Reviews

Jul 29, 2016
Kill La Kill may be an anime that you wouldn't watch with your parents. And especially would get you weird looks from non-anime fans. But to the less judging eye, it comes out as a great show, that may have a few worn edges.

Story: 6/fair
I can not talk much about the story on it's own without spoiling a lot of the plot. But for what I can say, I will speak this: the plot and story arcs of Kill La Kill are the most lacking of all it's major assets. It starts of normal with a to-cool-for-school, punk rock young girl just on a journey around Japan looking for her father's murderer when it leads her back to her hometown. That story goes on for a little over 10 episodes, and I only wish it stuck with it. After the half-way point of the season the plot goes towards every conceivable solution to the original problem that they could find. It was like the writers had all gotten drunk the night they were writing the other 12 episodes and decided to stick with it after the fact. The plot becomes so convoluted that you feel that you are only witnessing the thoughts and dreams of what one of the characters thought the future would entail. Don't get me wrong, there are many good moments in this anime, from surprise betrayals to even magnifying team-ups. But most of that juicy, meaty goodness found in a story that all anime lovers adore is mostly found in the back-half. Just a little to late for most people.

Art: 9/great
What Kill La Kill lacks in writing and story-telling, it completely makes up for in every other category, especially art. To start, this is one of the most beautiful anime I have every seen. I mean just look at the poster itself, it entices your eyes from the beginning. That art styling is also held the entire way through action and battle sequences. The highlighted neon colors of the characters clothing, weapons, and action all culminate into something that you must let your eyes feast on for hours. It is truly a very unique experience, and I have never seen anything like it before.

Sound: 7/good
Music, an integral part of every anime, making up a cornerstone of why it is liked so much. Kill La Kill delivers on its sound design, always having there composers choose the exact time to lay down a sick beat or two in the middle of a hair-raising battle. Right when you hear the howl of "DON'T LOSE YOUR WAY!" you know your in for a good moment and turn around in the outcome of the fight. The opening and closing of the first half of the season are much more superior than that of the last twelve. With the implement of a pounding drum set in the first opener, you always get excited for what is coming next. The major thing that is lacking in the music and sound department is the scarceness of any good non-action music. I can barely remember any sounds that were used outside the battle sequences, and that becomes a little off putting after a while. When they hit the mark though, they hit dead center.

Character: 7/good
Kill La Kill has a large variety of characters, from comedic dunces to ultra-unlikeable villains, the show has everything for anyone's taste. Between the main characters: Ryuuko, Satsuki, Mako, and my personal favorite Senketsu, they become more fleshed-out and likable by the end of the series. You start to grow feelings towards them like all great anime characters. But once we get to the supporting cast, it gets a little harder to find any good apples. For example, the elite 4 were a good set of characters, and were fun to watch and interact with. However, the only one that got the most screen time was Gamagoori, and was also the only one that changed throughout the course of the show. The rest of Mako's family are all mostly tropes, and "NUDIST BBBEEEAAACCCHHH!!" are just there to be there. Ragyou and Nui are some nice heels and villains, but there motives are so over-the-top you can't appreciate them for who they are. Besides the main four cast members, the list of characters is mostly barren of good talent for this anime.

Enjoyment: 9/great
Kill La Kill may not be the show stopper that "Saved Anime" like it is being touted as, but it was still a barrel of laughs and a hell of a lot of fun. I was always waiting to get another free moment to watch the next episode in the line and learn more about this fantastical world these characters live in. It was very fun watching them interact with each other, have unique experiences, and watching them duke it out. Many an anime fan will enjoy this next amazing home run by Studio Trigger, as much as I did.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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