Anime | Manga REVIEW: "Kill la Kill"

[Firaga 5,947]

 

Back again for another anime review. Now, most of you have heard me sing nothing but high praise for this series, and let me tell you: … well, its true. I love this anime. It’s definitely up there as one of my favorite anime of all time. lol

 

However, I’m not going to be biased. Just like how Attack On Titan was an anime I thought was subpar but still had to talk about the good things, Kill la Kill is an anime that I absolutely adore but still have to talk about the bad things. I assure you that my opinion will be as fair as possible.

 

Now lets strap in. Or in this case, strap on. *rimshot*

 

(spoiler tabbed because of its huge, huge length)

So, what is Kill la Kill about? Let’s just start at the beginning:

 

Kill la Kill was animated from 2013-2014 and produced by Studio Trigger, a then-budding animation studio founded by Hiroyuki Imaishi and Masahiko Ohstuka, both former employees of Gainax, another studio known for making various anime including Fooly Cooly and Gurren Lagann.

 

The story starts at Honnoji Academy, a fictional school in Tokyo Bay, ruled with a iron fist by its fearsome student council, led by president Satsuki Kiryuin, along with the top members of the student council dubbed “The Elite Four”, leaders of various school committees, with the use of Goku Uniforms, special clothes that give the wearer incredible superhuman abilities. 

 

This regime is challenged when an transfer student named Ryuko Matoi begins attending, setting her sights on Satsuki and claiming that she is responsible for her father’s murder by the use of the other half of Ryuko’s scissor blade. After a failed attempt, Ryuko retreats back to her father’s old laboratory, where she finds a talking sailor suit that, when worn, partakes in her blood and gives her abilities similar to the Goku Uniforms. Armed with her blade and Senketsu, Ryuko once again sets out to take down the entire school if possible in order to get the answers she needs from Satsuki.

 

Bringing up the fact that this show is from the same people who made FLCL and GL is crucial to understand Kill la Kill because it is in-your-face, over-the-top, ridiculous, insane, impressively animated, fully fledged in both world building and scale, and loaded with fight sequences that are borderline DragonBall level and abrasively enjoyable characters who are unapologetic in their viewpoints and in SHOUTING AT THE TOP OF THEIR LUNGS TO SHOW JUST HOW PASSIONATE THEY AND THIS ENTIRE SHOW IS!!! … but its done well. Very well, even. Maybe even better than it predecessors.

 

Now let me get into a big make-or-break element of the show: the fan-service. In case you don’t know, one of Kill la Kill’s most recognizable elements is the amount of skin you will see from most if not all the characters. Senketsu, when given blood, transforms and adorns Ryuko in a skimpy, exhibitionist outfit, with clear view of all their goodies. It’s not just girls either. Close male ally of Ryuko, Aikuro Mikisugi (who is also part of an organization called Nudist Beach), is constantly stripping in a seductive manner and showing off his big, pink glowing pepperoni nipples… yeah…

 

I’m not going to deny that the fan-service is there, but all I can say is do not judge a book by its cover. Yes, it happens and you can clearly see it, but keep in mind that this show is partially a parody of the magical girl genre, which is well known to have fan-service as well, and sometimes its even part of the plot. Kill la Kill’s use of fan-service is also for plot purposes. The differences here is that the nudity is called attention to and then embraced in a positive light.

 

You see, when Ryuko first finds out about Senketsu’s transformation, she is heavily embarrassed to be seen in an outfit that shows off her T&A, enforced by the various males who oggle her body. However, when Satsuki adorns herself in her own transforming sailor suit (which is called a Kamui), Junketsu, she firmly addresses Ryuko’s embarrassment and shames her for it. She tells her that if she truly wants her revenge, she has to accept Senketsu, nudity and all, and proudly proclaims that she is willing to “bear her breasts” in the same fashion with Junketsu as long as she will achieve her aspirations, and makes the entire thing look endearing and in tone with one’s individuality, which convinces Ryuko to do the same so that she can bond with Senketsu and use him to his fullest abilities. It completely mocks and yet glorifies similar tropes used in a magical girl series, but focuses on what makes it endearing instead of insulting, and its hard to argue against that when both Ryuko and Satsuki show their merit as characters despite the clothes they wear.

 

Further down the line, the symbolism of clothing vs nudity is further used to emphasize the show’s theme of individuality (Also, the purpose of Nudist Beach is to accomplish just that. They refuse to wear clothing because… uh, spoilers.) There isn’t actually much “showing off” the nudity outside of just comic relief moments (like Aikuro). The characters spend more time beating the snot out of each other rather than showing off their goodies. Plus, this show becomes more concerned with everything else it has going for it, such as its awesome characters, roller-coaster storyline, aforementioned themes of individuality plus themes of companionship, trust, power and what have you. If you stick around long enough, you will not care about the nudity at all, and that’s also part of the subversion. It’s not that they throw the whole “nudity equals individuality” schtick out the window either. At that point, it just knows the smart viewers already get the message so that they don’t have to keep repeating it and can go about its own terms.

