Kino's Journey
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| Kino's Journey | |
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| キノの旅 -the Beautiful World- (Kino no Tabi -the Beautiful World-) |
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| Genre | Seinen, Adventure, Drama, Fantasy, Science Fiction |
| Light novel | |
| Authored by | Keiichi Sigsawa |
| Artist | Kouhaku Kuroboshi |
| Publisher |  MediaWorks Tokyopop Daewon C&I |
| Publish date | March 2000 – ongoing |
| No. of volumes | 10 (currently) |
| TV anime | |
| Directed by | Ryutaro Nakamura |
| Studio | Studio Wombat, Genco |
| Network | Animax, WOWOW |
| Original run | 8 April 2003 – 8 July 2003 |
| No. of episodes | 13 |
Kino's Journey: the Beautiful World (キノの旅 -the Beautiful World- Kino no Tabi -the Beautiful World-?), shortened to Kino's Journey, is a Japanese light novel series, authored by Keiichi Sigsawa and first published in March 2000, which has been adapted into an anime series that premiered between 8 April 2003 and 8 July 2003. An English adaption has been released by ADV Films.
Contents |
[edit] Background
In Kino's Journey, the protagonist, Kino, accompanied by a talking motorrad, a Brough Superior motorcycle named Hermes, travels through a mystical world of many different countries and forests, each unique in its customs and people. Kino only spends 3 days and 2 nights in every town, without exception, on the principle that three days is enough time to learn almost everything important about a place, while leaving time to explore new lands. Kino does say in The Land of Visible Pain this principle is probably a lie, specifically noting "if I stay any longer, I'm afraid I will settle down."
A phrase repeated in the anime and novels is "The world is not beautiful, therefore it is." Kino's Journey explores what the anime director Ryutaro Nakamura described as "a radical sense of 'beauty," [1] and brutality, loneliness, nonsense, oppression and tragedy are often juxtaposed against compassion and a fairy-tale atmosphere.
For protection and hunting, Kino carries a .44 single action revolver (called "the Cannon") that uses liquid explosive in place of gunpowder and a .22 automatic pistol (named "the Woodsman" because of a time Kino severed a tree branch with a shot from it to knock out a highwayman, as the novels explain). Later in Kino's adventures in the novels, Kino also uses a semi-automatic sniper rifle (called "the Flute") along with a variety of other tools including knives. Kino is an unusually quick draw and practices every day before dawn.
Technology in this world exists, sometimes to the level of science fiction, although anachronisms are common (for example, the same land that has talking robots also appears to have phonographs, yet simultaneously the world hasn't developed heavier-than-air flight). The level of technology also varies from country to country. The world is not heavily magical (the only "magical" elements include land that moves, a talking motorrad, and a possibly talking dog), although it has a certain fairy-tale quality.
[edit] Characters
[edit] Main characters
Kino (キノ?) Voiced by: Ai Maeda (Japanese), Kelli Cousins (English)
- The main protagonist in the series, Kino travels to different countries with her talking motorrad Hermes, discovering their cultures and people. In the anime, Kino's sex is ambiguous in the beginning, but is later confirmed to be female in the episode Land of Adults. Her original name is hinted to be that of a flower in the Land of Adults, and Kino is actually the name she uses after meeting Hermes. Speculation has been made that the flower is sakura due to her comment that if one changed the pronunciation, it becomes an insult. "Sakura" is similar to "mekura," blind, and "dokura," slow, as explained in the episode A Kind Land. Sakura is a common Japanese name, are a well-known and ubiquitous symbol of Japan, are an enduring metaphor for the ephemeral nature of life, and are associated with samurai. While Kino is herself a traveler, the novels suggest she was expected to take after her parents, who ironically were inn owners that served travelers.
Hermes (エルメス?) Voiced by: Ryuji Aigase (Japanese), Cynthia Martinez (English)
- A talking motorrad, Hermes is Kino's loyal companion, and although it can be reluctant sometimes, it faithfully accompanies Kino through all their travels. The relationship between Kino and Hermes is presented as symbiotic - as explained in The Land of Adults, while Hermes provides speed, Kino provides balance. On the first couple of episodes and almost all of the episodes in the novel, it had a tendency to mispronounce words and phrases. Its name is a reference to the Greek god Hermes. Although his name is spelled 'Hermes,' in the third book he emphasizes that the 'H' in his name is silent.
