Warning: Undefined array key "HTTP_ACCEPT_LANGUAGE" in /var/www/minitokyo/www/includes/common.inc.php on line 360 Burnouts3s3's Kannazuki no Miko Tv Review - Minitokyo
»

Burnouts3s3's Kannazuki no Miko Tv Review

Kannazuki no Miko

Kannazuki no Miko tv Review

Two ordinary high school girls, Himeko and Chikane, discover they are in fact the reincarnations of the lunar and solar priestesses, destined to summon the Ame no Murakumo to fight the evil of the Orochi and its eight necks.
Along with this they must deal with Souma, one of the Orochi who struggles with his destiny and his feelings for Himeko.

By: fjskfhsdkflsd

Story & Characters

Kannazuki no Miko isn't necessarily one story as it is two stories sewn together: a half-decent romance novel and a bad mecha anime. Kannazuki no Miko starts out as an average school anime. We are introduced to Himeko Kurusugawa, a stock blond shy girl who nobody cares about and Chikane Himemiya, a sapphire haired beauty who everyone loves, everyone adores because she's so rich and perfect and Mary-Sueish in every sense of the word. As it turns out, on the day of both of their birthdays, an evil prophecy is realized and Yamata no Orochi attacks the earth by...sending giant mecha. In case it didn't become glaringly obvious to you, the giant robots by the evil mystical being seem both out of place and distracting. After a crisis has been averted, it turns out Himeko and Chikane are priestesses of the Sun and Moon, respectively. They therefore must summon Ame no Murakumo, another giant robot, to seal Orochi on a shrine on the moon.

Kannazuki no Miko then becomes a soap opera of sorts when Chikane, who desires Himeko but wants her to be happy, pushes her so that Himeko can be with Souma, childhood friend and mecha pilot. Mostly, it involves Himeko being clueless about her feelings for Chikane, Chikane angsting by herself and Souma taking care of the Orochi of the week with his perfect piloting skills.

This is where Kannazuki no Miko doesn't exactly work. The characters feel so cliche it really isn't funny. The villains themselves are obvious portrayals of anime stereotypes, and watching them being incompetent isn't really fun. Then there's the bits of romance that are separate from the mecha. It's so angsty, so cute and so miserable about itself that it only appeals to people looking for Shoujo-ai. Other causal fans will wonder, "Why are there giant robots in a magical genre anime? How come the Orochi are such idiots that the deity decided to choose them to fight instead of someone actually smart and menacing? Why do the students insist on picking on Himeko when giant robots attacked the town two days ago and should instead be running for their lives instead of waiting for the next mecha attack?"

I didn't really care about Chikane in particular. She acts very depressed for someone with so much power and intelligence, that she comes off as sort of a wet towel. She constantly angsts about Himeko and the fact she'll never be with her, that she never cracks a smile, laugh or enjoy something by herself because she's so miserable. Other characters at least have a bit of fun with themselves or distract themselves with something entertaining like dating someone else or getting a part time job or talking with other people.
However, the series does take a darker and serious approach later on. I won't spoil anything, but I will say that the twists are smart and well-done. And many will be satisfied with the ending for it is conclusive.
However, because of the lack of setting, the lack of originality in the characters, the amount of angst to be had and the many missed opportunities with said premise, I can only recommend Kannazuki no Miko as a Shoujo-ai.

Rating: 6

Art

The art is well done for the anime. It matches the genre(s) and doesn't distract. The look of the characters feels just right, if a bit fanservicey. A lot of times I caught myself wondering why there were so many glances of breasts, and why one particular villain had a lolicon fetish.

Character designs vary. For example, Himeko and Chikane certainly look fine as they are the main characters and are required to be taken seriously. They look as much human as you can get with azure hair and amethyst eyes. However, some characters, i.e. Girochi and Nekoko look surprisingly cartoonish with their exaggerated hair and designs. It's hard to believe they were actually human beings.

But, it's not astounding or original like anything from Simoun or Maria-sama ga Miteru. It's just there to look pretty and not do anything else. The character design has the typical pretty hair and big eyed look, but it isn't distracting by any means. Overall, Kannazuki no Miko has a good art direction.

Rating: 7

Sound

This is probably the selling point of the anime: the music. Using an orchestral score along with an OP and ED by KOTOKO and the sound design is very beautiful and matches the style of the anime.

Particularly, I caught myself listening to KOTOKO's "Re-sublimity" over and over again. It has that techno beat that makes me keep listening to it along with the fast paced vocals. I didn't care as much for KOTOKO's "Agony" because it didn't have that fast beat as did "Re-sublimity". However, I did fall in love with Namida to Izumi. It was a slow combination of piano and flute that gave me chills and evoked my heart strings.

In fact, if you appreciate nothing else in Kannazuki no Miko, you'll appreciate the music. It's wonderfully delightful and matches the mood with whatever feeling it brings to the table. Overall, it's a great soundtrack.

