Kill la Kill

After the murder of her father, Ryuuko Matoi has been wandering the land in search of his killer. Following her only lead—the missing half of his invention, the Scissor Blade—she arrives at the prestigious Honnouji Academy, a high school unlike any other. The academy is ruled by the imposing and cold-hearted student council president Satsuki Kiryuuin alongside her powerful underlings, the Elite Four. In the school's brutally competitive hierarchy, Satsuki bestows upon those at the top special clothes called "Goku Uniforms," which grant the wearer unique superhuman abilities.

Thoroughly beaten in a fight against one of the students in uniform, Ryuuko retreats to her razed home where she stumbles across Senketsu, a rare and sentient "Kamui," or God Clothes. After coming into contact with Ryuuko's blood, Senketsu awakens, latching onto her and providing her with immense power. Now, armed with Senketsu and the Scissor Blade, Ryuuko makes a stand against the Elite Four, hoping to reach Satsuki and uncover the culprit behind her father's murder once and for all.

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

Matoi, Ryuuko Main

Koshimizu, Ami Japanese

Kiryuuin, Satsuki Main

Yuzuki, Ryouka Japanese

Mankanshoku, Mako Main

Suzaki, Aya Japanese

Senketsu Main

Seki, Toshihiko Japanese

Jakuzure, Nonon Supporting

Shintani, Mayumi Japanese

Harime, Nui Supporting

Tamura, Yukari Japanese

Gamagoori, Ira Supporting

Inada, Tetsu Japanese

Mikisugi, Aikurou Supporting

Miki, Shinichiro Japanese

Sanageyama, Uzu Supporting

Hiyama, Nobuyuki Japanese

Kiryuuin, Ragyou Supporting

Park, Romi Japanese

Ootsuka, Masahiko Producer, Episode Director

Kamagata, Eiichi Producer

Toba, Yousuke Producer

Kananiwa, Kozue Producer

Reviews

Mar 28, 2014

Satire

Recommended

It's been said by many veteran anime watchers that anime is dying. In the old days we had our Cowboy Bebop, Trigun, Wolf's Rain, Neon Genesis Evangelion, Akira, FLCL, Berserk, Fist of the North Star, and Miyazaki; we had Space Captain Harlock, Lupin the Third, Yu Yu Hakusho, and Ghost in the Shell. Even if you haven't seen these, you've likely at least heard of them and the impact that they've had on anime as a whole. Anime was an intellectual, creative medium that reflected flair and pizzazz. It wasn't just silly entertainment for kids, like many Western cartoons, and people of all ages could ... enjoy it. As of late it seems that anime has been stuck in a rut of moe, harems, rom-coms with unrealistically dense male MC’s, and onii-chan/imouto obsessive garbage. Lately there's been a lack of courage to sack up, step outside of the box, and say, "Hey, let's try something new." After you peruse season after season of the same regurgitated genres you might find yourself wondering if anime has lost its way... And, to answer that question, Trigger will look down and whisper, "No."

Watching the story of Kill la Kill unfold was confusing, exhilarating, comical, lively, and goddamn refreshing. What began as a simple revenge story, with a shaky plot direction, overabundance of fan-service, and obnoxiously flashy fight scenes, ended in a surprisingly competent and satisfying fashion. Although Kill la Kill is entertaining, it is still a series that prioritizes style more than substance. This isn’t to say that the series is shallow in the slightest, but it’s often difficult to overlook the abundance of panty shots, suffocatingly tight and revealing outfits, the FLCL-esque action, and all their allure.

While there is a lot of wild enjoyment to be had in Kill la Kill, it's also easy to disregard what makes this series so brilliant. Part of the genius behind Kill la Kill is the fact that the show itself is a parody of many overused tropes in recent anime. Over-sexualized, provocative clothing and fan-service for no reason? Check. Student council is overpowered? Check. School system that emphasizes uniforms? Check. Story about revenge? Also check. Not only does the series poke fun at commonalities in anime, it also fires shots at the oppressive nature of the Japanese education system. The most astounding part about all of this is that Kill la Kill doesn't just adhere to the common tropes itself for shits and giggles; it actually takes these tropes and literally makes them its plot. Even if you don't take the stance on viewing the series as a parody, you'd probably still find the series entertaining and fun to watch on a different standard. That's ingenuity, ladies and gentlemen.

Trigger did something interesting with its characters in Kill la Kill that you don’t see in anime too often, adding to the fresh factor of the show. They took a series that banks on testosterone-based, over-the-top action and made the main characters girls. It's not often that you come across an anime with a strong female lead that can not only stand up for herself, but also against tyranny and male counter parts. Ryuuko personifies these values. There’s a struggle within our current modern-day society to fit in with social norms. It’s tough to be that black sheep individual that goes about their own business without being judged by the majority, hence why we generally follow fashion trends, region-specific social etiquette, and so forth. The growth of Ryuuko reflects this as the development of her character is steadily shown across the span of the series. Ryuuko starts off as a bland teenage girl with attitude looking for retribution against the one who killed her father. When introduced to Senketsu — a revealing sailor uniform made of life fibers — she is submitted to humility in exchange for power. It’s things like this that should make you raise an eyebrow and wonder whether or not this is reflective of the advantages and disadvantages that sexuality offers women. Maybe I’m looking too much into it, or maybe I’m right. What’s great about Kill la Kill is that there isn't a right answer. You take from it what you want.

