My first KyoAni work that I found below average

Helltaker said:
I'll take it over Hyouka and K-ON anytime of the day.
At least it has a story and plot.

ntpbot said:
This film is more boring than I expected. Characters and plot are nothing special, art is also normal. It didn’t leave any impression on me

astralkill00 said:
I don't really know the source but I really like this series and it has the potential to be better.

jjkiscool said:
Yeah this series could have been great if they actually explained the story and spent more time in exploring the characters, the animation and character designs were top notch as expected from KyoAni.
Also I love your quote bro. 'That sole purity is my fan service' lmao

CQLLIST said:
Well in all honesty is not a bad of a series, this is like the 3rd or 4th anime I've ever watched so it's quite nostalgic to see this around but the story is nice though i wish they could've explore the characters more and if you're talking about the 2nd film since the 1st film is just a recap of the tv series, then it's a mediocre one because the story is all over again but with Mirai losing all her memories and trying to remember about the past and stuff but the end of the movie wrapped up decently though.

Hot_Green_Tea said:
If you watched it when it first aired, yeah no, it's not really something that you've seen a million times(it was pretty unique at the time) because KyoAni usually adapts either amazing and/or obscure works(which is unique from other works in its field).

Though there are of course cliche or trope in the story or characters that are used, KyoAni still done it well above others IMO. Take Hirōmi's case for example, he's a fully devoted siscon that has a clear goal of being loved by his little sister(in a normal brother and sister way, not some crazy romantic way) because he has his reason(his complicated family issues).

If you don't connect with some of the jokes or characters that's probably because they are out of date or you've probably never experienced them before.

Well, each people have their own taste. This just might not be for you.

jjkiscool said:
Are you referring to the movie that is a sequel to the series ? I probably won't watch it but I thought the art and animation was pretty good in the show, but still just animation can't make a good show

kusharin_RD said:
what do you mean? aren't all kyoani works below average?

jjkiscool said:
Would I be correct in assuming that you're not a big fan of the slice of life genre ?

kusharin_RD said:

i wonder how could you have guessed that :))))

yes, in fact i find everything that truly is a slice of life incredibly boring.

jjkiscool said:
lmao I was just asking bruh

kusharin_RD said:

ahhhh no nuclear war on whether or not the genre is acceptable? truly a shame.
but i shan't fear, there is always someone you can fight with right?

anyway, you seem like a cool person. would you consider accepting my friend request?

epidemia78 said:
yeah I didnt like it either. Story seemed aimless and the "humor" was rarely funny and almost always centered on a glasses fetish or little sister fetish.

Endless_end said:
Yeah I can't say this one is a masterpiece, but I found the relatioship between the MCs being quite interesting tbh. The OST saves the day too xD

jjkiscool said:
Yeah I agree with you on that, the chemistry between the MCs was pretty good, that's also the reason why ep 4 is like actually a great episode.
But even their chemistry couldn't save the show from the abysmal story and ending (I don't even know if it can be called an ending when literally nothing was explained)

Helltaker said:
I'll take it over Hyouka and K-ON anytime of the day.
At least it has a story and plot.

Hot_Green_Tea said:

It comes from Light Novel. For a power fantasy action romance, it is a good show (At least for me). Even now, compared to other show in its field, I still think the show is unique and well quite above average.

You don't always need explanation for simple stuff as Hirōmi's fetish that is used as a running gag joke is just him coping with his situation (you'll understand better if you watch the whole thing). But to be fair, I do find MC and Hirōmi's fetish creepy as well at first.

You kept referring to how generic the show was, can I ask you what other shows that you're referring to? If it's the base premise, I could also argue that both Suzumiya Haruhi and Chūnibyō are generic and that there are better shows than them in their field(Haganai, Hyōka, Clannad, Kanon, Little Busters, Haiyore Nyaruko-san, Medaka Box, NHK ni Yōkoso, D-Frag, Oreshura are quite similar to both).

They didn't ignore it, they do explain the loose ends(there are more loose ends than the one you mentioned but not all of them are explained though, however they do give you the main context) in the prequel OVA and sequel Movie(including explanation to the loose ends that you mentioned in this discussion). How is it their fault that you don't understand because you didn't watch the whole thing?

I've watched Suzumiya Haruhi and Chūnibyō(even the mini OVAs/specials), I like them both, but I still like Kyōkai no Kanata better than Haruhi and Chūnibyō because of its of simple, well paced, and straight forward story and the dynamic between the characters are better IMO. How about you watch the whole thing first and then compare it? Because you're comparing a show that you haven't finished with shows that you have finished.

