Kill la Kill Review

"New honors come upon him, / Like our strange garments, cleave not to their mould / But with the aid of use" –Macbeth, William Shakespeare

Main characters Ryuko (front) and
Satsuki (background)

            To be frank, I’m pretty conflicted pertaining to this show. An original anime coming from the minds at Trigger, Kill la Kill presented a fresh take on multiple varying genres by mixing stereotypes from shounen, drama, and (depending on who you ask) ecchi, which is a category that I myself despise (mostly because it’s a staple of many terrible shows I’ve seen). Despite this, the animated series still manages to pull off an interesting and consistently varying show.

Klutzy and loyal, Ryuko's sole friend on campus is Mako
Mankanshoku, who also serves as a comedy relief
along with her entire family.

            The series begins with Ryuko Matoi joining an incredibly dangerous high school in Tokyo Bay, Honnouji Academy which is governed by the all-powerful school council, headed by Satsuki Kiryuin. Attempting to discover the killer of her late father, Ryuko heads to this arena of a school in an attempt to find answers. Soon enough, Ryuko finds that she is too weak to take on even the weakest of school leaders, all of whom wield “Goku Uniforms”, suits that increase a wearer’s physical attributes a thousand-fold. Despite possessing a mythical “Scissor-Blade” (although only a half, the other half taken from her father post-mortem), Ryuko is forced to retire. Upon returning to her home, she randomly discovers a suit made for her by her father that lives off her own blood, properly named “Senketsu” (blood uniform), which is surprisingly and possibly annoyingly revealing of her body (literally, she’s just barely not naked, which is eventually explained in its own way). Using her new friend (yes, the outfit talks to her), Ryuko moves off on her expedition for answers and encounters twists, turns, and plot twists along the way. 

The blatant usage of fanservice can be
a nuisance at first, but it becomes an
acquired taste.

The story itself becomes riveting (especially following surprising plot elements occurring halfway through the series run) and remains fresh throughout up until the climactic final showdown in the very last minute of the very last episode. Kill la Kill makes it evident that it seeks to provide its audience with a nonstop thrill ride across the span of all 24 episodes (which is even commented upon during a brief narration during a midway episode). Furthermore, the series presents fresh takes and new themes, specifically those regarding clothing and their intrusion into human affairs (pretty cool, to say the least). However, the company does rely on a fair amount of fan-service (aka the unnecessary sexualizing of characters), specifically with Satsuki and Ryuko who strip down to barely anything whenever a fight begins. Although a drawing appeal to some guys out there (who I assume are in the majority), I find it more annoying than appealing since the usage of it takes me away from the show and makes me focus on why they thought these additions would be a good idea. However, I must admit that Trigger does manage to qualify the usage of such with plot elements that explain the reasoning for the skimpy outfits. Regardless, the fanservice can be ignored if it doesn’t get to you and as such I enjoyed the show in its entirety.

The Ryuko VS Satsuki fight is arguably
the best action in the series, which is
actually saying a lot.

As for the animation, the art style can be offputting at first glance. To be frank, I almost stopped watching on the first episode because of the painful artwork. Unfortunately, I assume this and the fanservice are what turned many away from this show, however the usage of this art style helps the show itself stand out and create its own version of a generic anime and go back to its roots of being an original and innovative series. Likewise, the OST (Official Soundtrack) in particular is catchy and matches the emotions of the series pretty well, specifically at the beginning of every fight ([“Don’t lose your way” Intensifies]). The openings and ending themes are both addicting and serve the show justice, as do most tracks in between action. As for the action, it in itself is nigh perfect by maintaining a fluid and intense style that consistently changes while following a specific formula each time (not bad, just so you know).

Overall, Kill la Kill is far, FAR from perfect. In fact, I’d even say it has just as many flaws as it does good points, however the majority of these flaws can be found subjective considering the viewer and their ideas regarding a good show. The main audience I could easily recommend this too would be anyone that enjoys action, comedy, ecchi, or a mix of all (because, frankly, that’s really what it is).

Pros:

+Engaging Story

+Great Action

+Amazing OST

+Original Artwork

+Intriguing Themes

Neutral:

+/- Semi-Excessive Fanservice

Cons:

-Rushed (for the most part)

-Fairly Lame Ending

Overall Score: 8.25/10 Great for the Right Viewer!