Kill la Kill

Title: KILL la KILL
Japanese: キルラキル
Airing date: 3/10/2013 (TV series 2 seasons)
Genres: Action, Comedy, Fantasy, School Life
Director: Hiroyuki Imaishi
Written by: Kazuki Nakashima
Music by: Hiroyuki Sawano
Character designer and chief animation director: Sushio
Assistant director: Akira Amemiya
Creative director: Shigeto Koyama
Set design: Yō Yoshinari
Creative officer: Hiromi Wakabayashi
Art director: Yuji Kaneko
Color setting: Yukiko Kakita
Director of photography: Toyonori Yamada
Sound director: Yoshikazu Iwanami
Editing: Junichi Uematsu
Studio: Trigger
Network: MBS, TBS, CBC and BS-TBS
Opening theme: "Sirius (シリウス)" by Eir Aoi
ED theme: "Gomen ne, Iiko ja Irarenai. (ごめんね、いいコじゃいられない。 Sorry, I'm Done Being a Good Kid.)" by Miku Sawai

Main cast: Ryūko Matoi (纏 流子) voiced by Ami Koshimizu
Satsuki Kiryūin (鬼龍院 皐月) voiced by Ryōka Yuzuki
Mako Mankanshoku (満艦飾 マコ) voiced by Aya Suzaki
Aikurō Mikisugi (美木杉 愛九郎) voiced by Shinichiro Miki
Senketsu (鮮血) voiced by Toshihiko Seki

Council Kings: Ira Gamagōri (蟇郡 苛) voiced by Tetsu Inada
Uzu Sanageyama (猿投山 渦) voiced by Nobuyuki Hiyama
Hōka Inumuta (犬牟田 宝火) voiced by Hiroyuki Yoshino
Nonon Jakuzure (蛇崩 乃音) voiced by Mayumi Shintani
Supporting cast: Mataro Mankanshoku (満艦飾 又郎) voiced by Ayumi Fujimura
Sukuyo Mankanshoku (満艦飾 好代) voiced by Yukari Fukui
Barazo Mankanshoku (満艦飾 薔薇蔵) voiced by Kenyu Horiuchi
Guts (ガッツ) voiced by ?
TV series PVs:
Official website: http://www.kill-la-kill.jp/
English website: http://www.killlakill.com/

Synopsis: The story is set on a high school that the student council president Satsuki Kiryuuin rules by force. Wielding a giant Basami scissors sword, the wandering transfer student Ryuuko Matoi brings about upheaval on the campus. Ryuuko searches for the mysterious figure who caused her father’s death, but confronting her are the student council’s “four divine kings.” Fortunately, Ryuuko is aided by a talking sailor uniform who tells her, “Wear me. When I am worn by you, this power will become manifest.”

QUOTE (Ausdoerrt @ Aug 02 2013, 03:51 AM)Kill la Kill - interesting art style;yeah it's as stylish and retro-looking as Gurren Lagann and Re:Cutie Honey OVAs, it was fun to see ep.1 ^^ so far my weird non-sense anime choice of this season... i tried to like Kyousogiga too which is similar in craziness but i just couldnt stand it, besides that one didn't hook me enough to keep watching; Ex: low - PS 7/10

This show is awesome. This is all.


QUOTE yeah it's as stylish and retro-looking as Gurren Lagann and Re:Cutie Honey OVAs,

Somehow, my first associations are along the lines of Dead Leaves or Redline.

Apart from One Piece I have not watched anything anime related for almost half a year.

Needless to say I really wanted to enjoy this. Went into it blind and the first thing I see is a high school setting which immediately drops my interests level by half.

It is not like it isnt a good show but I found it overbearing at times...something probably carried over from Panty & Stocking...

I found the boxer dude tiresome to the point where I started to zone out. The action scenes lacked any sense of impact because they cut away from the climax of the fights in the latter half of the episode.

I hope the fascism lessons are over because I found that analogy pointless.

Many of the things I am nitpicking, I understand are deliberate stylistic choices... so I am wondering whether I am just not in the mood for a hyperactive show or if my critique of too much style over substance is accurate. Time will tell...

IMO the best thing this show has going for it is I genuinely cant gauge where it is heading... so I'm willing to give it 6 or 7 eps to show me.

Mhhh. yeh no. I neither liked the art style or the plot, so one less anime to watch this fall for me. :3

Already I'm gonna call it best new show of the season. Maybe premature as I've only watched one other new series so far, but I'm sure it will prove correct.

QUOTE (franzoir @ Oct 03 2013, 07:40 PM) Many of the things I am nitpicking, I understand are deliberate stylistic choices... so I am wondering whether I am just not in the mood for a hyperactive show or if my critique of too much style over substance is accurate. Time will tell...