KarnaKua said:


Haven't seen K-ON so i cant rlly comment on it.

But Hyouka has some of the most genius subtext and ideas i've seen in any anime, in the sense that each episode can be treated as an arc in of itself. They possess morals and issues in both character (especially oreki's) and idealogy, and excellent cinematography only brings this to attention (seriously, some of the close-ups in this show)

There is a great example of thematic symmetry in the early episodes which develops over time to give an ending with hidden meanings, changes in character, and implied romance.

Hyouka is one of those shows thst is taken at face-value way too much. On the surface, its a "super genius weirdo MC meets moe girl and they solve mysteries together" when in reality, it is heavily character based, and explores the flaws of its characters over time and in turn.


Hell of a show.

mzihin said:
The TV series is their first attempt on action genre after a long while since Munto and Full Metal Panic. And the results are several missteps like unfunny jokes, annoying characters, generic plot and boring dialogue. When I first finished watching the twelfth episode, I felt it was a waste of time and they should return to their roots.

A few years later, I gave it another chance and watched the prequel OVA, the recap movie and the sequel movie. It was a much better experience. The OVA explains the main characters past and is the key in understanding their motivations. The recap movie trimmed out the unnecessary sequences and focus on what matters to the plot and I found the ending more powerful here since I follow the story in one sitting.

And then there is the sequel movie. In my opinion, it improves upon the show in nearly all aspects. The story plays more on the the studio's strength by focusing less on generic fantasy and more on personal conflicts. Even Hiromi feels like a different character here. And the ending concludes the story perfectly. There are few points left unexplained, but nothing major in overall.

To me, the series as a whole is not one their best, but also not mediocre. The sequel movie redeemed the lackluster TV series.

official_brown said:
Bro it’s not like the studios write the story

GhostMuttt said:
Below average? Maybe in terms of what Kyoto animation puts out but it’s definitely a great story with good characters. Only problem I had was lack of world building and power explanations. I didn’t think it took too much away from it overall though, just kept it from being perfect to me.

jjkiscool said:

Well since we're comparing this with Haruhi and chuunibyou, Yes they also had some generic plot points but the way they dealt with them was very different. In Haruhi how or why she got her powers was not important but what the show focuses on is how her friends cope with that and their daily lives with the eccentric character. But it also had some really great heartfelt moments like with Kyon and Haruhi and notably Nagato as well in the disappearance movie. In chuunibyou I have to admit I have not seen too many anime so it was my first chuuni character. What drew me to the show were the cute/wholesome and funny moments which each episode was filled with, the show became a 10/10 for me when it became more serious and when the twist towards the end was revealed. I really resonated with the main message as well that in order to 'fit in' with society we should not abandon what makes us unique. I didn't find much of these moments in kyoukai no kanata, the chemistry between the main characters was good but I feel like I don't know the other characters at all and couldn't care less about them. Even the MCs chemistry was spoiled because of the awful ending.

And regarding the loose ends, like you mentioned there are more than I mentioned but I feel like at least should have been explained because they were a central part of this season's story. There are much much better ways to set up a sequel than what they did here. Ideally they can leave some questions unanswered but at least resolve the conflicts of this season by explaining them, we didn't know why all this conflict was taking place and because of how bad this season was, I have completely lost interest and will probably never see the sequel/prequel. There is a possibility that I might end up liking the series if I watch the rest but I was quite disappointed with the season and have lost interest (because of how badly they've setup the sequel).
After saying all that, these are just my opinions and it's cool if you liked this show man

Hot_Green_Tea said:

Your first paragraph's favorite message actually is the same message that all 3 anime have(Suzumiya Haruhi, Chūnibyō, and Kyōkai no Kanata).
What you wrote about Suzumiya Haruhi being different with how they cope with the extraordinary things that happened in their life also happen to Kyōkai no Kanata(if you watched the prequel), I'm going to give spoilers that explain the similarity between both so read this at your own risk , I could go on.

I take it you haven't watched Baccano? A show that used similar technique (in media res) as Kyōkai no Kanata but more complex(if you want to see a different way of storytelling, I recommend Baccano). All three of them(Haruhi, Chūnibyō, and Kyōkai no Kanata) also incorporate the same storytelling technique (in media res) if we're judging them as a whole.

