Kiznaiver

Katsuhira Agata is a quiet and reserved teenage boy whose sense of pain has all but vanished. His friend, Chidori Takashiro, can only faintly remember the days before Katsuhira had undergone this profound change. Now, his muffled and complacent demeanor make Katsuhira a constant target for bullies, who exploit him for egregious sums of money. But their fists only just manage to make him blink, as even emotions are far from his grasp.

However, one day Katsuhira, Chidori, and four other teenagers are abducted and forced to join the Kizuna System as official "Kiznaivers." Those taking part are connected through pain: if one member is injured, the others will feel an equal amount of agony. These individuals must become the lab rats and scapegoats of an incomplete system designed with world peace in mind. With their fates literally intertwined, the Kiznaivers must expose their true selves to each other, or risk failing much more than just the Kizuna System.

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

Agata, Katsuhira Main

Kaji, Yuuki Japanese

Sonozaki, Noriko Main

Yamamura, Hibiku Japanese

Takashiro, Chidori Main

Terasaki, Yuka Japanese

Niiyama, Niko Main

Kuno, Misaki Japanese

Hisomu, Yoshiharu Main

Nishiyama, Koutarou Japanese

Tenga, Hajime Main

Maeno, Tomoaki Japanese

Maki, Honoka Main

Satou, Rina Japanese

Yuta, Tsuguhito Main

Shimazaki, Nobunaga Japanese

Gomorin Supporting

Yamada, Kazunao Supporting

Suwabe, Junichi Japanese

Oowada, Tomoyuki Producer

Kananiwa, Kozue Producer

Tsutsumi, Naoko Producer

Usa, Yoshiki Producer

Reviews

Sep 8, 2024

AnimeExplorer21

Recommended

I'm still trying to process the emotional whirlwind that is Kiznaiver. I mean, I've seen some wild rides in my anime journey, but this one? It's on a whole different level. I'm talking tears, laughter, and existential crises - the whole shebang.

I remember binge-watching the first few episodes, thinking, "Okay, cool, another sci-fi anime with a weird premise." But then, something clicked. The characters started to feel like real people, with their own quirks and flaws. I found myself rooting for them, even when they were being straight-up annoying.

And that's the beauty of Kiznaiver - it's not just about the plot twists or the action ... scenes (although, let's be real, those are pretty great too). It's about the people. It's about how we're all connected, how we all hurt and heal together.

I won't lie, there were times when I felt like I was staring into the abyss, wondering what the heck the creators were trying to say. But that's the thing - they're not just trying to say something, they're trying to make you feel something. And, man, did they succeed.

By the time I reached the final episode, I was a mess. I mean, I've never cried so hard in my life. It was like the anime had reached into my chest and ripped out all my emotions. But in a good way? I think?

Anyway, if you haven't watched Kiznaiver yet, what are you even doing with your life? It's a masterpiece, a work of art that will leave you breathless and bewildered. Trust me, I know what I'm talking about. I'm still trying to pick up the pieces of my heart.

Hats off to the creators, seriously. You guys are geniuses. Or maybe just sadists who enjoy making people cry. Either way, I'm grateful.

Reviewer’s Rating: 10

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Jul 6, 2024

OnlyOneZueiro

Mixed Feelings

Kiznaiver is a… upsetting story. It's a kind of drama with a small dose of sci-fi and “philosophical reflections”. Several interesting themes are mentioned throughout the plot, but practically none are discussed in depth. For all intents and purposes, they expect from the audience the conclusions that the anime should present.

Some gloomy things and many other morally questionable happen during the plot. Certain characters really get under the skin, and don't become better afterwards. The story progresses like this, without many relevant advances. Atrocities remain unpunished, sickly logics are basically romanticized and normalized, much suffering happens without any reparation. Character development also leaves much to ... be desired, it is completely unbalanced and selective.

The words are “subversion of expectations”: the direction is not good at conveying realism, nor at convincing you of the fantasy reality of the story. The plot is not shocking at all, nor is the progression satisfactory. The events are chosen for convenience, it becomes increasingly confusing what they are trying to prove or show. It's something very empty and doesn't leave a mark on anyone who watches it.

In short, Kiznaiver seeks to be an innovative and reflective story, just like Psycho Pass or Evangelion, but it certainly fails at that. The message of the work is blurred, as is the objective. It's a very mediocre anime.

Reviewer’s Rating: 5

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Oct 5, 2024

Cecylb

Not Recommended

A compilation of everything wrong with modern anime.
I guess it resonates way more with the Japanese audience because of the whole "tatemae" culture of Japan and difficulties with conveying feelings. And I guess the idea that you don't always have to know what's on the mind of others is actually good for building bonds is not that bad... but does it REALLY deserve a 12-episode long show? A first half of it is barely an introduction and the ending could happen 2 episodes sooner than it did. It doesn't help that the mood of the show is constantly getting ruined by awkwardly placed jokes and ... fanservice - whenever you are trying to take it seriously - it clowns with you. Somehow, despite being animated by trigger, the animation is terrible and there's still lots of cgi where it shouldn't be. And honestly, it would look much MUCH better if it WASN'T done by trigger and didn't have their gaudy artstyle. Characters are bland and boring despite, once again, colorful visuals and supposed theme of 7 sins (which I couldn't even tell apart from each other, just look how alchemist absolutely nailed it so many years ago).
While I didn't particularly like darling in the franxx, I think it was a much better show, despite having a similar theme. Because relationships between the cast were just a part of it and were decently integrated into the storyline. Here, relationships ARE the storyline, and it is constantly getting interrupted by obnoxious fanservice.
Underwhelming. Boring. Irritating. Don't waste your time.

Reviewer’s Rating: 1

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