Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou

I\'ve been a long time fan of the manga so I decided to finally check out the anime as well. This OVA is not everyone\'s cup of tea, or should I say coffee?

After watching, I prefer the manga. This is probably due to the fact that it\'s in colour and to me, they\'re ill suited. Also the art in the OVA looks dated by now, yet the manga manages to avoid that.

It\'s not easy to rate, never mind describe the story, to give it justice. And perhaps that was the idea, to make you feel things rather than tell you a story? It is ... not unlike sitting and looking at a sunset or watching a field of grass swaying in the wind. The slow pace, simple story line and gentle music help reinforce a feeling of relaxation and watching the world go by. If you\'re a person who can\'t appreciate things like that, Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou may not be for you.

Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou is a two-episode OVA based on the manga of the same name (please read my review of the manga for more details). Specifically, it is based on a few early chapters in the manga. After reading over some other reviews, it seems that the transition from still images to animation has been somewhat of a hit-or-miss kind of thing with many people, but for me, I think it weathers the transition very well; the OVA takes advantage of the medium to showcase the world and characters, but in some ways doesn't go far enough.

Story: 9 (Great)

The story concerns Alpha Hatsusueno, an android ... (or gynoid, to be gender-specific) who lives on the outskirts of what's left of Yokohama, Japan after rising sea levels destroyed most of the city. She spends her days running a cafe and waiting for the return of her owner, who has left for reasons and parts unknown. One day, she receives a visitor - a young woman named Kokone, who is here to drop off a special package for her along with a message. When Alpha asks for the contents of the message, she discovers something special about Kokone - she, too, is a robot!

Alpha and Kokone quickly become friends, and the two begin to explore the world around them, aided by the gift sent by Alpha's owner - a camera that can directly interface with robots. Kokone returns to her delivery service, leaving Alpha feeling lonely again. She then decides to head out on her own to discover for herself what the world offers for her to photograph and preserve.

After going out to pick up a new rake, the skies above Alpha's little scooter start to darken; before long, a heavy rain sets in. Suddenly, a lightning strike out of nowhere! Alpha will now have to cope with trying to survive and the changes she'll face after her recovery.

Alpha decides to try out her new camera and becomes greatly dissatisfied with some of the shots she takes. She searches for the perfect shot, but is suddenly overtaken by a faint memory she barely remembers, one that goes back to the very day she was first activated.

The corresponding manga chapters covered by the OVA's two episodes are, in order,Chapter 7 Afternoon February 2, Chapter 8 1 by 1, Chapter 9 300 Image Capacity,Chapter 4 Rain and After, Chapter 12 Navi and Chapter 22 Yokosuka Cruise - note that Chapters 8 and 9 and Chapters 12 and 22 have been combined into a single half-episode each.

The story faithfully reproduces the ones told in the original manga chapters, but adds special touches as well. We see the dynamics of the wonderous splendor of Alpha's world, as well as the dynamics of her special relationship with Kokone (special in more ways than one :). Many of the subtleties of Alpha's character that can only be told through movement are revealed to us as well. We also see a little more backstory and a few changes here and there between the OVA and the manga - Alpha remembers or at least admits a little bit about what it was like being around before robots were common. Overall, the execution is great and it's clear that the animators and producers were careful to preserve and enhance the environment and characters of the manga, though I wish we could've seen the world through the perspective of Alpha's camera more often.

Art: 9 (Great)

The art is terrific and faithfully reproduces or even enhances the art style of the manga, but sadly the colors come off as a little washed-out, especially in regards to Alpha and Kokone.With that said, the animation takes us one step closer towards experiencing this futuristic world of Yokohama for ourselves, and brings Alpha and Kokone one step closer to our world.

Sound: 10 (Outstanding)

The music sets a benchmark for anime of this genre and is performed by Choro Club who also gave us the soundtrack for ARIA; much of it is performed with a gekkin, the same type of stringed musical instrument Alpha plays in the manga and seen in the OVA. Background an incidental music factor in heavily, much more so than other works. The music very much correlates to the imagery on-screen and tells us through audio the type of laid-back world Alpha sees, despite the many hardships she and her friends have to put up with.

