View Full Version : Kemono Zume
One of the late starters of the Summer season got its first episode fansubbed yesterday, and all I can say about it is that it's way too awesome for words. First, it is directed by Masaaki Yuasa, better known as the director of Mind Game, and while this is his first attempt at a TV series this guy knows what he is doing. Not only that, but Madhouse is the studio behind it as well. For those who wonder if this might be down their alley, if you like Studio 4C works (the experimental ones, not the Spriggan kind), Windy Tales, Cat Soup, Hakkenden, Requiem from the Darkness/Hundred Stories, the Bake Neko arc of Ayakashi, that sort of shows, you owe it to yourself to watch this one. I don't know how to describe it, it has this sketchy feel, it mixes live-action footage with animation and CG, it has no barriers when it comes to color patterns and has an excellent jazzy soundtrack, heck, the OP sequence should make more than a couple people remember Tank! from Cowboy Bebop.
Enough about looks, does it have a good story, you may ask? It has an interesting setting, even with all the Romeo and Juliet comparisons, and along with FLAG and Chevalier D'Eon my quota of pretentious serious shows is definitely covered. Kemono Zume is too awesome for words. Oh, before I forget, this show does have quite a lot of violence, nudity and disturbing themes and dialogues, consider yourself warned.
Quick summary:
A race of cannibal monsters called the Shokujinki exists and it is the job of the Kifuuken, an elite group of beast-hunters, to stop them. Toshihiko Momota, an expert swordsman and son of the Kifuuken organization's leader, unexpectedly falls in love at first sight with a beautiful girl named Yuka. However, the couple's relationship is much more complicated than it seems at first glance, for Yuka is a Shokujinki.
ANN entry (http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=6722)
Official Site (http://kemonozume.net/)
Kemono Zume airs in WOWOW for those who don't know yet (http://www.wowow.co.jp/anime/kemono/)
PS: If you are thinking of posting, and all you have to say is something like "sounds interesting, I might check it out...", then don't bother posting. Come back when you do have something to say about it.
Taleweaver
08-20-2006, 12:58 AM
I've just seen the first episode. Man, do I have to say something about this.
Art style? An unusual jumble of scribbled animation, a few pieces of CGI and the occasional filmed sequence cut into everything. Music? Funky jazz for the greatest part, unpolished, raw and energetic. The plot? Samurai drama meets vampire drama meets mecha action meets screwball comedy (the monkey alone was pure gold), all brought to the screen by an obviously stoned director ^_^ Seriously, this is the first series I've seen where the name "Madhouse" fits like a glove.
And the adult parts? It's refreshing that there is at least ONE series that doesn't use nudity for comedic reasons alone. The violence, while rather dominant, is still on a mostly cartoonish level, with disattached limbs running around in Addams Family style. The introductory dialogue is downright disturbing, but it makes a great moodsetter. This series is definitely not for children, yes, but it's not as hard-boiled as it could be, and it's better for that fact.
Ieyasu
08-21-2006, 09:15 AM
0_o
Well that was weird.
If it wasn't for the audio in this show, I don't know if I'd have been able to pull through the first episode.
The art style is definitely unique. Not sure yet if it's quite to my taste.
One thing I KNOW I didn't like was the op and ep.
The "singers" just couldn't sing.
Barrelhaven
08-22-2006, 12:34 AM
Hah. Well, weird is sort of an understatement, I suppose. The first episode was too "unique" or "quirky" for my tastes. The art direction didn't appeal to me either. I guess it's one of those love it or hate it styles.
Even though I didn't really like the animation, I'll probably give it a shot. It had enough interesting components in other departments to draw me in for one more ep at least.
DarkKanti
08-22-2006, 10:09 AM
After the fist episode, I'm not too sure how I feel about this series. It may prove to be a little too weird for my tastes. The art and animation was a little abrasive at first, but I soon got used to it. The story is what's really weird.
It's definately got the potential to be really good, but it could also be ridiculously bad as well.
