And while I have seen visuals of the "hentai"-fueled character design for quite a while now - both online and offline (remember that infamous "underboob" hoo-hah in Singapore? :p) - but have never truly delved into the anime itself … until the weekend at AFA'14 where I purchased a print featuring the splendid artwork of Shawn Tan), did I decide to check out said anime, and eventually
WHAT IS: "Kill la Kill (Japanese: キルラキル Hepburn: Kiru Ra Kiru?) is an anime television series produced by Trigger. It follows vagrant schoolgirl Ryuko Matoi on her search for her father's killer, which brings her into violent conflict with the iron-fisted student council president of Honnouji Academy, Satsuki Kiryuin, and her mother's fashion empire.
The series is Trigger's first original television anime project, directed by Hiroyuki Imaishi and written by Kazuki Nakashima, both of whom had previously worked together on Gurren Lagann. Kill la Kill 's 24 episodes aired in Japan between October 3, 2013 and March 27, 2014. Aniplex of America has licensed the anime for a simulcast and a home video release. A manga adaptation by Ryō Akizuki began serialization in Kadokawa Shoten's Young Ace magazine from October 4, 2013. A followup anime episode was released as an OVA on September 3, 2014." (Wikipedia)
The anime and character designs themselves smacked deliciously of the hentai-heavenous proportions, in both the battle modes of the "Kamui/Godrobe" suits worn by leads "Ryuko Matoi" (with the red hair highlight) and the white-clad "Satsuki Kiryuin" - pushing the "sailor uniform" to "new heights" of fantasticality and hentai-dom! And I realized I've always preferred the "tom boys", so "Ryuko" was a "delight" for me muahahahahaha ;p
As well I absolutely enjoyed the mecha-design aspect of the immediate sub-characters ("Elite Four"), which included a fighter with a distinct S&M-slant! The semblance of "normality" is represented by the "Mankanshoku" family which provides much of the zany caricature cliches of "japanese anime/manga".
This anime is also "fanserviced" to the hilt, featuring overt sexiness - by way of cliched sailor uniforms and armor - from both the females and males ("Nudist Beach"? HAHAHAHAHAHA), which I personally can roll with, as they are not necessarily trying to by "coy" or covert about it hahahaha - imagine general anime with kawaii girls often test the upstart shot (hence "fan service"), while in Kill la Kill, EVERY EPISODE has the transformation scene featuring panty-shots galore.
However I am not here to argue the merits or "social harms" of such situations, just a *warning* that Kill la Kill is NOT a children's anime, and should not be treated as such. Kill la Kill has plenty of bloodshed, decapitations, and other non-conformist themes to keep it adult enough to entertain, well, "adults". Ironically, feature films like "Harry Potter" has children dying.
The storyline is at times ludicrous and over-the-top, but essentially inline with insane animus, and un underlying subtle depth of intent. Anything further would be giving away whatever fun one could be gleaned from the plot, which frankly is not a "bad thing", as I was not expecting a cerebral experience here … but you'd be surprised how much "feels" this premise provides, IMHO.
"Kill la Kill" is in fact a somewhat "throwback" to what ANIME films were characterized quite a good years back, before the advent of fancy CG, IMHO. We are not looking at "refined" illustration techniques here, but of a frenzied frantic visual onslaught which utilizes the visceral sense of "manga"-in-motion, and graphic design elements (which I intend to appropriate for future use *cough* :p).
#SPOILER: Ryuko VS Satsuki (No English Subs)
One of the key aspects of Japanese anime I embrace, and is a huge part of myself and the unspoken mart of TOYSREVIL, is that there is the marriage of the (A) visual component (ala the anime itself) and (B) the merchandizing aspect, which in the case of this blog (and my personal preferences, I insist), are the "TOYS"! Here are some (googled) highlights, made into a montage - same of whom are now on my immediate TOY-WANTS-LIST! Yes, this is a "declaration" of love, and if financially able; "intent"! Further features of the toys to come on the blog!
(This post was actually written months back but not published :p).
#SPOILER: Ryuko & Satsuki vs Nui & Ragyo
from episode 18 of Kill la Kill (with Eng Subs)
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