spread across the 13 episodes, balancing out the darker themes present throughout, and gives the show elements of hope. Never before have I seen an anime offer so many dense questions about philosophical, ethical and moral dilemmas associated with human nature so effortlessly, and it made re-watching the series all the more rewarding.

Because Kino’s Journey is episodic, it’s rather difficult for me to be specific about the different themes, questions and messages provided in this show. Because of this, I’ve decided that I’ll go over some of my thoughts for each story and what I interpreted from it. And with respect to Kino’s take on travelling, I shall restrict each part to only a few sentences. Warning: Many spoilers will be here so if you don’t want to know what exactly happens in Kino’s Journey I encourage you to skip this part of the review. With that said, here are my thoughts:

****************SPOILERS****************

1 – Land of Visible Pain: If human could hear each other’s thoughts, wouldn’t they grow closer? Actually, it caused the opposite; dissension and separation. Peace with all was not achieved when all privacy was lost. No one can completely love everything about someone – there’s always conflict, we are all individuals, after all. But it’s the relationships that can appreciate each other in spite of these conflicts that remain strong through any kind of tribulation.

2 – A Tale of Feeding Off Others: More like a tale of a traveller among wolves in human flesh. These people have committed heinous acts, but if what they said about their families are true, they are still human beings with some sense of morality among them. Yet an experienced traveller like Kino has probably faced situations like this before, and she still chose to help them survive, sacrificing rabbits whose death she acknowledges were in vain. Humans have as much potential to hurt each other as they do to help.

3 – Land of Prophecies: This episode covers four related stories: first a town where the apocalypse is believed to be upon us, followed by a place that wants so desperately to belong they base their culture on it, then we see a land whose unintentional connection to a past town seems concerning, before witnessing the result of this; destruction. The episode focuses heavily of beliefs and religion, specifically the fanatic side of it all. Humanity is gullible, attaching itself to beliefs no matter how incredibly off their interpretation of it all is. Context is everything.

4 – Land of Adults: It’s Kino’s backstory. There’s more to life than this dreary world made up by working adults, and people know that, but they’re afraid of never experiencing everything they could want. And thus, someone decided it would be better if that ambitious mentality was excised out of everyone, but what else was lost. Hell, her own parents tried to murder her for wanting more out of her life. Everyone in that town was just another brick in the wall, and now that Kino has broken away from said wall, she is free to consciously do as she wishes.

5 – Three Men Along the Rails: Kino comes across men who have done their job for decades that oppose one another, essentially making all that work meaningless, and a country that crumbled under an extreme form of democracy. Humans need direction in their lives to keep their lives fulfilling and important, no matter how unnecessary, pointless or pressured. Once this is removed, one ceases to have meaning in one’s life. The fork in the road at the end is interesting, with Kino’s reasoning being if they end up at a place they dislike, they can always backtrack and try the other road.

6 – Coliseum: Kino stops at a country reputed for its beauty, she finds it under rule by a cruel and hedonistic king who subjects all visitors to gladiator-like duels. The end-result, Kino stands tall and kills the king, followed by issuing a new law: First-class citizens can fight until the last one standing is king. This new rule, while cruel on the surface, is actually providing safety to travellers, lower-class citizens; people that don’t wish to fight, and leaves the higher class’ desire for bloodshed to themselves, leaving the consumers of gladiatorial combat to confront the horrors they have subjected onto others for their own amusement.

7 – Land of Wizards: In the Land of Wizards, one’s worth is measured by one’s ability to increase crop production, but here lies one girl who wishes to build a successful flying machine, to the disproval of her townsfolk. However, with perseverance and the help of a traveller and her motorcycle, she achieves her dream. Similar to Land of Adults, the one who strives to reach something beyond what the people around them think. How can one can human without actually living one’s life? Despite the happy ending, the episode showed how steadfast people can be in their old ways of thinking and when witnessing something they do not understand, see it as magic. Weakest episode though.

8 – Land of Books: Arguably the most complex episode. What seems to be a look at the faults of censorship and authoritarianism on the surface delves into the effects of fiction. How one can lose themselves in an illusion, both damaging through escaping all of reality’s ties on you and a place of solitude from the harsh circumstances one is overwhelmed with. If all you could want in the world is in a book with nothing written inside, does that mean the world is nothing? We are the authors of our own lives.

9 – A Tale of Mechanical Dolls: A woman who saw her family die substituted them for her own mechanical creations. She loved them as her own, but the feeling was not mutual, only out of purpose. But when their purpose is lost, what then? Do they look for a new reason to live? Do they have a reason to live? Everyone copes differently and everyone has their own individual purpose to live, even if they aren’t human.

10 – Her Journey: This episode is all about Kino reflecting on the other people she had met on her journey, with most of the focus being around meeting a regarded wise man. But the wise man tells Kino he is not wise, for he wanted to rid himself of self-consciousness, thought to be the root of evil actions, however it also erased many other important qualities that makes someone human. How ironic with how he wasted his life living for nothing, and people thought of him as wise.

11 – A Peaceful Land: A war that lasted hundreds of years is resolved through a game that destroys the lives of countless innocents of a third party. The screams, cries, blood and death goes unnoticed when competition is at this level. But is the third-party as innocent as we think? Aggression only channels further aggression despite the initial look of peace. Ends do not justify the means here. An observation on how barbaric human nature can be, lacking any sense of empathy. Why do humans fight for ultimately nothing?

12 – A Kind Land: Kino travels to a land where travellers are apparently shunned, yet they are extremely welcoming and friendly to her. Her wish to stay longer than 3 days almost caused her death. Kino, no matter how unemotional she may act, is still a human, and cares for others like you would expect a good person would. Kino’s distraught expression as a helpless observer being one of the most powerful moments in the series. It’s a poignant end to the series yet also has a sense of completeness about it, with the choices of the people to die along with their town has this essence of beauty that’s hard to put to words.