Character: 10 (Outstanding)

In many ways the characterization of Alpha, Kokone, and the others exceeds that of the manga, since we're treated to many nuances the manga is simply not able to show. We see in Alpha a certain kind of endearing naivety as she begins to see things for the first time from differing perspectives, yet at the same time, we see a strong-willed young woman who is not only capable of taking care of herself but highly values the bonds she has with what has become her human family. The animation does much to bring these characters alive through these nuances and interactions with others and their environment, bringing these characters one step closer to reality.

Enjoyment: 9 (Great)

Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou is almost as much of a masterpiece as its source material but is not without its flaws that detracts from its enjoyment. The washed-out colors are distracting, especially when I was expecting the vibrant green and purple of Alpha's and Kokone's hair to be carried over from the manga. Despite that, the OVA still does a magnificent job of breathing life into Hitoshi Ashinano's still images and ephemeral snapshots, and for this alone it is a highly recommended and regarded piece.

Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou is given a final score of:

10: Outstanding

I've seen numerous 10/10 ratings for Yokohama Shopping Trip (or Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou), and almost never anything below 8/10. So I decided, since it's only two episodes long, it had to be worth a try.

It may well be the single most boring thing I have ever seen in my life. The main character spent a good fifteen minutes trying to take a photo but being unable to get the right shot. That's it. Later on, she looks at some lights under a lake. It's a pretty sight, no doubt, and there's nothing wrong with a scene of atmospheric tranquility, but it goes like this: lingering ... shot of lights, lingering shot of face, lingering shot of lights, lingering shot of face, lingering shot of lights, lingering shot of face, lingering shot of lights, lingering shot of face....in silence for at least five minutes. I can't see any way in which that's anything less than incredibly dull.

And the animation! I've seen reviews praising the way the animation brings the main character's personality out vividly - but it's a lie! The art isn't bad, but the animation is downright poor. Alpha (the main character) has two expressions: 'slack-jawed gawp', and 'suprise' - and it soon becomes obvious that 'surprise' is the same slack-jawed gawp but with pink cheeks. The only other recurring character is the old man down the road, and he has only one expression! His facial features never move more than a fraction of an inch!

The worst example of animation in this, though, was the scooter-sideways incident. There was a sustained shot of Alpha riding her scooter, 'filmed' from behind. This was fine on the straight stretch of road, but then she came to some kind of curve or bend - but it took me a moment to realise that's what it was meant to be, because what actually happens is she leans slightly and moves directly sideways. It's HIDEOUS.

I'm completely nonplussed by the seemingly universal love of this anime. It makes watching paint dry seem eventful; at least paint progresses from wet to dry. The technical ineptitude only serves to make the experience painful as well as boring, leaving me with a weird feeling of being sedated and then beaten with wads of damp tissue paper.

Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou covers a few days in the life of an android named "Alpha". This short, OVA series doesn't really have a story, but covers several minuscule events of Alpha's life. The main focus isn't that, however, but Alpha's mental state the viewers watch to witness how she appreciates her existence and the world around her. This OVA shouldn't be picked out for a viewing if one's intentions isn't to watch something relaxing, as that's clearly the main goal of what's presented in this visual piece from the manga.

The visuals for Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou are wonderful and done with a great deal of care, ... having precision colors and hues throughout the two episodes. There's a good amount of really solid animation and the detail of the art is kept at a consistently high level all the way through. The color scheme varies drastically, having sent out a rainbow of colors by the time it's all over.

The sound of this OVA is phenomenal. While there isn't much music in place, the sound effects offer a consistently amazing atmosphere that, added alongside with the wonderful visuals, is what brings out the main goal of this mini-series. The audio and sound creates a calm and soothing environment, and it may even bring out nostalgic feelings from being at vacation beach homes or the like. The opening and ending are also very soothing, but might not be extremely memorable in the long run. In the basic budget category Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou was already doing great, but with the direction in place, the potential of this budget peaks to the maximum.

The manga not being relevant to this enclosed review, this OVA series doesn't really display much detail or background information of its characters and setting. It could be that the story takes place in a post-apocalyptic setting, as there are many shots of a grand city submerged underneath water, or there could've just been a natural disaster that took place. Either way, the sensation when looking upon the submerged city always seems to collide with the calmness and peacefulness of the main character's gaze. That isn't a negative, as it just displays the emotional directing taking place that is done extraordinarily well. I would almost recommend Neon Genesis Evangelion to those who like this specific OVA as the direction in both series are very similar, suddenly not being surprising when taking note that the art director of Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou just so happens to be the same person who worked on all of the Evangelion franchise. There's also some similar symbolism to Evangelion, which could likely not be symbolism to be honest. The lens on Alpha's camera along with the emotion of the submerged city just creates the impression of a message attempting to be sent.

