Ranked #699

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

Story
The concept behind the show is actually decent, with some really good points here and there. The difference between an attachment to the world, which is what drives the Corpses, and the more fundamental concept of one's underlying Nature, was thought provoking. The constant reminder that the Shikabane Himes are not human beings and mustn't be thought of as such was also a good source of conflict, as Oori got more and more involved with Makina. Unfortunately, the plot itself never did much with these great themes. Other than one great twist at the end, the story was predictable and pretty much your standard monster-fighting show with your angsty, ineffective hero who's more a spectator than a participant in any of the action.

Art
The art was pretty good at times, but the quality varied a fair amount and the monster design was extremely generic. I'm giving the art a 7 rather than a 6 for a few few images that were really pretty gorgeous.

Sound
Great soundtrack. I had to get it for myself after the first season. The sad songs are especially poignant.

Character
The only decent character was the Betrayer Priest, who was a terrific noble villain with the best backstory in the show. Oori was whiny and constantly requiring saving, even in his one climatic ordeal in which he comes face to face with his past. The little strength he displays at the end was difficult to believe and extremely contrived, lacking any kind of build up. Makina was equally annoying; she was so distant, aggressive, and angsty that not even her flashbacks or softer moments did much for her depth as a character. I was never able to relate to her or believe in the bond between her and Oori that slowly forms. Hokuto was the classic, extremely boring one-dimensional villain--unbelievably powerful and completely insane. After 24 episodes, I'd appreciate a final showdown with someone who's at least coherent.

Enjoyment
The show failed to convince me in any way of Oori's growth. Although his backstory turned out to be pretty interesting, it was too little too late. As the the protagonist in a show like this, his own journey should have been way more in the forefront, instead of him constantly running after Makina whose repetitious angst usually eclipsed everything else going on. Most of my enjoyment in shows like this is dependent on how far the main character comes and how strong he turns out to be when he finally faces off against the villains after his ordeal. I had some real expectations, what with the cat (which I thought was awesome until I saw how it panned out) and Oori's mysterious past. Unfortunately, it was a 90% letdown.

Overall
In the end, despite the cool themes about attachment, death, regret, nature, and so on, and despite the very promising setup, the show was a total flop for me, failing to deliver any of the things it made me anticipate. Guys who want to watch cute zombie girls with big breasts jump around might like it, but anyone with any kind of standards for plot and character depth will be disappointed. read more

From the very beginning of the season, you can tell that they are tackling season 2 differently.

I would say that it was hard to adjust to the absence of Keisei and at times I felt that the characters of Umehara and Fresh (or Flesh) were a sad substitute.

By the end of the first episode, I was back in the game. The relationship between Makina and Ouri is fantastic and it always keep you guessing about what will happen next to those two.

There was an obvious change in artwork, looking drastically different from Aka. It was a bit distracting.

All in all, great stories, action sequences, and music! read more