Kill la Kill

After the murder of her father, Ryuuko Matoi has been wandering the land in search of his killer. Following her only lead—the missing half of his invention, the Scissor Blade—she arrives at the prestigious Honnouji Academy, a high school unlike any other. The academy is ruled by the imposing and cold-hearted student council president Satsuki Kiryuuin alongside her powerful underlings, the Elite Four. In the school's brutally competitive hierarchy, Satsuki bestows upon those at the top special clothes called "Goku Uniforms," which grant the wearer unique superhuman abilities.

Thoroughly beaten in a fight against one of the students in uniform, Ryuuko retreats to her razed home where she stumbles across Senketsu, a rare and sentient "Kamui," or God Clothes. After coming into contact with Ryuuko's blood, Senketsu awakens, latching onto her and providing her with immense power. Now, armed with Senketsu and the Scissor Blade, Ryuuko makes a stand against the Elite Four, hoping to reach Satsuki and uncover the culprit behind her father's murder once and for all.

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

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Background

Episode 1 was previewed at a screening in Tokyo on September 28, 2013. Regular broadcasting began on October 4, 2013.

Kill La Kill’s Toshio Ishizaki won the Tokyo Anime Award for Best Character Design in 2014. The series got another Character Design Award along with a Storyboard Award, Soundtrack Award, Theme Song Award (for Sirius), Mascot Awards (for Senketsu and Guts), Female Character Awards (for Ryuuko Matoi and Mako Mankanshoku), and Series Award for TV Broadcast in the 2014 Newtype Anime Awards.

Episode Videos

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Related Anime

Adaptation:	Kill la Kill
Side story:	Kill la Kill Specials
Character:	Uchuu Patrol Luluco

Park, Romi
Japanese

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Staff

Amemiya, Akira

Co-Director, Episode Director, Storyboard, Assistant Director, Key Animation, 2nd Key Animation, Assistant Animation Director, Production Assistant

Ootsuka, Masahiko

Producer, Episode Director

Kamagata, Eiichi

Producer

Toba, Yousuke

Producer

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Opening Theme

	1: "Sirius (シリウス)" by Eir Aoi (eps 2-14)
	2: "ambiguous" by GARNiDELiA (eps 16-23)

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Ending Theme

	1: "Sirius (シリウス)" by Eir Aoi (eps 1, 15)
	2: "Gomen ne, Iiko ja Irarenai. (ごめんね、いいコじゃいられない。)" by Miku Sawai (eps 2-14, 24)
	3: "Shinsekai Koukyougaku (新世界交響楽)" by Sayonara Ponytail (さよならポニーテール) (eps 16-23)

Reviews

Mar 28, 2014

Satire

Recommended

It's been said by many veteran anime watchers that anime is dying. In the old days we had our Cowboy Bebop, Trigun, Wolf's Rain, Neon Genesis Evangelion, Akira, FLCL, Berserk, Fist of the North Star, and Miyazaki; we had Space Captain Harlock, Lupin the Third, Yu Yu Hakusho, and Ghost in the Shell. Even if you haven't seen these, you've likely at least heard of them and the impact that they've had on anime as a whole. Anime was an intellectual, creative medium that reflected flair and pizzazz. It wasn't just silly entertainment for kids, like many Western cartoons, and people of all ages could ... enjoy it. As of late it seems that anime has been stuck in a rut of moe, harems, rom-coms with unrealistically dense male MC’s, and onii-chan/imouto obsessive garbage. Lately there's been a lack of courage to sack up, step outside of the box, and say, "Hey, let's try something new." After you peruse season after season of the same regurgitated genres you might find yourself wondering if anime has lost its way... And, to answer that question, Trigger will look down and whisper, "No."

Watching the story of Kill la Kill unfold was confusing, exhilarating, comical, lively, and goddamn refreshing. What began as a simple revenge story, with a shaky plot direction, overabundance of fan-service, and obnoxiously flashy fight scenes, ended in a surprisingly competent and satisfying fashion. Although Kill la Kill is entertaining, it is still a series that prioritizes style more than substance. This isn’t to say that the series is shallow in the slightest, but it’s often difficult to overlook the abundance of panty shots, suffocatingly tight and revealing outfits, the FLCL-esque action, and all their allure.