The characters aren't really developed in their details, but they are all interesting and pleasureful to watch. The main character, in particular, is still not given much of a detailed background, but the moments the OVA places her pondering the world around her makes the audience feel as though they form a connection to what she's like. Alpha, along with the several other characters, all share the trait of being innocent and living in an innocent habitat. The characters ice the cake of the relaxation this series creates as it shows a slice-of-life presentation of these character's lives.

While this show seems to clearly have a goal from how it was carried out, and in that goal it marks off the charts, there are still elements lacking to evolve Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou into a fully-fledged experience. I don't doubt that the manga meets some of those aspects that would put it above this animated section of it, but what's being presented and critiqued here is something that doesn't feel whole. That's in no way required to be able to enjoy something and be satisfied, but I don't see having a more detailed experience creating any new negatives.

When in the mood to feel relaxed, maybe before going to sleep, Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou shouldn't be an option to pass up. With its superb visual style and sound effects, the OVA series is able to mold a consistently calm and charming atmosphere. The characters also help in that process by living out their roles in utter peace and euphoria. Dialogue is kept to a minimum and the majority of emotion is sent out by dynamic, visual cues from characters and in the show's environment. That wonderful direction, done by the man who worked on all of the Evangelion franchise's art direction, carries the show. That might be enough for many people, but that might also not be enough for many others. Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou is an experience, and a good one, but it's lacking in story elements, world-building, and character information. The show simply focuses on its atmosphere and tuning it to perfection. Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou is not for everyone and for one to truly enjoy it they must know what kind of show this is before diving in.

It’s hard to rate Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou accurately. After watching this first OVA, I decided to read a bit of the manga too. The manga is a little better suited for the slow pace, I think. Really not much happens. You don’t get a clear view of what’s going on through the episodes. However, the storyline probably wasn’t the point of this. What it wanted was to make you feel it. It’s very relaxing, and it goes along at such a leisurely pace.

Characters come across nicely, and Alpha is very likeable. We don’t get to learn much about her owner, again, you do not ... get the experience of delving into a complicated storyline, but rather a very simple one.

Sometimes I find watching this sort of anime enjoyable. I did enjoy Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou, and I like it’s setting especially. The backgrounds and animation are very beautiful. Slice of post-apocalyptic stories and just slice-of-life or everyday life stories are fun to watch for me. While most will probably think this show disagreeable, others will like it for it’s calming music and pretty animation.

~ Story ~
Yokohoama Kaidashi Kikou is a "slice of life" series. Like many of the genre, there really isn't much of a story to speak of. The series is about Alpha, a humanoid robot living in one of the coastal regions of Japan. Her owner had gone on a journey and left her there to tend a coffee shop (aptly named Cafe Alpha). It takes place in Earth's future, during a time when global warming has caused the polar ice caps to melt. Human society is on the decline and the pace of life has slowed to a crawl. ... The oceans have risen, causing the world's coastal cities to lay underwater. What is left of humanity has moved to the higher regions where they live out somewhat primitive lives. Most of the roads are in a state of disrepair, but life goes on in a calm manner. Humanity's last achievement, so it seems, was the creation of human shaped robots (like Alpha). There have been many iterations of these robots, but Alpha seems to be one of the first (and only) of her kind. All the others we see are more advanced models (like Kokone, for example).

~ Art ~
Initially released in 1998, Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou was two episodes. The image quality and animation was on par with other work at the time. Somehow, the whole series had an 80's feel. I think this may have had something to do with the size of Alpha's sunglasses.

~ Sound ~
The soundtrack for Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou was written and performed by GONTITI, a Japanese folk duo. They claim to make the "most comfortable music on earth." In this sense, I wholeheartedly agree. The soundtrack was not overwhelming and worked well with the imagery. In terms of dialog, the voice actors were perfect for their roles.

~ Overall ~
Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou is one of the most calming series I've ever seen and read. The artwork, music, and story work extremely well together to create a beautiful work of art. At first glance, most people will probably not enjoy this work since it obviously lacks any coherent story. Even watching the series to completion leaves the viewer feel unfulfilled. It doesn't leave much of an impression and may be quickly forgotten. However, a change in mindset may boost the way a person looks at this work.

