Kill la Kill review

Anime title: Kill la Kill (キルラキル)
Genre: School-life, ecchi, comedy, action
Rating: R – 17+ for violence and profanity
Duration: 24 episodes (24 min per episode)

Status: Complete

Synopsys: "Ryuuko Matoi is a vagrant school girl traveling from place to place searching for clues to the truth behind her father's death—the "woman with the scissor blade." The journey has led Ryuuko to Honnouji Academy.

Honnouji Academy—where an elite group of students is granted superhuman power by their special uniforms called the "Goku uniform." With the power of the uniform, the student body president, Satsuki Kiryuin rules the students with unquestioned power and fear.

Satsuki holds the secret to the "scissor blade" and Ryuuko confronts Satsuki to gain information but... Was their encounter a mere coincidence or fate? The clash between the two will soon consume the whole academy!" (Source: http://myanimelist.net/anime/18679/Kill_la_Kill)

I went into this anime with very little knowledge of what it was actually about. There was a sudden explosion of Kill la Kill cosplayers roaming around the local anime conventions, postings of fan art on every anime website, and every mention of Kill la Kill brought on a very lively discussion between my friends. My first impression was one of a serious, drama filled anime with a deep plotline.

Five minutes into the first episode, I realized how wrong I was.

Kill la Kill is ridiculous. Everything about it is absolutely, positively, without a doubt, something that should NOT be taken as a serious anime. However, is it worth the time to watch it? ABSOLUTELY.

Why?

While there is nothing revolutionary about Kill la Kill, it does hold a certain amount of entertainment value for the watcher. Each character was purposely designed to be over-the-top with their assigned archetype, creating an environment of hilarious chaos while simultaneously encouraging the viewer to continue watching (if for nothing more than to watch the shenanigans). The ecchi part of Kill la Kill is pretty much what you would expect of it to be. Hot young high school girls transform into slutty outfits after an overdrawn transformation sequence that shows them nude for longer than really necessary. There are plenty of panty shots as well.

Unlike most ecchi anime, the fanservice in Kill la Kill actually contributes to the plot. The plot, of course, being that clothing is trying to take over the world. (Seriously, the clothing has magical powers and comes to life!)

Overall, the thing that makes Kill la Kill most worth the watch is, in fact, the plot. Setting aside how cheesy it sounds, the show shifts into a setting that is (mostly) serious. All the events that seemed pointless at first end up lending a huge part near the end, and there is a plot twist that I can guarantee you will never see coming.

I highly recommend that anime lovers watch Kill la Kill at least once. If you have tried to watch it before, go back and force yourself to get through it. You won’t be displeased!

Personal Rating: 8/10 for overall story, characters, and soundtrack.

Ira Gamagoori

Gamagoori is the head Student Council Disciplinary Committee. He is loud, dedicated to his goals (and the goals of others), and has great pride in what can only be described as a sense of duty, justice, and gentlemanship. His body has the amazing ability to never be the same size at any given point, and he transforms into a weird bondage mummy monster. What’s not to love?

Mako Mankanshoku

Mako is the main character, Ryuuko Matoi’s, best friend and fellow classmate. She is a sweet, kind, and goofy girl who is generally the source of both comedic relief and a driving force in the story line. As shown in all her “hallelujah” scenes (where Mako has a spotlight on her and she gives a short, sometimes confusing speech about something that other characters have not noticed), Mako is incredibly observant where it counts and she is very considerate towards her friend’s needs.