The Kifuuken are a secret order of swordsmen dedicated to slaying flesh eating monsters. But Toshihiko, the heir apparent, has fallen in love with one of the flesh eaters. From the description, this might sound like some innocent story of star-crossed love. Nothing could be further from the truth.

So this was recommended to me by a Mysterious Person for the Secret Santa Project. Thank you Mysterious Person! (edit: the Mysterious Person is Chronolynx! Thank you Chronolynx! You can check out the other participants here.) I didn’t end up liking the show much, but I had planned to watch it anyway, so no big loss.

Kemonozume does have its good points: it’s certainly an original story, and the characters do have some depth to them. The main problem is that I don’t particularly like any of the characters, and hence, I don’t particularly care what happens to them.

The creators don’t go out of their way to make any of the characters likable. In the first episode, the main character abandons all of his friends and family for sex. The female lead sleeps around. And these are probably two of the most innocent characters.

The other main issue I have is that the animation is hideous. I suppose it does fit the horrific acts the show is trying to depict, but… I’d rather look at something pretty.

There’s also a ton of violence and nudity. This show can be downright gross. There are ritualistic amputations nearly every episode, plenty of sex (which, with this animation, is frankly disgusting) and more. The final episode involves two naked people fighting against a humongous blubbering mass of fat. This show is certainly not for the faint of heart.

• Plot / Script – B – Creative and unique.
• Characters – C – Believable, but certainly not likable.
• Production – F – Ugly.
• Overall – C

Recommendations – Kaiba

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