Search - Kino's Journey - The Idle Adventurer (Vol. 1) on DVD

Suzie C. (booked) from PORTLAND, TN
Reviewed on 6/10/2010...

GREAT SHOW!

0 of 2 member(s) found this review helpful.

It's my favorite.

Carey Colvin | San Angelo, TX | 12/05/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"A friend of mine and myself used to go to Hastings every monday, and pick out one anime and one obscure movie based soley on cover art and the screen shots on back. A strange ritual, I know. Anyways, after picking up Kino's Journey once a while back, this tradition changed into franticly searching for more Kino dvds.

Kino's Journey is not like any other anime I've seen, which is quite refreshing. Each episode tells the story of a different fictional country, many of which deal with very deep subjects. It's a thinking man's anime, with twists and turns that'll make your brain commit suicide. Often times you'll find yourself screaming "What the Hell!?!" at your t.v. screen when the catch (and every country, has one) is revealed. This is especially true in the latter episodes.

If you're tired of all the generic anime cliches, then this series is for you."

Gulliver Redux

Marc Ruby? | Warren, MI USA | 02/18/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Originating as a series of novels, Kino's Journey is the story of Kino, a young wanderer and Hermes, the intelligent, somewhat sarcastic motorrad (motorcycle) that serves as vehicle and companion. Kino travels are less adventures than they are philosophical moments that dig away as the thin veneer of the superficial that is the casual traveler's fare.

Limiting each leg of the journey to three days, Kino and Hermes seek to find a momentary vision that reveals the heart of each country, often in uncomfortable terms. The first episode, for instance turns into a reflection on the tragedy of a world where telepathy works, i.e., where nothing is secret. Where the very thing that should bring people together makes any closeness impossible.

From a technical standpoint, the artwork is graceful and understated. It acts as a setting for the frequent interplays of thought that Hermes and Kino share. This is the most onusual of conversations, moving from Kino's desire for food and Hermes' frequent worrying to sudden remarkable turns of phrase. Director Ryutaro Nakamura (best known for his work on Serial Experiments Lain) strives for a impact and affect as he works toward a different form of aesthetic experience. "The world is not beautiful, and therefore it is."

Like Lain, Kino's Journey is a thinking person's type of anime. The action often turns around intellectual reflections rather than external crises. Objects frequently have unexpected symbolic contexts. As such it will have a smaller but more dedicated audience than it's more active cousins. If you like to be intrigued rather than blown away, you will find Kino's Journey most rewarding."

A Great Quiet Anime

Hiyo_2366 | Texas, USA | 07/17/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

""Kino's Journey" is a fascinating, introspective show with a quality all its own. The show as a whole spans four DVDs and has no plot; Kino just travels around, visiting one country or another and interacting with whoever lives there. Sometimes Kino gets into trouble, and sometimes just watches. The various lands have nothing in common except a vaguely fairytale European quality, and like the best fairy tales, these stories don't shy away from grim brutality -- as well as an 'existential' quality which some may find amoral or unsettling. But through it all, Kino survives and heads on for the next land, the next adventure. For those who like their anime thoughtful, I don't see how this could be better. I didn't notice the "lines" that some found distracting. The backgrounds, skies and details are rendered in a watercolor style well suited to the stories' general mood. A fine show, well worth watching more than once."