@Tale: Yeah, the part with the monkey was one of my favorite parts as well. Especially when he threw the fruit at the main character's brother.
Merged the other thread with this one; no use having 2 threads on the same show.
Ieyasu
08-22-2006, 11:48 AM
There is already a thread on this, but this one is better.
*joins*
I have some rather mixed feelings with regards to this show. While the audio was top notch (especially Shokujinki #1 and #2's psychotic opening dialouge) I'm still unsure regarding the art style.
Even though as the show went on, I sort of got used to the messy style, it definitely grated at certain points. Yuka's face is a good example.
Not to mention the Op and Ed's singers lack the ability to sing, which I thought was a shame.
Rove is correct, the opening does indeed put us in mind of "Tank!", but only a rather poor imitation of "Tank!"
EDIT: Threads were merged, sorry for repeating myself -_-;
The dialogue alone (from the bar scene) made me realize I was watching something different. Not just the art style but the presentation of a monster anime. I like the Romeo and Juliet theme, Bushido Code/Crap your pants can't wait to find the reason why that happens. Great cliffhanger at the end of episode one, I knew she was a monster, but I didn't know they would show her boobies in the shower O_O that is the last time I bring my labtop to the classroom.
Apolyion
08-25-2006, 03:56 PM
I didn't really like the first episode. It looks like it's setting up a plot that's nothing new, with characters who are nothing new, while the music and art and animation style made me think that I'd be getting something awesome. Like false advertising for food or something - looks tasty, but is actually bland when you take a bite.
If I end up with extra time to kill I might keep watching, but I rather doubt it unless the Fall lineup turns out to be pathetic.
The brothers fighting over the family legacy in particular was so overdone it probably did more to turn me off than anything.
C0MPL3X
08-28-2006, 02:20 AM
Episode 2 is out. It's hard to make out what I feel about this show, it doesn't seem like a mediocre show, but it's not connecting me either. It's not that it's too weird because I absolutely adore and cherish Cat Soup (another experimental trippy anime done by same studio). Animation is crude, very sketchy, and I guess that's why it's easier to watch monsters and people getting slashed. I mean, in 2nd episode, there's a scene where a monster carries a naked woman hooked on his penis, devours top half of her body, and drags the remaining bottom half still hooked onto him while struggling without his arms. Must be reaaally pretty when animated in conventional style.
I hope this can connect with me better in later episodes, because so far it's just crude, cartoony and not entertaining me much. Some things are so stupid, feelig like taking a dump whenever he tries to kill a monster because he's always reminded of this woman who seems like his mother monster? What a wuss, might have been much better if he gets headache instead, that's just corny. And that son who tries to get his group to use machines is so right, if it wasn't for him the whole group would've lost that monster, they're all useless. It's so pathetic when the father tries to act like he knows everything, without his mechanic son, his other son would've been dead.
Episode three was a perfect example on how to not advance the plot at all and still be frigging entertaining. The umbrella scene, the pool moment, the shower, the miscommunication, the incredible shot of an eye, everything this series does, does so in so much style and wonder. I love it as well for having an actually grown up couple (grown up as far as age goes) for a change, and seeing how that little change affects the whole atmosphere of the show. The randomness and completely WTF-moments are the icing on the cake. Another fascinating thing is how a series with so much nudity doesn't pass as a fanservice show at all. The mind boggles.
I have a question though, why Yuka can't get 'excited' now, when she clearly could back in episode 1? Is the drink given to her back in episode 2 still affecting her somehow? That's the only 'logical' explanation that I could come up with so far o_O
Taleweaver
09-28-2006, 10:10 AM
Rove wrote:
Ep 3 Spoiler, highlight to read:
I have a question though, why Yuka can't get 'excited' now, when she clearly could back in episode 1? Is the drink given to her back in episode 2 still affecting her somehow? That's the only 'logical' explanation that I could come up with so far o_O
That's the only problem I had with the entiire episode as well. Either she didn't really get THAT excited in episode 1... or it was the rain. Remember the rain? A cold shower brought Yuka down again in ep3, and we had this heavy rain in ep1. Connection, maybe?