While there is a lot of wild enjoyment to be had in Kill la Kill, it's also easy to disregard what makes this series so brilliant. Part of the genius behind Kill la Kill is the fact that the show itself is a parody of many overused tropes in recent anime. Over-sexualized, provocative clothing and fan-service for no reason? Check. Student council is overpowered? Check. School system that emphasizes uniforms? Check. Story about revenge? Also check. Not only does the series poke fun at commonalities in anime, it also fires shots at the oppressive nature of the Japanese education system. The most astounding part about all of this is that Kill la Kill doesn't just adhere to the common tropes itself for shits and giggles; it actually takes these tropes and literally makes them its plot. Even if you don't take the stance on viewing the series as a parody, you'd probably still find the series entertaining and fun to watch on a different standard. That's ingenuity, ladies and gentlemen.

Trigger did something interesting with its characters in Kill la Kill that you don’t see in anime too often, adding to the fresh factor of the show. They took a series that banks on testosterone-based, over-the-top action and made the main characters girls. It's not often that you come across an anime with a strong female lead that can not only stand up for herself, but also against tyranny and male counter parts. Ryuuko personifies these values. There’s a struggle within our current modern-day society to fit in with social norms. It’s tough to be that black sheep individual that goes about their own business without being judged by the majority, hence why we generally follow fashion trends, region-specific social etiquette, and so forth. The growth of Ryuuko reflects this as the development of her character is steadily shown across the span of the series. Ryuuko starts off as a bland teenage girl with attitude looking for retribution against the one who killed her father. When introduced to Senketsu — a revealing sailor uniform made of life fibers — she is submitted to humility in exchange for power. It’s things like this that should make you raise an eyebrow and wonder whether or not this is reflective of the advantages and disadvantages that sexuality offers women. Maybe I’m looking too much into it, or maybe I’m right. What’s great about Kill la Kill is that there isn't a right answer. You take from it what you want.

While Ryuuko portrays big themes and intricate lessons woven into her character, it would be a crime to disregard the rest of the cast of the series. The character body of Kill la Kill is quite diverse and there are plenty of likable characters. Each character brings something to the table in terms of entertainment and, as a whole, makes sure that there’s never a dull moment. Characters that are depicted as the antagonists, such as Satsuki and the Four Devas, are likeable. Mako, who is essentially the fool, is actually funny. The way these characters fit the mold of wacky, but wacky with personality, is astounding. Characters feel like they fit into the show seamlessly and that can be hard to come by.

The art and animation is similar to the chaotic, yet extremely fun style that Gainax offered in both FLCL and TTGL. It’s hard to ignore the resemblance when Hiroyuki Imaishi and Masahiko Ohtsuka, originally from Gainax, are now a part of Studio Trigger. The action defies logic and physics, the art is stellar, the animation is fluid, the backdrops are majestic, and all of it meshes together nicely. The sound criteria of Kill la Kill is also quite exceptional itself. The OP’s and ED’s are good, the OST is great, and the voice acting is on point. There’s nothing else to ask for. With that being said, I think the biggest problem is that Trigger has with Kill la Kill is that while retaining the style, they also retained dips in the quality of the art and animation, similar to those in TTGL. There's a lot of repeated animated scenes, such as the Kamui change scene, the shot of the heel clicking the ground, and even sword swinging. It’s not horrible or extremely detrimental to enjoyment, but it is there. The animation drops for a series as chaotic as Kill la Kill is understandable, given that Studio Trigger is also very new, and so I’d take this fault with a grain of salt.

For Studio Trigger’s first original, seasonal anime series, Kill la Kill came in and went out with a bang. While it doesn't quite hit the status of masterpiece, I’ve been made a fan. I will be looking forward to whatever creativity their future works will bring.

