Kemurikusa (TV)

*Later on this review* "it could very well be defined as:
A) a genius, new perspective on isekai anime
B) the messy execution of an apocalypse
C) a thought-through story on a paradoxical cycle that has finally burst.
D) an extreme commitment to mystery and philosophy."

Disclaimer: this review is not meant to be objective.

Abstract (for those who don't want to read further):
Kemurikusa is an anime that starts off empty and gradually makes the viewer sense emotions. At the beginning I felt like the characters lacked depth and life, but it all makes sense as the episodes go by. The story was definitely not developed on various important ... points they wanted to connect and most of the tense situations or discoveries are set up very predictably. Nonetheless, I loved every aspect of it. The show carries a very ingénue air to it and opens up various psychological discussions on what personalities could emerge as as a new society rises. The characters always lack humanity but it somehow plays into the story line.

As a concept:
This an original piece of work. It is very often seen how anime adaptations are hyped up because their manga/light novel has great reviews, yet when the anime airs, it can feel butchered or -on the contrary- made greatly. With that said, one can tell that Kemurikusa is an anime meant to be displayed on a screen; not because of the 3-D artwork (which I've just now learned to love), but because of the rawness of the development. Watching it, it almost felt like an indie production because it was free from preconceived notions. No review would be able to describe the structure of the story objectively, because it could very well be defined as:
A) a genius, new perspective on isekai anime
B) the messy execution of an apocalypse
C) a thought-through story on a paradoxical cycle that has finally burst.
D) an extreme commitment to mystery and philosophy.

As a story:
As hinted before, the plot is not over-analyzed nor unpredictable, but the premise of it never claimed to be. The very concept of an artist who has an idea and wants everyone to see is exactly what this has written all over it. The story doesn't have these vices that big production companies have, where they do something to polarize an audience, to please the fans,or try and make the viewer suspect something and then have it be the opposite. It works from the ground up. without context that can be fully deduced until the story allows you to piece by piece.

It seems nobody has actually bothered in making a review.

This, in very few words, is basically an Isekai anime, or that is what it seems to be so far, for the origin of certain characters is yet to be revealed.

This anime is probably among the most underrated this season. I have to admit the story and the art doesn't make it something for everyone to like, though; this anime is very criticized due to its... let's call it non-amazing CGI, after all (This anime uses 3D animation for its characters).

Regarding the story and characters, I am not going to lie, they are kind of ... odd, but that's what makes this anime interesting to watch, and what makes you eager to watch the next episode to find out how it is going to develop. If I had to describe the story with one word, it would be Original.

So, if you like stories that involve otherworldly contact, and you don't mind "bad" CGI, then give it a shot, you might actually like it.

Note that this anime is not based off a Manga, Game/Visual Novel, or light novel.

Director Tatsuki has been on a turbulent journey these past few years. He became a household name after the unparalleled success of Kemono Friends in 2017. Kemono Friends was a no name franchise from a failed mobile game and manga until the airing of the anime, which turned it into the industry giant it is today. That was largely thanks in part to the talent of Director Tatsuki. The man is a master of mystique and a world building wonder. He incorporates adorable characters into dark and sometimes even twisted stories, but in a meaningful and endearing way.

After the success of Kemono Friends, we ... all thought the sky was the limit. But thanks to corporate greed, Tatsuki was kicked to the curb when they thought his usefulness had ended. Following this incident was a massive social media outcry from not only Japan, but around the world. Despite the hardship,Tatsuki and Studio Yaoyorozu picked themselves back up and went to work to tell another compelling story. This time, with an entire fandom in tow.

Kemurikusa is a brand new series by Tatsuki and animated by Studio Yaoyorozu. It's set in a dystopian world following the sisters Rin, Ritsu, and Rina. I have to preemptively say, there are a large amount of similarities to the first season of Kemono Friends. Obviously because they both share the same director, but it's something worth pointing out. This time around the story is much darker and bleaker than Kemono Friends. The characters are constantly trying to survive as they attempt to find water and fight off Red Bugs. They come upon a mysterious person named Wakaba, who may very well help them find the paradise they've longed for.

