Dec 9, 2023
For the sake of avoiding spoilers- and encouraging people to read this- I will make my point extremely concise: if you are a fan of Kemono Friends and were disappointed with the anime’s second season, read this.
I really cannot understate how much of an improvement this is. Not only is the art itself fantastic, but it makes so many changes that were absolutely needed for Season 2 to really reach its full potential and create a satisfying conclusion. Originally long and boring sections are shortened here, and sometimes story-relevant information or backstory is added into them to give them a purpose. Originally short sections
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with forgettable background characters are given more depth, and sometimes have emotional scenes which draw parallels to- or create a bond with- the main characters.
And the main characters have even significantly improved, too. Kyururu was previously very bland, with little to no personality to speak of. This manga gives him a lot more depth and memorable moments of strength that made me really root for him, and really see his bond with his friends shine. Caracal was a surprising one, getting a lot of nice characterisation here and really emotional moments that I didn’t expect at all, coming from the original. The semblance of personality she had before is really fleshed out here and she’s quickly become one of my favourites.
And speaking of emotion, this manga is GREAT at portraying it. In the anime, emotions are usually shown very flatly, with very few moments feeling genuinely satisfying. Characters often don’t really feel like people of their own, and instead feel more like vessels of cute designs. But here, characters cry and get angry in capacities I really didn’t expect of this franchise. I could really feel everyone’s emotions by the end and the conclusion was very satisfying as a result.
Again, avoiding spoilers, a specific character who I really wanted to get more screentime in the original has a LOT of attention here, and it is so nice to see their story have this much care put into it. I’m almost baffled at how the writers didn’t include these scenes in the original anime- they were some of the highlights of this entire manga for me.
That’s about all I can say without ruining some of the surprise for you. Seriously, if you’re a fan of the franchise who has any emotional connection at all the story or characters in the second season, read this. Read it nowwwwww. There’s a great fan-translation you can find online, and it’s only three volumes long. I read it in one sitting and I don’t regret it at all. Hoping for official English volumes soon!
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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