Mar 6, 2024
Kizuna's one of those classics that doesn't age too well, but you find yourself liking it anyways. It stands above and apart from other BL peers of that time, yet its shortcomings does have me struggling to wholeheartedly recommend it.
The worst offense, by far, is the first episode, and the first thirty seconds will either make or break your interest. We're dropped right in the middle of a scene, which then crudely transitions to another tangentially related scene, with spurts of nature in between. The description you see as the summary? Pretty much the first two minutes of the show. If done correctly, the anime
...
can bring you up to speed and not leave you feeling flustered. But with only 27 minutes to cram probably 3 manga chapters in, maybe it's the best Kizuna could do.
The second episode was much better in terms of pacing. Instead of the main pair, we're given a glimpse of Kai Sagano's personality. It does feel a little episodic, though, as we're, again, introduced to new characters with no prior explanation of who they are and why they matter. (Luckily, the second episode unveils the characters' identity a lot better than the first.) Although the first episode had the meat and potatoes, I found myself enjoying this episode a lot more...which made it incredibly disappointing when I reached the end of the OVA. It felt like the prelude to a story that would never start!
There's miscellaneous issues as well. Book any Marriott or Hilton Hotel and go into their elevator, and you'll easily find Kizuna's OST. There's some annoying cliches that, for the most part, Kizuna dodged the bullet on, but still got a scrape on its arm. An example: the obligatory near-sexual assault that cripples many BL series. A wider example not restricted to the BL genre: having a supposedly strong MC defenseless in the time of need, only for a hero to rescue them. To be fair, though, the situation here was complicated by other matters, but it's still a bone. Finally, for an erotica, there was only one or two completely risque scenes. A racier anime like Mignon AND a tamer anime like Junjou Romantica has Kizuna beat for implicit/explicit sexual content. It has a similar amount of eroticism of Ai no Kusabi (1990s) without the complications, sexual tension, and drama.
Shortcomings and all, I still found myself enjoying this anime. The characters are lovable and have a much healthier relationship than a good chunk of BL and shoujo/romance animes out there.The usual stereotypes of drama are absent, replaced instead with moments of introspection and 90s-style banter we know and love. The animation, while grainy due to its age, was beautifully done, and all the characters, including irrelevant ones, were treated with care. I found myself invested in all of them--which is why it's such a shame that there's only two episodes, both dissatisfying in some way. I'm sure that if it had been stretched to 4 episodes, this would have easily ranked an 8 or 9.
Conclusion: While I personally would rewatch this anime in the future, its shortcomings may be a turn-off to some viewers. As this is the only review for this series, though, I would recommend that if the summary interests you, give it a go, see how you like it. Just be sure to keep Kizuna's age and weaknesses in mind when you evaluate it for yourself.
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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