****************SPOILERS END****************

One of the more undervalued parts of Kino’s Journey is how it goes about its characterization. Kino and Hermes are the only two characters the show has, with every other person being a part of their own setting, leaving all the development to our protagonists. Both leads are ambiguous characters in their own rights, however Hermes is a much simpler case being a talking motorcycle with no focus on backstory, acting primarily as the voice of reason throughout the series. Whereas Kino appears as a neutral observer all the time, making few comments on her thoughts about the circumstances present each episode and only getting involved when necessary. She plays her role as a traveller well, merely asking questions to broaden her own understanding and staying out of a country’s own business. While one may see this as Kino not willing to point out issues, I found it wise on her behalf; she knows she is only one person amidst the whole of society and knows that she will not be able to make any massive changes everywhere she goes. As Kino herself says: “Playing God is not my job”. Of course, this does not go as planned all the time, sometimes finding herself participating in each country’s way of life with troubles alongside. In these cases, intervention is inevitable, and even then she never “fixes” these broken parts of society, rather seeming content allowing nature to dictate its future. At the end of every episode, Kino and Hermes converse about what may be considered fun banter at face value but is more akin to understanding how the world functions and the difficulties that come with. Despite how the two may think differently, both realize the world is full of faults. But the faults are what drives human nature into individuals like all of us.

The production values for Kino’s Journey are hit-or-miss for the most part. The animation is very generic with small bursts of life when Kino was forced into action, and the designs are all simplistic with a very lacklustre colour pallete that rids contrast for nearly every location. But I would not say it negatively impacted my viewing as it matched the relaxing vibe the show has, never requiring amazing visuals to keep me interested. And personally, I like the art style used here; early 2000’s similar to Fullmetal Alchemist ’03 and Wolf’s Rain. As for audio, it only helped enhance the viewing experience. The music was very ambient with both the opening and ending themes always being a pleasure to listen to. The English dub was done by Sentai Filmworks and they did a solid job in my opinion despite the lofty disproval of the dub by many fans of the series. Kelli Collins voicing Kino was the highlight of the dub, giving the young woman a sense of maturity all the time, whereas Cynthia Martinez voicing Hermes came off as cartoonish who I could definitely see irritating some viewers. Overall I don’t think it hinders the overall quality, but the subbed version is better; characters sound better, emotions are better expressed, there’s more insightful commentary for each episode, if you want the better version, go with the subbed.

In conclusion, the 13 episodes that make up Kino’s Journey tell stories of human interaction in different scenarios, each providing its own aspect and perspective on humanity and the world we live in. It’s rare to come across an anime that is so thought-provoking from a seemingly simplistic setup and presentation every episode, and while episodes will vary in their immersion and interpretations, each story shows a different side of philosophy that will keep you intrigued the more you think about it. Kino’s Journey, despite how neutral the show portrays its themes, comes off as one of the most human anime I’ve ever seen. It has no problem showing off all of humanity’s flaws, because that is half of the message underneath it all. We as complex human beings all have a mix of good and bad qualities, but rather than belittle all the negative parts, Kino’s Journey aims to show that all these aspects make up who we are and the world around us.

“The world is not beautiful. And that, in a way, lends it a sort of beauty.”

Title: Kino no Tabi: The Beautiful World

Novel/Anime: Kino no Tabi originally began as a series of light novels, authored by Keichii Sigsawa and illustrated by Kouhaku Kuroboshi. Installments began running in MediaWorks' magazine Dengeki hp in March 2000, and it is still running, currently with ten compiled volumes available. Tokyopop has licensed the light novels Stateside, and the first volume was released in October of 2006.

The anime itself was done by Studio Wombat, which did the animation for the End of Evangelion movie, and directed by Ryutaro Nakamura, who also directed REC and Serial Experiment Lain. It ran from April 8th, 2003 ... to July 8th, 2003 in Japan. ADV Films licensed it Stateside and ran it under the title Kino's Journey; the fourth and final volume was released Stateside June 29th, 2004.

Story: Kino no Tabi focuses on Kino, her talking motorcycle named Hermes, and their travels together. Kino has only two real rules about her travels; one, she never gets involved with anything going on in the countries she visits, and two, she never stays for more than three days.

This is a really neat series. None of the episodes really connect to each other; they're more like one-shots, with the only real thing linking them being the fact that they're stops on Kino's journey. But each one of these stops provides some kind of insight on human nature, or on Kino herself. And the plot for each episode is exquisite, some of the best writing I've seen in a while.

You end up bonding with Kino and Hermes, too, as the episodes go on, which is vital for the series' sucess; if you hadn't been able to feel with them, the series wouldn't have had nearly as much impact as it did.

There is a laundry list of things that appear in every single episodes; however, these end up being more endearing than grating.

Also, there is some blood in this series; nothing over the top, but if you don't like blood, it'll be more than enough.

Pilot Episode: Kino no Tabi's 12-minute pilot episode, The Tower Country, provides a good basis for what the rest of the series was like, and introduced some of the mainstays of every episode. It's not the best story, but it's a strong story, nonetheless.

Art: The art style is a bit simpler than I've seen in other series, a bit more linear than it is smooth, similar to the style seen in Fantastic Children. However, it's still beautiful, and fits this series perfectly.

Music: This series barely even needs background music, but when it does use it, it's absolutely beautiful, and calming. The same goes for the OP and ED for this series. I went to find this OST, and I've actually been using it to help me sleep lately; trust me, this is a good thing.

Seiyuu: There's nothing I can find wrong with this series, with regards to seiyuu. There are only two real main seiyuu, the ones for Hermes and Kino. They do sound similar, but I kind of like that. I'm not really sure why, either. ^^;

Dub: N/A, because I've never seen it. ^^;

Length: This is the one area where the series suffers.

First off, there's the fact of episode placement. Because all of these episodes are one-shots, there's no real order they have to go in (except for the last episode, really, which can't be moved). I found the placement of some episodes to be poor, because some of the weaker episodes, story-wise, came after some really strong ones, and I didn't like them as much as I might have, were they placed somewhere else in the series.

This series gives you just a short dip into this world; these thirteen episodes leave you wanting more. And they have yet to announce a second season, though one movie has been released, and a second one is slated to be released this April. The source material is on-going, and the anime itself only covered a fraction of the original story, so they don't have too much of an excuse for making it as short as it was.

Overall: An excellently-written, if slightly short and kind of poorly-planned series, with characters you bond with, and beautiful art and music.

Story: 10/10
Pilot Episode: 9/10
Art: 9/10
Music: 9/10
Seiyuu: 9/10
Length: 8/10

Overall: 54/60; 90% (A)

I was reminded of some lines I'd long since forgotten:

“To ride, shoot straight, and speak the truth,
this was the ancient law of youth.”

For Kino, the riding and the shooting come easily enough. But in a series of encounters with strange places and people, she quickly learns that the truths of the world are far harder to grasp than the motorcycle's handlebars, or the grips of the revolver.