I think "style over substance" is pretty accurate, though hardly a critique. First of all, I think you'd be hard-pressed to find a shounen show with much substance in general - it's rare in the genre. Second, I think the show is deliberately taking it to the extreme: part comedy, part homage. Basically stripping the genre down to the basics and then shooting for delivering the best experience with what's left.

IMO, that's enough to be called a good show. Then again, the guys behind this worked on Gurenn Lagann (which I'm not a huge fan of btw), so we might see it referencing more recent shounen shows as well. So long as it doesn't start taking itself too seriously, it'll be excellent.

QUOTE (Ausdoerrt @ Oct 04 2013, 11:19 AM)IMO, that's enough to be called a good show. Then again, the guys behind this worked on Gurenn Lagann (which I'm not a huge fan of btw), so we might see it referencing more recent shounen shows as well. So long as it doesn't start taking itself too seriously, it'll be excellent.
No, I wouldnt call this show bad...just maybe it isnt for me. I can appreciate it on a level that is isnt playing it by the numbers.

I dont agree that shounen's lack substance...only shounens that are intentionally made to be generic. In the case of Gurren Lagann... I think that show was expertly paced in terms of experiencing exposition through the protagonist. It brutally subverted a major shounen trope as a vehicle to transition from the simplicity of childhood to the complexity of adulthood, reflected in a story of two halves. All that and alot more is there if you are looking for it. But even if you are just looking for dumb thrills, it will also satisfy on that level as well. Even if you look at the prolific Dragonball series, it started by thematically exploring superiority and discrimination all wrapped up in the simple tale of an alien monkey boy.

If I compare GL's mixture of pensive/aggressive storytelling approach to the first episode of KLK, I think GL was much more subtle/smarter in how it told its story. Contrast that to a fascism lesson being interrupted by the school police force, I feel like the show is being very loud but not as effective.

Even so... I dont know where KLK is ultimately heading, so maybe I am judging it harshly and prematurely.

Well if you put this side by side with Gurren Laggan here you'll see pretty much the similarities to this series. Oddly enough this has a GINAX feel to it, but from what it looks like another studio is doing it though.

From what I can guess this might be the kind of series that mirrors the setup of how Gurren Laggan, but at the same time pulls in the typical female lead looking smexy in a revealing outfit here.

Although this episode did bring up a lot of questions here, and I hope some of them will eventually be answered as time goes by of course.... hopefully.

QUOTE (Kid-Wolf @ Oct 05 2013, 04:34 AM) Oddly enough this has a GINAX feel to it, but from what it looks like another studio is doing it though.
Studio Trigger is made up of a lot of ex-Gainax employees.

Now that explains why I sometimes feel the urge to shout "Pierce the heavens with your scissors."

Not only that but the female lead kind of feels like Youko now all because of the revealing school outfit she managed to obtain here. Also, maybe a bit of Kamina too, minus the dying of a manly manly death though.

QUOTE (Barbobot @ Oct 03 2013, 11:48 PM)Already I'm gonna call it best new show of the season.  Maybe premature as I've only watched one other new series so far, but I'm sure it will prove correct.
QUOTE (franzoir @ Oct 03 2013, 07:40 PM)IMO the best thing this show has going for it is I genuinely cant gauge where it is heading... so I'm willing to give it 6 or 7 eps to show me.maybe you'll need to see more because this series is planned to last 2 seasons o.0 after trying the first 2 eps, I'll not affirm yet that this is the best of Fall 2013/Winter 2014 but so far is definitely entertaining and I guess i'll keep watching to the end... I expected that living sailor uniform or "Kamui" was created by Ryuko's late father (reminds me to Mazinger z), after all her teacher helped to find it and in ep.2 again Mako is tortured as bait like in Kekko Kamen (another 70's classic by Go Nagai)

I can sumarize this whole show in only one word so far: What?

QUOTE (Silendris @ Oct 11 2013, 09:14 AM) I can sumarize this whole show in only one word so far: What?
And I can resopnd to your sumary by saying it's people that were from GINAX.

I'm gonna' spray my soft drink all over the screen if she busts-out a, "Who the hell do you think we are?!?!?!" quote!

Even her sailor suits face looks like a couple of the Gurren Brigade's mechs.

Definite homages to Tranzor-Z/Mazinger Z, Battle Of The Planets/Gatchaman, and even some Captain Harlock/My Youth In Arcadia inspirations seem thrown in for good measure. All we need is a good, "Love and peace!" (from Trigun, another CLASSIC) line and I'm gonna' say they've touched on just about every major, non-serious anime series I've ever cared for! The suspenders in the sailor outfit even remind me of Chocolate Misu from Sorcerer Hunters, who had the total dominatrix thing happening when she transformed as well!

Is she sexy? Well, I can't say that I mind looking, but she's NO glasses-girl, so I'm not really sweating her... In the now-immortal words of the Megane-bu: "No Megane(Glasses), NO LIFE!!!" ;-)

I think that you're all insane to consider this good so far. Yes the homages to various anime is good, but apart from that, thus far it's been dull.