[edit] Other characters
- Kino (original)
- Not much is known about the original Kino, only that he is a young man who traveled by the same 3-day rule that the main character Kino does. He is very calm, wears glasses, and is most likely the reason why the main character goes on her journey as she often makes statements similar to the original Kino's and even quotes him on occasion. When the main character was a child, the original Kino saved her life, but at the cost of his own. In the novels, the original Kino explains he makes a living selling medicinal herbs and unusual items he finds while traveling. In the movie "Kino's Journey: Life Goes On," Kino meets the original's mother and finds out more about him, or so she originally believes. The meeting was a set-up orchestrated by Shishou to train the young Kino in survival skills when dealing with people, and to complete a favor without leaving her forest.
Shizu (シズ?) Voiced by: Takashi Irie (Japanese), Clint Bickham (English)
- A young man with a great talent for swordfighting. He travels in a dune buggy with Riku. In the anime he only appears in one episode but he appears in multiple stories just about him and Riku in the novels. Riku narrates all but one of these stories. Later in the novels Kino and Hermes meet up with Shizu and Riku again but Kino only seems to remember Riku's name. Shizu is the son of the hedonistic king in the episode Coliseum - Avengers.
Riku (陸?) Voiced by: Houchu Ohtsuka
- A talking dog who travels with Shizu. He is large, white, and always smiles. Apparently, Riku has only spoken to Hermes, as Kino does not believe Riku can speak when told about the discussion Hermes had with him. (It should be noted that in the Japanese dub, Riku also speaks to Shizu, but in the English dub, only barks or whimpers to him in these instances.) In the novel Riku speaks to both Kino and Hermes.
- Sakura (桜?)
Voiced by: Aoi Yabusaki (Japanese), Hilary Haag (English)
- A girl from the country Kino visited in the last episode of the anime series. She shares many similarities to Kino, such as her parents also owning an inn. Kino's original name is hinted to be Sakura as well. In ADV's English dub of the anime series, her name is changed to Lily in order to preserve the explanation that her name, pronounced slightly differently, becomes an insult. The children call her "Silly Willy" instead of "mekura" and "dokura" in this version.
- Shishou (師匠?)
Voiced by: Junko Midori (Japanese), Jennie Welch (English)
- Kino's master, who taught her marksmanship. She lives in the forest and does not travel. Her name literally means "mentor."
- In the final episode of the anime, which chronologically takes place before most other episodes, the gunsmith that made The Cannon told Kino he gave the gun to a young woman that insisted everyone call her "Shishou." She traveled between countries and stirred up trouble wherever she went. This means that Shishou was once a traveler. This is something of a revelation for Kino, who was trying to walk the original Kino's path but was actually following in Shishou's footsteps despite running away from her.(It is also hinted in Episode three that Shishou created the "Book of Prophecy" that caused much trouble in the episode We NO the Future.)
[edit] Influences
The strongest literary analogue to Kino's Journey would be Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift, where a traveler adventures across unusual countries that are each based around a fantastic theme.
Elements of The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry are also present in that many of the characters the traveler encounters are often engaged in repetitive metaphoric behaviors. Also, Kino's outsider viewpoint is similar in function and tone to that of the Little Prince, who often concludes that grownups are very strange before continuing to a new location.
Another influence may be Che Guevara's autobiographical The Motorcycle Diaries, wherein the author travels from nation to nation on a motorcycle.
While the works of Jorge Luis Borges are not travelogues as Gulliver's Travels or The Motorcycle Diaries are, like Kino's Journey they often feature locales touched by a sense of myth and deal philosophically with issues such as identity and knowledge.
[edit] Themes
The "beautiful world" Kino travels through almost always has its dark side. Often the countries Kino visits are places where the populace is oppressed, where a tragedy has occurred or where nonsensical behavior rules because the rulers or people sought to do what they believed was the right thing.
The use of violence and whether or not it can be justified is a recurring theme in Kino's Journey, from whether animals should be killed in order to sustain the life of others to whether an entire people should be destroyed in order to save two other peoples.
The problems inherent in communication are also a prevalent theme, for example the havoc wrought in societies by telepathy or diverging interpretations of prophecies.
[edit] Media
[edit] Light novel
The ongoing light novel series, authored by Keiichi Sigsawa and illustrated by Kouhaku Kuroboshi, has been serialized in MediaWorks's Dengeki hp magazine since March 2000, with 10 bunko volumes being published. Tokyopop has announced the publication of the novels across North America in English with the first volume out October 30, 2006. The light novel series has also been translated into Chinese and Korean.
