Apr 10, 2018
Kill la Kill, airing in 2013 as the first official anime by Studio Trigger (not counting Inferno Cop, though disregarding it's genius would be sacrilege) is a superpower-Shounen following a delinquent teenager, Ryuko Matoi, facing up against an authoritian institute led by the ruthless Satsuki Kiryuin and the Four Devas, in an attempt to find her father's killer, armed with only her father's weapon, one half of the Sword Scissor, and a sentient sailor uniform called Senketsu.
Does such a premise turn you off? I was, initially: amidst titles like Sword Art Online and Tokyo Ghoul, the name alone made me scoff at it's apparent angst.
...
Without any context or understanding of anime, such a title would surely disspate into nothing. That was in 2015.
I lacked brain cells back in 2015.
Having watched now in 2018, it's probably one of my favorite series of all time, as a result of it's superb animation, characters, plot and execution. This led me to watch Trigger's other great titles, such as Little Witch Academia and Darling in the FranXX, both of which are/were superb series to watch. So, why the praise for it?
Also, HEAVY SPOILERS for this review. I can't talk freely without mention of the plot, so here goes.
The most obvious feature of Kill la Kill is it's visuals, or lack there of. Being the Studio's first official work, the series had to be made with some budgetary limitations, which leads to show employing various animation techniques as a work around. Oddly though, I saw this as by far the best aspect of the show. Despite being restrained in budget, the animation studio was by no means restrained in creativity, which leads to the most expressive and flowing movement one could see in animation. Characters move and fly with a sort of Looney-Tunes sense of logic, and facial expressions are colourful and absurd, most notably in characters Mako and her family. Furthermore, it's at least has a consistent style which doesn't distract from action on screen, making for some great visual gags all throughout the show's run (Mako's moments of enlightenment made me smile every time it showed on screen). This isn't mentioning moments of extreme sakuga during it's fights, which look stunning.
The characters are also ones to stay for. The main character Matoi's "no bullshit, but maybe a little" personality works as a great contrast to the show as whole, and is an A* grade Shounen hero in terms of power level and personality. By contrast, Satsuki plays the show's events straight, and her role in the story was a pleasant surprise. The Four Devas also have distinct personalities, notably Gira and Sanageyama, with unique powers and are just cool dudes overall. Matoi's friend, Mako, and her family are hilariously endearing and ridiculous, as mentioned before. The show also boasts fun supporting characters such as Mikisugi as the leader of "NUDIST BEACH", which is as ridiculous as it sounds. Ragyo's a asshole. Best Grill Matoi.
The plot also took some interesting turns. What seems to start as an episodic free-for-all Shounen becomes the most fantastical, fate of the world nonsense I've seen, involving alien clothing, human mutation, brainwashing and nudity, and lots of it. I liked the story of the show overall, and while the ending felt a little lacking, the show's twists and turns kept things fresh all the way to.. well, that's for you to find out, eh? I don't even know what that means, but who gives a damn?
I think the biggest flag flown for this show is the ecchi aspect of the show. I wasn't kidding when I said a lot of nudity (I mean, the two main characters wear scantily-clad battle uniforms, for crying out loud). While I was caught off guard by this, it wasn't all that distracting. I only mention it as a precaution, for those that may feel more sensitive about that kind of content, like I was. Others may also disapprove of the animation and it's cheapness. Those complaints have reasonable ground, but that cheap aesthetic works in the show's favor, and better serves it's bizarre mannerisms.
With all said and done, I liked this show. A lot. It serves as a reminder of the importance in both creative funding and freedom, and works its shortcomings to make a great narrative filled with action and gags. Long-time classic? Maybe not. But it is DEFINITELY one to watch for fans of anime. I mean, you would be if you made it this far, right?
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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