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Mar 28, 2014

FelixSerica

Mixed Feelings

Witnessing the Kill la Kill hype train chugging along made me enter the show with negative expectations. The generic revenge plot, school setting and ridiculous designs left me folding my arms and rolling my eyes. It was and still is boldly proclaimed that Trigger is 'saving anime', whatever that means, but while Kill la Kill may be refreshing, is it really a cut above the rest? For better or worse, I could not help but feeling vindicated for holding my initial expectations. With the closing of the last episode, I felt I had just watched a slideshow rather than an engaging narrative.

... It should be stated that having a show that doesn't revolve around the banality of the fantastical construct that is 'moe' is heartening. Perhaps a narrative of personal struggle, coupled with great conflict and violence is rather cliche, but it is certainly more entertaining. Ryuuko as a character is interesting in that she isn't a flower that immediately wavers in the face of adversity or isn't immediately 'put in place' by a man. Unfortunately, that is basically all she has going for her, otherwise she is just another angst ridden teenager with a chip on her shoulder. Sure, Kill la Kill is indeed a show that not only has a strong female lead, but is dominated by powerful women, however that alone does not warrant high praise. Trigger talked of 'taking risks' but it seems Ryuuko is purposely not fleshed out to be broadly appealing. Her anger, loneliness and eventual commitment to her friends is something shared with many protagonists.

The narrative as a whole leaves something to be desired. From episode 3 it was obvious that they couldn't draw out Ryuuko and Satsuki's clashing of heads for a whole 24 episodes. The show already heavily alludes to Satsuki as being more than what she projects. Given that this is a Japanese narrative, it is based on kishōtenketsu and the plot is hinged on a twist. You think with narrative structure based on plot twists, you would go for something interesting. However, Trigger in their infinite wisdom decided to go with the generic 'I am your father' twist. While it was honestly unexpected on my part, it was still wasted potential.

Besides that, there are jarring transitions between a more light-hearted action/comedy to more serious action/drama. I honestly fail to see why Trigger thought Mako and her family were absolutely indispensable for the narrative. While the show is already over the top, ramming in the crass antics of the Mankanshoku family amid conflict with wide reaching ramifications is on the level of Michael Bay's Transformers. What purpose does Mako even serve other than that of a pure plot device? She is that of a generic best friend character who's only defining trait are her long winded motivational rants. Her relationship with Ryuuko is an implied one, they are forced together in episode one with absolutely no development what so ever.

Kill la Kill relies heavily on it's stylistic elements, so good action should be among one of it's hallmarks. Despite that, the quality of the fight scenes are underwhelming, as they are dependent on speed lines and characters shouting at one another. It could be said that in Kill la Kill the characters fight first and foremost with words, fists and weapons being secondary arms. While I understand that aesthetics are a matter of subjectivity, I can't leave out my conviction that most of the designs are just plain terrible. It seems all they did was take the standard Japanese school uniform and added as many spikes and stars as humanly possible. If the transformations aren't hulking masses of arbitrary geometry, than they are merely skimpy shoe laces with bulging shoulders. All in all, I can't praise Kill la Kill to high heaven, but I can't exactly hate it either. It's OST is remarkable and really propels the show where it is lacking, even if I cannot appreciate all the tracks. That said, if this is what constitutes 'saving anime', then we are truly screwed, this should be among the average, not the exceptional.

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Mar 4, 2015

literaturenerd

Not Recommended

Overview:

Forgive me God of all Weaboos for I have sinned. I didn't enjoy Kill La Kill. Actually, it's worse than that. I fucking HATED Kill La Kill! It wasn't funny, it wasn't clever, it wasn't a "brilliant satire". The animation was decent as befits a modern series with a huge budget, but nothing else was worthy of praise, let alone the amount of sheer adoration this series gets. Many people may disagree with this assessment, but I will explain.

