This’ll be the second series I blog this season. Currently, the next top two in the poll are Galilei Donna and Samurai Flamenco. I kind of want to do these too, but that would make four shows that come out on Thursday, which is a bit much. I also kind of want to do Nagi no Asukara which is also a Thursday show…
Anyway, Kill la Kill. It continues to be stylistically one of the best things I’ve watched in years. Take note, animators: you don’t need modern, snappy character designs or detailed backgrounds to make a beautiful show. What’s more important is the style and how it all fits together. Kill la Kill does this brilliantly.
One of the major themes of this show seems to be about power. Namely, the power that comes from others versus the power that comes from within. Ryuuko’s power comes from within (literally, from her blood) while the other students’ powers come from the uniform that is given to them. Tellingly, the council president does not wear a school uniform herself. In my opinion the whole question of the origins of power from within or without is a bit beside the point as it doesn’t matter where the power comes from, just where and how it’s used, but whatever. Conveniently the school uniform users seem to all use their power for evil.
As the student council president herself states, she uses the power given by the school uniforms to control the students. The masses are human swine, and the president and academy need to control them. Pigs won’t bite the hands of those that feed them. Especially if they get more slops than their neighbor. I imagine the president and her cohorts will be in for a bit of a shock by the end of the series, though. I doubt the poorer residents are as cowed by her rule as she imagines.
The state of affairs at the academy mirrors modern Japan. “This country is a state that chose to make its students wear military uniforms during their education.” What does that reveal? Are they still clinging psychologically to the militarism and authoritarianism of bygone days, despite their current pacifistic constitutional democracy?
Further Thoughts
The OP kind of sucks.
Best quote: “You of the sewing club are the chosen elite of our Human Conquest and Liberation Project.” Never thought I’d hear anyone say that.
This teacher… I like him.
……..
In certain ways, this show reminds me a lot of Catch-22.
Excellent fanservice as always. Take note, there are much better ways to do fanservice than making males trip over girls and accidentally see their underwear.
This show has pretty bad animation huh? Good, frenetic art direction saves it. These guys know how to deal with a lack of frames. I remember FLCL being really choppy in terms of animation, but it was hard to notice since each frame was frenetic and full of life. If KLK ends up doing that a lot, I won’t be disappointed much
I actually think that the “bad animation” is part of the frenetic art direction that saves it.
that’s one way of looking at it I suppose
either way, it’s still a visually pleasing experience
Aaaah… I knew I was going to get sucked into this series! I absolutely love the animation style and their trademark “dirty” look of particles spreading across the screen. In terms of story, it seems to be following the usual bad guy of the week formula but I’ll still be sticking in for more.
I’m curious to see if they’ll ditch the baddie of the week format halfway like they did with Gurren Laggan.
It’s got an ok story, and yeah the animation is great, but the rape analogy of the uniform forcing its way onto her kind of put me off big time. And this is sooo not the way to do fanservice, her outfit is ridiculous and unnecessary and just all kinds of not good. It’d be better if the characters didn’t react to the outfit and if Ryuuko wore it with pride and confidence or something at least, but Ryuuko is constantly ashamed and embarrassed. Maybe this’ll change as it goes on, who knows. I like Gurren Lagann, and I’ve seen people compare her transformation to Yoko’s clothes, but at least Yoko’s outfit made sense and looked good – Ryuuko’s outfit looks like lingerie with shoulder pads, she’s practically wearing a thong for crying out loud, and the only protective thing on her chest are what look like nipple guards which are probably only there because of censorship laws to be honest. Even if it’s meant to be a parody of previous Trigger and other anime outfits, it’s not a well-handled parody.
It makes me so uncomfortable that I’ll probably drop it, actually. I’d been really looking forward to it as well so it’s a shame.