 

The show is basically saying “Hey, there’s a bunch of naked people on screen, but who cares, it’s not important. What’s important is why there is a bunch of naked people and what it represents.”And I respect Kill la Kill for that. Not only is it using fan-service in a effective way without going over the line, but it’s unapologetic in its views, and like Satsuki, is not afraid to show some skin. Still, it’s okay if you’re not able to stomach it… but if you’re a not complete prude, then Kill la Kill will reward your patience and tolerance with a heaping dose of epic. I highly recommend it.

 

Now that we got that out of the way, what about everything else?

 

Going back to the story: there is actually a lot more to it that what I described, but I can say no more about it because a) spoilers and b) if I went into more detail, I would have to write an entire essay about it. You see, Kill la Kill has a habit of incorporating various twists and new information into the plot that turn everything on its head. You could argue that, in some aspects, the show is a completely different beast by the end compared to how it is at the beginning. 

 

It by no means a revolutionary plot or anything, but seeing how it takes certain common elements from other shows and genres (such as the magical girl thing, alongside action shows and the high school cliche) and mixes them together in new ways makes the entire thing seem very refreshing and tightly-knitted, hitting all the marks that it needs to while still being entertaining and engaging.

 

As I mentioned earlier, the characters are awesome and they indeed are. What I like most is how the main cast is handled. There isn’t a terribly big amount of characters in Kill la Kill, but every single one is larger-than-life, unique, and full on fun and intrigue in their own ways.

 

Ryuko, while still being the most normal character, is still endearing as a main character and thankfully still manages to fall into the crazy fun that the show brings, and is just all-around great role model for girls. 

 

Speaking of girls, there’s Mako Makanshoku… where to start with Mako Makanshoku lol…  She is Ryuko’s best friend, a student at Honnoji, and makes up at least 90% of the moments in Kill la Kill that will make you smile and/or laugh your ass off. She is just bursting with energy 24/7 and her silly and nonsensical personality is a stark contrast to not only Ryuko but pretty much every other character in the entire show, but its still so cute to see her and Ryuko interact, as well as watch her stumble about through the tomfoolery in the world of Kill la Kill while being just as tom-foolish herself. Her family consisting of her brother Mataro, her dad Barazo, her mom Sukuyo, and the family dog Guts (with the greatest design in all of existence) are equally as entertaining.

 

Those who visit my profile already know that I, ahem, have a thing for Satsuki. But let me tell you, its not just because of all the skin shots… no seriously, it’s not. Satsuki, while appearing to be the tyrannical, alpha-bitch type at first undergoes development that allows her more endearing qualities, such as her pride, grace, and matter-of-fact though process to shine through. Like the plot in general, Satsuki becomes a completely different person than she was in the first episode by the last episode.

 

The Elite Four, if I can describe them accurately, are probably the best henchmen characters that I have seen in anime or anything else in a long while. They all get a chance to shine and define their purposes as characters and as followers of Satsuki, and they prove just how versatile they are when they eventually become main fixtures of the cast rather than just Satsuki’s attack dogs. My favorite in particular is Ira Gamagori, Honnoji’s disciplinary committee chair, who is large and in charge, in every sense of the word (his official height is literally described as “BIGGER THAN YOU”, and it shows), and seeing his lash out in anger (“THOSE ARE THE RULES!” “IT’S A DISGRACE!”), do insane feats, or participate in battles is always a spectacle to behold. Funnily enough, Gamagori and Mako engage in a relationship with one another. Imagine that.

 

Other characters include Aikuro, who is both hilarious in his stripping antics but also a wise sort-of mentor for Ryuko. You know, when he’s not busy, uh, doing the other thing… there’s also Tsumugu, a personal favorite of mine who uses anti-cloth weapons, guns, bombs and is just all-around badass (unfortunately he kinda falls down the ladder towards the end when more characters appear and the power scale goes up). Ragyo, Satsuki’s mom, proves herself to be a graceful yet intimidating force of nature as an even bigger threat than Satsuki. There’s also Nui Harime, who… I despise. Deeply. Not because she’s badly written, I just hate her because of her… everything, from her no-cares-given attitude to her trolling.

