Kino's Journey  Recommended
Publisher
ADV
Director
Ryutaro Nakamura
Production
GENCO, ADV Films, Kino's Journey Production Committee
Country of origin
Japan
Format
Series
Running time
13 episodes
Year
2004
Kino's Journey vol 4: Not Without Reservations (eps 11-13)
By John Huxley
14th May 05  Strange, it feels like only yesterday when I sat down to watch the first volume of Kino’s Journey. Back then I had literally no expectations whatsoever of this unusual animation I’d barely even heard of. As a statement of how much I’ve come to appreciate Kino’s Journey since, approaching this fourth and final volume my expectations are set unfairly high - yet, as always, Kino’s Journey manages to meet (and in some cases surpass) each and every one. It’s little wonder that Kino’s Journey has fast become a firm favourite of everyone who’s had the pleasure to watch it. As you’re probably already aware, Kino’s Journey is based around a series of books. As far as I’m aware all the stories from the animation are lifted directly from the source material, although a quick check of the link I posted in my third review tells me that not all the stories made the journey intact. In fact, several are covered within the space of a single episode, the first of three on this disc. Strung together by a flimsy subplot in which Kino reminisces under a starry night sky (and a more tenuous link involving a floating tank...), these stories may be short yet they’re no less effective than the majority of full-length episodes we’ve been presented with so far. If anything, this stringent running time lends these stories a little more bite than they might have otherwise been able to boast; their impact heightened by the quick-fire structure which leaves little or no room for deliberation. These stories also detail some significant plot developments; most notably an interesting revelation concerning Kino’s past. At this point it seems appropriate to mention something that wasn’t entirely obvious to me at first. As Kino’s Journey progresses you begin to realise that it’s not at all structured in a traditional linear format. But unlike Boogiepop Phantom, Kino’s Journey doesn’t set out to confuse the viewer with layer upon layer of converging paths, it merely hints at a overarching time line which ultimately has very little effect on the series as a whole due to the self-contained nature of the episodes. Still, it’s a neat little touch which really exemplifies the quiet brilliance we’ve come to expect from Kino’s Journey. The second episode on this disc takes Kino to a country rumoured to be in midst of a brutal war. Yet on arrival Kino discovers a seemingly relaxed populace enjoying the freedom that only peace can bring. As Kino begins to research the country’s dark past, however, it soon becomes obvious that everything is not quite as peaceful as the jolly townsfolk had firsts led her to believe. The central plot twist may be a little obvious, but there’s plenty of enjoyment to be had watching Kino and Hermes discover this for themselves. There’s also an unexpected turn of events towards the end of the episode which leaves us reflecting on an difficult dilemma for the young Kino; a welcome surprise in an otherwise unremarkable episode. As always, Kino’s Journey doesn’t shy away from exploring the moral implications so often raised within its stories, and the complexities of war are no exception. Of course it will never reach any definitive answers, it simply does the minimum required to get the cogs turning and leaves you to your own devices therein. It’s a really very effective method of storytelling that will have you pondering the implications long after the event. The last episode on this disc, the final story of the entire series, takes us back to the only country in which Kino wanted to stay more than her self-imposed limit of three days. We’ve overheard Kino mention this country earlier in the series, so it’s intriguing to finally witness the events that would compel her to forgo her role as a traveller. Without delving into specifics, this is a bittersweet story with a few striking overtones of Kino’s own troubled past (which was revealed earlier in the series). Despite the lack of any real climactic events, or perhaps because of, this episode ends the series on a suitably muted tone. There’s no definitive conclusion, Kino doesn’t settle down to a family life - we know full well her journey will continue and this gives us hope regardless of the slightly dour events that conspired during this episode (really trying hard not to give much away here!). If anything, ending the series in such a manner helps us to put a perspective on earlier (later?) events and, in turn, Kino’s unusual character. Undoubtedly the linchpin upon which the entire series rests, Kino might at first appear to be a slightly introverted, uncaring character. As the series progresses, however, we begin to realise that this journey of hers has shaped her personality from the innocent, care-free girl we saw earlier into the series into the Kino we’ve now become accustomed to. But it’s this seemingly uncaring attitude that leads Kino to distance herself from the events she encounters on her travels; a trivial yet important device which separates this from the likes of King of Bandit Jing. Kino is no legendary wandering hero, she’s just a (mostly...) ordinary girl on an extraordinary journey. If you’ve not yet picked up a copy of Kino’s Journey, I can only recommend you do so as soon as you can. These three episodes might not represent the best Kino’s Journey has to offer, yet sampled as a whole this is an absolutely breathtaking series that shouldn’t be excluded from anyone’s collection. Hopefully the glut of glowingly positive reviews will have persuaded enough viewers to warrant a deserved second series, although a much anticipated movie is currently in the works which is great news for Kino fans including myself. Yet despite my clamouring for more, in truth I’m wholly satisfied with the thirteen episodes on offer here. Totalling only four discs, this isn’t a difficult series to collect and the rewards are disproportionally high. Much like many of its protagonists, it’s with a slight sadness I bid a fond farewell to Kino - thanks for visiting, and see you again soon!
R2 DVD Notes
Features: English 5.1 and Japanese 2.0 audio, English subtitles, clean open/close, production sketches, ADV previews
Release information: UK: 2005, ADV
Notes: The cover features a montage of characters from the three episodes with a thoughtful looking Kino the centrepiece. Although I wasn’t taken at first, I must admit this distinctive illustration style has grown on me. All four discs boast some great covers that really capture the spirit of the series. And if you look carefully you should be able to find plenty of Kino artwork around the world wide web; they really do make fantastic wallpapers. Unfortunately the extras aren’t quite up to scratch with only a few production sketches and the regular open/close animations to speak of. Hopefully the movie will come packaged with a few more interesting features, but I guess we’ll just have to wait and see. Not a great disc by any means, but the main feature more than makes up for any shortcomings here.
-- John Huxley 14th May 05
Kino's Journey Images       
|
