Ranked #1045

Shikabane Hime: Kuro

I'm not sure why they decided to make Kuro into a second season, rather than just episodes 14-25 of Aka. Then again, who am I to doubt the genius of those who decided to make a story about sexy, gun-wielding, zombie chicks. For those who haven't watched Aka, go watch it. Those who have will find that not much has changed. There is a lot more ecchi/fanservice, because we obviously didn't get enough of our necrophilia fixation in season one. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate ecchi humour just as much as the next guy, but I can't help but feel they're sending the wrong kind of message to younger audiences.

Story: 6
I think my score is rather generous for a script I could have written in 7th grade. I mean I'm just at a loss because of how simple and illogical the story is. Certain characters gain sudden god-like powers that are often unexplained, and then defeat the villains. Oori and friends also discover a "shocking' conspiracy that puts even Area 51 to shame. I know its unfair to ask logic from a show based on the living dead, but we deserve better.

Art: 7
Was this show broadcasted in HD? Honestly, I couldn't tell. The animation was average at best, so those who have been spoiled by high-end animations will find it irritating. However, I thought the fights were fairly well drawn. It could be just my imagination, but I thought the animation was slightly improved from Aka.

Sound: 9
This is my favourite part of Kuro; the entire reason I decided to stick with this show. The OP and ED really gets you in the mood for watching undead babes open a jar of ass-kick on zombies (no sarcasm here). The sound of Makina's double uzis is just music to my ears, even during the 500th time they play it.

Character: 7
While its good to have dynamic characters and lots of conflict between them, its not so good when they act in such illogical ways that you can't help but give your screen the finger. It also makes little sense to give a huge amount of depth to certain supporting characters, but almost none to some of the more important ones. They wasted too much time in Aka in developing the characters, and its come back to bite em in the crotch this time around.

Enjoyment: 8
I'll try my best to keep my Yamagami Itsuki fantasies to myself, but I do feel the need to point out Makina's wardrobe malfunction. It is painfully obvious in the OP that she is not wearing any underwear, I mean how much more work would it take to draw in some clothing down there?
Despite its shortcomings I feel that many of you will enjoy Kuro, as I have. Temper your expectations and you will find this show a great way to waste 13 hours of your precious life. read more

For starters, despite how SLOW the Aka version had moved, the buildup still led me to believe that the Kuro adaption could deliver promise. I possibly came away with more questions than I did coming in, something not good for any anime by any means. The show itself combines the elements of ecchi, shounen, and of course horror things you particularly saw in the Aka version. While it's not entirely different, there are some topics I want to touch upon.
As you would of probably guessed, the story continues fresh off the Aka version. What the Kuro version tries to do is jump straight into action in predicting that the viewer already has a knowledge/grasp on what's occurring. While that's true for those who watched Aka, it's also TRUE for those who hadn't. Why is that? Because as I said, the Aka version moved SLOOOW. You could probably recap the entire Aka arc in a 5 minute introduction, to be frank.

And so, here we have the Shichisei. A last minute twist into the plot from the first season. We essentially have Makina and other supporting Shikabane Hime battle this group with aid of Ouri (who is still struggling to find himself as a monk). The traditional focus was more setup for Ouri to be the centerfold of the cast, and Shichisei Hokuto being this godlike antagonist who's power remained unchallenged. Ouri and Makina aren't exactly your typical shounen couple, segments are divided even further in Kuro where they try to understand each other and in some ways benefit from one another.

The animation in Kuro can get atrocious at times, especially towards the end. I was unimpressed by certain visuals, certain characters and their themes I did enjoy looking at. There's just no consistency with the animation, it has its ups and downs frequently.

I found the sound decent to a fault. I say that because the animation isn't anything amazing, usually when the animation is inconsistent you expect the sound to be as well. But I found the sound very tolerable, and many themes seem to fit in the manner that they should.

I'll be honest, there aren't a lot of stronghold of characters in Kuro to keep you captivated. You got your usual "chick with guns" character in Makina, and other shikabane hime with swords, blah blah blah. Way too much originality for many characters here. The only one I was rather really impressed with was the Shichisei Touya, very interesting character with some surprise elements.

In short, this anime has some real lackluster aspects. I didn't enjoy the ending, certain twist are questionable, it makes me wonder how good it could of been. It has its share of high points that are seemingly downgraded by the fact that it just isn't as good as people are led to believe. read more