 

Now let’s cover the action and music. The glorious, glorious action and music. These, my friends, are probably the reason why when this show was first airing, it was affectionally dubbed “Hype La Hype”. Of course, if you stir up scissor blades, katanas, whips, superhuman abilities, and the sound of music with explosive personalities coupled with explosions and high quality animation , its no surprise the action would be great. Like I said, its DragonBall level stuff here, and it never shies away from being outstanding. The music is great too, and carries the same kind of punch that the visuals do, especially the famous “Before My Body Is Dry”, which is a rocking, uplifting track that plays whenever Ryuko is in a pinch and pulls out a comeback. Some of you might know it better as “DON’T LOSE YOUR WAAAAAAAAY!!” The track “Blumenkranz”, Ragyo’s lemotif, is also notable; a chilling yet stylish theme that breathes power and dominance. It’s also the theme song of a certain character, but I won’t say who it is. Slight spoilers.

 

Other miscellaneous notes: Both the original audio and the English dub are well done in their own special ways. I especially like the English dub as it allows a lot of my favorite actors/actresses such as Christine Marie Cabanos, Patrick Seitz, Steve Staley, Sarah Williams, etc. to have a lot of fun with the script and general energy that the show provides. Also, yes, I am very aware and in love with the idea that the Goku Uniforms are named after… well, you know. This show also pays homage to a lot of other series, though they are really obscure references mostly based on art, but there are interesting none-the-less. Much of Kill la Kill’s influences can actually be traced back to customs/tropes based on Japanese society and folklore.

 

And that is all I have to write home about for Kill la Kill. I know that the “negative” parts of this review were far and in-between, but dang it, I love this anime. I'm sorry guys, I tried, I truly did, but I assure you that everything in this review is my honest opinion.

 

"Kill la Kill", overall, is a lot of fun and just a joy to indulge in, with only minor flaws here and there keeping it from being perfect. I willingly award this anime with a solid 9/10.

 

 

Whew. That was a mouthful. Really fun, though.

 

Now then, my next objective in terms of reviewing will be re-doing reviews I’ve already done, such as for the third Naruto: Shippuden movie and the Spider Man film trilogy, because let’s be honest, I’m not that good at this. lol

Edited February 10, 2016 by Firaga Sensei

[DragonMaster 1,166]

Great review, I agreed with most of what you said. Especially what you said about how you end up practically forgetting that they're *almost* nude. Yeah, in the beginning it was VERY in your face and even a bit uncomfortable, but once I got further into the show I just stopped caring. Heck, their outfits ceased to even be "sexy" by the end, it was just what they wore. I also like how they incorporated a reason for the scanty clothing in the story. Some might say it was just used as an excuse, but I think it was an interesting idea. I also liked how they weren't shy with using males for fanservice as well, gave a nice sense of equality.

 

I will say that I was a bit disappointed with the turn the story took right near the end (major spoilers inside)

with the whole "life fibers are alien life forms" thing. But it's mostly because I don't like "ALIENS" plot twists in general, and because I thought the simpler premise the story had going to that point was satisfactory.

 

That said, it lead to some amazing action sequences and fight scenes, so I wasn't unhappy in the end.

[Firaga 5,947]

Great review, I agreed with most of what you said. Especially what you said about how you end up practically forgetting that they're *almost* nude. Yeah, in the beginning it was VERY in your face and even a bit uncomfortable, but once I got further into the show I just stopped caring. Heck, their outfits ceased to even be "sexy" by the end, it was just what they wore. I also like how they incorporated a reason for the scanty clothing in the story. Some might say it was just used as an excuse, but I think it was an interesting idea. I also liked how they weren't shy with using males for fanservice as well, gave a nice sense of equality.

 

I will say that I was a bit disappointed with the turn the story took right near the end (major spoilers inside)

with the whole "life fibers are alien life forms" thing. But it's mostly because I don't like "ALIENS" plot twists in general, and because I thought the simpler premise the story had going to that point was satisfactory.

 

That said, it lead to some amazing action sequences and fight scenes, so I wasn't unhappy in the end.

 

 

I give the Life Fiber idea points for going as far as being stated that they are the reason that mankind has been able to evolve over time. I thought that was really out there and really fit into the craziness of everything else going on in the narrative. Plus, I think it takes a lot of creativity in general to make clothes of all things both a central plot device/obstacle/weapon in the first place.

 

[J. Severe 1,137]

Kill la Kill was the first anime I watched (not counting stuff like Pokemon) and I really enjoyed it, so it has a special place in my heart. Gurren Lagann is better though.

[KeybladeLordCheeseCurd 1,542]

After the end of it, I started calling it Sonic Adventure 2.

[Klonoa the Dream Traveler 678]

Great review. Although the anime sucks.

[Firaga 5,947]

Great review. Although the anime sucks.

 

... I don't know how to feel about this comment.

 

Would you at least care to explain? Probably not.

Edited May 3, 2015 by Firaga Sensei

[outbackjim21 83]

It was amazing, until you realized you were watching chrono trigger the anime

[Firaga 5,947]

It was amazing, until you realized you were watching chrono trigger the anime

 

... I don't get it. lol