K [First Impressions]

Studio: Starchild Records, Viz Media, GoHands

Genre(s): Action, Supernatural

Episodes: 13

Notable Seiyuu(s): Namikawa Daisuke, Ono Daisuke, Komatsu Mikako, Sawashiro Miyuki

OP: “KINGS” by angela

ED: “Tsumetai Heya, Hitori” by Komatsu Mikako

Summary: Set in a world where history has taken a slightly different course from the one we’re familiar with, K follows the story of a young boy whose life is caught in a psychic war between seven kings. Ashinaka High School is known for its unique setting: the entire campus is built on an island. Yashiro Isana, aka Shiro, is having lunch with a cat on one of the school rooftops. After his lunch break, Shiro goes on an errand for his classmate Kukuri to prepare for their upcoming school festival, only to be chased by some intimidating-looking men. (Source: MAL)

(Stole a little bit of Tofu’s First Impression’s layout to make things neater. I hope he doesn’t mind.)

What is this – it’s so unbelievably pretty. I could go ranting on and on about how beautiful the animation and the character designs and the art are, but then you’d just accuse me for slathering all this praise onto this show. But really – the scenery is pretty, the people are pretty, and so is everything in between. Just from the looks of it – it will be a popular anime, no matter what the plot and the characters will turn out to be. K’s got a seiyuu lineup full of popular people, and it’s so Durarara!! like that I really do think it’ll get the same amount of limelight. At the same time, it’s very possible that it’ll turn out to be another Guilty Crown - great music, great art, but terrible, horrible, insubstantial plot.

Did anybody find it amusing that the group with the rebel skateboarder is called “HOMRA/Homura?” It brings back Madoka Magica memories. But let me just tell you – that Engrish was so horrible that it made me laugh uncontrollably in the middle of the night. There was Engrish in Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun’s PV, which was rather amusing, but to start an anime off with this sort of Engrish is not excusable. I don’t care how pretty the guy who was talking was or how popular his seiyuu is. This is also just so Durarara!! ish that I will forever compare the two in every single one of my reviews. You can’t escape the Durarara!!. You just can’t. The cast of characters, the plot, the headless horsewoman, and how the fandom exploded with shipping.

Speaking of Durarara!!, our lovely leading men really got something going on, haven’t they? Forget the art and forget the characters, there is something very, very wrong with this.

I’m just an ordinary moe-boy who’s gotten roped into this and is about to be killed. Not to mention that I blush when my savior decides to grab me and take me away.

I have just saved the main character and I will initially hate him, but he will soon learn to love me and my glowing purple seme-eyes in all my wonderful jerk-ness.

Without further glance, this brings back memories of No. 6. I have never watched No. 6, but I know that there is a white haired feminine-guy and a dark haired, ponytailed masculine-guy, and they eventually get together and do whatever it is that pleases the fangirls. This is a little too uncanny. I do not mind the fact that Kuroh leaped in to protect Isana, mostly because the music that played gave me chills and was totally awesome, but I do mind that Isana decides to blush and set off the fangirls halfway into the episode. That bothered me incredibly. I’d rather have Isana with that girl who was chasing him around the school.

Another thing that bothers me is Isana’s voice. Namikawa Daisuke is a fabulous seiyuu and I loved him in many, many roles, but Isana just sounds so much like Italy (Axis Powers Hetalia) that it’s unbearable. The fact that Isana’s pretty clueless and naive, not to mention the way he says phrases like “I’m sorry,” “Thank you,” “I think so,” or “See you later,” is almost identical to Italy’s character. I will never think of Isana the same. I would also very much like to know what that parasol he’s carrying is for.

The only safe for work image I have of Neko.

Neko turned out to be an actual cat. I am slightly amused, disappointed, relieved, and confused at the same time. Is the human a personification of the cat, or can she change between forms? It’s obvious that humans can’t see Neko when she’s in her (naked) human form, but since she does seem like a main character, I wonder what role she plays. If Isana and Kuroh keep this bl-thing up, I think Neko will become my favorite character.

Also, does anyone else think that Izumo looks uncannily like Heiwajima Shizuo from the aforementioned Durarara!!? 

A case of mistaken identity is something that seems way too obvious, and way too typical. I think we all know that Isana’s not getting killed. Somehow, I think K should be able to pull through this “seventh evil king” thing easily, but the fault of something like this is that it’ll leave many plotholes. There are so many gimmicks this one can pull – a Madoka Magica, a Guilty Crown, and of course, a Durarara!! Is it normal for me to be naming gimmicks after anime that use them?

Will I cover this show? Yes, I definitely will. Will I enjoy it? No matter how much Isana x Kuroh there is, or how horrible the plot is, or even how much naked screentime Neko will get until she gets clothed, I will keep on watching this like the aesthetic-hungry fangirl I am and love every sparkly minute of it.