Kino's world is an attractive wash of natural pastels, with earthy yellows, greens, and browns taking the center stage. The backgrounds aren't highly detailed, but they match the tones and colors we associate with nature, and they're striking in ... their consistency and the impression of a vast world that they manage to convey. It's all lovingly lit, and the show occasionally shows off a highly realistic reflection of sunlight off of standing water or snow. The animation is fluid and smooth, with not a stutter to be seen even during scenes of quick action. The editing follows the trend of simplistic beauty set by most of the show's technical aspects, with the visual focus often lingering appropriately on items that are important to the underlying themes.

The same could be said of the sound. This is the facet of the show that's the least obvious; what little music there is is soft and understated, typically consisting of a series of slow drum beats or simple chords played on a stringed instrument. On its own, the score isn't a blast to listen to, but I can't imagine one that would have better fit the tone of the narrative. More often than not, the series is content to rely on light atmospheric noise, such as the wind whistling in the trees, the sound of snow falling from branches, the rush of water, or the labored breathing of the protagonist. Artificial sound effects are used sparsely but superbly, with the echo of a lonely gunshot often carrying surprising weight and meaning. Often there is complete silence, and as an audience member, I did not yearn for more noise. The series is one of quiet contemplation, and that suits it.

Kino's Journey is episodic; with the notable exception of a two-episode plot, all of its entries are self-contained, telling one story in twenty minutes. This is both a strength and a weakness. On the plus side, it allows the series to tackle a large number of themes and ideas without them all blurring awkwardly together, as they might in a single larger story. It would be difficult to have a continuous thirteen episode story do justice to the themes of censorship, tradition, the nature of kindness and evil, imagination, faith, and many others, but through its ability to contain each of these within one story, Kino's Journey arguably pulls it off. The price paid for this is consistency in the quality of the episodes, which suffer from a little bit of hit-or-miss. A lot of them are great stories, and there's at least one that I wouldn't hesitate to describe as a masterpiece, but there are several others that simply don't stack up to the high standards the series sets for itself early on. Adding all of the episodes together, the result is a pleasant viewing experience, but one that's a little uneven, flickering back and forth between “brilliant” and “decent.” Some shows are greater than the sum of their parts; Kino's Journey has parts that are greater than its sum.

Characters? Well, the obvious starting point is the enigmatic dead-eye, Kino. An inherently interesting character for many reasons. She's perceptive beyond her years, often noting things about people that they might not even realize themselves. She appreciates life, be it human or animal, and in spite of her reputation as a sharpshooter, she won't pull the trigger unless it's unavoidable. Despite having a decidedly checkered past, she's opted to look at the world as a beautiful place rather than tread the path of cynicism or self-pity. An excellent counterpoint is provided by the talking motorcycle, Hermes. A childish pragmatist with a simpler view of the world, he often asks Kino the kind of difficult questions that children ask, as if curious about why her moral compass works the way it does.

As memorable a character as Kino is, the series ultimately stops short of building her up as much as it could have. What little we know about her is precious information. She often wears the mask of the stoic observer, content to calmly watch the actions of the societies she visits, and not get involved. She's an interesting character because of that stoicism, but the strongest moments of the series are when it breaks down and she's profoundly affected by something that she does or witnesses. Those moments, unfortunately, are few in number. Her journey is a veritable tapestry of great and terrible things, but what's missing from the equation is the knowledge of how those things affect her in the long run. A personal note, something to tie the two halves of the show's title together, is what was needed, and the experience suffers just a little bit from its absence.

All of that being said, this is an excellently written and lovingly animated series that raises several insightful questions about life and the world around us, and obviously series like that aren't common. Mature in its themes and compelling in its execution, Kino's Journey is an admirable venture that I have no problem recommending.

It's difficult to sum up Kino's Journey in words. The only words that come close are unique and stunning. The premise is simple. It follows the journey of a traveler and her talking motorcycle as they travel from place to place and encounter many unusual cultures and customs in the process. However, this simple summary falls short of giving a potential viewer any deep sense of what they're about to see. Each episode explores elements of society and human nature with a rare sense of beauty, touching upon the addressed themes with a sense of pathos that entire series dedicated to them may fail ... to really drive home until the very end. This is not a series driven by eye popping battles, but when they happen, it's not only exciting, but makes one to feel as if they are witnessing something deeper. The most certainly less than kid friendly violence is handled with a thoughtfulness that makes it truly thought provoking rather than a juvenile attempt to appear more gritty than other series. This is less of a show and more of an artistic experience. If anyone wants definitive proof that anime is more than just over the top fight scenes and fan service and is capable of reaching the level of high art, they need only watch Kino's Journey. Few works of any variety are handled so intelligently.

A journey can be a pivotal point in a person’s life. It provides an opportunity for a person to experience a new world where they encounter new ideas and do things they have never done before. More importantly, a journey allows is a time of self-discovery. Interacting with a new culture forces a person to evaluate their own beliefs and customs that may seem natural to them, but may soon learn they are not intuitive. It is also an opportunity to see that there are things that are universal for all cultures. It is this power that a journey has ... that the anime Kino’s Journeys attempts to tap.

Kino’s Journey follows a traveler named Kino and her talking motorcycle called Hermes. They are both traveling the world visiting country after country with no real final destination. This setup causes Kino’s Journey to be a very episodic. It is also nearly impossible to establish any linear timeline with no carryover between episodes and multiple episodes consisting of stories in the form of flashbacks.

The characters in this anime are a mixed bag. Kino and Hermes are examples of extremely well designed characters. Kino presents a stoic exterior, but you eventually get a feel for her as a person from all the little details the show gives you. Hermes mainly serves as the catalyst that actually gets Kino to talk but does little besides that. Fortunately, what it does is perfect for the anime. Hermes asks some very interesting questions which usually receive an interesting answer from Kino which serves as one of the main sources of her characterization. The other characters are caricatures more than anything else. The episodic nature prevents more than a brief one-dimensional look at them. It becomes very hard to gain affinity with most of the characters because they never feel human. The characters serve their purpose in the story, but their lack of humanity prevents their actions from having any real weight.

The main problem with the show is that it isn’t deep. At first glance it appears that there is a lot down there, but when you dive in you’ll soon find your head hitting the bottom. The stories are parables that cover a wide range of subjects with a general theme of humanity being naturally evil. Often the story is a social commentary that usually involves a society that is distorted in some fundamental way and Kino observing the outcome. Some other stories feature morality issues and a few others attempt to tackle philosophical questions. The stories are very judgmental; often the gavel sounds as soon as the case is presented. It is usually very clear that one side is wrong while the other is right. The show never attempts to present a morally ambiguous situation that forces you to reflect on the issue. It is only when you are forced to walk in the grey area between right and wrong that you truly learn about yourself.

