First Impressions – Kyoukai no Kanata
KyoAni’s moefest of the fall. …Or is it?
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A new season, and a new KyoAni series to watch! This time we’re back in the more comfortable realm of moe girls, and maybe some chuunibyou. I’m happy to join Karakuri, OC, and Miyu for this impressions post, too. Thanks for letting me join you, ladies! |
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Hi guys I’m finally back on Metanorn after a looooong hiatus to catch up on my studies!! It feels so good to be back, I’ve missed everyone ♡ Anyway, this is probably one of the most hyped-up shows of the season because KyoAni has finally, finally put their efforts into a fantasy series! I can’t say how excited I am to watch cute characters doing cute (magical) things c: |
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A lot of us have been looking forward to Kyoukai no Kanata this season. Kyoani shows tend to drum up a big crowd every time. How can you deny the beautiful animation? The moeblobs? The way they make hair look Herbal Essences commercials? All this and more lured me in enough to blog a first impression with the rest of the tag team group. |
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KyoAni still seems reluctant to completely ditch their normal style of character animation, but at least they’re being slightly adventurous by animating a fantasy story. …Though maybe they’re not really breaking out as much as I thought considering Mirai’s character. Anyways, on to the team’s thoughts~ |
Is This the Real Life? Is This (just) Fantasy?
I found this show a bit disorienting. Perhaps it’s because of the recent success of Chuu2Koi, but it felt like I couldn’t get a handle on Mirai and Akihito’s world. Was this a delusional life they had? Is Akihito really half Youmu? Is Mirai really an outcast because of her clan? I mean, Mirai’s ability to control the form of her blood seems just like something someone would make up. And does Mitsuki know about all of everything? I guess I had a lot of “is this real? Nooooo, it can’t be. But maybe it is… Could it be?” as I was watching. And maybe it’s due to the closeness this has to Chuu2koi, with similar styles for the fighting, similar character designs, and even a similar theme. I guess that I’ll have to pick a side in upcoming weeks, whether I believe it or not (I’ll probably end up believing it, and there will be a big “None of this is real!” at the end just to spite me), but it really doesn’t seem that easy.
Afterschool Demon-Hunting Club
When streamers attack
It’s refreshing to see Kyoani diverge from the usual high school setting, even if only slightly. The big difference here is that there are dangerous monsters called youmu prowling around and dedicated warriors called Spirit World Warriors tasked with destroying them. The fun part is that not everyone seems to be in on this exciting, supernatural aspect to life. When the first youmu attacks Mirai in the middle of a classroom and then runs by some students outside, they show absolutely no alarm. Either they have nerves of steel and don’t find giant beasts barreling by them at breakneck speed to be worth noticing, or they simply cannot see them. The issues facing Mirai and Akihito appear to be something that they alone have to deal with while faking the most normalcy they can. I’ll be curious to see how they interact with the unwitting students, if they ever do.
The introduction to the world of youmu and Spirit World Warriors isn’t really an introduction…it’s a crash course. All we know is that the youmu are bad and the warriors are good, although the latter are prone to squabbling amongst each other. Being “the last of a clan” is cliche as hell, but I hope it brings up some inter-clan tension at some point so the enemy here is not just the youmu, but other clans trying to kill Mirai because she’s too powerful. We have yet to learn why the youmu exist, what they are, and why only certain people can see them. We don’t know a lot, but it’s as good a set-up as any for crazy fights and supernatural hijinks, and I think Kyoani wanted to focus more on the action for their opening episode to catch your attention without wasting too much time on explanations.
A Sharp Contrast
The bucket’s family had it’s revenge.
…It’s just not KyoAni without an moeblob, is it? Mirai is definitely a character. Her incompetence seems endearing enough (it never crossed the line into being annoying, thankfully), and yet, she does seem to have some sort of talent behind her. She managed to chase after Akihito no problem, as well as the jump over then fence at the beginning and cut through multiple inanimate objects. Mirai clearly could be a badass if she worked at it and it’s an interesting difference from how clumsy she normally seems. Her inability to do anything without tripping kind of got in the way this episode, but maybe once she kills her first youmu, she’ll improve? A bit part of her issues seems to be how scared she seems to be of youmu, and her lack of experience in an actual fight. Mirai did seem like she was attempting to gain something by killing Akihito all the time, so I assume some sort of change in her is coming. Of course, I don’t expect her to completely ditch her moe aspect, but I look forward to seeing her grow. …Or if she doesn’t do that (and all of the work shifts to Akihito), I at least look forward to the drama that the Spirit World Warriors will cause since they don’t seem to like Mirai’s family very much. You’d think they would all get along considering that they have a common enemy. Yay for organization politics. I’d assume that this will be a large issue in the anime, since they put so much emphasis on it this episode and gave Akihito so many warnings.
