Kino’s Journey Volume 4

Having enjoyed this fourth and final volume, it was with great displeasure that I bade farewell to Kino’s Journey. Shows like this just don’t come around very often; philosophical, sophisticated and completely unwilling to appease the viewer with a simple solution; Kino’s Journey consistently thrilled me with its thought provoking and compelling collection of episodes.

The quick-fire way in which Kino repeatedly draws her polished gun is a blunt reminder (but also a tease) that our indifferent heroine can mix it with the best of them, but at its heart, Kino’s Journey was anything but an action series. With the key word being ‘journey’, there is no reoccurring story or big boss awaiting “whoop-ass” at the end of this series, we simply follow Kino as she drifts through country after country, observing everyday irony and enriching herself in the cliché of human-kind.

Some may find it frustrating, others just boring, but Kino’s Journey is at least consistent with its surreal philosophical style. And despite the alluring insights into Kino’s past, there is no real story linking these episodes together; essentially, you could watch this series backwards and suffer no adverse effects. Just be prepared to think, and think hard, because Kino’s Journey demands every inch of your attention.

This fourth volume is no different and those hoping for any definite resolution will be left sorely disappointed. It’s about as natural as Kino’s Journey could have ended, with Kino and Hermes resolving to continue their search for nothing in particular. You get a sense that they are scrambling for purpose in their lives, something worth living for and the last episode is different in that we finally visit a country Kino becomes attached to, only to be refused when requesting a few extra days lodging. At it’s (and the series) conclusion, we see for the first time, an emotionally shaken Kino, a far cry from her usually composed self.

The other two episodes were, as it goes, on the lower end of the scale based on the high standards set by the previous three volumes. The first being a surreal re-evaluation (or recap) of Kino’s reasons for drifting through life, while the second episode is something of a strange anti-war fable that nulled my interest by being too heavy handed in it’s attempts to force a reaction from me.

Reflecting back through the 13 episodes of Kino’s Journey, this has been a pleasure to watch. Putting aside the thought provoking and original story telling, both the animation and soundtrack have been worthy of note too, perfectly matching the surreal atmosphere and subtle stories weaved through out this outstanding show. The character designs are memorable for their simplicity, placing emphasis not on the characters themselves but the morals and feeling they intend to convey.

In Summary

It’s rare to find a series as consistent as Kino’s Journey, where every episode is as treasured as the next. It is a series brimming with ideas, unwilling to pander to the masses and touching on a number of thought provoking issues, ranging from typical story fodder like war and censorship to surreal and philosophical fables. Kino’s Journey serves as a timely reminder of the heights anime can reach when a team of creative minds are given free reign with the limitless possibilities of animation.

This volume itself is perhaps my least favourite of the four, but still manages to round up the show with a thoroughly compelling tale of sacrifice. To quote the final line of the DVD synopsis; “Kino is a traveller. A witness. A survivor. And driven to discover the eternal destination.”