The only difference between all 3 is that Kyōkai no Kanata tv series ends in a cliffhanger (which is important to the plot) because they couldn't fit in all the story in one season (hence the OVA and Movie). To give you a perspective

If you already watched the tv series it's kinda a waste not to finish the prequel OVA and sequel Movie because you already wasted your time watching the tv series, why not trying to get your time's worth by finishing it? it's just an OVA and Movie(both are not long, you won't see much of the "creepy" joke, and would actually get more understanding of the characters and the main plot) and it'll probably change how you perceive the show, but it's up to you.

Edit : Also, I just read your name and it refers to an anime (JJK), saw that you gave JJK a 9, and mentioned in one of your comparison(with the other replies) that refers to JJK in that one of the show you watched fight curses. If we exclude both show source material, story and plot wise, the first season of JJK is basically the same as Kyōkai no Kanata in that they have "creepy characters", mostly gave random unimportant and unexplained information(what we viewers perceive at the time) until the next instalment connect them, and yet you gave JJK 9(also, if one of your point is that JJK gave exposition, most of the exposition in the JJK's first season, they are also either useless or not used until it becomes important in the next instalment). I'm kinda under the assumption that you're biased(not counting the high expectation because this comes from KyoAni) towards both show.

jjkiscool said:

Wow those are a lot of arguments and mostly pretty genuine ones
I get how you are comparing Kyoukai no kanata with Haruhi in the sense that characters have to cope with extraordinary things and have to learn to live with each other but the main focus is different in both shows, Haruhi is slice of life for me, and my favorite episodes from it were the slice of lifey ones, the focus was how the relationships between characters evolve over time. In Kyokai no kanata, characters learning to live with each other is not the main focus at all! There are literal universe ending level threats that characters are having to face which is the main focus here (I know this happens in Haruhi but come on man, it's not what the show is about) And that's not to say that I only watch SOL type anime, as you noticed I like Jujutsu Kaisen a lot. But I just don't feel Haruhi is a good comparison because of how tonally different both shows are.

And as you compared Kyokai no Kanata's ending to a certain point in chuunibyou, where if they had ended the show it would have been very similar to this one. I think that's true because I can confidently say that had chuunibyou ended at that point, I wouldn't love it nearly as much. Tbh I was getting pretty uncomfortable watching those episodes in Chuunibyou, the characters were going through so much and I was feeling bad for them. I'm glad chuunibyou's first season ended the way it did and for me it is one of the best final episodes in anime. Also I don't completely get how Chuunibyou's message is same as Haruhi and Kyokai No Kanata. To a certain extent I can agree that Haruhi's message is similar to this one but I can't say the same thing about Kyokai no Kanata. And even if that were the case, the way chuunibyou delivered that message was just so good and so relatable to everyone I feel (that's just a personal opinion I guess)

And I have to admit that I haven't watched the complete series so I haven't had the complete experience. And in shows like JJK for ex, in the first season a lot was left unexplained but for me that only added more anticipation for what's to come. This was because I know it's a shonen show and it will have many more seasons and everything will be explained. But these are not the kind of shows I expected from KyoAni (I admit this was a personal bias on my side). All KyoAni shows I have seen till now have very good self contained stories in a single season (the amount of story they were able to fit in only 12 episodes of chuunibyou was incredible for me). Also KyoAni shows focus a lot on the slice of life aspects and the relationships between the characters and how they evolve.

But to be honest even if I try and think about Kyoukai no Kanata having realized these biases, I still think it's not a very good show. If you compare it with JJK, I think JJK has much better characters, and all the characters and their struggles are given appropriate attention. The comedy I feel is also much better in JJK. And hey, I'm fine with perverted characters for comedy and some fan service but I find the use of siscon type characters and sexualizing of underage characters just creepy and not funny. With JJK I know that eventually everything will be revealed and will be given the right amount of screen time, at least they have done that till now. But with Kyoukai no kanata there are soo many unexplained things that even if they try to rush everything they won't be able to cover it in an OVA and movie which are both not too long.

I appreciate that you are urging me to watch the complete series but I don't find a lot of time to watch anime so I have to be selective. I might actually end up liking the series if I watch the OVA and movie but tbh watching this season kind of became a chore for me so I'm probably not going to give this a chance.

I don't normally write big paragraphs like this one in forums but you took the time to read my views and your arguments were logical so I felt obliged to write a decent response. And btw Baccano sounds pretty awesome man. I'm getting almost pulp fiction type vibes in storytelling, I'll totally check it out.