His Immortality
We were introduced to Akihito’s immortality rather abruptly (I mean, stabbing someone upon your first meeting, really, Mirai-chan?) and scarily, and this episode touches briefly on the repercussions of him being unable to die at surface level. Being able to heal from mortal wounds really quickly sounds fantastic and all, but it has to have serious repercussions on hindsight. Although now it may appear to be something very convenient to Akihito, it may turn out to be something that also brings him a lot of pain and suffering in the future. When Mitsuki was warning him not to get closer to Mirai, she had whispered rather ominously into his ear “only if you could [die].” And that gets us wondering if Akihito has ever really wanted to die – is there a situation in his family (being unconventional and all) or just the entire weight of the notion of being immortal that may lead, or has led him to thinking of dying before? Because although his being unable to die means that there may be no direct consequences on his life if he were to go against the wishes of powerful or dangerous people meaning him harm, it doesn’t mean that he can’t be emotionally attacked (e.g. by using the people around him as emotional blackmail), and this may prove to be something that can both save, and destroy him in the future episodes. At this point in time we don’t really fully understand his immortality yet, because does that only refer to his regeneration abilities, or does it also mean that he doesn’t age? Because the latter would most certainly result in another a whole bunch of other problems. Akihito sure appears to be your standard easy-going, boy-next-door kind of male lead, but I’m sure he has had to face discrimination and various forms of hurt from when he was younger – so it might all just be a facade. It will be interesting to see how KyoAni will reveal the different layers there is to him as a character, and I might just love him already! (…still, Mirai-chan is the queen of moe.)
I enjoyed the opening to Kyoukai no Kanata, even if I found it disorienting. I think the show has a lot of promise, and it’s got a lot of pedigree. The characters are likable enough, although there seems to be a lot more tension in this show and a lot less humor than we’re used to from KyoAni. I’ll definitely keep with this one, and hopefully it will be as enjoyable as the other KyoAni shows I’ve watched.
I love watching Kyokai no Kanata! It’s such a fun show to watch especially since it’s so visually appealing – KyoAni does wonders even if it’s not cute swimming boys with muscles. It was a rather jarring first episode, having thrown us into a mysterious fantasy-filled world while keeping the light-hearted mood of a slice-of-life series, but it does work (for me, at least) and I was thoroughly captured throughout the whole 20+ minutes. I already knew before the show started that this show was going to be a keeper for sure, and now I’m even more excited for future episodes to come! KyoAni, don’t disappoint me!
First off, let’s say what everyone’s thinking: holy shit this show looks beautiful. I’ve always wanted Kyoani to use their animation powers for good and not evil by something other than making girls look adorable when they run. That being said, there’s still a huge dose of moe to remind you that this is Kyoani and God forbid they don’t pack in as much cute as possible. Yes, Mirai IS super cute and Kyoani succeeds once again in making adorable characters. But this really distracts from the action-packed, demon-hunting vibe they’re going for. It feels like there’s a big disconnect between them wanting to make a show that’s cute with corny jokes and taking a real shot at creating a thrilling show with intense fights. It’s floating in the middle, and it’s not working when it doesn’t commit to either one. I’m worried this will be a slice of life show despite giving off the impression they were finally diverging from that. It’s still a fun show and I liked the first episode, but it didn’t live up to my expectations. Once again, this may be a pretty face without much substance.
This is certainly different from the KyoAni we’ve seen before, and yet, in some ways, the same. Though of course, we’re only one episode in. Overall, I’m really excited to watch this, since the action this episode did have was really nice (as expected of KyoAni), there’s the promise of more action in the future, and the characters all seem like they have a lot more to them then what we saw here. But of course, this wasn’t perfect. Mirai was okay this episode. But if she keeps doing things only halfway and thus making Akihito have to solve everything (in order to keep Mirai as the same moeblob she is), I can see myself getting tired of this pretty quickly. Of course, this is on the assumption that the characters are frequently dealing with youmu (or something). I have no idea where this plot is going or any future events, so this show might surprise me. Anyways, I also think a lot of things still need explaining, but hopefully Kyoukai no Kanata can answer all of the questions I have and live up to expectations.
Like we did with Free! last season, a different blogger will be covering this every week.
