Kill la Kill

Summary: Honnouji Academy is the premier school in Tokyo. Led by its student council president, Satsuki Kiryuin, the student council rules the school with an iron fist, and with Goku Uniforms. Only the best of the best are permitted to wear these superhuman ability granting outfits, and the status of a students' entire family is determined by their uniform rank. Then, one day, a transfer student appears wielding a scissor-shaped sword. In a quest to find her father's killer, she will shake the very foundation of Honnouji Academy to its core.

Review

Plot: Once she arrives at Honnouji Academy, transfer student Ryuko Matoi quickly discovers that, while she is strong, she cannot fight students clad in Goku Uniforms. Luckily for her, she soon stumbles upon Senketsu, a talking Sailor Uniform that provides her with the power needed to fight. From there, she begins fighting her way up the school in hopes of getting a match with Satsuki. Things never go to plan for anyone at the Academy though, unless their name is Satsuki Kiryuin. Soon, Ryuko is thrust into a war for control of Japan. Then, when she thinks she's finally accomplished her goal, a plot for world domination is discovered. The Goku Uniforms are made using Life Fibers, a special product of the Revocs Corporation, run by Satsuki's mother. I don't want to spoil the nature of Life Fibers, but their existence creates an opposing militaristic faction known as Nudist Beach, which exists for the sole purpose of destroying Life Fibers and the Revocs Corporation. The nudist v. clothes theme is present through much of the series and provides many humorous moments. There are many sub-plots in the series as well, and all of them mesh perfectly with the main story. The OVA serves as an epilogue, and was only released as part of the special edition Blu-ray.

Characters: The cast of Kill la Kill is great. With rare exception, they are either complex characters or amazingly over-the-top stereotypes. No matter which they are, all are memorable. The lead is Ryuko Matoi, the scissor-wielding transfer student who hope to avenge her father's death. She is a complex, and yet completely single-minded, character. Her partner is Senketsu, a talking sailor uniform that uses Ryuko's blood to grant her special abilities. The two form a symbiotic relationship that is full of emotion I didn't know could be experienced for clothes. Ryuko's best friend is Mako Mankanshoku, an hyper-active second year student at the school who provides Ryuko with a strange brand of sanity in her completely insane life. The antagonist for most of the series is Satsuki Kiryuin. Using the Goku Uniforms, she controls the school, and the surrounding city, with an oppressive marshal law. She has four elite followers, all of whom are interesting and unique, if a little stereotypical. Her motives change her character from generic badass to something much more, and by the end of the series she might have been the best character. Later on, the mysteriously cheerful, and super deadly, Nui Harime appears, as does the head of the evil Revocs Corporation, Raguo Kiryuin. Neither is as well developed, but both are wonderful villains that fit the series perfectly. There are many other supporting characters, some of whom are equally amazing, but it would take far too many lines to go through them all.    

Presentation: Given the fast pace of the shows combat, and the complete destruction that often accompanies it, it is amazing how pretty the show is. Everything flows smoothly, looks good, and even when covered in dirt and grime, the characters and clothes look great. The completely random and haphazard nature of the show also is conveyed in the animation beautifully. Even the use of the giant over the top Japanese kanji works. This is an expertly animated show. The sound is equally perfect, as are the two opening and closing themes. The openings get the blood pumping and excited, both with the music and animation, while the closings allow the viewer to relax.

Entertainment Value: Immense. Kill la Kill is a hold on to your pants action packed comedy with plenty of drama. The story draws the viewer in, the action is tense and fast paced, and the comedy provides much needed breaks between the intensity of the fight scenes. The pacing is nearly perfect, and even the 'recap episode' is a gem. Instead of 20+ minutes of things the viewer has already seen, they condense it into less than two minutes to start the episode. It works perfectly with the tenor of the rest of the show. In many ways, the show is similar to Gurren Lagann, something I've no doubt some of the members of Studio Trigger worked on when at Gainax. There is ample fan service in the show, but it is integral to the plot and not just randomly added panty shots. Unless the viewer is offended by the clothes v. nudity aspect of the show, or the fan service, they will love it.

Rating: 9.5/10 - A nearly perfect anime that provides action, comedy, and drama - all wrapped in one high intensity and over the top package.

Kill la Kill - 24 episodes + 1 OVA

Note: Kill la Kill also has a three volume manga that was released concurrent with the show's original run. The show and manga are licensed in the US, and the show aired as part of Adult Swim. I watched the show in English on the US Aniplex Blu-ray release. Something lost in the translation to English are the great puns the show has. Fashion and Fascism are pronounced Fashhon/Fassho in Japanese. Kill/Cut and To Wear (clothes) are both pronounced Kiru. Also, a Sailor Uniform and Conquest are pronounced Seifuku. While the actual Kanji / Hiragana / Katakana of the words are not the same, due to their similar pronunciation, it creates a wonderful play on words for the show. For example, Kill la Kill in Japanese would be Kiru ra Kiru, or as one thread declares; Dressed to Kill, though it could also be Killing of Clothes.