[Categories: OAVs, Movies and Full Series]
Kemonozume (2007 in 12 day 8)
Another title that’s strictly speaking not actually from this year, I only recently watched Kemonozume. Besides, it’s a bit of a sleeper title anyway so deserves a bit of extra attention. As with the products of Studio 4°C, it is relatively little-known and its art style is probably the biggest hinderance in its popularity; this just makes it all the more refreshing and deserving of my raving about it though.
Love conquers all
The story kicks off with two guys in a bar talking about their taste in women…nothing unusual about that, you might think. The thing is, these guys are shokujinki, creatures that can transform into hideous monsters with a taste for human flesh like vampires who have a thirst for blood. Toshihiko is a member of the Kifuuken, an organisation with a long and illustrious history of hunting Shokujinki; he’s a man who is trained to kill such monsters, to the exclusion of all else. Unfortunately, things are about to go wrong for them all after he falls for the demure Yuka, a woman with a gruesome secret…
The said art style is distinctive to say the least. At first glance it’s rough, sketchy and amateurish; on closer inspection it becomes apparent that the animation is in fact very slick and stylish, and is therefore GOOD animation making itself out to be rough. On the downside it does make the show a love-it-or-hate-it experience: the sketchiness takes some getting used to, which is a minor point when more outrageous things like giant detectives, scientific experiments and over-sexed ninja monkeys make their appearance. Not to mention an unfeasibly cool rhythm & blues/swing soundtrack that gives it an extra boost in the cool department.
Don’t ask “Why?”. Ask “Why the hell not?”
Kemonozume tells a fairly derivative tale of star-crossed lovers, politics and technology getting in the way of tradition, megalomania and so on. Monster-hunting martial artists isn’t unfamiliar territory either, but what made this one of the most striking aspects of my viewing schedule of recent months was that it looks and plays out like NOTHING else I’ve seen. It’s brutal, unpredictable, crammed with sex and violence and delivers a type of mature, innovative fare that you are unlikely to find anywhere else. This is possibly the most fucked-up love story in living memory!
Memorable moment
The ninja monkey is a great touch and a suitably random addition to a show that does everything its own way and, for better or for worse, ensures that this series is something that will stay with you. It’s not the most profound analysis of romance and business practice but when you get a scene such as the one below you can’t deny its penchant for being imaginative.
Oops.
The tragedy is, people such as Yuka want to be human, not a monstrous Shokujinki. Some don’t even discover their true nature until it’s too late but as problematic first dates go, this unfortunate incident takes some beating. Should we be shocked? Amused in a “I can’t believe they just did that!” kind of way? Or saddened at how something so tragic can happen without any rhyme or reason? “I never saw that coming…” is something of an understatement in this case.
Other ABC bloggers’ posts for the Twelve Days of Christmas
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Posted on December 22nd, 2007 @ 12:27 am
Oh man, I loved Kemonozume. And yes, it’s a real shame that it is so overlooked. The story itself was pretty straightforward, but it was the way it was presented that was so amazing. I guess it’s just a case of anime “not looking like anime” that turned people off. Their loss!
Posted on December 22nd, 2007 @ 12:48 am
Well done for mentioning this. I was totally surprised to see the word “Kemonozume” pop-up in my feed reader, but extremely chuffed none the less. It’s the kind of series, much like work of other anime auteurs (thinking Satoshi Kon, Isao Takahata), that simultaneously alienates the typical anime fan yet appeals to a broader audience outside of hardcore fandom; it’s so refreshingly free of anime cliches that I can’t help but completely embrace it.
Posted on December 22nd, 2007 @ 4:01 am
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Posted on December 22nd, 2007 @ 12:43 pm
@totali: I think the un-animeesque look to the show is what puts so many people off, especially when it’s a simple story told with such flair. It’s an acquired taste I think, but well worth sticking with.
@bateszi: cheers. I’ve heard precious little about this series save your blog and one or two others, so I thought it needed a bit of plugging. Even though it lacks the usual plot devices and visual effects of typical anime, I can see it getting something of a cult following in time. I mean, it has a gripping story, bloody violence, gratuitous sex and ninja monkeys with 1337 gaming skillz…what’s not to like? ;P
Posted on December 22nd, 2007 @ 1:28 pm
That third picture is (in an entirely uncritical way) awesome. Though it also looks a little gruesome for my tastes.