I would recommend this series for those who want something calming to watch. The soundtrack stands alone as well, and makes extremely good background music. It also makes very good (if not horribly inappropriate) fragging music for Unreal Tournament. If you seek something that goes against the grain of the norm or a mood piece, Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou is for you.

If you're a fan of action, romance, harem, slapstick comedy, brain hurting, or lots of shinys, then I would recommend against watching this. Chances are, you'll be bored to death and end up falling asleep before the end of the opening sequence.

Though this is a relatively short OVA in two episodes it still captivates me somehow. This is the kind of anime that I would like to watch after watching an full action anime just to get my pace down to 0 again and be able to breath normally. This anime is really hard to describe in other ways but must be experienced to understand. Due to the lack of story, cause there really isn\'t a clear thread that goes through the two episodes I can\'t give it a higher overall rating.

While I very much enjoyed this 2-episode OVA, I wish it had become a longer series. Still, I felt that the episodes it chose to portray were some of the most important in the manga, in terms of the theme it sets. I've included a record of the chapters taken from the manga below to give one an idea of how the anime used the pace effectively. Each left me with an impression that was like that of a peaceful sunny day or quiet storm and I definitely recommend it to those of us who love staring out of windows.

My favourite story from this ... OVA was actually a piece written specifically for the episode itself called "The Wind Blew." It's a beautiful little story about Alpha having a spot of laziness where it literally takes her all day to make a cup of coffee. I think it was one of the best of the series and really summarized the theme of the manga perfectly, which for me was the concept of mono no aware and enjoying life as it passes you by peacefully.

The best parts about the animated adaptation in my opinion were the editing, pacing, and the sound quality. The pace fit with the mood set in the manga and I loved the way the anime used all the space available, from the OP and ending themes to moments of transition to fit in scenes from the series that might not have otherwise made it into the series. I was particularly impressed with the editor's use of scenes taken from V.3, Ch. 007 Story 17 "Waves" as part of the end theme sequence. I noticed lots of little details such as this one, but this was my favourite example because it includes the scene where Alpha and Kokone sing together, which was one of the most touching for me in the manga. This anime did a great job of editing particular scenes in to make it feel like a living novel more than a series, which is always nice in an adaptation and I know as a fan of the manga I appreciated it dearly.

But what really made the atmosphere realistic for me, I think, was the sound editing, such as the train hissing over the tracks or a noise in the background that is brought to our attention. These little details, given such care, are what changed this from being a "nice" anime to making me feel as though I were a silent observer sitting on Alpha's porch with a nice cup of coffee, enjoy the scenes that occurred around me.

Unfortunately, while sound was one of this anime's greatest strengths, for me it's music was it's greatest weakness. Not to say it was bad or that it didn't fit the feel of it, but the studio chose to use Choro Club (who would later create the beautiful, and fitting, music for the series ARIA) for the music and to me it was mostly a copy/paste scenario with bits of untimely calypso sounding themes and I found that to be a little disappointing.

With a series like Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou there were really only two feasible routes for music that I can see, one being to have little to no music and just concentrate the sound efforts on the everyday world that Alpha and her visitors reside in, which was decidedly the route they chose. The alternative route would have been to include a beautiful score, such as those found in Seirei no Moribito, Junni Kokki or the Studio Ghibli films. Now, while this would have been nice it would also likely be expensive, and I suspect this wasn't a large budget project, but still it would have been nice if the music they chose had a grander, gentler feel to it instead of trying to make this series into a pre-ARIA outfit, musically speaking. If one can't have something so grand as a proper score, why not make the music more like what was found in Mushishi or Please Save My Earth, which were closer in feeling to this series than ARIA was. I know I am griping about something seemingly small, but for me music is really what fuels the emotional bond I have with a series and unfortunately, while I did get used to this series it will never be a favourite the way some others will because the music just didn't fit to me. Which is a shame given how much obvious time and effort the team involved in this work of love put into making it something wonderful.

Also, it took much longer for Alpha's seiyuu, Hekiru Shiina, to grow on me than I feel it should have given the length of the OVAs. It wasn't that she wasn't talented, but just that she felt a bit more aggressive than I imagined Alpha's character to be based on the manga. Honestly, I would have preferred someone like Lisa Michelson (who played Satsuki in FOX/Steamline dub of My Neighbor Totoro), Takayama, Minami (best known for her role as Ursula in Kiki's Delivery Service) or perhaps Minagawa, Junko (Akira from ARIA).

