Audience reviews
20 · Sample from the first available page, separate from the total number of ratings.
1stDecame4Danime
This is really not interesting: it's lacking both intellectual depth and superficial spectacle, making it a complete bore that is hard to watch. It's a typical episodic story of encountering people/places with different mini stories to tell that has been done far better by many others. The philosophical aspects are all juvenile and often just contrived nonsense to force misanthropic/wishy-washy morals ('the tyranny of the majority in democracy is unavoidable'(No. The anti-execution minority wouldn't accept a decree to be executed, it's literally the definition of their group, they'd revolt), 'slaves want not to be free but to be the masters'(No, just no. Also, reinventing the concept of sports doesn't necessitate death sports. But at least the author managed to headass another way to smoot…
Read at the sourceLatooq
Every review I've read about Kino's journey made me realize I'm a minority here. That reminds me of Gun Gale Online, written by the same author, receptions where everyone was talking how that show takes SAO concept and tells an amazingly-written story, where in my opinion that show was extremely forgettable compare to the original sword art online. And as I expected, Kino's journey introduces a bunch of concepts and doesn't do anything substantial with them.
Kino and her talking motorcycle are 2 main protagonists. The story follows their journey from one country to another. But every time they leave the country the story moves on, making the plot structure episodic. Of course 20 minutes, the usual anime episode length, isn't enough to tell a memorable story, but this show rarely even dedi…
Read at the sourceliteraturenerd
Overview:
I continue my trilogy of reviews covering legitimately great anime to celebrate 300 reviews here on MAL. Kino's Journey is a 2003 anime directed by the late great Ryutaro Nakamura. It was adapted from a series of light novels written by a guy who uses the pen name "Sigsawa". Everyone get your groans out of the way now. At first this seems like an odd pairing because Nakamura was a super artsy dude. Kind of like a Woody Allen...without the alleged pedophilia. On the other hand, "Sigsawa" is a man absolutely obsessed with guns, hunting, motorcycles, American muscle cars, and all things MANLY. Sigsawa's favorite anime is Sword Art Online and he's far more likely to be out blasting squirrels with a shotgun than attending a modern art exhibition. Somehow, this odd couple worked reall…
Read at the sourceAndoCommando
“Someone once told me that watching the birds made them want to go on a journey.”
What’s more important, the journey or the destination? Usually this type of question requires a level of context to be able to answer properly. Sometimes the journey is nothing more than simple steps required in order to achieve something. Other times it’s the paths you take that leave the most impact overtime. If you were to ask me, I would generally say that the journey holds more weight as the journey is where one is able to grow and learn about themselves and the world around them. The destination, to me is a by-product on one’s journey and what they acquire from it. Because a journey is at its philosophical core a learning experience, one doesn’t even need a clear goal in mind, instead finding comfort a…
Read at the sourceRiothamus12
It's difficult to sum up Kino's Journey in words. The only words that come close are unique and stunning. The premise is simple. It follows the journey of a traveler and her talking motorcycle as they travel from place to place and encounter many unusual cultures and customs in the process. However, this simple summary falls short of giving a potential viewer any deep sense of what they're about to see. Each episode explores elements of society and human nature with a rare sense of beauty, touching upon the addressed themes with a sense of pathos that entire series dedicated to them may fail to really drive home until the very end. This is not a series driven by eye popping battles, but when they happen, it's not only exciting, but makes one to feel as if they are witnessing something deep…
Read at the sourceJustGoodAnime
"Warning: Kino's Journey has been known to induce a strong feeling of wanderlust in its viewers. It has also been proven to boost levels of empathy. Watch at your own risk."
But in all seriousness, like most anthology styled shows, "Kino's Journey" is somewhat difficult to review in its entirety. Instead of presenting one narrative with a beginning, middle, and end, it presents several self-contained stories, each with their own conflict and resolution. The only thing that stays the same is that each episode is seen through the eyes of series protagonist and professional traveler Kino, and her talking bike, Hermes.
I've seen that the show has been compared to the seminal TV classic, "The Twilight Zone" and I feel that the comparison is justified. They both rely heavily on a tasteful, yet…
Read at the sourceBlerdGirl
I stumbled onto this anime without knowing what to expect. Once I started watching it, I became very moved by it.
One of the best aspects of this anime is the story. Each episode is a parable about the darker side of human nature, especially when it comes to being heartless and ignorant. These parables are based on scenarios that could actually exist in the real world and make the viewer think about their personal ethics as well as the ethics of others. Yet, despite the hard truths, there is an element of hope that comes from the anime's main character, Kino.