The only thing I truly found interesting in Kino’s Journey is when I considered the thought that the world the anime shows is the world seen through Kino’s eyes. Her prejudices influence how she perceives the situations presented and cause a very distorted world. To Kino, moral issues tend to be very cut-and-dry, so the world she perceives reflects that. The reason Kino travels is that she is unable to find a place the meshes with her understanding of the world, so she continues to travel while futilely wishing the world conformed to her and her being unable to ever consider changing herself. Looking at Kino’s Journey this way can open up some very interesting interpretations of Kino’s actions and the events that happened, but I doubt that view was ever intended so it doesn’t improve my opinion of the show.

Kino’s journey is definitely a good anime, but I would be hard pressed to call it great. It is very similar to fairy tales. The stories border on the fantastical, the characters are very basic, there are clear moral lessons in the stories, and the story itself is very short. The main reason I give this anime a 7/10 is that it is designed to make a person think, but I don’t feel better for watching it. The anime offers no opportunity for dialogue. The lessons Kino’s Journey provides are lessons that I imagine most people who visit this site have already learned.

Kino's Journey has about three or four outstanding episodes. The rest are mediocre with the occasional inspired scene or two. The draw of the show seems to be that it's supposed to be cerebral, the kind of show that makes you think. I have only just recently watched Kino's Journey all the way through and can only remember what half of the episodes are about.

I think the biggest weakness is that while Kino and Hermes are pretty interesting characters, rarely do you get any real interest in the people they meet. I think the pace of the show is too quick. The country of the ... week doesn't get enough time to show itself off. The best episode is The Colloseum, which takes its time so much it's a two-parter.

Mostly uninspired storylines don't help much. There's one episode in which a young engineer is ridiculed for her attempts to build a flying machine. I didn't know people still used that one. A few stories are better than that, though. I enjoyed the final two episodes, though They made me wish even more that Kino's Journey was an hour-long show. Episode 12 especially had a bunch of ideas that could have been explored.

Kino's Journey:

I enjoyed the series. Since each individual episode was self-contained, it was easy to slowly work my way through it. And even though each episode was self-contained, I found myself invested in Kino and Hermes (Hermes is Kino's talking motorcycle). As a traveler, Kino visited several countries that represented different facets of society and human psychology (sometimes exaggerated to a ridiculous extent). Regardless of a country's strange or even deplorable customs, Kino would oftentimes take a stance of non-interference. And even though Kino took the role of an onlooker many times, she showed that she was a strong character that is easy to like.

The ... examples presented by each country beg to be analyzed or at least contemplated. They are not simple stories with no meaning behind them. Rather, they are similar to parables and apologues. However, the constant presence of Kino and Hermes strings these stories together into a journey. Yes, it is interesting to see each country and whatever oddities they might have. However, this is also a story about Kino and how she interacts with these countries. Kino and Hermes bring a personal touch and a personal investment that greatly enhances the whole experience. Without them, the series would be much less interesting.

The atmosphere set by the art and music was perfect for this journey. I definitely got the "traveling" feeling from the very first minute up until the end. Even though the viewer follows Kino to some horrible or depressing countries, there is a sense of serenity that blankets the entire series. Almost as to comfort the viewer, this subtle air of optimism reassures us that the world is still beautiful and worth experiencing.

Now, I've been gushing over what this series has. But what is Kino's Journey missing?

There are a lot of things that this series is not. There is no fan-service, gratuitous violence, or romance. There aren't amazing action sequences or substantial character growth. There are no villains you can hate or side characters you can love. It's just a story about Kino and the countries she visits. Some people may be turned off by this. But the whole POINT of the series is this simplicity. It's a series that aims to paint a wide, colorful picture of the world through the journey of an admirable girl. And it achieves that spectacularly.

My shorthand way of describing Kino’s Journey is that it’s Aesop’s Fables the Anime. The characters do not act like real humans, nor do their dialogue and actions seem like those of normal humans. That is because it is not a story about people. It’s a story about society. It’s about democracy and religion and work and the things we take for granted because we do not question these societal constructs.

The story follows Kino, a perfectly nice fellow as he travels from country to country on his talking motorbike, staying in each country for only 3 days. The importance behind the 3 day rule is ... that it is enough time for Kino to see the country and understand its traditions and customs from all angles, but too short a time to have any influence on proceedings. Kino remains detached from proceedings, only asking the probing questions to get to the heart of why these customs came to be.

Kino’s Journey will force you to reconsider your view of the world through its weird parables. The writing is unrealistic and doesn’t flow like natural dialogue should, but that’s not the point. It’s structured in a way to reveal the fallacies behind the world the character’s live in. Every country Kino visits has its own structure that you can obviously see has serious issues, but during the course of each character’s conversation with Kino, it gets straight to the heart of why it is they do not notice the irony of their society’s structure. “None of our people die in war” is a very specific way of phrasing the mindset behind why an extremely powerful country and its equally powerful neighbour can happily slaughter the technologically inferior country and still think they’re living in a more peaceful world. A rather eerie parallel to first world country foreign policy.

Not every episode gets it right though. Episodes 8 through to 11 didn’t do much to light my fire. Particularly the episode about the book censorship and the resistance movement was a complete mess. It did have the odd good scene. I loved the shot of the critics, a bunch of stuffy self-righteous people trapped inside a single room inside a large tower with their only audience being each other. But nothing came together and all its messages got completely mixed up. But thankfully the show made up for this poor run with the last two episodes being arguably the best in the series. Episode 12, the one about how the two advanced countries stopped everyone dying in war, was my favourite of the whole series.

Kino’s Journey is timeless, and could honestly work in whatever format it’s in. Sure the anime itself works. The artwork is unique enough to stand out, stylised enough not to age, and reserved enough to take a back seat to the storytelling. But Kino’s Journey could be live action, a manga, a novel, a flipbook, scribbled on a public bathroom door, and it would still work. It’s themes are universal as long as humanity exists. You might need to change the talking motorbike to a talking hoverboard in the future and change the railroad the three men are working a completely meaningless job on to a friction-free hyper-gravitational pneumatic tube, but there will always be people working completely pointless jobs and not questioning why it is they’re doing it. There will always be people following the beliefs of someone above them despite their obvious stupidity simply because that person they idolise said it was true. There will always be war.