So look forward to seeing the first blogger next episode. No, we’re not going to tell you who it is.
About Tag Team
We live, laugh, enjoy and strictly believe on "more the merrier". When together, we usually come up with very chatty, conversation-based episodics and interesting posts.
POWUH: and Athenaeum Châtelaine with 2212 comments
It’s an interesting show, though I’m not absolutely sold on it. I liked it better than Coppelion, the Monday show I actually WAS anticipating. This one I watched out of curiosity and it wasn’t even on my list, however I think the relationships might be interesting, sort of like a more serious version Koutora-san, but only dealing with the student aspect and not the family part. I’ve seen better “blood controllers”, but Mirai isn’t bad. However, I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I think her ditsy, moe personality is better than her spirit warrior side. When she’s trying to be “serious” she comes off as totally false and unbelievable. Akihito is an interesting character and I like his duel dynamic of both serious and silly, his narration is interesting as well, so I will probably continue if just for his characters.
This series did seem to assume a lot of it’s audience and kind of dumped us into this world of spirit warriors and youmu without any real form of explanation. While this can be a good stance to take in writing sometimes in order to avoid too much exposition, it also makes people confused. Some of us have never been to this world before, and don’t know how it works or who the players are. It’s obvious Akihito knows everybody, I just wish they would introduce the rest us too.
This is only my second KyoAni show I’m consciously watching after Free! and it was quite a shift. I usually don’t watch any of their shows since I find their plots too boring and the parade of moeblobs not my thing. I’ll see how this one does, it might be an interesting time.
I give this episode a 6.9/10.
POWUH: 500-599 with 519 comments
I never thought about it being a serious Koutora-san but I can see that! Their relationship is similar too. ^_^
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
But Mirai’s isolation here doesn’t look as bad as it was for Koutora.
POWUH: 400-499 with 445 comments
According to this episode, Mirai’s isolation comes from the fact that the clan from which she originates is not highly looked upon by other spirit world warriors (Xenors). The clan where driven by their power to take down anyone else who was just as strong or had power. As a result, her clan diminished. This drive has cursed her clan’s blood and as a result, she is compelled to take down Youmu even though she doesnt want to. I dont know if other Spirit world warriors bully her but the discrimination is definitely there. Only future eps will tell us just how bad that discrimination is.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10997 comments
With many other, I was waiting for KnK right when the commercial for the light novel came out. It had everything I wanted, a great measure of moe, and the emphasis on supernatural. The desire only got great when Chu2Koi came out. “If they did a show this good, the KnK is gonna smash”. I suppose I have myself to blame.
It has all the right parts, in most of the right places. I love Mirai’s determination, and feel badly for her when that misfires. I love that there is a potential warrior hidden beneath her cringes and trips. She isn’t there yet, and she may not get there. No guarantees.
But, as BB says above, Akhito holds far more interest. So why do immortals go to school? Just to pass the time? And just how much influence does the local supernatural politics play on him?
But, overall, it felt a bit rough. I guess it’s because I was expecting a show stopper. It got much better the second viewing, and I suspect I will fall for it completely by the third.
Good work, Team. See someone next week…oh, who will it be?
POWUH: 400-499 with 445 comments
You will fall for it trust me…have you ever watched a series where the first ep was just good; not great and yet for some reason you had this intense feeling that the series is going to succeed and pull you in before you realize it? That’s how i felt after watching this premiere; especially after reading the interviews which stated that this was going to be a drak, character-driven story about what it means to live and pulling through life even when it is painful and difficult.
The changes made from the source material to the anime (specifically Mirai’s character) also show me that Kyo ani wants to take this into a much more character focused setting; and with the top-notch action sequences forthcoming, i cant wait to see how this series will turn out. This is a series that i feel is going to have a lot of heart; im just hoping it do something stupid or head in the wrong direction.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10997 comments
Yes. It was Haganai NEXT. The first episode was just awful to me. Pain(t) by numbers reintroduction, added nothing new, waste of time. But the next episode cured all of that, and the momentum behind the previous series convinced me it would all be worth it.
And yes, I feel that with this on. Again, I wanted a bang, and it went pop.
POWUH: 400-499 with 445 comments
No show that spent so much effort on its op and ed (that ed is beautiful) is going to just going to end up being lackluster (well, that’s not inherently true but still…that op and ed)
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10997 comments
Elements Garden is always worth it…
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
Hmm, really? I even blogged Haganai NEXT and mentioned that I thought they did zero reintroduction of characters (basically just their name on the screen).