The characters are the first thing I want to touch on. I found this cast of characters delightful and a joy to see them interact with one another. Tatsuki is incredibly good at making adorable, likable characters. They contrast very well with the dark, mysterious, and dystopian backdrop. And again, like Kemono Friends, the characters have a synergistic relationship with one another. The sisters have special powers and are able to fight the Red Bugs, while Wakaba is both intelligent and is able to think outside the box thanks in part to his insatiable curiosity. This relationship works so well because it allows everyone to be useful, and no one is left to irrelevancy. Rin is serious is always on the lookout for the enemy, Ristu is motherly and kind, Rina is goofy, innocent, and childlike, and finally Wakaba is easy going, sometimes air-headed, and easily frightened. It's a nice mix of personalities that you are quickly charmed by. Seeing these cute, endearing characters struggle in this twisted world only made you cheer for them more.

Continuing on the story itself, it's a story of survival and trying to find a better life with the ones you love. The plot strings you along the entire time as there are numerous mysterious elements that keep you hooked. This is another aspect Tatsuki is very good at; his stories never lack mystique. How did the world get this way? Where did everyone go? What's the story behind the mysterious, yet powerful Kemurikusa leaves? Because of the survival element, tension was consistently present. The characters' lives were constantly in danger as they walked into the unknown; be it from fighting off Red Bugs or running out of water.

I did however, find myself bored a handful of times. At least one or two times an episode it's nothing but showing the characters walking and getting around difficult terrain. While it is interesting to see the world unfold in front of us, I just couldn't shake my feeling of boredom at times.

There are a number of things that I don't feel as though they were explained well enough, which left me feeling a little disappointed. However, the entire story is contained in the 12 episodes. Which to me, is a breath of fresh air. There always seems to be room for a sequel nowadays, but this resolves the entire story from beginning to end which gives you a feeling of fulfillment and completeness.

Visually, this was a big step up from Kemono Friends. Studio Yaoyorozu now has more experience, and it shows, but this may have also got more funding behind it as well. While it still retains the simple looking animation, the character designs are attractive and the animation is much smoother and more intricate. However, the animation still looks rough at times and at best it's only middle of the road, at least for industry standards. I think what helps set it apart is the art style, which is cute and round. It's basically becoming iconic at this point.

As for backgrounds, it was filled with crumbling buildings and structures, empty cars filling some streets while others are completely barren. You'll see a variety of structures like an amusement park, a residential district, an industrial district and more. What happened to what appears to be this once great society? Tatsuki uses this to his advantage as a "show, don't tell" technique that he did so well in Kemono Friends.

The music wasn't anything to write home about. It served it's purpose as I don't have anything particularly positive or negative to say about it. And from what I can tell of the voice acting, it was great. Everyone had a distinct and innocent sound to them that I just loved.

It's been a long road for Tatsuki since the end of Kemono Friends. But I can happily say he has another winner on his hands. At the time of this review, volume 1 of Kemurikusa has sold 15,000 units. Kemurikusa is an interesting world with a great cast of characters. The story leaves you with a sense of satisfaction and is an overall enjoyable experience. While it does lag behind in couple of key aspects, Kemurikusa is still a memorable show that I found myself loving by the time episode 12 rolled around.

After the way he was treated, it's terrific to see a director like Tatsuki land back on his feet with Kemurikusa. His blending of cute and dark along with a twist of mystery, Tatsuki has found a successful formula that works, and I can't wait to see what he has in store for the future.

Kemurikusa is everything I like to see in an original anime production: it is a unique display of artistry which takes advantage of its visual medium to convey an engrossing story to the viewer. The plot is inherently a mystery, and after watching the first episode I had a dozen ideas of how it might play out. Halfway through the series I had enough clues from the dialogue and set pieces to put some parts together. In the end, nearly every thread of the story was tied together into a conclusion which answered every question I had and even some I didn't know I had.

In ... my opinion the animation is a huge step up from Kemono Friends, Yaoyorozu's most prevalent previous work. There are still some moments where you'll notice cut corners, but this is the case for virtually every television anime series. For the most part the animation is fluid and effective. The character designs may look goofy at first but I quickly grew fond of them. The technical and creature designs are fascinating, with a combination of both familiar and alien elements. The titular Kemurikusa is visually striking and provides a strong over-arching motif which is drilled into your head throughout the series for reasons that become increasingly and alarmingly apparent. There is also a great deal of beauty in the environments, which often have hand-painted background art that plays nicely with the moving CG pieces.

If you aren't bothered by the animation or characters, and you approach the series with an open heart and mind, then I wholeheartedly recommend sticking through Kemurikusa as it becomes increasingly endearing as the story progresses and characters develop. The only man I envy is he who has not yet watched Kemurikusa, because the emotional payoff in the end is immense.

The premise is amazing. Like Made in Abyss, there's no way to guess what the characters will see next because the world is so unique.