So long as these things still exist, Kino’s Journey will still be relevant.

Overview:

I continue my trilogy of reviews covering legitimately great anime to celebrate 300 reviews here on MAL. Kino's Journey is a 2003 anime directed by the late great Ryutaro Nakamura. It was adapted from a series of light novels written by a guy who uses the pen name "Sigsawa". Everyone get your groans out of the way now. At first this seems like an odd pairing because Nakamura was a super artsy dude. Kind of like a Woody Allen...without the alleged pedophilia. On the other hand, "Sigsawa" is a man absolutely obsessed with guns, hunting, motorcycles, American muscle cars, and all things MANLY. Sigsawa's favorite ... anime is Sword Art Online and he's far more likely to be out blasting squirrels with a shotgun than attending a modern art exhibition. Somehow, this odd couple worked really well and Kino's Journey turned out a very unique and fun experience.

Background:

Kino's Journey is an episodic travel series in which the plot and characters aren't really the primary focus. What makes the series great is the themes and philosophical questions raised by each unique country that Kino visits on her journey. It's basically like an anime version of the Twilight Zone and I love that! These questions typically end with the viewer being left to decide for themselves. Nakamura strongly believed that it was the duty of the author to raise important questions, not provide easy answers.

Story:

A young girl is raised in a horrible future dystopia where teens are implanted with special microchips to help them achieve "adulthood". Being an adult is defined as completely lacking the desire for entertainment, adventure, and learning. Adults are those who work miserable and meaningless jobs 16 hours a day and do so with an empty smile on their faces. While Nakamura likely meant this as a satire of Japanese society, it's very close to Western portrayal of North Korea. A traveling man on a motorcycle named Kino arrives in this land and quickly ends up befriending this nameless girl. Kino is a wandering vagabond that wishes to visit every country in this bizarre future. The young girl has second thoughts about getting the chip implant, so her own parents decide to try stab her to death for disappointing Dear Leader. They do so with creepy smiles on their faces the entire time, which makes this a particularly chilling scene. Kino is murdered defending the girl, but she escapes on the motorcycle and starts calling herself Kino. Several years pass and Kino is now a badass, revolver wielding killer who makes for a truly unusual heroine.

So why is Kino so odd for a main protagonist? Kino is extremely cold, calculating, and rarely shows real emotion. She will sometimes help others, but is pretty morally ambiguous and will also kill without hesitation. She has traits more often seen in supporting cast anti-heroes or sympathetic villains. In one episode, a family of androids decide they've become obsolete after their master dies and kill themselves. Kino just watches and gives zero fucks. In another episode, Kino visits a society where the upper class are lazy hedonists and everyone else lives in misery as slaves. Kino willingly enters this country's gladiator match to have any one wish fulfilled. She ends up winning, killing the leader of that nation, and having her wish be that the upper class all kill each other so the lower classes can be liberated. Kino takes a HARD approach towards tyrannical regimes and apparently doesn't care how many people she needs to kill in order to take them down. What's interesting about Kino is that her cold exterior isn't just an act and she's really warm and sweet on the inside. If you penetrate past her icy exterior, you just hit a core of solid steel. Having such an odd heroine gives this series a unique feel, but also serves a functional purpose. It helps keep the philosophy front and center. If you don't like Kino as a character and think she's a heartless bitch, that's perfectly fine. She's just there to serve as our guide through these wild countries.

I don't want to spoil all the episodes obviously, so I'll just give a basic example. There is one episode that spoofs religious extremism. Kino enters a country where everyone is so obsessed with a doomsday prophesy that they quit their jobs and give away goods and services for free. When the Apocalypse doesn't happen, the first priest apologizes for miscalculating and a second priest assures the gullible audience that he has figured out the REAL date. This hit home for me as someone who grew up in the southern US. Back in 4th grade, my redneck art teacher read the Left Behind books and became SO convinced that the year 2000 would be the Apocalypse, she decided to quit her job and told us all to say our prayers or we were going to Hell! When Judgement Day didn't happen, she tried to beg for her job back and the school turned her down. I live in the city were the infamous Estus Pirkle Trilogy of religious scare films were made!

Art:

The art for Kino's Journey was handled by AC-GT. They're best known for making all the Initial D series. The art is pretty solid to be honest. It isn't the greatest art I've ever seen in anime, but it has held up very nicely since 2003. It's a series that new viewers can watch in 2019 without being visually assaulted by horribly aged CGI. There is something nice about that.

Music:

The music was done by a guy named Ryou Sakai that honestly hasn't done anything else of note that I'm aware of. The soundtrack serves its purpose admirably, but isn't really the big takeaway from Kino's Journey. Unlike AC-GT's other anime where ALL people talk about is the Europop soundtrack! You don't even watch Initial D, you listen to it.

Overall:

Kino's Journey is able to be both thought provoking and entertaining without ever having to sacrifice one for the other. It's also a widely accessible series that's just solid all around. Kino narrowly misses getting on my personal top 10, but my top 10 is largely subjective and filled by anime that had the largest impact on me personally. I can't imagine anyone hating Kino's Journey. If I needed to recommend an anime to somebody who's never seen an anime before, Kino would be one of my top choices. When most non-anime fans think of anime, they're thinking of tentacle hentai, battle shonen, giant robots, and occasionally an impermeable clusterfuck of an art snob movie. Kino's Journey shows that there are high quality anime out there that anyone can pick up and enjoy! If you haven't seen Kino yet, I highly recommend it.

PS: I would recommend the sub over the English dub because it's ADV and those guys were honestly only a good fit for comedies. Due to their highly uneven cast of actors and penchant for changing the script and adding dated pop culture references, I would simply avoid yourself the headache. Unless you REALLY want to hear Kino drop a line like "I Must, I Must, I Must Increase my Bust!"

Kino's Journey is a masterpiece of minimal storytelling. It combines slice-of-life, philosphy, adventure, mystery, and action to form a seamless entity that is unique among anime. Long after you've seen the series, you'll find yourself drawing connections between it and reality... which, I suppose, is the mark of true art.