I agree that this show didn’t really make me think “OMG I have to watch all of this!” like other shows have. But even then, some of those other shows fell down later, so that’s not really an indication of lasting quality.
POWUH: and Athenaeum Châtelaine with 2212 comments
I’m wondering if Akihito is immortal in that he can heal from any wound, or is the immortal in that he doesn’t age (ages very slowly)?
The status of “immortal” is not always clearly defined. Such as the immortality of the elves in LotR, verses that of someone like Wolverine, versus the ultimate kind like the titular characters from Jennifer Fallon’s book series The Tide Lords Quartet, who heal from any wound/injury and also do not die from age.
If he’s just the kind that heals from all wounds, then he might grow like a normal person and therefore needs school, but he could only die if he willed it, or of simple old age.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10997 comments
Captain Jack
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10997 comments
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Characters/Torchwood
POWUH: 800-899 and Flying Sage with 856 comments
Yes, I’m thinking he is immune to foul play, but probably ages. Of course that is just my guess.
POWUH: 500-599 with 519 comments
I’m also thinking it is the immortal from injuries but ages normally. Otherwise poor Akihito. Attending school for a looongggg time.
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
Immortals tend to be immortally 20-25 years old, so they age normally until then, and then get stuck. Convenient for school purposes, and also drama shows, innit?
POWUH: and Athenaeum Châtelaine with 2212 comments
It all depends on the immortal. We have so many immortal loli vamps it’s not funny. And then there was Creslaw in Baccano he was pretty much a centuries old adult in a 10 year-old’s body.
However, you’re right, most of the time they wait till the immortal tends to me at peak mature age before stopping saying they stopped aging. Again, like pretty much all the elves in LotR and 80% of immortals in anime and fantasy fiction.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10997 comments
We have so many immortal loli vamps it’s
not funnythe most awesome thing evar.Fixed that one for you.
As far as what kind he is, I hope they establish their own ground rules.
POWUH: and Athenaeum Châtelaine with 2212 comments
Speaking of immortal loli vampires, it appears that the series Blazblue decided to have one without informing us vampire fans. And she’s of course all knowing, gothic, and her last name is “Alucard”.
So, we technically have 4 shows now with vampires instead of only three. 🙂
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10997 comments
Oh, yeah I knew this. Watching it later tonite.
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
I’d be more worried about him getting stabbed everyday. I’m amazed the pain hasn’t driven him insane.
POWUH: Meta Resident with 1692 comments
This first episode held my interest enough to bring me back for the next. Hopefully it’ll build quickly and after another couple episodes be a more compelling watch. Though it’ll never reach the level Kill la Kill did in a single episode and unlike Irenesharda I though Coppelion was better. But different strokes for different folks and it won’t be until they’re over that’ll we’ll know which one proved to be better.
Unlike others here, I wasn’t bothered by the fact that much of how this world operates was left unexplained. To tell us everything in the first episode would probably require an info dump. Tease us with an air of mystery and let it unfold a bit at a time, revealing only what needs to be revealed in each episode.
I don’t mind Mirai being a bit clumsy in her everyday persona, but I hope she gains confidence as the series progresses with her clumsiness lessening and that she proves capable of killing youmu other than Akihito so she’s not a loveable and useless ditz character. Otherwise she’ll wear on me quickly and I’ll probably ditch the show.
Mitsuki is the female character I’m more drawn to–I like the competent girls with long, black hair. Although if she later turns out to be a total bitch that would change.
POWUH: and Athenaeum Châtelaine with 2212 comments
I think my disappointment with Coppelion was that it wasn’t what I expected. I thought it would have more action with less stereotypical characters, and a more cohesive and expressed plot. But who knows, I’m going to give it the three episode trial. Hopefully it will draw me in more.
I was just confused as they were talking about factions and events as if we the audience was supposed to know what they were, and then push in characters that we can see Akihito knows, but he’s not taking the time to tell us. So, I wish they had had a bit more of exposition, not a dump per say, but more than they offered.
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
The first episode of Coppelion wasn’t good because there was hardly anything to see.
POWUH: Meta Resident with 1692 comments
I have to disagree. The first episode of Coppelion was about setting the scene, building atmosphere and introducing the characters. I thought the wind as the only background noise throughout most of the episode really drove home the sense of desolation as they wandered the ruins of Tokyo. The previews for it promise plenty of action later on.
The one part I didn’t care for was KanaHana’s character. I hope they tone that down or she gets a character shift or else she’ll getting pretty annoying.
But this isn’t supposed to be a Coppelion thread.