Firstly, I would like to clear something up that has been bothering me. My fellow Americans frequently use the word "satire" incorrectly, to the point that I ... am convinced most people don't actually understand what it means anymore. There are several forms of classic satire, but the most common is probably still the Juvenalian satire created by the Roman writer Juvenal. The point of this style of satire is to write in a voice that the author actually opposes and comically highlight everything wrong with the position that the voice is supposedly arguing in favor of. A well known contemporary example would be Stephen Colbert's faux conservative character from the Colbert Report. In the next paragraph, I will show an example of what an actually "brilliant satire" looks like.

If Kill La Kill isn't what I consider a great satire then what the hell is? What does one look like? A good example of a truly brilliant and hilarious satire would be the novel Dead Souls. The novel was written to viciously mock the callous cruelty, uncaring nature, and disgusting greed of the upper class. Our "hero" is an immoral asshole who wishes to get rich using a profoundly ridiculous and darkly hilarious plan. The novel was written when slavery was still legal, and during that time period the law plainly stated that slaves counted only as property and not as people. Our hero figures out that therefore slaves could legally be purchased and sold after death because legally property doesn't suddenly cease being property. The concept of a sales catalog and people buying products without ever seeing them was brand new at the time and gives our hero a wonderful idea. He could legally buy hundreds of dead slaves for pennies and sell them (sight unseen) for about 10 dollars each to wealthy land owners who would jump at the deal of buying lots of slaves at a discount price. Our hero insinuates that his "discount slaves" are women, children, and elderly and that is why they are so cheap. He allows his buyers to fill in the details without ever explicitly saying an untruth and therefore avoiding being sued for false advertisement. His buyers believe that they have ripped off our hero, only to get hundreds of corpses dumped on their lawns. Every character including our "hero" is portrayed in an extremely negative manner and thus readers are encouraged to laugh our asses off at the slavers getting royally ripped off. The fact that the entire plan would have been completely legal at the time the novel was written only made it funnier. The author is pointing out to his readers that they lived in a society where something that ghastly and morally outrageous was legal and encouraging them to fight against slavery without ever having to explicitly say so. A true satire makes a bold stance against a position that is still popular with a large portion of society and highlights everything wrong with that position. Satires address large societal issues and try to use comedy to create real social change. A satire is NOT just a work that revels in its own stupidity in order to vaguely mock other stupid works that are universally considered to be stupid.

Ok, so if Kill la Kill isn't technically satire then what is it? A work that tries to be really stupid and absurd in order to make fun of a genre is typically called a "spoof". Although less intellectually lofty than the satire, spoofs can still be great! Good examples would be the works of Mel Brooks like Blazing Saddles and Young Frankenstein, which are quite rightly considered 2 of the greatest movies the United States has ever produced. Sadly, Hollywood never quite understood what made Mel Brook's movies so special and started shitting out truly awful spoofs: Mafia, Ricky 1 (a spoof of rocky), Scary Movie 1-5, Date Movie, Vampires Suck, Epic Movie, Disaster Movie, etc. Enter Gainax, everyone's favorite insanely overrated anime studio to copy the Americans and produce their own low quality spoofs to cash in on this trend. We get "great" works like Kill La Kill and Panty and Stocking as a result! Hooray! Where does Kill La Kill rank on the hierarchy of spoofs? Slightly above the movies of Seltzer and Friedberg, but not quite as good as The Lucas Bros Moving Company.

We all know Shonen anime has REALLY stupid cliches, objectifies women, and has head bashingly retarded plot holes. Making a show that takes all that EVERYONE already agrees sucks about anime and reveling in its own shittyness isn't very clever and isn't actually a great goal. Simply being self aware of your own stupidity doesn't make a show or movie good. Was Wild Wild West aware that having a giant spider robot and REALLY silly dialogue and action was stupid? YES! They were very aware that they were making a stupid movie that took all the cliches of summer blockbusters and turned them up to 11. Does that make Wild Wild West a clever cinematic masterpiece? NO! No it doesn't! In the same way, Kill La Kill's self awareness doesn't save it from being a piece of shit anime!

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Kill la Kill

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Matoi, Ryuuko

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Jakuzure, Nonon

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Gamagoori, Ira

Mikisugi, Aikurou

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