Story
The box art features Kino dual-wielding her pistols, looking over her shoulder with an intimidating glare. During the opening sequence, Kino fires off a round of shots into a cement wall with a look as calm as a Buddha statue. This is not a particularly good representation of the series. While the episodes do occasionally feature ... fast-paced gun-slinging action, this is the exception, rather than the rule. Far more common is the episode which displays a quiet, reflective description of a fictional country and its inhabitants. Think Mushishi, rather than Black Lagoon. The plot development is circular, rather than linear, tending to focus on character development instead of an overarching plot.

Animation
This is a somewhat difficult category to gauge, as it tends to be a function of time. Nonetheless, Kino's Journey's strength does not lie in it's animation. The artwork itself is gorgeous, of course, but the animation doesn't particularly stand out when compared with other series. It gets the message across, but stops short of being innovative.

Sound
The soundtrack is subtle and used sparingly to enhance the mood. It's safe to say that much, if not most of the series has no background music. What little there is, however, is fantastic. Kino's Journey's OST is, with good reason, one of my favorites. The opening theme is not one you're likely to skip and the ending theme is nothing if not more hauntingly beautiful. Even if you don't enjoy the series as a whole, it's likely that you'll enjoy the music.

Character
Essentially, Kino's Journey has two significant characters - Kino and her motorrad (a talking motorcycle), Hermes. Most of the other characters are (intentionally) shallow caricatures used to exemplify their respective countries. With 12 episodes spent in solitude or near solitude, Kino receives quite a lot of attention and development. Her struggles, observations, and decisions are the highlight of the series. She is not merely a strong female character, but also a good female character - a combination that is unfortunately rare in anime. Needless to say, you can expect little to no fanservice from Kino's Journey.

Enjoyment
It's an immensely fun watch. If you take your time, you'll find that each episode gives you something new and interesting to think about. The plot never stagnates (a side effect, perhaps, of the series' tragically short length), and despite the relaxed pace, it is rarely (if ever) boring.

This really isn't something to be missed. I'd recommend it to anyone, provided s/he can bring a certain level of maturity to the table. Whether or not you take in the philosophy or understand the complex allegories of some of the episodes, if you appreciate a good story, you'll appreciate this series.

"Warning: Kino's Journey has been known to induce a strong feeling of wanderlust in its viewers. It has also been proven to boost levels of empathy. Watch at your own risk."

But in all seriousness, like most anthology styled shows, "Kino's Journey" is somewhat difficult to review in its entirety. Instead of presenting one narrative with a beginning, middle, and end, it presents several self-contained stories, each with their own conflict and resolution. The only thing that stays the same is that each episode is seen through the eyes of series protagonist and professional traveler Kino, and her talking bike, Hermes.

I've seen that the show has ... been compared to the seminal TV classic, "The Twilight Zone" and I feel that the comparison is justified. They both rely heavily on a tasteful, yet oppressive atmosphere. They both delve into the depths of human nature utilizing a wide range of backgrounds and an ensemble cast, besides Kino and Hermes of course. Kino's Journey also often provides a smart twist at the end of each story. Still, the show manages to feel like its own unique entity, rather than a pale imitation (I'm looking at you "Night Gallery" and "The Outer Limits").

This is a rather heavy show that is focused on the many facets of human nature. Kino's Journey understands that humanity is deeply flawed, but that beauty arises from imperfection. Kino's Journey is equal parts profound and sobering, wasting little time on frivolity. Each episode brings a new land, and with it, a new set of themes and problems.

In the end, I'd say the biggest flaw of Kino's Journey is the length. At thirteen episodes long, the show doesn't have the time to delve too far into Kino's past. The show does not provide a satisfying conclusion, and quite frankly, it would be impossible to do so with its particular format. Still, by the end, when its melancholy theme plays one last time, its hard not to wish that you could go on more journeys with Kino.

*This is my first review. Please feel free to give feedback on my profile; I would highly appreciate it.*

Kino’s Journey is a masterful amalgamation of short stories which ingeniously explore the societal issues faced by independent countries; be they big or small, rich or poor, urban or rural, industrial or domestic, or authoritarian or libertarian, to only scrape the surface.

These stories are told through the eyes of the observant, young, androgynous female traveller, Kino – the main character – who appears to take a rather laissez-faire stance towards the struggles of the people in the majority of countries she embarks. However, when needed, her ... quick-wit and impressive marksmanship allow her to take any necessary action, be it for the best or worst. Kino is a character almost entirely lacking any desire to change the world around her. Although this may normally be portrayed as negative, and can be a little bit frustrating, here, this only helps to heighten the viewer’s appreciation of the show, as it allows us to self-insert and breathe in the magnificence of the beautiful world. Furthermore, this also serves to let the stories of these countries play out naturally; as Kino usually has little, if nil, influence over the story as a whole. On the other hand, Hermes – Kino’s trusted motorrad (a motorcycle) – often aids to lighten the sinister tone through his rather humorous misunderstanding of common human phrases, whilst also furthering our understanding of the different countries in his own, subtle, quirky way.

Kino and Hermes’ relationship is a tragic telling of selfish loneliness. Upon Kino’s meeting with Hermes, we are starkly informed of their means for unification; “I’ll give him balance, and he will give me speed.” We realise that the two cannot function without one another, which strikingly illustrates the profound sense of travel that the two crave, as Kino is willing to throw away her life to reconnoitre with a single, inanimate companion, who is simply glad to be ridden. Although Kino is happy, it’s hard to feel that way for her, as her hidden isolation makes us question her lifestyle choices.

What will become apparent early on to newcomers is the show’s fairly odd art style. The show is from 2003, which, subsequently, makes it a little bit outdated for today’s standards. The character designs are all very simplistic, the scenery is drab and there is a lack of fluidity in animation. However, this is still an incredibly charming and pleasant experience, which cannot be found elsewhere easily. The art style is consistent and never strays away from what has been established. It is hard to convince people who only watch new, mainstream anime to watch an old show or one with a unique art style, as it is not the same as what they are used to. If you happen to be one of these people, do not be turned off by this show’s individuality. You will definitely get used to it, and you’ll regret dropping it over something so petty.

What’s arguably most interesting is the show’s sluggish, thought-provoking pace, which contrasts with the ruthless sins juxtaposed on screen. Even though there is plenty of gunfire, the show manages to hold true to itself and avoid plunging through the gaping hole into pure action. There are a few episodes, which I believe are worse than the rest, which rely on action to push their messages, but are so few and far between, that they do not steal from the show’s enjoyment at all.

