Rating: 
Summary: Kino is a traveler...
Review: I thought that anime was cool when I first saw it back in the mid-80's. It had anything a twentyish guy likes: pretty girls, monsters, spaceships, giant robots...But that's not the COMPLETE description of what anime is. I love Kino's Journey. So much of anime is misunderstood and misunderstood by the American audience, but this one (volume one, Idle Adventurer) speaks to anyone with a clear and philosophical voice that gives the viewer an insight into a dark and mysterious world that seems to be mostly just around the corner. One small criticism: Kino's gender is left ambiguous (deliberately?) through most of volume 1. If he's a guy, why would a guy want to marry him (episode 1, "Land of Visible Pain")? But if she's females, why would she dress like a man, practice using guns and knives, and (most atypically for female anime characters) have a mid-to-low masculine voice? Because it doesn't matter. See this one-- you won't regret it.
Rating:
Summary: A Thinking Anime
Review: Kino (whose sex in ambiguous, for a reason) is off on a journey...you will find out why soon enough, so don't ask until you get to that episode or it will ruin a lot for you. He/She has a talking motorcycle named Hermes. basically, thats all the plot I can tell you without ruining a lot. In this anime Kino encounters a new world (contained within a new town) each episode. The viewer sees these towns and must take in each of their problems and decide what that problem means...there is war, loss, betrayal, cannibalism, mythical religion, the end of the world...within Kino's journey. This anime reminds me a lot of Lain and the like..where all the questions are not answered, but that it becuase, in life, these kinds of questions aren't answered at all, either. I loved this anime, its about time a good "thinking" anime came out. Kino is it!
Rating: 
Summary: TRAVELLING BLUES & HAPPINESS
Review: Kino is a young girl who travels through different countries, never staying for longer than 3 days, because she is afraid that if she stays longer, she might settle down. Her only companion is her motorcycle, Hermes. Hermes has sentience and can speak to Kino and other people. Each episode is a different adventure as she encounters people of all types and countries, each with their own customs and problems. This dvd has the first four episodes of Kino's Journey.
In "Land of Visible Pain", Kino and Hermes come upon a city that has no visible human inhabitants, only robots who wait on their every need. Where did all the people go? They will find out soon enough. The second episode is about Kino helping out 3 truckdrivers whose vehicle has become trapped in a blizzard and are starving to death. "Land of Prophecies", the 3rd episode concerns a country where the people believe that the next morning after Kino arrives will be the last day before the earth ends. In the last episode, we learn a little more about Kino in a flashback to her childhood in which we learn the origins of her wanderings and how she came to meet up with Hermes. This was a great dvd and should appeal to those anime watchers who like a lot of story instead of giant robots fighting each other. It almost seems like a book, and actually, this anime is based on a series of books published in Japan. It is pretty hardhitting and philisophical and should appeal more to adults than to kids. There are scenes of some graphic violence, such as a man getting shot in the head and a stabbing. Great dvd. No real extras except clean closings/openings, production sketches.
Rating:
Summary: The Traveller
Review: KIno's Journey is subtle and thought provoking, and it grows on you slowly. In my mind, it was somewhat reminiscent of earlier Miyazaki films, a la Totoro, for instance. The same dreamy, idle pace is the mood for these first four episodes, but each one has a slight twist to it, and a darker insight into the aspects of human nature.
Both the Japanese and the English language tracks have something to offer. Kino sounds more feminine in Japanese, but Hermes, the motorcycle, has a more "machine-esque" voice in English.
The graphics are well done and soothing, with intricate backgrounds to make up for the somewhat basic characters. Each country has it's own individual look, which is an asset in this easy-paced anime.
Kino's Journey is the anime zen. I love it, and I think that most people will too, unless you only crave action packed shoot em up, blood and gore flicks. (which have their own assests..) This is much more psychological. Highly reccomended.
Rating:
Summary: Travel Your Soul
Review: Kino's Journey starts off with a simple premise - a young traveler visiting the countries of the world, staying no more than three days. And quickly evolves in to a more reveling look at human nature through the eyes of the traveler. The countries quickly become a back drop for the deeper meaning of the episode. Using the current surroundings and dialog the between the main character and the motorrad Hermes the viewer is invited to take a deeper look at the world around them. This anime is highly recommended for anyone seeking a more deeply rooted anime that leads to philosophical thought and discussion. However, it is best noted that the DVD carries a suggested age rating of 15+ due to some disturbing moments in episode 2 "A Tale of Feeding Off Others" and episode 4 "Land of Adults".
Rating:
Summary: Gulliver Redux
Review: Originating as a series of novels, Kino's Journey is the story of Kino, a young wanderer and Hermes, the intelligent, somewhat sarcastic motorrad (motorcycle) that serves as vehicle and companion. Kino travels are less adventures than they are philosophical moments that dig away as the thin veneer of the superficial that is the casual traveler's fare. Limiting each leg of the journey to three days, Kino and Hermes seekto find a quintessential moment that reveals the heart of each country, often in uncomfortable terms. The first episode, for instance turns into a reflection on the tragedy of a world where telepathy works, i.e., where nothing is secret. Where the very thing that should bring people together makes any closeness impossible. From a technical standpoint, the artwork is graceful and understated. It acts as a setting for the frequent interplays of thought that Hermes and Kino share. This is the most onusual of conversations, moving from Kino's desire for food and Hermes' frequent worrying to sudden remarkable turns of phrase. Director Ryutaro Nakamura (best known for his work on Serial Experiments Lain) strives for a impact and affect as he works toward a different form of aesthetic experience. "The world is not beautiful, and therefore it is." Like Lain, Kino's Journey is a thinking person's type of anime. The action often turns around intellectual reflections rather than external crises. Objects frequently have unexpected symbolic contexts. As such it will have a smaller but more dedicated audience than it's more active cousins. If you like to be intrigued rather than blown away, you will find Kino's Journey most rewarding.
Rating:
Summary: Kino is...
Review: There's something to be said for the use of quiet as a story-telling device.
I did not know what to expect when I first sat down to watch Kino's Journey, but I was quickly captivated by this series.
Kino is an impartial witness, traveling from one land to the next. Her constant companion is Hermes, a talking motorbike with a sarcastic bent.
Together, they explore various social situations, and their potential consequences. Is knowing the thoughts of those around you a blessing or a curse? Is it right to live at the expense of another? What are the consequences of prophecy? Can a society truly divest itself of all its traditions? What does it mean to be a reasonable adult?
We aren't always given answers to our questions, either. Kino is not a judge. She neither condones nor condemns those around her.
In the second episode, we do see Kino fight against a group of slave traders, but this is only after they threaten Kino's own life.
Despite some moments of graphic violence, this is a series that I would seriously consider sharing with children about ten or older.
Oft times thoughtful, it is the quiet moments when we see that which is truly beautiful in the world.
My sole complaint is that Kino's identity as a girl was supposed to be a surprise in the fourth episode, but the ADV english translation reveals it a bit early.
The art style is intruigingly complex and simplistic at the same time, with vivid detail for the backgrounds and mechanical devices, but with remarkably plain character designs. The colors use a great deal of earth tones, and it is nowhere as brightly colored as some anime. The musical score is both vivid and haunting. The voice cast for both Japanese and English dialogue are superb.
Personally, I wouldn't mind seeing a few more like this one.
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