==================
If there’s one thing I really hate doing, then it’s giving a show/movie/game a rating before I even finish it. In most cases, these ratings tend to drop when I finish the thing, and very rarely do they ever rise or remain the same. Sadly, Kyoukai no Kanata is one from the former. What was initially the show running for my favourite of the season turned into one of the more controversial ones when the final episode finally aired. What do I think of the show? Let’s see.
Kyoukai no Kanata (Or Beyond the Boundary in English) at its core, is an anime that focuses on two outcasts who, for the first time in their entire lives, finally experience what it means to have a true friendship. It deals with what it’s like to be born unusually and to be shunned for that reason. This is the part of the show that originally got me to continue watching it. While it probably isn't too original by today’s standards, the way it was handled during the first few episodes was well done and managed to keep my interest going.
The visuals? Two words. FUCKING BEAUTIFUL. This show has some of the best animation that anime has to offer. From the mundane to the epic, everything looks so magnificent. KyoAni has definitely raised the bar in terms of what hand drawn animation can do in an anime show setting. The action looks so fluid and is breath taking to watch, each youmu managing to have a distinct design and animation while still managing to keep their malevolence intact. Nothing was done in CG, even the biggest of enemies or the most epic of fights are all wonderfully done with hand drawn animation (Looking at you Tokyo Ravens). If the story was what got me to start, then the art was what got me to stay.
Being a KyoAni show, the OST doesn't falter behind to the visuals. Both the OP and ED are some of my favourites of the season and each scene was partnered appropriately with a wonderful piece to accompany it.
I’ll wholeheartedly agree with what a friend of mine said regarding the show. The pacing is way too fast for its own good. This is one of those shows that I feel would have definitely been much better had the show been 24 episodes at the very least instead of only 12. While each character is given a unique personality and unique quirks that separate them from others, given the pacing they weren’t fully realized barring the two main protagonists. And even then, they weren’t developed as well as they could have been. Then again, it could have been worse. With that we got? It’s alright. Their interactions get a few laughs out of me and seeing Mirai and Akihito interact just gives me this warm fuzzy feeling inside, especially when the show was nearing its end (If not tear jerking).
With my praises out of the way, let’s get into what doesn't work. First off, waaaay too many side characters. Having a cast of this size can only mean one thing when you only have 12 episodes to explore them; A) they all feel hollow when all is said and done, or B) only the main characters get any development while everyone else is cast aside. In this case, the former wins out. Most of their casual interactions feel odd, and it doesn't help that the comedic timings tend to be improper. The dialogue usually just falls apart, especially more so when the topic switches to the male characters’ fetishes. It’s hard to take it seriously despite its darker atmosphere as it tries too hard to be of the “slice of life” genre.
Another problem with the show is that it has way too many plot holes. A good number of subplots were initiated but were never given closure or given time to be explored. Episode 10 (Which was supposedly the episode that won back the watchers) gives us a wonderful flashback regarding a certain character’s motivations and another character’s agenda. A lot of things suddenly made sense and a lot of fridge horrors and brilliances come into play. Now while this is great and all, this also meant that they were now pigeonholing themselves into a specific ending. One that would ultimately leave many divided on whether they like it or not, with me being one of them. If you've talked with me on the days of December 19th and/or 20th, then there’s a good chance you have heard my thoughts on this. I’m not going to elaborate on this to keep it spoiler free.
Overall, the show is at the very least worth a watch. There are a lot of elements done well but there are also a big number of things done badly. What started with a lot of potential ended up a big blob of mess and confusion when the dust finally settled. Kyoukai no Kanata can definitely be summed up in two words: “How unpleasant.”
No comments:
Post a Comment