Due to the nature of the show, the unpleasantness of many countries and the various aspects of the human condition is hyperbolised to such an extent that it may feel as if the show is enforcing its biased message on the viewer. This may be a concern for a few, but, personally, I thought this worked incredibly well, as it was clear with its intentions, which was engrossing and invigorating. Although to some, this may be a load of political rubbish; I, like many, was capable of accepting it as just a well-written and important story.

As made clear, the show does not shy away from dark themes. The insincerity and ignorance of man constantly leads to abhorrent suffering. However, at the heart of all this agony is a definitive road of hope. Despite the dangers, we are encouraged to begin our own journey, to take to the sky and fly with the birds. As we peak into the livelihoods of those who miraculously live, we can’t help but feel enlightened in humanities duality. “The world is not beautiful. Therefore it is.”

To conclude, Kino's Journey is one of my favourite shows. I recommend it to all, and I hope you can pass on the message.

“WOW, Nooo way !!!”

That sentence was always the one thing that endured in my mind as soon as the screen had faded away. As the ED played on in the background, this was all that dared be present in my head. It’s a powerful feeling, a morbid mix of shock, awe, and melancholy that leaves behind a particularly special kind of impression. I felt like I just reached the end of an entire show after finishing a single episode. Kino’s Journey leaves behind great impact.

It’s something only a show like The Twilight Zone can ever really match. When you compare them, there’s nothing but striking ... similarity. There’s always something off. Sometimes, it’s clear as day. Things are moving when they’re not supposed to. Places are deserted. The sky isn’t blue. Other times, you just can’t put your finger on it. That hasty man you just passed by seemed to be hiding something, but maybe he’s just late for work. People look at you with dirty suspicion even if nothing you’re doing is wrong. You feel as if your shadow had got up and left, but when you look down, it’s still right there underneath your feet. Maybe everything starts completely normal, a completely average day, but something happens along the way that violently puts everything into the realm of abnormality. Whatever it is, it is clear that you are not in Kansas anymore. You’ve just entered the Twilight Zone. *Twilight Zone music plays*

Within this realm of ambient menace, things start to build up. The air starts to move. Feelings turn into choices. Actions beget reactions. Things escalate. Then… climax. The climax is central to everything in the two shows. Ranging from simplistically brilliant as that of Time Enough to Last (S1E08 of Twilight Zone) to brutally tragic as that of A Kind Land (E13 of Kino’s Journey), climaxes are these two shows’ ‎forté. Whether it is a plot twist that so perfectly brings a new light to all pre-established context or a five-second tragedy that burns its message into memory, these two shows have shattering climactic impact and indulge in it.

There is, however, another work out there that is also worth comparison. Ever read The Little Prince?

Life is a journey, and the wisest men are those who have traveled it the most. Some travel it with a destination, and others without. Some who travel it have a home to come back to like the little prince’s small comet and his perfect but ephemeral rose. Others do not, finding solace in the journey, like Kino the traveler who refuses to be anything but a traveler. Some are hesitant because of what they had to leave behind, those unmaintained volcanoes and that neglected lamb, while others feel nothing but desire to journey, looking up at the birds and desiring to follow them. These two works are about travelers.

As they journey, they meet new people, people whose eyes see different sights and whose minds think different thoughts. And from them, they learn. Whether or not those people they meet are wise beyond their years such as the fox that must be tamed or foolish in their ways such as the lands wrought by misinterpretation, good travelers learn from them nonetheless because, no matter what, the views of the people they meet will expand their own. And that is the essence of these two shows. These two works are centered around showcasing concepts and ideas you would have never even considered if you were holed up at home. These two works are philosophical, asking questions you wouldn’t have pondered on if you never went out to look for them. These works’ impact now extends beyond emotional as with the Twilight Zone. They leave philosophical impact, the type that changes how you think of and see the world.

Now that I’ve touched upon the subject of philosophy, I must give you a warning regarding this and how Kino’s Journey has handled it that may dissatisfy viewers. You may see this as a criticism of the show, but you may also see this as a defense of this show from others’ criticism.

Kino’s Journey doesn’t go in-depth with the themes it presents. The show doesn’t dig further to all but a few of the logical conclusions the subject matter implies. It leaves these subjects open-ended, with few comments, both stated and implied, being all there is to further deepen them. Unlike the Little Prince whose protagonist has much to say on its ideas and whose narration has much to say on its protagonist, Kino’s Journey saves on its commentary, just like its protagonist.

Because of this presentation choice, the viewer is free to wonder about the philosophical concepts as deep as he chooses. Kino’s Journey doesn’t explain its ideas so much as invite the viewer into thinking about them, a process the show has mastered with its impeccable tone-crafting. This means that the viewer wouldn’t be forced into complicated reasoning when he doesn’t want to and that the viewer wouldn’t find himself disagreeing with what the show is trying to say.

However, this also means a bounty of discussion-worthy material is neglected. Some questions stem from previous answers, and neglecting to provide these answers, however subjective, also means neglecting to ask these following questions. There’s a whole threshold of enlightening topics that could’ve been reached if the show took more advantage out of the biased viewpoint of its protagonist like The Little Prince. This would disappoint and lessen the show’s impact on some.

Yet, when Kino’s Journey does attempt a deeper commentary on its ideas, its results polarize.

Kino’s Journey is at its worse when it is directed in a way that dictates to you what you should think. You’re obligated to agree. If you disagree, that’s it. Your willing suspension of disbelief is destroyed, and the impact this show is so good at crafting is ruined. You are now limited in the ways you can think about the subject matter. If you agree with what the show is saying at these moments, then great. No problem. However, if you don’t, you won’t like some episodes. The episodes that are like I described (from the top of my head so be wary of what I say) are episodes one, three (kinda), the latter half of five, and nine. That’s already more than a fifth of the entire series, but I assure you that all the rest is worth it.

The show is at its best when Kino herself does the commentary. When she comments on each presented idea, it doesn’t feel like the show is forcing any specific viewpoint on you. Instead, it feels like you’re talking to someone who sees the world in a specific light. You’re not obligated to agree with Kino. Instead, Kino presents an alternate perspective which builds upon the ideas yet allows the viewer to break away from. This has the added effect of adding nuance to Kino’s character, allowing us to form a personal connection with her. There is a lot that constitutes character nuance, but worldview is a large part of it, and slowly etching out what exactly this worldview is also means slowly etching out her character. Now, once we accept Kino as an actually interesting and nuanced character, we’re willing to accept what Kino says, even if we don’t necessarily agree.