Kino has become my number one favorite female protagonist in anime. As I progressed with the series, I found myself admiring how swiftly she could defend herself with a gun, how considerate she was of others, and how resilient and w…
Read at the source5camp
My shorthand way of describing Kino’s Journey is that it’s Aesop’s Fables the Anime. The characters do not act like real humans, nor do their dialogue and actions seem like those of normal humans. That is because it is not a story about people. It’s a story about society. It’s about democracy and religion and work and the things we take for granted because we do not question these societal constructs.
The story follows Kino, a perfectly nice fellow as he travels from country to country on his talking motorbike, staying in each country for only 3 days. The importance behind the 3 day rule is that it is enough time for Kino to see the country and understand its traditions and customs from all angles, but too short a time to have any influence on proceedings. Kino remains detached from proce…
Read at the sourcemahoganycow
I was reminded of some lines I'd long since forgotten:
“To ride, shoot straight, and speak the truth,
this was the ancient law of youth.”
For Kino, the riding and the shooting come easily enough. But in a series of encounters with strange places and people, she quickly learns that the truths of the world are far harder to grasp than the motorcycle's handlebars, or the grips of the revolver.
Kino's world is an attractive wash of natural pastels, with earthy yellows, greens, and browns taking the center stage. The backgrounds aren't highly detailed, but they match the tones and colors we associate with nature, and they're striking in their consistency and the impression of a vast world that they manage to convey. It's all lovingly lit, and the show occasionally shows off a highly realisti…
Read at the sourcePhaetons_Folly
A journey can be a pivotal point in a person’s life. It provides an opportunity for a person to experience a new world where they encounter new ideas and do things they have never done before. More importantly, a journey allows is a time of self-discovery. Interacting with a new culture forces a person to evaluate their own beliefs and customs that may seem natural to them, but may soon learn they are not intuitive. It is also an opportunity to see that there are things that are universal for all cultures. It is this power that a journey has that the anime Kino’s Journeys attempts to tap.
Kino’s Journey follows a traveler named Kino and her talking motorcycle called Hermes. They are both traveling the world visiting country after country with no real final destination. This setup causes K…
Read at the sourceYuna
One of the biggest criticisms the anime medium constantly faces is that it merely a form of entertainment. With the abundance of shows, especially in the recent years, that are evidently nothing more than blatant attempts to cater to hormone-overflowing young men with endless amounts of fanservice, it is easy to see why many skeptics share this common misconception. And while there are numerous titles that break the mold and provide watchers with much more than just flashy action sequences featuring gun-toting, well-endowed girls, a great deal are quickly forgotten, destined to only be watched by a small fraction of individuals who are well aware of the true potential of this medium. Kino no Tabi – The Beautiful World fits these criteria quite nicely. It is truly a gem in the rough that ma…
Read at the sourcefirewhale
Kino's Journey:
I enjoyed the series. Since each individual episode was self-contained, it was easy to slowly work my way through it. And even though each episode was self-contained, I found myself invested in Kino and Hermes (Hermes is Kino's talking motorcycle). As a traveler, Kino visited several countries that represented different facets of society and human psychology (sometimes exaggerated to a ridiculous extent). Regardless of a country's strange or even deplorable customs, Kino would oftentimes take a stance of non-interference. And even though Kino took the role of an onlooker many times, she showed that she was a strong character that is easy to like.
The examples presented by each country beg to be analyzed or at least contemplated. They are not simple stories with no meaning…
Read at the sourceRedward
*This Review may contain spoilers*
This is Kino's Journey? I'd rather stay at home.
What many people believe to be a great series, Kino's Journey is a collection of short stories revolving around different countries, customs, traditions and beliefs. The main character Kino travels to these countries with her talking motorcycle pal Hermes, and together they observe the world through outside perspectives.
In fact, its almost as if Kino is nothing more than a representation of the viewer. Kino does nothing but observe....ever. She never interferes or judges or saves, when she so easily could. She does nothing but watch the people of these countries act like morons, much like the viewer is forced to.
Due to this, unfortunately the feelings of helplessness and despair sets in and gets comfo…
Read at the sourceHumanAdventure
Kino's Journey has about three or four outstanding episodes. The rest are mediocre with the occasional inspired scene or two. The draw of the show seems to be that it's supposed to be cerebral, the kind of show that makes you think. I have only just recently watched Kino's Journey all the way through and can only remember what half of the episodes are about.