My overall impression of this series is ultimately a good one and I would highly recommend this series to those who love slice of life or enjoying a quiet cup of something. So, while both the music and Alpha's seiyuu took some getting used to, they eventually grow on me and by the end I enjoyed them. I would still argue though that they are the weaker points in an otherwise strong animated OVA series and had they fit better with what I view as the theme of the series I would have happily given it a 10 and added it to my favourites list where it rightfully belongs.

Alternatively, I also enjoyed this as a companion piece and thought I should share it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=38Tv_AlDjpw


Record of the chapters taken from the manga:

Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou (anime) Ep. 1: These records were cataloged using the MangaFox scans.

V.1, Ch. 00 - Story 01 "Yokohama Shopping Trip/Log"

Compressed version of V. 1, Ch. 007 Story 7 Afternoon 2/2; V. 2 Ch. 001 & 002 Stories 08 & 09:
V.1, Ch. 007 - Story 07 "Afternoon 2/2"
V.2, Ch. 001 - Story 08 "PM 1/1"
V.2, Ch. 002 - Story 09 "300 Image Capacity"

V.2, Ch. 005 - Story 12 "Navi"

Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou (anime) Ep. 2: This record was cataloged using the MangaFox scans.

V.1, Ch. 004 - Story 04 "Rain, and after"

Between these two stories is a nice little tale made just for the OAV called (as far as I've been able to tell) "The Wind Blew" about Alpha having a lazy day where it literally takes her all day to make a cup of coffee. I think it was one of the best of the series and really summerized the theme of the manga perfectly.

V.3, Ch. 005 - Story 22 "Yokosuka Cruise"

I was also particularly taken with the scenes from V.3, Ch. 007 Story 17 "Waves" for the end theme.

Ahhh, what a relaxing and comfy slice of life anime. You can honestly leave the subtitles off for this and it wouldn't make much difference, the dialogue and characters are secondary to the art. That's because this is legit some of the prettiest hand painted watercolor art/backgrounds I've seen in years, relaxing, serene, calming, and gorgeous are the first words that come to mind. All complimented by really smooth hand drawn old school animations. The most dated part are the character models, they're VERY 90's which I honestly love. To me this ranks up there with something like Mushishi season 1 in terms of ART ... quality (lol, and nothing else so don't take that comment too seriously or the wrong way).

I'll be honest, if you're the type of anime fan that thinks modern anime is the be all end all of quality, and that older anime is ugly, then this one is probably not for you. Closest modern take is Super cub, which is definitely gorgeous and relaxing, so maybe check that out instead.

On a side note, I highly recommend watching this with VLC/MPC and madvr so you can maximize the quality. Older anime, well anime in general, looks so much better when you go through the proper steps and have a good source. I feel bad for people that watch something like this or mushishi on a streaming site where they can't fine tune the quality, it's like watching avengers infinity war in 260p.

TL;DR Do you love hand drawn anime? Watercolor backgrounds? and or Comfy and boring slice of life anime? Then give it a whirl, it's less than 2 hours long.

This isnt an anime I usually go out of my way to recommend, I think its a bit of an aquired taste, but its one of my all time favorite. It's beautiful, relaxing and a perfect show to help you feel better about the world after a bad day. The characters are lovable, but especially given that the OTA is so short and gives you little time to truly connect with them, it especially excels in its serene moments and beautiful scenery. It is a show where not much of anything happens and while some scenes or gorgeous, some of the animation does suffer from ... a small budget

Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou is a "story" about Alpha, a robot, whose owner went away on a trip and hasn´t returned.
Alpha runs a coffee shop, that never has customers.
The story takes place in an era post-war, in which low technology is side by side with a robot that cries, feels and has non-typical robot behavior.
Alpha receives as a present from her owner a camera, to register her most dear memories.

Story:
Mediocre...Alpha is a robot that feels, cries, drinks coffee and lots of stuff that robots don´t do, she even has weak memory (?!).
The two OAVs (first part of the series) show her routines, some chit ... chats with her "friends" and lots of scenario, landscape...

Art:
The artwork is beautiful, even though these OAVs are from the 90´s. The clouds, birds, trees, sea and everything are really well made.