I think this is the right medium for Masaaki Yuasa to display his talents with a coherent plot. A solid plot and story were things that were missing as I watched Noiseman Sound Insect, Mind Game (story but trippy plot), to name a few. The giant P.I. was also something brilliant as it opened more doors to what this world is like. I eagerly await the next episode which should arrive in the next few weeks :P
Grasshopper
09-30-2006, 01:57 PM
The animation reminds me of the anime sequence in Kill Bill. I love the sketchiness. The story sounds very intriguing as well. This one is definitely going on my "to watch" list.
Episode 4 gets into tons of background and 5 pulls no punches whatsoever. Poor Umeda, but at least he got to go to a soapland
C0MPL3X
10-02-2006, 06:48 AM
wtf, it hasn't been long since I've seen episode 3, now there's upto 6 episodes released in english. Anyway, only seen upto episode 3 and definitely like it better than previous episodes. Background art is especially beautiful in this episode and animation is no way near as chaotic as last time. Not so much talky talky with brother rivalry and clan honours but great amosphere between those two without much dialogues. The art does the talking. Although art is really the only thing that's keeping me in this anime. I think I'll be sticking with this anime to the end.
Well now its up to episode 9 and one of the best anime this year IMO is due for a post. Toshiko and Yuka walking along the desert having a lovers quarrel is truly insightful into the mind of a moody woman. This episode was more of a road trip homage than anything else, insight into the new drug as well.
Episode 10 has themes somewhere along the lines of Pom Poko, but instead of nature vs city, it is tradition vs modernism. Energy drinks symbolizing the gambaru working mentality, and Ooba saying that everyone wants to be violent reminds of how violence is truly repressed in Japan. It may be a stretch to also say that meat symbolizes gaikokujins. There are many layers in this anime and not for everyone, I guess that is why nobody is posting. This reminds of Noein in the fact that nobody is watching a true gem.
C0MPL3X
11-03-2006, 08:59 PM
Upto episode 8 and I can now understand to some extend, why the old dojo master was against his son trying to use technology to defeat the monsters. One must stay pure from the temptations of thirst for wealth, fame and power introduced from technologies and corporate influences. One can't hope to defeat the monsters without first harnessing one's self, or he'll be devoured by his own demonic thirst for power, lust and greed, just like it's secret technique. Burnt by the very flame he sought to control, in other words. But do the mosnters simply symbolise everything evil about men? We now feel more sympathetic towards the monsters, it's their instincts to devour men, and it's our instincts to hunt them like animals to protect ourselves. What on earth happened to create these monstrosities and put these two opposing species in a same environment? I hope the history and details behind this situation do reveal at later episodes.
However, I like this anime and it's not for everyone, but I still don't think it's one of the gems. Likewise for Noein.
Sorrow-kun
11-03-2006, 11:33 PM
However, I like this anime and it's not for everyone, but I still don't think it's one of the gems. Likewise for Noein.Noein was great until the last few episodes where it totally crashed and fell into the same pitfalls as most sci-fi anime.
As for Kemonozume...
*downloading*
C0MPL3X
11-04-2006, 10:33 PM
Just finished episode 11, and well, I change my mind. This is becoming dramatic real fast and art is consistently awesome. And that oba is one of the most disturbingly insane characters I've seen in anime.
The series finished a while ago I am surprised nobody posted about the trippiest ending I have seen since Berserk. It was sad that almost everyone died, the Kikifune wiped out, but there was a really forced Hollywood esque ending which seemed out of place, yet I welcomed it. IMO Kemonozume works on all levels, action, drama, comedy, and romance. I really don't think we will see a series like this for some time, but I hope I am wrong.
Taleweaver
11-22-2006, 09:36 AM
Expect my review on Kemonozume in the second next update :)
vBulletin® v3.7.3, Copyright ©2000-2009, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.