Rating: 8

Presentation

Kannazuki no Miko is referred to as "The Greatest Shoujo-ai ever". This is mainly because the lesbian couple is confirmed to be canon. However, in terms of structure, setting, character and overall work as a whole, I doubt its status. There was so much potential to be tapped with the concept, but no one was willing to develop said concept if they were as dedicated as making stereotypical characters.

In the end, I really enjoyed Kannazuki no Miko because it was a Shoujo-ai. But because of the angst and how miserable the characters were, the incompetent villains, the leads being stereotypical, I cannot recommend Kannazuki no Miko. It's an anime that's melodramatic, fluffy and all in all, just a chore to watch. It ends strongly only because the beginning was so weak.

Rating: 6

Final Verdict

6.5000 (above average)

Reviewed by Burnouts3s3, Aug 20, 2008

Comments

  1. shoujoboy Aug 20, 2008

    Well the most obvious problem with your review is the huge story and characters followed by tiny... everything else. Second is the lack of attention to detail. The opening and ending were done by KOTOKO not KOTORO. You used Himike at one point instead of Himiko. And sentence structure is hit or miss throughout. IE run on sentences and the tendancy to drone on with unncessary details. Couple that with the formatting errors throughout and you have a problematic review. It's certainly not the worst review I've seen, but it really doesn't have the legs to stand on.

  2. BossMac Aug 20, 2008

    Just like shoujoboi said, it needs a little expanding a little clean-up. You need to provide more broad details and facts to give the reader a clearer view of what you're reviewing.

    And how long have you been a member again?

  3. Burnouts3s3 Aug 20, 2008

    Just an hour ago.
    Explain what you mean by broad details.

  4. davidh01 Aug 20, 2008

    A fair attempt for your first review submitted. I presume you've read in detail the FAQ (http://support.minitokyo.net/faq/5/) and A guide for MT Reviews (http://forum.minitokyo.net/thread/43545/reviewers-guide-minitokyo-reviews/). If not, I'd strongly suggest you do so. That would give you a good position to adopt when editing any existing reviews and submitting future ones. Please take the time to check and update your submission as, like both shoujoboy and jakulito suggest, some of your commentary is too brief to be useful.

  5. beryl0402 Mar 15, 2009

    interesting

  6. chumbariwap123 Apr 24, 2009

    woah, nice review eh :D

  7. pigmypuff Jun 05, 2009

    like moe-moe part

  8. lordryo Jul 21, 2009

    Great anime. A very good yuri story with great characters!

  9. ResonantSoul Jul 23, 2009

    I wanna see this~

  10. Ilona Aug 04, 2009

    Interesting review. I didn't know that it was said The Greatest Shoujo-ai ever". When I was watching it, I was joking with someone saying how this anime was unfair, the guy did all the figthing and it is the other girl that get the reward of the loved girl. Since it was said to me to be a really bad anime, I didn't find it that bad. The character design is really pleasant and as you said the opening is good.

  11. SchRita Aug 23, 2009

    Thanks for the review!

  12. Fanatik007 Aug 26, 2009

    good review

  13. vangjlee Oct 14, 2009

    interesting anime

  14. SchRita Oct 31, 2009

    Thanks for the review!

  15. rukasu04 Mute Member Nov 10, 2009

    Thanks

  16. animalandia Nov 15, 2009

    Muy buena Historia, gracias por el aporte

  17. Kan-tastic Nov 28, 2009

    "I really enjoyed Kannazuki no Miko because it was a Shoujo-ai"

    I'm sorry, but that is a piss-poor reason to enjoy a show.

  18. sissi-neko Mar 30, 2010

    I actually do not agree with Ilona when saying that "the guy did all the figthing and it is the other girl that get the reward of the loved girl". I would rather say you did not really pay attention to the most important thing: they keep being reincarnated, which means they were to be together since before Himeko met S?ma. He was just someone who interfered with their lives, and Himeko had those feelings for him only because she had lost her memories. That is why, when Himeko finally knows her past - or better said, their past (hers and Chikane's) - declines his "offer" (in the last episode). I have just finished watching it, and personally, I find it pretty well-made. I think it is indeed worth watching it. And now about the review: it is rather a sort of negative point of view - if I may call it like that. You need to tell people how the anime is, not how you think it is. Please, do not get me wrong - any of you, I am not trying under any circumstances to argue with anyone. I hope I did not hurt anyone here, that was not my point at all. If I did, I kindly ask you to forgive me.

page 1 of 1 18 total items

Only members can post replies, please register.

Warning: Undefined array key "cookienotice" in /var/www/minitokyo/www/html2/footer.html on line 73
This site uses cookies. By continuing to browse the site you are agreeing to our use of cookies. Read more.