I want to point out that Kino also manages to do implicit commentary. She says many things on the matter at hand indirectly through her humanly emotional reactions to them, such as through her expressions or actions. Sometimes, even without making any clear body or facial expression, we still are able to at least get the gist of her emotional reaction through the way the scene is directed. It is through these emotional reactions that we can understand the ideas in a way other than logic and reasoning. We are able to understand them in a personal way through Kino.

Now that I’m talking about her, I want to talk a bit more about Kino. She is a protagonist who is fleshed out and interesting to watch… but only sometimes. Sometimes, she is a well-characterized character whose worldview, motivations, and emotions are subtly apparent to the viewer through her choices, has a wide range of expressions, and who’s not some wise know-it-all which most protagonists from this genre often end up being. Yet other times, she’s utterly lifeless, merely a distant passive watcher. This happens when the narrative situation and its themes don’t directly involve her. One could argue that at these points, there is no need for Kino to be more than a caricature. She’s not important at these times. I challenge this notion.

But, at some of the best points of the show such as episodes one and ten, a fleshed-out and expressive Kino brings a whole new level of quality and enjoyment despite the themes of the episodes not being necessarily associated with her own worldview. In episode one, Kino’s kind action at the end of the episode showed us that the themes presented, although seemingly distant from normal life, do indeed apply to all of us, including Kino. And the show does so with Kino doing something that is SO her which ends the episode with impactful closure. In episode ten, Kino is far more expressive than usual, smiling more and participating in more banter with Hermes. Nothing drastic was done to her. They just added a small touch to her personality. Because of this, the downtime before the climax, during the exposition and rising action, is far more enjoyable to watch. It’s not as if the climax or its impact was changed in any way, but the overall enjoyment of the episode was improved. Because of these two examples, I am inclined to believe that Kino’s Journey would improve significantly if Kino was consistently expressive, fully characterized, and present in the narrative situation of each episode despite not being a direct actor within it at all times instead of being used as a mere far away observer.

Another thing of note is Kino’s backstory in episode four and the first “movie”. It’s nothing too significant, but I’m glad that despite Kino’s worldview clearly being shaped by her past, she is not defined by it. It just adds to Kino’s overall maturity. Nonetheless, I didn’t like Kino’s sudden change in the “movie”. It was grating and seemed completely unrealistic to me. I’d expect at least some gradualness but the show goes straight from old Kino to new Kino.

Ending my discussion on the protagonist, I also want to point out Kino’s character debut. The first we see of her is a desperate side of her, stripped of the basic human need of water. This immediately adds depth to the usual quiet traveler we see by showing another more human and primitive aspect of her right from the start. We are also introduced to the way Kino and Hermes banter which is half-comedic, half-intellectual. No jokes are cracked, but the feeling of their repartee and the relationship between them is solidly established. I also want to make not of the oversaturated black-and-white they used to represent the scorching heat of the desert they were in. I feel like it hammers the feeling of hot desert far better than other methods of cinematography in hot environments.

At this point, I feel like I’ve said the crux of what I wanted to say about this show, but, before I conclude, let me just discuss some aesthetic and miscellaneous points.

I understand most people would mostly be neutral towards the show’s overall artstyle. It’s fairly storybook which helps with the already storybook premise of going on a journey to strange lands, but it’s obvious this show is from the early-2000s, containing almost all of the facets of that time period’s art.

The animation is unmemorable as well, nothing standing out. It’s clear that a lot of frame-saving methods were used.

Sometimes, it can even be grating, with the bad 2D-3D composition in the second “movie” created by SHAFT where they used some ugly CGI. I usually love SHAFT, but man. That “movie” needed to calm down with the CGI backgrounds.

I feel like the OP had enough character that those who watched the show would be able to immediately associate the OP with the show just by listening to the first few seconds.

Other than the ethnic woodwind that plays during contemplative moments, the rest of the soundtrack and sound design is mostly unmemorable.

One last unmemorable aspect of the show is the cinematography and directing. Other than the oversaturated black-and-white directing choice in the show’s opening scene, I hold to memory no other moment from the show with noteworthy cinematography.

The background art should be significant because this contributes a lot to the feeling of going to new places, but the color palette completely destroys any positive effect the backgrounds may have. Each new country has a different background art which supposedly should give each country its own personality, adding a lot to the feeling of traveling, but the constant color palette of browns and dirty greens makes all these places feel the same. It’s a big shame.

Hermes feels a bit too much like one of those “quirky” sidekicks, those ones that make sarcastic quips whenever something happens that may or may not be funny. He eventually grew on me though. The banter between him and Kino brightens up the mood sometimes, and he is a good companion which is always good to have on a journey. I don’t think he’s symbolic of anything like everyone says he is though.

Lastly, Kino is canonically around fifteen to sixteen years old. HOW THE HELL IS SHE FIFTEEN-SIXTEEN YEARS OLD!? This does not make any sense. I know many fifteen and sixteen-year-olds. Those people do not at all have the emotional maturity as she does, but I guess that’s what traveling for a living does to you.

In conclusion, Kino’s Journey manages to be impactful in the same way The Twilight Zone and The Little Prince are. It stands out from its artistic medium in the same way those two other works do from their own. There are quite a lot of issues with its philosophical content and the way it’s presented and with Kino herself and the way she’s characterized, however, the show is still very much worth watching for the impact it’s so good at crafting.

If anything else, it does make you feel like you’re traveling without making you suffer the horrible hell that is economy class airplane seating.

Overall, I rate this show an 8.5/10.

+ great impact
+ great tone-crafting
+ replicates in the viewer's mind the philosophical thought processes one has when travelling
+ fleshed-out protagonist (but not all the time)
+ a tonal and structural mix of The Twilight Zone and The Little Prince
+ interesting philosophical topics brought up
+ protagonist has nuanced commentary on these philosophical topics
+ protagonist's character debut is masterful
+ protagonist is not defined by her backstory

= inoffensive artstyle
= inoffensive animation
= inoffensive music and sound design
= inoffensive cinematography and directing

-- doesn't explore its topics to satisfactory depth
-- sometimes is structured to force you to agree with it or then your willing suspension of belief is broken
-- protagonist can be boring and one-dimensional at points
-- protagonist's backstory in the first "movie" is grating
-- composition of 2D objects over 3D backgrounds in the second "movie" is not that great
-- potential for the background art to add towards the feeling of journeying is ruined by repetitive color palette

*If you can, please try to read the review itself instead of these outline points. A lot of the points I make in the review are hard to simplify down to simple clauses.*