Sound:
Some background music that doesn´t get along with the images...
There isn´t much work for the seiyuu, because there is almost no dialogues.

Character:
I didn´t catch very well the concept for this OAVs...not much development, only some images and tedious scenes.

Enjoyment:
While watching this series I almost fell asleep twice. The background music all the time, and the lack of dialogues made me feel very sleepy.
In some parts of the first OAV I was having fun and in the second OAV, only one part was "watchable".

Overall:
5/10- Mediocre...but if you really suffer from insomnia you´ll watch this in no time. I wish it was better developed, it could be a very interesting title...

I hate to be that person, I really do, but the manga is better. Infinitely better. It’s hard for me to say this, because I really wanted to like the adaptation, but the manga just does everything the anime does without any of the problems the anime has. I’ll concede that most of my issues with it probably contain some bias, and that some issues might come off as nitpicks, but it nonetheless stands that they are problems not present in the original.

I suppose to start with a nitpick, I want to mention the starting song. I don’t like it (I did say nitpicks). ... Well, that’s not entirely true, because I don’t actually dislike the song itself. My main question is why this song. I guess I’m just confused as to what mood the song is supposed to establish. It has this reggae/surf vibe to it that while fitting with the relaxed atmosphere of the show, sort of clashes with everything else about the show. It could be used as a sort of adventurous track (maybe), but there really isn’t a need for that in the material they adapted. Additionally, the manga never had that atmosphere in the first place, so the song is completely out of place.

A bigger problem is our main character Alpha. She is not the same character as she is in the manga. In the manga she has this childish side to her; a slight silliness and clear social awkwardness resulting from years of isolation, but this part of her character really isn’t present in the adaptation. She definitely has a slightly awkward side to her, but it isn’t enough to support some of her reactions or dialogue that were originally a result of her somewhat childish nature. The results of excluding this part of her character are some awkward and unfitting dialogue and a character that feels a bit bland, if not somewhat shallow.

On a more personal note, the anime isn’t really as scenic as the manga is. I don’t really want to fault the show for that, though. It’s hard to match the beautiful and intricate line work of the manga, but overall I was never really left in awe of a visual like I was in the manga. Similarly, I never got quite the same emotional feeling from the anime. The atmosphere wasn’t the same. I don’t know if it’s because of the beginning song, or that it’s not black and white, or perhaps just the specific chapters adapted never had that feeling, but the manga always had this melancholic or nostalgic mood. Where if you weren’t already feeling somewhat introspective, it would make you feel that way. There was also always this slight emptiness to the world, even during scenes with character interaction. But none of this ever felt as present in the anime. They did try, with lots of wide scenic shots that were clearly trying to imitate what’s present in the manga, but it never felt the same to me. Like I said, these are more personal points, and are most definitely not going to be the same for every viewer, but they definitely affected my score and perception of the anime.

I also just don’t understand why YKK was adapted in the way it was. Minor spoilers ahead, if you hadn’t read or watched it already. Ok, so the first episode is based around Alpha and Kokone. A little weird, considering that Kokone is introduced in chapter seven, but still fine. And this makes you think that Kokone is going to be important for the rest of the adaptation, but she’s not. She is important in the manga, but not in what season one adapts. Additionally, episode two follows completely different characters that would’ve been better off introduced in episode one as there’s events and dialogue in episode two that are clearly supposed to be emotional, yet have no effect since we have hardly even seen them on screen, let alone having meaningful interactions. The only connecting point between episodes one and two is the camera Kokone delivers to Alpha, but that could easily be explained by just showing the camera as an object in Alpha’s house in episode one and Kokone would no longer be needed to deliver the camera. With Kokone not delivering the camera, and it no longer being an object of significance, episode one could be spent introducing the characters and relationships that would be important in episode two. The choice to make YKK only two episodes was idiotic in the first place, but then to not make every second of those two episodes count is just odd. I’ll give props that the scenes are well adapted and meaningful, but that doesn’t really make up for these failures that clearly come from not having enough runtime to accomplish everything they wanted to accomplish and not being able to decide which content to include. Either that or YKK was adapted with the thought that Alpha was the only character that mattered and all the others were just unimportant side characters; but not only does this seem unlikely, it would be even more baffling than the first conclusion.

