Kill La Kill

RoyalOss Jul 14, 2014

9

Ill (try to) keep this short... To describe Kill la Kill into 3 words: ''over the top''5 seconds into the show it goes full throttle an it rarely takes it food of the gas. Over the top action, over the top comedy, over the top (stereotype) characters. Unfortunately also over the top (semi) nudity. But still over the top entertainment. PlotGirl (Ryuuko) has recently lost her father and is searching for the killer for revenge and answers. During her search she stumbles upon a town where the school student council president (Satsuki) is the absolute ruler. The performances of the students determines how high the social status of their family is. The higher the status the more privileges and power. (Parody on society)Satsuki seems to know about her father so Ryuuko tries to question her about it but is forced to fight the several school clubs first before Satsuki will reveal what she knows. StoryNot much to add, a girl fighting for her revenge but there are some plot twists which are somewhat cliché but they aren't easily predicted. AnimationThe biggest issue, the animation is not that good. Took me a while to get used to but there were still several moments where the animation seemed to get noticeably worse. Not only the background but the character animations as well. There however were some comic style scenes (line art) which were refreshing and nice to see.Another big issue in the animation was the fan service. The show contains a butt load *bad pun* of (nearly) naked people. This is not a problem for the secondary characters such as the Nudist Beach organization where it is comical but the main characters would be better off with less revealing outfits and surely with a lot less transformation scenes. And do not forget the mother who seems to has an obsession for incest? ''Fan service''   (Comic / line art syle) SoundThe music was very good with a wide range of genres. Usually the background music isnt noticeable or something to remember but the show had many moments where the music jumped out. Especially the characters theme songs are great. CharactersWith one or two exceptions there were no complaints about the characters Ryuuko is a strong main lead character. Satsuki the coldblooded enemy/rival. And several very stereotypical characters such as *hallelujah* Mako who is the main comical relief. Very incomprehensible with 0,0% brain activity but a lot funnier than the regular dimwitted comedic characters which you see in other shows. The devas and Nudist beach were great as well who keep switching from comedy towards serious. OverallMost of the points I deducted from the animation where for the fan service and a few (irregular) quality issues. Else it would of been perfect since this over the top nonstop comedy and action anime is totally my style.

ThatAnimeSnob Mar 28, 2014

6.5

If you watch the show for the crazy action and the fan service, you will be rewarded with a whole lot of braindead entertainment. If you are offended by lots of nude, you will drop it early on. If you start thinking about its plot and themes, you will be completely lost and stop caring from a point on. If you start making allusions and symbolisms, and comparisons to every little detail to everything else out there, then welcome to the overthinking group, where no matter how stupid something is, you will still find some excuse to make it seem like it’s amazing. And now that we clarified the different types of viewers this show creates, let’s proceed to what it really is. It is a zany action comedy about fighting teenagers. Yes, later on they try to make it seem like it’s a lot more by throwing in a convoluted conspiracy about clothes eating up humanity because aliens and shit, but it all boils down to neurotic teenagers yelling and beating the crap out of each other. Yes, it does have a plot that escalates from a simple revenge story to a war for the salvation of the planet but it happens in such a random way that you are better off not paying attention to how things move from point A to point B. The heroine, Matoi, can pretty much level any opponent past the school president since episode 1 and after episode 3 feels like the she forgets her revenge issues and just goes to school like nothing much happens, while her nemesis is not destroying her right away just so to stretch the series to 2 cour. And lots of other similar stuff like that happen later on. But who cares about that; in terms of style Kill La Kill (KLK) is pretty much eyegasm for retro fans, as it offers a tribute to several dozen titles from earlier decades. The animation is fairly jerky to the most part but stuff will be moving around so fast, you won’t really mind that after awhile. It will keep your eyes constantly wide open, and your willies constantly hard and upwards, and that is more than enough to keep a big portion of the audience entertained. Of course as good as it is as dumb entertainment, it is equally bad as a well written story with deep characters. You are not going to be watching it for any deep thinking; unless you are one of those overthinkers out there who will be writing a wall of text for every bouncing pair of hOOters being some sort of pro-feminism message. And as much as the show attempts to foreshadow major events in a lazy attempt to make you think it knows what is doing, when the gloves come off it all comes down to “I win because I said so”. Which is no surprise coming from the same creator as Furi Kuri, Tengen Toppa, and Panty & Stocking. Compared to those KLK shares the same zany style and has the highest amounts of entertainment, but is also the most barren in content and planning. Also the nudity is so omnipresent that it will either make you disgusted early on, or eventually give you immunity to it. Which in a way is double lose for me, since it is also supposed to be its main theme and gets treated like a joke that gets tiresome after awhile. What the show manages to achieve is being the most entertaining fighting chicks anime I know of. And I know all of them (most famous being Cutey Honey, Ikki Tousen, Queen’s Blade, and Freezing). In terms of campy fun it also has nothing to be jealous of famous live-action movies such as Kill Bill or Sucker Punch, thus it manages to be a sort of cult classic overshadowing most of the earlier competitors almost instantly. Which is not a small feat I must say. It isn’t a masterpiece by any stretch of the word and it definitely didn’t save anime, like most yell while chuckling. It is not for everyone, since lots of its content is plain bizarre and gross to non-fans, while its nudity is too much even for many who already are fans. It is just silly fun and should not be viewed as anything more past that. There is nothing left besides some fairly simplistic (just like the show is) scoring system.Art/Sound: 8/10 (good artwork, but jerky animation; good dynamic songs but not amazing to relisten to every so often) Script/Cast: 4/10 (stuff happen because you yell a lot, character growth is hampered by random twists)Value: 8/10 (easily memorable and rewatchable, but still the worst of Imaishi’s works to dateEntertainment: 6/10 (depends on how much you are content with brain dead action and fan service; I personally, am not that much) Overall: 6.5/10