POWUH: 800-899 and Flying Sage with 856 comments
When I watch a KyoAni show, I want to see amazing animation. As beautiful as everything looks, the thing that blows me away is their ability to animate action, so this show is a must watch for me.
The characters haven’t all been introduced, so I don’t expect the plot to really kick in quite yet, despite the speed at which they were able to set up the world in which these characters live.
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
Depending on how many episodes this series has, the plot should kick in soon.
POWUH: Meta Team and PreCure Mastah with 9203 comments
woop woop this first episode was great! It had a wonderful blend of comedy, drama, action and of course that kick ass KyoAni artstyle! I am sooooooooo happy to see them animating and action series once again <3
Some parts of this episode felt like bleach aka only the people with powers can see the monsters running around and it seems like there might be a tiny hint of Romeo and Juliet? Since both main characters come from different groups and one is a demon slayer while the other is half demon but I think I am alone in that >.>
Also for some reason I get the feeling Mitsuki Nase will become a enemy for Akihito to fight against! I can totally see them calling him a traitor if he continues to hang out with Mirai…
KEEP IT UP KyoAni!! WOOOOOOOOOOOO!
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10997 comments
I wasn’t thinking Romeo and Juliet, as I was just letting them be their own characters, but now that you mention it, I will think on in the episodes that follow.
POWUH: Meta Team and PreCure Mastah with 9203 comments
Yarrr I mean it might not be going for that kind of story but it could work xD
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10997 comments
Maybe. We see the conflict of one House, Akihito vs. The Nase Spirit Warriors House.
Two households, both alike in dignity,
In fair Verona, where we lay our scene,
From ancient grudge break to new mutiny,
Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean.
From forth the fatal loins of these two foes
A pair of star-cross’d lovers take their life;
Whose misadventured piteous overthrows
Do with their death bury their parents’ strife.
The fearful passage of their death-mark’d love,
And the continuance of their parents’ rage,
Which, but their children’s end, nought could remove,
Is now the two hours’ traffic of our stage;
The which if you with patient ears attend,
What here shall miss, our toil shall strive to mend.
You might have something there, Fosh.
POWUH: Meta Team and PreCure Mastah with 9203 comments
hahah thanks xD
POWUH: Occasional (51-75) with 60 comments
This one I will be watching the second episode. But I found that Kyoukai started off a little slow for my liking. It had exciting moments, don’t get me wrong. But they were slightly anti-climatic and I found the show a bit general. Like this is just a standard shounen. I hope it gets better.
Copellion on the other hand was a big fat bore fest. And the thing is I can get into things not like KillaKilla or Kyoukai. But just nothing compelling at all. The characters were flat, the animation was nice, but there was nothing going on.
And when I say nothing is going on I don’t just mean standard action. I mean in the dialogue or in the characters themselves. It felt copy and paste and when we were suppose to feel some form of anticipation it was taken away by something not in the least bit threatening. And I will not be watching the second episode of that.
However, I am willing to give Kyoukai another shot. I just felt the first episode was slightly slow.
POWUH: Meta Resident and LN Informant with 1529 comments
The OP singer Minori Chihara voices Mitsuki.
The show looks visually impressive,although I’ll reserve judgement until more eps air.
Which subs did you watch? Cause in mine they translated ‘youmu’ to ‘dreamshade’.
I personally liked that translation. Gives the script a Gothic flair. 🙂
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10997 comments
CR gave the literal translation of Youmu (literally catastrophic illusion)
I’m fairly well versed in Japanese myth and folklore, but I have never heard the term (had to Google it). UTW gave us shades or shadlings. FFF choose phantoms (Affleck was the Bomb in Phantoms).
All that being said, I prefer the literal version. I’m a huge nerd so I don’t mind looking things up. Well, I love looking things up.
But then again, I don’t want to go on the rant I went on last year for Chuunibyou vs Eight Grade Syndrome.
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
I thought it seemed like CR only translated it once, and then referred to ‘youmu’ every time afterward.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10997 comments
I’ve watched that sub twice, and it’s youmu all the way through….
POWUH: Meta Resident and LN Informant with 1529 comments
Look up the subs for UTW. That’s the one that uses ‘dreamshades”.
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
Ah, I don’t mind ‘japanesiness’ in my subs (like with Golden Time, they actually left names in the order they were introducing themselves – “Tada Banri” “Kaga Kouko”), so if they leave words that are hard to translate, I actually like that. I can find out what they mean.