While Ryuuko portrays big themes and intricate lessons woven into her character, it would be a crime to disregard the rest of the cast of the series. The character body of Kill la Kill is quite diverse and there are plenty of likable characters. Each character brings something to the table in terms of entertainment and, as a whole, makes sure that there’s never a dull moment. Characters that are depicted as the antagonists, such as Satsuki and the Four Devas, are likeable. Mako, who is essentially the fool, is actually funny. The way these characters fit the mold of wacky, but wacky with personality, is astounding. Characters feel like they fit into the show seamlessly and that can be hard to come by.

The art and animation is similar to the chaotic, yet extremely fun style that Gainax offered in both FLCL and TTGL. It’s hard to ignore the resemblance when Hiroyuki Imaishi and Masahiko Ohtsuka, originally from Gainax, are now a part of Studio Trigger. The action defies logic and physics, the art is stellar, the animation is fluid, the backdrops are majestic, and all of it meshes together nicely. The sound criteria of Kill la Kill is also quite exceptional itself. The OP’s and ED’s are good, the OST is great, and the voice acting is on point. There’s nothing else to ask for. With that being said, I think the biggest problem is that Trigger has with Kill la Kill is that while retaining the style, they also retained dips in the quality of the art and animation, similar to those in TTGL. There's a lot of repeated animated scenes, such as the Kamui change scene, the shot of the heel clicking the ground, and even sword swinging. It’s not horrible or extremely detrimental to enjoyment, but it is there. The animation drops for a series as chaotic as Kill la Kill is understandable, given that Studio Trigger is also very new, and so I’d take this fault with a grain of salt.

For Studio Trigger’s first original, seasonal anime series, Kill la Kill came in and went out with a bang. While it doesn't quite hit the status of masterpiece, I’ve been made a fan. I will be looking forward to whatever creativity their future works will bring.

Reviewer’s Rating: 8

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Mar 28, 2014

FelixSerica

Mixed Feelings

Witnessing the Kill la Kill hype train chugging along made me enter the show with negative expectations. The generic revenge plot, school setting and ridiculous designs left me folding my arms and rolling my eyes. It was and still is boldly proclaimed that Trigger is 'saving anime', whatever that means, but while Kill la Kill may be refreshing, is it really a cut above the rest? For better or worse, I could not help but feeling vindicated for holding my initial expectations. With the closing of the last episode, I felt I had just watched a slideshow rather than an engaging narrative.

... It should be stated that having a show that doesn't revolve around the banality of the fantastical construct that is 'moe' is heartening. Perhaps a narrative of personal struggle, coupled with great conflict and violence is rather cliche, but it is certainly more entertaining. Ryuuko as a character is interesting in that she isn't a flower that immediately wavers in the face of adversity or isn't immediately 'put in place' by a man. Unfortunately, that is basically all she has going for her, otherwise she is just another angst ridden teenager with a chip on her shoulder. Sure, Kill la Kill is indeed a show that not only has a strong female lead, but is dominated by powerful women, however that alone does not warrant high praise. Trigger talked of 'taking risks' but it seems Ryuuko is purposely not fleshed out to be broadly appealing. Her anger, loneliness and eventual commitment to her friends is something shared with many protagonists.

The narrative as a whole leaves something to be desired. From episode 3 it was obvious that they couldn't draw out Ryuuko and Satsuki's clashing of heads for a whole 24 episodes. The show already heavily alludes to Satsuki as being more than what she projects. Given that this is a Japanese narrative, it is based on kishōtenketsu and the plot is hinged on a twist. You think with narrative structure based on plot twists, you would go for something interesting. However, Trigger in their infinite wisdom decided to go with the generic 'I am your father' twist. While it was honestly unexpected on my part, it was still wasted potential.

Besides that, there are jarring transitions between a more light-hearted action/comedy to more serious action/drama. I honestly fail to see why Trigger thought Mako and her family were absolutely indispensable for the narrative. While the show is already over the top, ramming in the crass antics of the Mankanshoku family amid conflict with wide reaching ramifications is on the level of Michael Bay's Transformers. What purpose does Mako even serve other than that of a pure plot device? She is that of a generic best friend character who's only defining trait are her long winded motivational rants. Her relationship with Ryuuko is an implied one, they are forced together in episode one with absolutely no development what so ever.

Kill la Kill relies heavily on it's stylistic elements, so good action should be among one of it's hallmarks. Despite that, the quality of the fight scenes are underwhelming, as they are dependent on speed lines and characters shouting at one another. It could be said that in Kill la Kill the characters fight first and foremost with words, fists and weapons being secondary arms. While I understand that aesthetics are a matter of subjectivity, I can't leave out my conviction that most of the designs are just plain terrible. It seems all they did was take the standard Japanese school uniform and added as many spikes and stars as humanly possible. If the transformations aren't hulking masses of arbitrary geometry, than they are merely skimpy shoe laces with bulging shoulders. All in all, I can't praise Kill la Kill to high heaven, but I can't exactly hate it either. It's OST is remarkable and really propels the show where it is lacking, even if I cannot appreciate all the tracks. That said, if this is what constitutes 'saving anime', then we are truly screwed, this should be among the average, not the exceptional.