With that aside, I don’t actually think this is bad (I still gave it a 7 after all). Aside from comparisons to the manga, there’s plenty I appreciate from the adaptation: the art (which is still pretty even if I don’t feel it's as impactful), the sparing (if not nonexistent) use of background music, the character design, the color palette, the fact that it’s actually a well made product (other than some animation bumps). This is not a bad adaptation or a bad show. I just think it could have been better and to be perfectly honest, I don’t think there’s much value in choosing to watch this over just reading the manga. And I guess that’s my point. Just read the manga. You’ll be left with a much more worthwhile experience.

Thanks for Reading.

I loved this anime because it was relaxing. It wasn't like any other anime I've seen before. The story is simple, yet creative. It's perfect to watch late at night with a loved one. I don't like how short it is. I hear the Manga is longer and has mermaids and more characters and it just tells a better story. I wish there were more episodes to explain if the robot had a crush on the owner. I want to know what happened to the other android. No matter how much more I want to know about the story, even if I hate how there's ... no explanations, I still enjoyed it.

"𝘼𝙛𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙬𝙚 𝙜𝙧𝙚𝙚𝙩 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧,
𝙡𝙚𝙩 𝙪𝙨 𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙤𝙜𝙚𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧,
𝙡𝙚𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙨𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙙 𝙘𝙖𝙧𝙧𝙮 𝙤𝙣 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙖 𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙩𝙡𝙚 𝙬𝙝𝙞𝙡𝙚...
....
𝘼𝙨 𝙬𝙚 𝙨𝙖𝙫𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙢𝙖𝙜𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙡 𝙢𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩."


I wanna see more green apocalypses....

Nausicaa and Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou really got me wanting green apocalypses where people help each other out and rebuild a life,
...
It's an unbelievably chill anime with no complex plot involving die-hard enemies out to destroy you or something of that sort, the only enemy these characters are trying to defeat is the loneliness in life itself or their inner-self.

Stories of characters just going about their daily lives, trying to find their place in the world. I not only like the heartwarming relationships they shared but the scenery of these places too which are simply beautiful. The underwater abandoned postapocalyptic town with all the city lights still burning made me feel the heaviness in my heart even more than the protagonist herself did. The art is splendid. nothing more nothing less. Scenes with more than half a minute of visuals and no words with just the score and Alpha herself were more than enough for my eyes sometimes.

They’re so pleasant to watch. It's kind of like the anime version of curling up under the blanket on a rainy afternoon and just feeling good and lonely, makes you feel all calm and relax, when you simply want to chill and switch off your mind.


𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆: 7/10
𝗔𝗿𝘁: 10/10
(Never knew retro animes can be such beautiful)
𝗦𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱:10/10
𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗿:10/10
𝗘𝗻𝗷𝗼𝘆𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁: 9/10
𝗢𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗹𝗹: 10/10

10s across the board. The first Yokohama Kaidashi Kishou (YKK) OVA (and manga which I am currently reading and adoring) could not have come to me at a more perfect time. I watched this OVA during a month-long break after I quit a stressful fast food job which left me anxious and depressed every week. Watching YKK ultimately relaxed me in a time when I was extremely tense, and gave me a newfound appreciation of the beauty around me, and the relationships I form with friends and family.

There are dozens of reviews here that put it better than I ever will, YKK is a ... show about appreciating beauty, and the somberness of the passage of time which will ultimately wash away so many amazing memories. Something else that I feel is important (moreso to be found in the manga, but is plentiful in the OVA as well) is how deeply fulfilling close relationships are. At the end of the day, you aren't taking material possessions with you to the grave, but perhaps spiritual connections will carry over beyond said grave. Alpha's bond with all of her friends, Oji-san, Kokone, Takahiro, etc. is fulfilling on a much deeper level than anything else.

I cannot help but smile and feel hopeful when listening to the music from YKK. There have literally been times when I have been feeling stressed and tense, and suddenly some notes or vocals from the soundtrack randomly flow into my head and instantly calm me down. I cannot put into words how calming the music is, it's almost a form of escapism by itself.

I'm kind of struggling to put into words how wonderful this OVA is, it's quite frankly something I have a personal attachment which formed the second the opening theme started playing. This OVA was kind of life-changing for me, partially only due to the time and circumstances in which I watched it, but its effects cannot be understated.

Let me start by saying that I enjoyed watching this show very much and that I watched the entire OVA while having my morning cup of coffee.

Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou is a short OVA series that concentrates a lot more on telling, or rather implying a story through the images and experiences of the main character. Overall, the art style, while dated, is fairly decent. The characters in the story, while not developed much, are fairly believable (as in there are no overused tropes and the characters act in a similar way to actual people). I would say that the main reason that ... someone should watch this anime is because you have some spare time and just want to relax and enjoy an anime that doesn't have any serious story on the surface.

That being said, the main reason I gave this anime a 7/10 instead of anything higher is because there is a significant amount of backstory implied that it simply never discusses in any depth at all. I tend to be someone who picks up all the tiny details and there are countless details in this anime that have no explanation (it may be covered in the manga but I am not sure about that). While I would have liked some coverage of the reason behind these details, I can also see that some people may like the mystery behind how these things came to be or why characters are acting as they are, so this is really only a downside for me since I will probably be pondering the why for the rest of the day. Other than my few complaints however, I will reiterate that this is a great relaxing anime if you have some time but, not a lot of time, to just sit and enjoy.

I was trying to watch some "Seinen" type anime, but I saw something like...Josei? I don't know, maybe one day I will know that, heh.
Sound? There is almost no sound.
Story very boring.
Drawing isn't bad.
Character is the same as story, because that anime is very close with normal life of main character.

I want to preface that this anime is not for everyone
This anime is such a short and bittersweet experience, in the two episodes that it is packaged in it can almost bring you to the verge of tears and I think that's a sense of Anemoia and Kenopsia if I could describe it with a couple of words. The setting is what grabs you and pulls you in with such a strong grasp that the characters are almost secondary, It has such little dialogue that's why I say that but that's not a bad thing. Having something reach out to you on an emotional level ... without characters having conflict and/or something on the line is really hard to do but Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou does just that and with relative ease.

This is exceedingly subjective, but regarding world-building, I have seen that it has been docked some points for some people and I think they have some credibility and the right to deem that true. But I want to say that this story and the world (at least in these 2ep and not the manga) rely so heavily on visuals and these visuals alone give you enough to satiate your craving enough but not fully because the entirety of the anime thrives on the ambiguity of what you can see. It gives you enough for you to want more, and to ponder what is out of reach and your mind is used to think of what's not there. You can say that the last line is a cop-out and can be said for any story that is vague and has little dialogue in its storytelling but I think that it's perfectly viable to say in the context of this story.

I urge you to try this with open arms, but going into this it is slow and almost methodical with the way and times that it gives you these idyllic scenes. This leaves you wanting more and also thinking about it after. This can be skewed because I used to be into photography and these picturesque moments would mesmerize you and make you feel like time has stopped and Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou has encapsulated that perfectly for me and brought this nostalgia full force. This could either be the most boring anime you've ever seen or it could be an eye opener into a new neiche sub-genera of anime that you can never let go of.

This is as crazy as it sounds my favorite anime of all time it's just a nice chill anime to watch I've personally watched it a bunch of times over it's perfect no over the top action no real reason to anything it's just a nice Show kinda has a depressing and dreamy feel to it and I really enjoy that.

The Story
It has a story it's great wouldn't call it flawless.

Art
The art is just perfect one of the best looking 90s Ova's ever made I just love the way it looks in my opinion One of the best-looking animes ever made
a lot of ... people would disagree with me on that I know.

Sound
It's got an amazing soundtrack differently one of the best I've heard in any anime.

Enjoyment
This show is great weirdly makes me depressed but it's great.

The protagonist is a green-haired, always-genial, and scarcely ingenuous gynoid-denominated Alpha who runs a coffee shop while waiting for her owner to return. She infrequently gets customers at the start of the OVA, but everyone who meets her relishes her due to her outgoing and cordial personality. She’s simply a nice person, without any malevolence at all.

As far as my enjoyment goes, there are a few ways to describe the atmosphere: serene, bittersweet, nostalgic, poetic, explorative, joyous, even inscrutable. There are only two major events and these are weather-cognate. The rest of the time it’s the minuscule moments that are in the spotlight, much ... homogeneous to a diary or an impressionistic painting. The inclusion of a camera, specially designed for robots, that avails Alpha to relive the moments she shoots, contributes to the immersion of the viewer in the mundane and underlines the feelings engendered from the passage of time.

The reputation is well-deserved and should be viewed if the time is available. I can recommend taking a cup of coffee and sit back and enjoy because this experience will be relaxing.