uncaringbear Apr 1, 2014

9

With an impressive creative bloodline to draw from, Kill la Kill is visual feast for the senses. Were it a meal, it'd be shooter sandwich: a ridiculous amount of delicious ingredients crammed into a small space, squashed down to fit and then consumed with zero regrets. But is it a meal you'll want to go back and have again? Against the background of a dystopian world, Ryuuko Matoi arrives at Honnouji Academy, and her intent is made clear from the start: find and avenge her father's killer. The murder weapon is one half of a giant red scissor, and also happens to be Ryuuko's signature blade which she wields with abandon. Wasting little time, she confronts Satsuki Kiryuuin, the student council president who rules the academy with complete domination with the assistance of her devas, four fellow council members who possess considerable power thanks to their life fiber-infused uniforms. It's these mysterious life fibers that is the primary mechanic that drives KLK's storyline. As a scifi story, there's nothing that stands out in regards to how the characters battle and ultimately face off against the threat of the life fibers. It's merely a convenient base to serve the ingredients that we're all here for: over-the-top characters, imaginative visuals and fantastical action sequences. Ryuuko and Satsuki are immediately appealing and it's easy to see why. For both characters, their resolve to achieve victory is unflinching, and while they possess enormous power and fighting skill, ultimately it's their sense of determination, loyalty and sheer will power that fuels their drive to succeed. The visual design of these characters, along with the side characters, effectively matches their personalities. A significant part of their visual package is the life fiber uniforms which transforms the characters into powerhouse entities. In the case of Ryuuko and Satsuki, there's little argument that the skin-exposing transformation is less of a plot device than a simple means of appealing to the target audience of the show, namely teen and young males. Even with the excessive titillation, the uniforms provide a wonderful outlet for the show's creative team to go all out. It wouldn't be unfair to describe the characters as standard archetypes that we've all seen before. Beyond their appealing visual design, there is little that makes them stand out. The characters do develop and grow throughout the course of the series, and with friendship and loyalty a primary theme in the show, the characters play a satisfying, if somewhat straightforward role in driving the story forward. In addition to the visual design, the other stand out of the show is the action sequences. As expected of the show's production team, nothing is held back when it comes to animating the battles. It's hard to avoid using the term 'over the top', but it applies perfectly in when it comes to depicting the fantastical combat that are a hallmark of Kill la Kill. It's also in the battles scenes where the personalities of the characters really shine, their stoic will to win perfectly aligns with the stratospheric energy levels of the fighting. Kill la Kill is a lot to take in, and the pacing of the show is pedal to the metal throughout the course of the series. While almost frantic in its story telling, there is an appropriate level of efficiency in its design. I would've liked to have seen more development in the characters, but really this show is not about delivering a story that examines human complexity. It's a no-holds-barred visual feast with simple but effective characters that tie it all together. The wonderfully creative visuals and the amazingly choreographed action sequences are enough to make this series a classic. Along with copious amounts of fan service, Kill la Kill is easily digested and enjoyed. It's a meal that you'll look back on and desire more of.