So I watched the first 6 episodes of
Kiznaiver back to back and as always I find it appropriate to just jot down my initial thoughts while they’re still fresh. Sometimes those opinions change over the course of the series as well as after some good old fashioned thinking and reflecting and with another 6 episodes left it’s obvious that lots of revelations still await me. I’m at the midpoint now and as such I have no idea in regards to how this show is going to conclude (although I could put two and two together and come to a conclusion, I have a few ideas) and so keep in mind that these are in no way coherent or articulate thoughts but rather off the cuff and spontaneous. With that out of the way…
The first thing that caught my attention during the first few minutes of
Kiznaiver is the visual aesthetic and general visuals. Visually
Kiznaiver is an evolution of Studio Triggers work on both
Kill la Kill and
LWA and it’s both striking and appealing to the eyes. I will admit that during the simulcasts I had written off the visuals for this series whenever I had come across a screenshot however in motion it’s a fairly slick looking series, although a little rough here and there, to be expected with Triggers short turnaround I guess. Color plays a fairly decent role in the visual storytelling for
Kiznaiver with reds and blues colliding with one another and both no doubt allegorical of certain themes and emotions. Backgrounds are detailed and painterly and each scene is populated with plenty of objects that build a sense of place but the artists do a great job of having those elements complement each scene rather than get in the way. Although there’s a sense of place, some scenes can come across as a little disorienting due to the way in which some scenes flow into the next. Blues and greens populate the outdoors with bright sunny skies and tonnes of foliage and white, simplistic buildings filling in the city skyline. A vast majority of the background elements are computer generated and although some do stand out such as the CGI cars, most of the ancillary elements don’t really get in the way due to the frame always doing a good job of keeping the focus on the characters.
Speaking of which, the character designs are pretty good overall. The character designs are striking and interesting, clean and very stylized from the body proportions down to their hairstyles. The characters are really expressive when it comes to their facial expressions, mannerisms and their body language to an extent that even the more muted characters wear their emotions on their sleeves, be it in their apathy or indifference. Nico is the more transformative character visually which matches her eccentric personality that is no doubt used as a front to hide her true feelings. Truth be told all of the characters exude a multitude of expressions and although subtly isn’t exactly this shows (nor Triggers) strong point some expressions are harder to read than other, or at least a little more nuanced and less accentuated although most are indeed cartoony and exaggerated.
The character interactions are the highlight of the series. The characters bounce off of one other and sometimes defy their very textbook character traits although some have yet to evolve further, but I have no doubt that they will in due time. The interactions are again textbook and simple but interesting maybe due to me inserting myself into the protagonists shoes and finding some reality there. Truth be told, I find that I can relate to each character to some degree which means that even if one character hasn't had as much screen-time as the other, each interaction feels like a net-gain, a piece to a larger puzzle. I'm interested in each character and want to know more about them and even if the fates of these characters is somewhat predictable I'm still a little interested in seeing how everything plays out.
Like color, the lighting and shadows are a means to tell the story and depict characters feelings and place in the world but most of it is in the background, foreshadowings of what’s to come. The visual effect used whenever one of the characters is hurt is both effective and cool. In short, Kiznaiver is a good looking show with lots of style and flair, something that’s telegraphed to the viewer from as early as the OP which is both super cool and easily one of the best parts of this show. That probably doesn’t sound like high praise for the actual show itself and that’s for a reason…
The thing is, the general plot is actually really fascinating and novel and the show sets up some great moments to utilize these gimmicks in ways that emphasize the emotional connections between the cast of characters however I feel that the show thus far has failed to truly capitalize on the situations that it places the characters in. It never truly goes far enough, as if the writers have to retort with comedy to not make the show too serious, as if they’re scared of pushing away the audience. Again, I’m only half way through. Although it’s intended to be endearing, breaking up the drama with tints of comedy it just removes tension for me. The show actually plays up the comedy quite a bit. I generally found the comedy itself to be pretty fun even if it is low brow; maybe I’d go as far as to say that the comedy is one of the highlights of the show thus far although some of it is downright bizarre in its placement and timing which effects the whole product.
The show really has an identity crisis. Shows can successfully juggle multiple genres but
Kiznaiver has failed to do so thus far. The key themes resonate with me a lot, a protagonist who sees no worth in himself coupled with a group of individuals whom are bound and connected in ways that they don’t realize at first, playing on the idea that your actions affect others. On the nose, but nice. Of course coming to anime for therapeutic reasons is the last thing one should do and such complex issues are not going to solve themselves by watching an anime series, although some people may find solace in such activities. It’s also true however that this fact alone doesn’t and shouldn't stop subjects like this from affecting me and others on an emotional level which is why it upsets me further that this show hasn’t committed thus far. It’s a show that contains otherworldly elements and it’s not a very realistic series but that shouldn’t stop the characters and their interactions from being realistically depicted. I will admit that the characters do exude some more complex characteristics, characteristics that will culminate later but I guess what I mean to say is the show fails to manage the multiple temperaments that it has. Variety is the spice of life, it’d be dull if the show was…one note and so the comedy here is appreciated, apart from the fact that it isn’t balanced well or utilized in a nuanced manner. I’m only half way through so I have no idea how the second half plays out, and judging by the cliff-hanger at the end of episode 6 things may change but I get the impression that this series might have benefited from being a little longer but time will tell on that one, maybe it’s the perfect length. The music and general sound for the series so far has been pretty good and one of the positives along with the visuals and style although a few pieces felt a little out of place given the context of the scene.
Kiznaiver is a stylish show with a super interesting gimmick that has a tonne of potential that has been utilized in uninteresting ways thus far. It’s a character driven show and the creators take pride in that. The visual aesthetic plays a huge role in the series with patterns and analogical images being incorporated. It’s a show with good intentions and with good themes and messages, messages that may benefit that audience because although they’re not high level concepts they have the potential here to be delivered in interesting ways that may resonate with the audience, if it gives them the chance to do so.