Reviewer’s Rating: 6

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Jun 11, 2014

ktulu007

Not Recommended

Kill La Kill is the first original work from Trigger, a studio founded by a couple former Gainax employees. It ran from October of last year to March of this year. Its head writer was Nakashima Kazuki, who was also one of the series writers for Gurren Lagann. So, how did Trigger's initial foray into an original series go?

Story:

Our tale opens with the militant Honnouji Academy getting a new transfer student. Enter our protagonist, Matoi Ryuuko. She's traveled across the country looking for leads about her father's killer. The trail has led to Honnouji, where the student counsel President, Satsuki, rules with an iron ... fist and students' positions in her hierarchy determine where they can live and what kinds of jobs their families can hold. Ryuuko demands answers from Satsuki only to be beaten by one of her minions who's using a magic uniform that grants him superhuman powers. Yes, the premise really involves magical clothing.

Ryuuko slinks back to her father's burnt lab, falling through a trap door. Inside she finds a magic sailor uniform that talks to her and grants her super powers but needs her blood to activate. Ryuuko decides to put an end to Satsuki's ambitions and force her to tell the truth about her father's death. But the secret of Honnouji Academy goes far deeper than she realises.

The plot of this story is pretty weak and largely just serves to transport Ryuuko from one over the top action or comedic sequence to the next. The plot twists come out of nowhere with nothing foreshadowing them whatsoever, but a lot of them are really predictable in spite of that simply because they're really cliché. The attempts at comedy fall short as well, usually being based on either the idea that nudity is funny or rambling that borders on incoherent.

Characters:

The only characters who even gravitate towards two dimensions are Satsuki and Ryuuko, the rest are firmly rooted one-dimensional archetypes. Whether it's the friend, the loyal minion, the bloke who loves to fight or something else entirely. The only thing that really sets them apart from the usual archetype is that they're more over the top. Kill La Kill subscribes to the notion that subtlety and depth are unnecessary. It just tries to exaggerate the casts' archetypal qualities to make them the most extreme versions it possibly can.

Art:

The art in this looks pretty bad. The characters look like blank-faced action figures with proportions out of a bad 90s comic. The action sequences are frequently difficult to follow with an over-emphasis on flashy effects and special attacks that just strain your eyes more often than not.

The outfits are really fan-servicey as well, but I'm pretty certain the designs are being used in an attempt at comedy. Both because the art style does not lend itself to actual fan-service and because the anime draws attention to how ridiculous the outfits are on several occasions. The problem is the execution. Everything is ridiculously exaggerated in this anime so the over the top fan-service doesn't come across as tonally different from anything else, be it serious or not. Furthermore, while a joke at the expense of how ridiculous fan-service can be could work in a short piece or when used sparingly in a longer work, the series is decently long with twenty four episodes, all of which keep the same ridiculous outfits. If they wanted them to serve as a parody, they really should have replaced them with something actually practical instead of coming up with a contrived excuse for why they couldn't.

Sound:

The voice acting is awful. Like the art, story and characters, it's ridiculously exaggerated. The actors usually sound like they're reading off of their scripts as quickly as they can with little to no range of emotion. The actors who get it the worst are Suzaki Aya, Shintani Mayumi and Hiyama Nobuyuki. It doesn't help that Hiyama is the only one of those three I've heard in roles that required actual acting skill. That being said, the series also has Seki Toshihiko, Yuzuki Ryoka, Koshimizu Ami and Tamura Yukari all of whom are very good, but you wouldn't know that with their performances in this. So, it is very likely a fault with the direction. The music is kind of generic action fare.

Ho-Yay:

The ho-yay factor is a 4/10. Things get pretty homo-erotic between Mako and Ryuuko. Satsuki and Nonon are also implied to be more than friends. Nui is openly into other girls, even getting a kiss scene at one point. Then you have Ragyou, who gropes her own daughter in several different scenes. To be fair to Kill La Kill, these scenes are supposed to be creepy and are played up as such.

Still, this is the fourth anime I've seen in a row that's had incestuous content to some degree. What's next, a boy having a crush on a clone of his mum? Would any series really be that stupid?

Final Thoughts:

Kill La Kill is a mindless, over the top, action series. This “over the top” aesthetic does give the series something different from the usual mindless action schlock, but I'm not sure if that's to its benefit. It's not even over the top in an enjoyable way like Jojo's Bizarre Adventure. It's just mind-numbingly stupid in terms of plot, characters, art and acting but at least it's relatively harmless. If you're a fan of that kind of exaggerated comedy, you might enjoy it. If you aren't, there's really nothing that this series can offer you. My final rating is going to be a 3/10. Next week, I'll look at Neon Genesis Evangelion.

Reviewer’s Rating: 3

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