Story's good, though it's a basic quest.

The art's pretty bad. The character designs are cute, but the CGI animation is very low quality.

Sound is okay. Good voice acting, okay sound effects, okay music.

Characters are very trope-y and some of them are a bit annoying in that they are too cutesy. The main character is a paradox. On the one hand, he has all the beta male behaviors and affectations and appears to be a complete and utter wuss, but by his ... words and actions, he is bafflingly courageous and noble. Even one of the other characters notes this in dialog.

Overall, I enjoyed the series and watched it all the way to the end. I give it an 8/10.

It started off kinda slow, and it took an episode for me to get used to the different art style, aka "bad CG". But the world made me curious so I decided to keep watching. The longer I watched the more curious I become. Who are these people? Who made them?what happened to the world?
To me, this anime has a similar feel as Girls' Last Tour. Both exploring a post apocalyptic world. They experiment with what they find, but for the most part, they are so focused on surviving that they don't wonder too much about the world around them. Girls' Last ... Tour had better art and characters, but it was a slice of life. Kemurikusa has a lot more action and danger.

Story: 9
Art: 6 (CGI was kinda bad, but I got used to it after the first episode. Otherwise, there are some amazing scenes in the anime.)
Sound: 9 (used well to create a mysterious and oppressing atmosphere)
Character: 7 (some are a little plain, but I'm not sure they are actually human anyways)
Enjoyment: 9
Overall: 7

I rated my enjoyment as a 9/10, but I kinda have a thing for exploring abandoned buildings and stuff. The mystery and wonder of how things work, but also the nostalgia and sadness when I think about how millions of people used to live there and they all put so much into building it up, but now its all abandoned and falling apart. The people going through now don't even know how to use the simple tools and technology that was left behind.
It probably only deserves a 7/10 though. Most people were probably turned off by the slow first episode and the CGI. Honestly, some anime fans treat CGI the same way "normies" who only watch live action, treat all anime.

Don't let the CGI fool you. Kemurikusa is an exceptional anime despite its appearance.

The story is really quite written well. It is quite similar to Kemono Friends, except we see and get more of the world explained, which I liked. If you haven't watched Kemono Friends, then to TL;DR Kemurikusa and this one: people go explore an apocalyptic landscape.

So, I give Story 10/10.

As for art: I gave it a 6/10 because I docked points for the bad animation, but the imagery and backgrounds were really good. So that kept it afloat.

Sound 7/10 I didn't think much was memorable personally.

Characters 7/10 - it turns out the ... "personalities" that each one had had a purpose (the details will be revealed when you watch). But I felt there was not much development on their front.

"Kemurikusa" is a fascinating show.The first few episodes had me almost looking away.Firstly,the CGI was off-putting.Then you had this character who was annoying as hell,constantly drooling at any & everything with pretty much the same few words.However,once the plot picked up I wasn't able to stop.It seems a strange decision on the part of the makers to backload all the great/good parts.The starting is rather dry & there is not even a hint of the escalation that the second half will bring.I am sure many people would've left the anime before reaching this tipping point.

There are essentially 4 characters in all.There is Ritsu,Rin,the quadruplets & ... Wakaba.The relationship that the sisters share is one of the highlights of the show.Their love runs deep & they look after each other quiet selflessly.The world works on many levels.It conveys a sense of abandon with the backdrop of forsaken,dilapidated structures.The 'fog' adds to this uncertain world.The other details are quiet creative too.All the sisters have unique abilities.They fight for survival everyday.And all they need is water.The plot has an inherent mystery that we unravel along with Wakaba.There is also a rather unpredictable backstory.

"Kemurikusa" is a work on the theme of love & how it can transcend death/rebirth itself.I felt the show could've been more complex.It had all the ingredients.It ended up teasing greatness,to end at 'good'.You can definitely give it a try.It's rather under-rated.

Kemurikusa is a pretty unique anime, with a totally original setting that draws you into it immediately.

The art has amazing direction and use of colors, good character designs, and some very interesting uses of 3D. That being said, there is no denying that at a technical level, there are allot of rough edges and noticeable mistakes that aren't very charming, and can even distract from what is actually being presented at times.

The sound is serviceable to good, and the OP is pretty hype.

There is an interesting cast of characters that are all pretty likable from the start, thought the main character himself is ... a little weak for most of the run time.

If you can get over the visual shortcomings, you will find a story that is hard to put down, and setting with huge possibilities to get your brain turning.