One that really exemplified this translation nonsense was GaruPan: “Panzerfahren”, “Tankery”, “Tankwondo”, when the best word to use would have been to just leave it “Sensha-do”. Why make up a new word to be a translation for another made up word?
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10997 comments
Very much agree.
POWUH: 400-499 with 445 comments
Dreamshade is one of the translations ive seen, but i think the official naming for these spiritual creatures are dreamghasts; At least that was the name i always saw in promotional content for the LN
POWUH: 500-599 with 519 comments
Mirai reminds me so much of Fuuko from Clannad that is is adorable! Although at the same time I found her slightly annoying when she kept trying to stab poor Akihito.
The art though is pretty like everything else was KyoAni. I like their take on the fantasy world and the fight scenes are nice. I really like the world they are building. A bit more explanation would be nice but I can wait. 😀
I also wonder if Mirai can control other people’s blood too or just her own.
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
If she can, I think they would have to come in contact with her blood first.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10997 comments
She’ll have to have better control of her own. They spent quite some time showing her open trepidation to combat, but when she forms her Blood Sword, it’s just a bit to messy, which shows a lack of control to me. It can just be cool animation…
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
Another overwhelming Tag Team. You guys are getting dangerous. Like Free before it, looks like KyoAni is trying new elements. Compared to Coppelion, this was much better and has more intrigue in the supernatural than say, Red Data Girl.
Mirai’s appearance and personality clashes with that ability to manipulate blood. To me, it seems like something a mercenary or assassin would use. My mind immediately runs to Deadman Wonderland thinking about. Since it’s her blood, I imagine she risks getting anemia the more she uses it. She should realize using Akihito as a practice dummy won’t reap any rewards. If anything, her clan was shunned out of jealousy for being unique.
Akihito deserves some sympathy, especially for what transpired at the start of the episode. There are times I would think being immortal would be awesome but if it’s to be trapped in the circumstances he’s in, it’s nothing but a curse. And for a hybrid of two species, he just looks ordinary. No inhuman features whatsoever. I guess he still goes to school to honor his human half.
Other than the animation, I liked the voice acting and was caught off guard by who were playing the leads. It’s recent knowledge but I found out Kenn (Mushibugyou’s Jinbei Tsukishima) is playing Akihito. He doesn’t have a lot of known roles, maybe he should branch out more. Just as surprising was Risa Taneda (High School DxD New’s Xenovia, Shinsekai Yori’s Saki)playing Mirai. Her voice is so moe here that it’s nuts.
Overall, it’s an interesting start so I’ll definitely look forward to watching more.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10997 comments
Every one has to start somewhere….
He’s got all the pain enduring stuff Koyomi Araragi has, doesn’t he. Also, did anyone else feel a shade of metaphor in the Mexican restaurant? “This girl keeps eating and eating and eating, and I’m footing the bill and She Keeps Wanting To Stab Me!” Perhaps an otaku’s eye viewpoint of dating?
Risa Taneda. She was pretty darn moe all around in this role.
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
I was so jealous of their Mexican restaurant. I love small Mexican restaurants, and we got nothing here.
Someone else pointed out that Akihito never was seen eating, even though he was around food a lot.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10997 comments
We didn’t see Mirai eating either, did we. I just watched it not ten minutes ago.
I’ve got one place close to where I live that makes the best damn Huevos Rancheros evar. And a roasted pork and dirty rice dish that makes me want to marry into the family.
POWUH: and Athenaeum Châtelaine with 2212 comments
I thought Mirai was eating at the restaurant. I’m almost sure she was. She didn’t take all that food home did she?
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10997 comments
I know I’m probably being pedantic, but there was no animation of either of them eating food. The first scene shows Mirai’s empty place (implied consumption), one part shows Akihito stabbing his tamale in close up, the next close up of his plate shows the tamale missing (implied consumption).
She probably ate it all up in the restaurant. BB questioned rather or not a Blood User like herself would get anemic, well, she can pack it away can’t she?
POWUH: 400-499 with 445 comments
Mirai was definitely eating and her previous plates were empty. It’s Akihito that we dont see eat. Even one of the students made a remark that its a surprise to see Akihito come to eat in the cafeteria (though im not sure if that has to do with him just eating elsewhere). The only proof of him at least eating once in a while is a half-eaten dish that was wrapped in plastic on a table next to his bed.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10997 comments
I have to admit the idea is very compelling, his lack of the need to eat food. But I don’t find the strongest evidence for it. But time will tell.
