Kino no tabi

I've been a fan of Kino No Tabi since I first saw the 2003 mini- series in 2013. It was a coincidence, with the passing of Ryūtarō Nakamura that same year.

Nakamura is also known for directing Serial Experiments Lain, so his style is easily recognizable. The reason I bring up Nakamura is that he set a high standard for Kino, even with his limited use of animation.

Kino No Tabi: The Animated Series tries to adapt some of his techniques from the 2003 series (something I've noticed). I am impressed to say that even with the different art style and voice actors, it still feels distinctly "Kino," as if Nakamura were involved in this production.

My hope is that this series will stay on the path of philosophical discussion. My favorite episodes from the mini-series are "A Tale of Feeding Off Others," and "A Kind Land," some stories that got me hooked on Kino for the depth of stories they present.

Regarding the art style of the 2017 series, it's a tad moe, and that can be off-putting for some people. But I feel it's in the line of art that Kuroboshi provided for the recent light novels. I also think their use of colors, especially for the op, is beautiful!

Some people complain about the excessive use of guns, but I don't have any complaints about that. It's a prominent theme throughout the light novels.

My only complaint as an avid Kino fan is that they didn't put Mikuni Shimokawa in the singing spot, or Ai Maeda (the original Kino) on the cast.