I think the biggest weakness is that while Kino and Hermes are pretty interesting characters, rarely do you get any real interest in the people they meet. I think the pace of the show is too quick. The country of the week doesn't get enough time to show itself off. The best episode is The Colloseum, which takes its time so much it's a two-parter.
Mostly uninspired storylines don't help much. There's one episode in which a young engin…
Read at the sourcenaikou
Kino's Journey is a masterpiece of minimal storytelling. It combines slice-of-life, philosphy, adventure, mystery, and action to form a seamless entity that is unique among anime. Long after you've seen the series, you'll find yourself drawing connections between it and reality... which, I suppose, is the mark of true art.
Story
The box art features Kino dual-wielding her pistols, looking over her shoulder with an intimidating glare. During the opening sequence, Kino fires off a round of shots into a cement wall with a look as calm as a Buddha statue. This is not a particularly good representation of the series. While the episodes do occasionally feature fast-paced gun-slinging action, this is the exception, rather than the rule. Far more common is the episode which displays a quiet, refl…
Read at the sourcekumarei
Kino's Journey is a collection of societal parables, told through the eyes of a wanderer who visits countries and observes them. Kino, the main character, takes a somewhat prime directive stance toward the civilizations, although she is sometimes coaxed to interfere out of compassion.
The show is a collection of parables, and as such, the societies it portrays are exaggerated portraits of a certain societal trait. It's possible that some viewers will feel as if they're being beaten over the head with the moral on some of the episodes. As for me, I thought that it was refreshingly straightforward, and had no problem accepting it for what it was: a story.
Although the show is frequently dark, exploring the depths of mankind's ruthlessness and stupidity, there was a core of hope to the show…
Read at the sourceBeatnik
These 13 episodes are packed with compelling storylines all revolving around the character of Kino who is journeying from fictional country to country on her motorbike.
The animation is acceptable, nothing fancy but enough to keep your attention. The music adequate, servicing the tale with audial emotion. The direction satisfactory, a worthy adaptation that has faith in the source material.
Where this anime shines is in the story which is undoubtedly the most important factor of any moving picture with a narrative. Kino's Journey has masterful storytelling at its core, each episode is like a fairy tale, a myth, a legend, a lesson. Its not groundbreaking, its simply universal.
Each country in this tale has its own philosophy to life, its own distinctive customs, and the anime repeatedly…
Read at the sourceVenneh
Title: Kino no Tabi: The Beautiful World
Novel/Anime: Kino no Tabi originally began as a series of light novels, authored by Keichii Sigsawa and illustrated by Kouhaku Kuroboshi. Installments began running in MediaWorks' magazine Dengeki hp in March 2000, and it is still running, currently with ten compiled volumes available. Tokyopop has licensed the light novels Stateside, and the first volume was released in October of 2006.
The anime itself was done by Studio Wombat, which did the animation for the End of Evangelion movie, and directed by Ryutaro Nakamura, who also directed REC and Serial Experiment Lain. It ran from April 8th, 2003 to July 8th, 2003 in Japan. ADV Films licensed it Stateside and ran it under the title Kino's Journey; the fourth and final volume was released Stateside…
Read at the sourceKayrhandros
Ok, so this will be my first review for MAL. I've written for other resources but haven't done so for a while, so bear with me.
I've recently finished this anime, and I can say I am still surprised. Although I heard rumors that this was something really good, I tend to be skeptic and so I was caught of guard. Why?
Let's start with the story, which tells of the journey of a traveler and his motorcycle, while they visit a long range of countries or just meet someone on the way. The actual fact is: there isn't one sole story but 12 short stories that link together not by episode order but by events. And yet the fact that each one of this stories manages to be deeper than whole plots from many animes amasses me. Each episode approaches a theme of society, like censoring, violence, communica…
Read at the sourceChelle
What do you say about an anime that is just about a traveler, journeying to different countries on the back of her talking motorcycle. Sounds boring, right? WRONG!!! This episodic anime, through odd little stories and dialogue, actually explores different aspects of human nature, in one of the most unique ways I have ever seen.
There is little to no character development, but in this kind of story, there is no need. There is one episode that gives the back story to Kino, and that was enough.
The different countries Kino visits, and the people Kino encounters will make you cry, will enrage you, and at times disgust you. But, while it's making you run the gammit of emotions, it will make you stop and ask "What if?" The episodes each have great lessons to teach, without throwing propoganda in…
Read at the source