POWUH: and Athenaeum Châtelaine with 2212 comments
I would mail you some if I could, we have a ton of Mexican restaurants here, along with pretty much every other nationality. But then again, I live in the 3rd largest city in the US, so I guess that makes sense. 🙂
That would be interesting if he couldn’t actually consume food, or at least had no need too. It’s possible that his immortality doesn’t let him starve to death, so he really can go without it.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10997 comments
I’m a native of the Greater Cincinnati Area, and we get new places opening and shuttering quite frequently. The only thing that really stays is national chains, of which I find to be rather bland and not worth the price.
So finding any out of the way spot is a treat. Besides we got the local stuff. Izzy’s Deli, La Rosa’s Pizza, and the ever awesome Skyline (Skylion’s) Chili.
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
All we get is more pizza, wing, and sub shops. You’d think that with 20 pizza, wing, and sub shops within 5 miles, that someone would think “I’ll open a different kind of place.” But no, instead, we keep getting MORE pizza, wing, and sub shops.
We’ve found nice small mexican restaurants almost everywhere we’ve gone on vacation. One we really liked was in Ypsilanti, and another in Indianapolis. But none here on our side of Baltimore.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10997 comments
That’s about par for the course here. But I have to add…gourmet burger joints. There is nothing so foul as a gourmet pretentious burger joint. But we also have Findlay Market in downtown Cincy. Lots of really great, and not to expensive places.
POWUH: Meta Resident with 1692 comments
I really feel sorry for those of you with a limited number of choices for food. I’m in the wilds of western South Dakota yet within 60 miles I know of 5 places that offer sushi, one for Indian/Nepalese, one Korean (also sushi) and one that offers a few Thai dishes along with sushi. There’s probably one closer, but for great Mexican I do have to drive over 100 miles. Of course, there are all kinds of steak, burger and pizza places, some excellent. I guess it helps to have a large Air Force base nearby plus being a major tourist destination, including many international, in order to get a large selection of different foods.
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
Well, if you’re talking 60 miles, I could get anything in the world, because DC is that close. But there’s no way I can pop out to anything like that. Some of what we’re talking about is also what distances are you used to. I mean “stuff within 8 miles” actually. I could find really good Mexican food about 15 miles away, but that’s too far for everyday.
POWUH: 800-899 and Self-proclaimed Manga Queen with 874 comments
~I expected the action/battles to be gorgeously animated, and they definitely were. Watching the opening I couldn’t help but already think that this show is going to kick some serious ass.
Anyway, I don’t mind that they just dump us into this world without much explanation because, to me, a first episode should just be a brief introduction of characters, setting, and story line. Too big of an explanation would have been a bit of a turn off for me. It just seems like for a fantasy show like this, it’s more enticing to know little so we can keeping watching for more reveals about the world. Not to mention it adds a dark, mystery feel underneath the slice-of-life/clumsy-moe atmosphere. In fact, the first episode felt as if it was teetering slightly back and forth on the border of slice-of-life and dark fantasy. Overall I enjoyed it a lot and I’m excited to see how this story will develop.
On an not-so related note: Mexican food in anime?? Definitely haven’t seen this before lol. Btw, If you haven’t tried mole poblano, you’re missing out. Though, mole is an kind of an acquired taste. It was weird tasting it the first time…
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10997 comments
I love how the sign for the place looked like the Final Fantasy cactus monsters…sans eye and mouth holes.
POWUH: Novice (36-50) with 38 comments
Gah, Mirai is so cute! Those glasses~ Anyway, it’s cool to see Kyoani animate something actiony and man, it looks beautiful. It’s hard to comment on story right now because there hasn’t been much story yet, but I’m enjoying it!
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10997 comments
They really did give her some of the most loving of design and animation. I find myself a bit ecchi here, but in the ED, with the skirt whipping around in the wind, you get the slightest of teasing conture of her behind. Made ever more intense by the full stockings.
POWUH: 400-499 with 445 comments
hahahaha i thought i was the only one that noticed that
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10997 comments
It was a great subtle little moment, wasn’t it? As far as the ecchi thing is concerned, they played it well, cause the shape of her during her first clumsy moment played very well.
POWUH: 400-499 with 445 comments
yea it was, and its funny that you mention the attention to Mirai’s design because one of the staff mentioned that a part of the goal when making this series is that although Mirai is timid and clumsy, she’s suppose to be an attractive young female that looks good in glasses
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10997 comments
Oh, yes. I shout the Akhihito Ethic loud and strong. She looks kawaii in megane. But then, I am always a fan of the allure of the mousy, the underdog, and the petite. Mirai is beautiful.