The chapter order of Tokyopop's English release differs from the original Japanese release.
Japanese:
- The Land of Shared Pain
- The Land of Majority Rule
- Three Men on the Rails
- Coliseum
- Grownup Country
- The Land of Peace
Tokyopop (publication date):
- Book 1. Kino no Tabi: The Beautiful World (published 10/06)
- Book 2: Where Nothing is Written (07/07)
- Book 3: House of Dolls (11/07)
- Book 4 (10/07)
- Book 5 (2/08)
- Book 6 (6/08)
- Book 7 (10/08)
- Book 8 (2/09)
[edit] Anime
Kino no Tabi was adapted into an anime series, produced by Studio Wombat and GENCO, which premiered on the WOWOW satellite television network on 8 April 2003. It spanned a total of 13 episodes, along with a 12-minute long prologue, "Episode 0: The Tower Country -Freelance-," and a 30 minute long movie, "Kino's Journey: Life Goes On."
The anime series has been broadcast across Japan by the anime satellite television network, Animax, who have also aired the series across its worldwide networks in Southeast Asia, East Asia, South Asia, and other regions, and the WOWOW satellite network. The 13-episode anime series has been licensed for North American distribution by ADV Films; however the prologue and the movie have not been licensed for official North American distribution.
[edit] Second Movie
In September 2006, there was an announcement that a new Kino film is set to premiere at Dengekibunko's Movie Festival in April 2007. The premise is Kino continuing her travels, taking place in volume 5 of the Kino no Tabi light novel series. Most notably, Kino has gained an older appearance from her earlier days of traveling.[2] The film is entitled Kino no Tabi: Country of Illness -For You- (キノの旅：病気の国 -For You-).
[edit] Theme music
- TV Opening theme
- Performed by: Mikuni Shimokawa
- TV Ending theme
- the Beautiful World
- Performed by: Ai Maeda
- Movie 1 Ending theme
- Hajimari no Nichi
- Performed by: Ai Maeda
- Movie 2 Ending theme
- Bird
- Performed by: Mikuni Shimokawa
[edit] Staff
- Animation production: Studio Wombat
- Music Production: Flight Master (opening theme), Pony Canyon
- Production: A.C.G.T, GENCO, Media Works
- Director: Ryutaro Nakamura
- Script: Sadayuki Murai
- Storyboard: Ryutaro Nakamura
- Music: Ryo Sakai
- Original creator: Keiichi Sigsawa (novel)
- Original character design: Kouhaku Kuroboshi
- Character Design: Shigeyuki Suga
- Art director: Masayoshi Banno
- Animation director: Fumio Matsumoto, Takuya Matsumoto
- Director of Photography: Naoyuki Ohba
- Assistant director: Tagatsugu Kobayashi
- Color Coordination: Michiyo Iriomote
- Editing: Takeshi Imai
- Planning: Tatsuo Sato
- Producer: Nobuhiro Osawa
- Prop Design: Takamitsu Kondou
- Setting Production: Yoshitaka Nakamura
- Sound Design: Koji Kasamatsu
- Sound director: Yota Tsuruoka
[edit] Reviews
[edit] Novels
"The wonderful thing about traveling with Kino is exploring the terrain of the human heart with her. Tender, bittersweet, dark or lonely, no matter what land she takes you to, it's a beautiful revelation."
--Cecil Castellucci, Author of Boy Proof and The Queen of Cool[1]
"Not since The Little Prince have I enjoyed discovering such strangely beautiful places."
--Brian James, author of Pure Sunshine[1]
"Kino is my hero!"
--Susan Schulz, Editor-in-Chief, CosmoGIRL![1]
[edit] References
[edit] External links
[edit] Official sites
- Kino no Tabi official website (Japanese)
- Animax's official website for Kino no Tabi (Japanese)
- Media Works's official Kino no Tabi light novel website (Japanese)
- Animax East Asia's website for Kino's Journey
- Animax South Asia's website for Kino's Journey
- Tokyopop Kino no Tabi light novels page
- ADV's Kino's Journey anime series website
[edit] Profiles
- Kino's Journey at Anime News Network's Encyclopedia
- Kino no tabi ~the Beautiful World~ at Animenfo
