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Kino's Journey vol 2: Emerging Lanes (eps 5-7)

If you've read my review of the first volume of Kino's Journey you may remember that I admitted to making a little mistake. Well, if you haven't read that review or you haven't yet had the pleasure of watching the first volume of Kino's Journey (shame on you) turn away now: this review contains spoilers that may (shock!) spoil your enjoyment of this show. I'm not kidding, go away! Read my first review and then go buy the DVDs, you can rest assured that Kino's Journey is a great piece of animation that will sit comfortably in anybody's collection.

If you have watched the first volume in its entirety then you'll be aware that my first review erroneously referred to Kino as a boy. Hopefully you'll understand why I made this decision, but considering that she's first referred to as a female throughout this second volume I think there's little point in misleading anyone further.

Kino's ambiguous gender may not play an integral part of the story but it's an interesting talking point nonetheless. With her short hair, plain clothes and slender figure Kino's unusual design purposefully avoids any significant reference to her gender; only when we see her wearing a dress before she adopted the male Kino persona do we realise the truth. This might seem like a strange approach to a female lead character - and it is - but the effect this has on your perception of Kino and her relationship to the people and world around her is undeniable. In an industry criticised (often unfairly) for its overtly sexual depiction of women Kino's Journey is a welcome breath of fresh air.

This volume continues in much the same vein as the first with an episode comprised of two short stories that carry a strong ethical twist. Describing them in any kind of detail would spoil their potential impact, which would be a real shame considering that much of Kino's Journey's appeal lies in deconstructing these witty stories for yourself. Some might think that Kino's Journey is becoming too preachy, and while it's true that many of these stories bare more resemblance to parables than anything else, they still remain hugely enjoyable because they're executed with such flair and imagination that it really brings the message home in way that rarely seems overly preachy.

The second and third episodes on this DVD complete a two-part storyline that takes Kino to a barbaric country in which they hold a mandatory gladiatorial tournament in a grand coliseum. Kino agrees to take part knowing that opponents may survive if a surrender is accepted and the eventual winner may add a new law, giving her an ideal opportunity to make a difference to this troubled country. Over the course of the two episodes we're given the chance to explore this walled country further and meet its class-divided citizens, the devoted combatants that keep the upper classes entertained and its imploding monarchy. This is really the first time that Kino's Journey has slowed down to develop a series of secondary characters any further than face value (one particularly cool guy even gets to star on the cover), yet I found myself becoming no more attached to these hard-faced warriors than I was the jolly slave traffickers of episode two. Kino's Journey is astonishingly adept at bringing life to character's we've only just met, yet it seems strangely reluctant to delve any further. Despite stretching to the fifty-minute mark, this two-part story little more than an extended version of a regular episode. Which is really no bad thing.

What these episodes do bring to Kino's Journey that was mostly absent before now is a decent portion of action. As you may or may not know, I love a good slice of well-directed action - and that's exactly what we have here. The animation may not be up to the standards of some more high-profile releases yet the battles are still every bit as entertaining thanks to some impressively kinetic choreography work. Kino and her compelling adversaries flip, dive and roll with a certain grace that's often missing from less imaginative action sequences. The tension is also maintained thanks to the fighting arena's many hiding places which gives our character a chance to discuss the battle, with Kino more often than not persuading her opponent to surrender (of course they don't believe that a little girl could be so adept with a pistol!). Briefly, we've seen Kino's formidable abilities before now, but this is the first time we've seen her in full swing. And an impressive sight it is, too.

As good as these action scenes are, they're really little more than a bonus. Kino's Journey is simply an engrossing piece of animation - it doesn't need to spice things up with superfluous action or comic relief. To be honest there's nothing in this volume that can quite reach the majesty of my favourite episode from volume one, but I'm sure that everyone has a particular favourite, and I'm sure that for some people it could be any single story from this volume. I hope the last two volumes continue to maintain this high level of quality, and there's nothing to suggest they won't. If you haven't watched Kino's Journey already (shame on you, I thought I told you not read this review!) I highly recommend that you do yourself a favour and pick up these two volumes as soon as you get the chance. Great stuff.

R2 DVD Notes

Features: English 5.1 and Japanese 2.0 audio, English subtitles, clean open/close, production sketches, ADV previews

Release information: UK: ADV, 2004

Notes: The star of the cover is the slim katana-wielding warrior, along with his canine companion from the coliseum storyline. The deft paintwork of this piece is particularly alluring, the zombie-like faces of the crowd piercing through thick plumes of smoke as he readies himself to strike; overall a much more successful cover than the first volume's less eye-catching image of Kino. The back cover continues with the poetry-like episode descriptions. I'm not entirely certain if this almost cryptic text will sway potential buyers, but I am sure that Kino's Journey is not an easy product to sell. The under-used tagline 'Drift along for the ride' just about hits the nail on the head. Open the box and you'll find a single sheet leaflet with a reproduction of the cover artwork minus logos and text and a simple run-down of the contents on the reverse. The disc is a similar shade of green with an identical floral pattern to the first volume's disc, although it's just as pretty as it ever was. Once again the extras are fairly standard fare - a clean open/close, a few production sketches and some ADV previews. A feature exploring the Kino books or perhaps even a comparison would make for an interesting read, but as it stands this is an attractive package with average extras.

-- John Huxley 9th Jan 05

Kino's Journey Recommended

Kino's Journey Reviews

Kino's Journey vol 2: Emerging Lanes (eps 5-7)

R2 DVD Notes

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