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
Is she supposed to look good in glasses in general, or THOSE glasses? Cause those are just the wrong ones for her. It’s like she’s getting an early start on her “mousy librarian” career.
POWUH: 400-499 with 445 comments
From what i took from the interview, she looks good with glasses in general, regardless of the glasses. I saw a scene in the pv with Akihito holding a pair of glasses along with Mitsuki trying them on so perhaps there will be a scene where Mirai gets involved and they try various glasses on her.
POWUH: and Yaoi Fangirl~ with 2320 comments
The second KyoAni anime I’v watched that doesn’t focus on the male characters (so far), but I like it better than the first anime
I hated so much. It was Clannad.This is different from the usual KyoAni anime, and the premiere laid out interesting things that was presented differently than the usual first episode of KyoAni anime…. Basically it’s different, and I’m liking it so far.
By the way, I would love to find out more about the playground. The pictures on the playground’s wall sure is unique. Very Buddhist/Shinto-ist and definitely not for normal playgrounds
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10997 comments
Given the fact that the Nase Clan looks to be a big deal, it looks like this is the prime youmu explosion center. Protect those playgrounds.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10997 comments
Wow. This has been one heck of any evening. I multitask-ed commenting on Metanorn, testing new bar beverages at the Pub I work for, and drinking. Lucky that I choose today to travel with my laptop.
Full disclosure. My bar manager, the night bartender, and several of our guests are cheering for Mirai. Best quote from our bartender, “Oh, I hope she kicks some ass later on. She’s just too nervous”
POWUH: 400-499 with 445 comments
hahaha; looks like when the ring comes off she will. See the thing is (not a necessaary a spoiler; more like the difference in Mirai’s personality in the LN) Show ▼
Mirai being afraid to kill dreamghast and her being piss-poor broke are anime-original stuff
POWUH: 500-599 with 519 comments
Dang. I would love to see that version of Mirai. 0_0 That would have been interesting.
POWUH: 400-499 with 445 comments
It would have been cool as she was pretty bad-ass whenever she fought Show ▼
Surprisingly though, I like the anime’s version of her because they have added extra layers to her character that are going to be explored, along with the dark past that has forced her to become this way. Now we get to see the journey of her crawl out of her pain and become stronger. I prefer character-driven stories.
POWUH: Meta Team and Megane-chan with 3214 comments
Ah, then I look forward to seeing her grow up then~
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
So do you actually play anime for your bar patrons? That would be an actual worthwhile use for some of those TV’s there, eh? Instead of 8 screens of SportsCenter.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10997 comments
Not so much, just my 13 inch laptop screen, with no sound. Lucky…subtitles. But it was mostly me, the barman, his girlfriend and a few others of our geeky crowd. I was just supposed to support the new drink menu for Autumn. But that got boring after awhile, so I took advantage of the places wifi and started watching the show.
“Are you watching porn” was my most frequent question.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10997 comments
IOW, this was Kentucky, not Akihabara…
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
Well, pretty much anywhere, people think “anime” equals “porn”. And as far as North American audiences go, it’s a very bright line anyway: anything that shows boobs is porn. So in anime we can have a big continuum of shows from Photo Kano (which has pantsu and swimsuits, but no nudity) to Yuushibu (which has topless girls but covered nipples) to DxD (which has full out nudity), and we think that they are ‘ecchi’ but not ‘porn’ (which I classify as showing sex), but to North Americans, it’s over that bright line.
POWUH: and Yaoi Fangirl~ with 2320 comments
I download hentai manga in my universityPOWUH: Metanorn Regular with 102 comments
First scene…. STAB!! O___O
Ahhh, Kenn and Suzuki Tatsuhisa <3 Two of my favorite seiyuus!!
I will definitely keep up w/ kyoukai no Kanata–. Awesome movement and picture quality. As always….
Kyoto Animation <3 <3
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
This is a bit out of the way but is anyone going to cover the first episode for Strike the Blood?
POWUH: Meta Team and Megane-chan with 3214 comments
…You probably already noticed, but I just did. xD
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
And right after I posted this comment, no less. I feel so embarrassed. 😛
POWUH: Metanorn Regular with 88 comments
It could have been an interesting show, if not for the off-putting Kyoto Animation elements. I have a feeling that the action in this show is just a front for the main element which is moe. Because that’s what the studio is good with.
POWUH: 800-899 and Flying Sage with 856 comments
Meh. It’s Monday morning and I can’t wait to get home tonight to see if there is a second episode of KnK ready to DL.