Kino no Tabi: The Beautiful World - Tou no Kuni - Free Lance

Well, i'm a fan and suspicious to talk about this anime, but i'll try to not be tendentious. This special episode is very good, with light mistery, fast action scenes, and mainly that calm and serene atmosphere of Kino no Tabi. The dialogues are good too.

But i missed something about the end. The final question, that leaves the spectator wondering about similar meanings and things in our lifes, was not strong as usual. Also, the energy and excitement wasn't the same as we can see in the others episodes.

Overall, a good story, worth watching.

I did not see a review for this so I decided to write one.

I often see people confused of what order to watch anime especially when episode 00s and prequels are involved. A good rule to follow is watch them in order of date they were released, this way you will not spoil or mess up something for yourself. This episode does not contain any possible spoilers if you watched it first but I still highly suggest following that rule.

Kino no Tabi: The Beautiful World - Tou no Kuni is shorter then the usual episode but the story is still welly put together, doesn't seem ... rushed, and has the charm Kino no Tabi is known to have. In this country people are constantly putting their whole life into constructing a massive tower. I can't go much into story because spoilers but I definitely feel this is one of the odder countries. This episode does not really contain action (she does pull her gun out at a point tho) and is not one of the tragic episodes. The music in this episode seems to have a more Egyptian vibe to it. Possibly trying to connect a message about the construction of the pyramids and modern day civilization? I suggest watching this and trying to decipher it's message, especially if you enjoyed the rest of the series~!

To me, it seems as if this show is based off years and years into the future, where humanity has been alive for so long that they've lost most of their meaning to live. Each country Kino visits is so fixed on finding anything to give their life meaning, even if it looks silly to someone outside, and this episode makes it all the more tangible. With that in mind, I recommend watching this before starting the 13 episode series as it will open your mind to such a thought provoking show.

This episode represents the whole show so perfectly by being so ridiculous. You have ... these people who live in order to build this tower. Once the tower has fallen down, they start over from the beginning. After living for so long, they yearn to find something to give their life a little more meaning. The tower here serves as a metaphor to that. Even if it's silly, it gives them something to do and something to live for.

The other episodes don't feel as ridiculous as this one, so it's easy to question why is this and that is happening on them. This one is more blatantly metaphorical, so if you watch this first, you learn to accept the rest of the show for the metaphors and philosophy it is, rather than questioning in.

This is why I think this episode is vital in understanding the rest of the show. Not to say you can't understand it without it or anything. I didn't rate this anything, but since mal forces me to rate it something I think a 10 if fair as it is was pivotal in my understanding of the rest of the show.

For anyone who is a fan of Kino's Journey, this is a nice addition to the series. Being only 14 minutes in total (around 10 minutes without counting the OP and ED) there isn't much to say about it. In this OVA, Kino travels to a new country. This time it is a country that is building a giant tower. Surprisingly, within the ten minutes, Tou no Kuni manages to tell a story with almost as much depth as a full episode from the original series.

The art style and sound is very similar to the original series, so anyone who has already seen the series ... will know what to expect. For those that haven't; the soundtrack is great, however the art isn't very detailed, but it does it's job.

If anyone hasn't seen Kino's Journey and is wondering whether to watch this, my suggestion is to first watch the original series before coming to the OVAs. For people that enjoyed the series, this is worth watching. Tou no Kuni is thought-provoking and should satisfy any Kino's Journey fans.

Kino’s Journey – Tower Country, serves as an extra episode to Kino’s Journey. It is shorter than an average episode, clocking in at just 14 minutes, which is more akin to 11 minutes when considering the opening and ending. This is a bit disappointing, as another country could have easily been explored in a new episode of normal length. Yet, this is definitely a welcomed addition.

It may be confusing what order you should watch this series, especially since this is known as episode 0. I would recommend watching in order of release date. This is not necessary, and if you were to watch this episode ... first, you wouldn’t be at all spoiled. Yet, this is still advice worth noting.

This is a gruelling tale centred around Kino’s visit to a large city that inhabits a massive tower in its middle, which has been built upon for the last 233 years by the country’s citizens. When asked why they continue to build, the people reply with a vague, indirect answer, simply stating “because it’s our job.”

It’s strange just how perfectly this episode sums up the overall show. From its consistent art and sound to themes and story, everything about it screams, “this is Kino’s Journey!” A reoccurring theme throughout this series is humanity and the lack of it. It seems that people have been living for so long that they go to whatever extreme means necessary so to find meaning in their life. Here, the menacing tower represents that idea. It is built manually, brick by brick, until it is so tall that it loses its stability and comes crashing down – then to only be rebuilt, again and again.

At night, when Kino starts to fall asleep, she is approached by a timid, frightened young man. After a quick commotion, the stranger begs Kino to take him travelling with her, and is quickly turned down; but for what reason does he wish to leave so desperately? It’s quite clear, really: he wants to find a real meaning in life, just like Kino. Fortunately, he will eventually find this meaning through the minor advice given by Kino at the end of the episode.

To conclude, I highly recommend this episode to any fan of Kino’s Journey. It has a great, clear message which can be fun to try to decipher. Given how short it is, there’s no reason to ignore it.

I won't write that much for just ten minutes of an episode. I will just say that the themes explored in this one perfectly resonate with the recurrent ideas I have been able to find throughout this entire series.

The plot of this episode alluded to a Sisyphean struggle, an absurd endeavor whose only purpose is itself, as dull and soul destroying as it is. The characters presented here are entirely content with their role, mainly because they are ignorant of what it entails. They just focus on the small parts they play on the grand scheme of things, with one exception. One boy who wants ... to break free from the cycle, in the same way Kino did: by travelling and seeing all these different struggles from an outsider's perspective. However, he lacks either the courage or the means to do so. Kino, upon further reflection, was able to escape her own loop because of external circumstances that aided her in that, such as meeting another traveler and finding Hermes. In any case, the ending for this episode is just brilliant. The struggle isn't over, and it's inescapable, so the option the boy is offered, being incapable of breaking free, is to find self expression in the pointlessness of his work. If this isn't great commentary on how fighting the mediocrity of human existence isn't usually just trying to stand out while still performing the same duties as everyone else, I don't know what is. I am biased, as I find this concept both fascinating and true, but I just adore it.

The rest of the episode is up to the standards set up by the series in regards to the presentation, the pacing, the sound and the characters: all around very well produced. This story deserved to be told separately because it truly captures the spirit of what I believe Kino no Tabi to be about.