I'll give it a good while yet, but the fights aren't exactly entertaining. The characters seem somewhat interesting, just lost in they way of crap and homages at the moment. I know it's only two episodes but if episode three is another freak of the week I'll cry.

Oh and can someone check I wasn't seeing things. There were to cats or dogs having sex on a roof in episode two right?

Well think of it kind of like that high-school version of Gurrenn Laggann minus the characters from the actual series, since the mechs are techincally the uniforms here.

All I can say is it's a call back to teh earlier days when anime was something like this at one point though, but at the same time it's not bringing anything new to the table aside from nastalgia of the days long past.

QUOTE (Knorris908 @ Oct 11 2013, 11:52 PM)In the now-immortal words of the Megane-bu:  "No Megane(Glasses), NO LIFE!!!" ;-)
QUOTE (Hiasubi @ Oct 13 2013, 10:29 AM)I think that you're all insane to consider this good so far. Yes the homages to various anime is good, but apart from that, thus far it's been dull.

I'll give it a good while yet, but the fights aren't exactly entertaining. The characters seem somewhat interesting, just lost in they way of crap and homages at the moment. I know it's only two episodes but if episode three is another freak of the week I'll cry.

Oh and can someone check I wasn't seeing things. There were to cats or dogs having sex on a roof in episode two right?err they look like dogs xD expect more awkward scenes as you noticed in FLCL (by Gainax btw) and other wacky animes, I had low expectations too but this is one of the few new series that 'kills' (pun intended) my boredom somehow ;/... about the fuyoshi-bait Megane-bu I would keep watching it if only they add hot gals instead and Blood lad's Goyle, he fits perfectly as club president ;p back to ep.3 now that Satsuki fights wearing her Kamui it felt like an awesome finale

QUOTE (NecroRyu @ Oct 17 2013, 02:00 PM) about the fuyoshi-bait Megane-bu I would keep watching it if only they add hot gals instead and Blood lad's Goyle, he fits perfectly as club president ;p
I loved the Goyle character! His power was a bit lame, but I liked the way he carried himself, and how he was just ACTUALLY "cool" like how Staz believed himself to be.

Truth be told, the first time I saw him I immediately thought of Kilik Rung from "Soul Eater"! If Kilik had an older brother without dreadlocks, he WOULD be Goyle. I'm sure of it!

Still watching this series as a guilty pleasure... And still can't shake the "Dead Leaves" and Gurren Lagann nostalgia when I watch this. (Rao-rao! Fight the power!!!) She could totally be the daughter of Kamina and Yohko. She's got his idiocy coupled to indomitable will, and Yohko's... *ahem*, her proclivity for exhibitionism, (Though she's clearly still uncomfortable with it at this point) and her habit for ending up in provocative/outrageous positions... despite that, she's TOTAL "Bad-@ss" when she gets mad just like Yohko was.

I have no idea why, but when she engaged that Decapitator Mode I felt more excited and got a greater adrenaline rush than I've had in years! This show... what...is...it...doing...to...me?! O_O*

QUOTE (Knorris908 @ Oct 11 2013, 11:52 PM)Is she sexy? Well, can't say that I mind looking, but she's NO glasses-girl, so I'm not really sweating her
QUOTE (Silendris @ Oct 18 2013, 12:14 PM)I have no idea why, but when she engaged that Decapitator Mode I felt more excited and got a greater adrenaline rush than I've had in years! This show... what...is...it...doing...to...melol i must agree that previous episode is the most exciting so far but there's not much to say about ep.4 without Satsuki, other that more crazyness with Ryuko on her pajamas and co. going to the "No-Late" day while Senketsu is washed... another 'weekly freak' with megane girl Maiko Ogure :/ oh well as Knorris talks about them we're derailing this thread, but I don't mind because I started it ;p so here's my hottest Top 8 this Fall +2* who fit and deserve to wear glasses ^^

1. Tsubasa Hanekawa (Monogatari series): brains + catgirl transformation =win
2. Kimberley (Unbreakable Machine-Doll): hottest gal in this series along Shoko
3. Kaoru Niimi (Uchū Senkan Yamato 2199): cloak & dagger librarian seductress
4. Minori Koganuma (Outbreak Company): hot+smart+capable+trusted security
5. Mari Iimura (Hajime no Ippo): one of the few hot sport reporters with glasses
6. Henrietta (Log Horizon): hottest there too along Marielle but she loves lolis :3
7. Taeko Nomura (Coppelion): radiation-proof+beast tamer+superhuman vision
8. Kanae Fujishita (SekaTsuyo): not only sports reporter but also photographer
*9. Sumi Ishihara (Samurai Flamenco): deserves it for extrict manager attitude
*10. Linda/Nana Hayashida (Golden Time): fitting her kind big sister personality