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Whistle Stopper - Kino's Journey - The Complete Collection
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List Price: $39.98
Our Price: $23.58
Your Save: $ 16.40 ( 41% )
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
Manufacturer: Adv Films
Starring: Kimberly Prause, Roberto Garcia (II), John Swasey, Philip Lehl, A. Jacob Gragard
Directed By: Ryutaro Nakamura
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Average Customer Rating:  
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Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
Audience Rating: Unrated
Binding: DVD
EAN: 0702727131929
Format: Animated
Label: Adv Films
Manufacturer: Adv Films
Number Of Items: 3
Publisher: Adv Films
Region Code: 1
Release Date: 2005-10-25
Running Time: 325
Studio: Adv Films
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Spotlight customer reviews:
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Customer Rating:
Summary: Simply Wonderful
Comment: I have been able to identify with the heroine of this anime series more easily than any other that I have encountered thus far. Kino above her desire to not be defined by her gender or age, is strong-willed, independent and follows the path that she has chosen for herself without ever wavering and always with open eyes and a healthy appreciation for the world around her. Okay, perhaps "identify" is not the right word choice, as I don't feel I personally embody those ideals, but I certainly do "admire" every single one of them.
Kino is, above all, an embodiment of a "strong female" character, without the baggage of "femininity" which all too often in anime renders that strength ultimately meaningless when the character "falls in love" or succumbs to the stereotypical "weaknesses of womanhood" when they sacrifice themselves for the sake of a child or some other such ridiculous stereotype. I'm not saying that self-sacrifice is not something women are "prone" to, or that it is a bad thing, but I take issue with the assumption that women are, or more importantly should be, like that. Kino as a character turns that concept on its head.
She travels through the world on her sentient motorcycle, Hermes, visiting different lands, experiencing their cultures, and instead of being swayed to "help" them, or give something of herself to them, she moves on in order to experience the next. Some have called her, and the series because of it, apathetic. I would disagree, and Kino lays her reasoning out very early in the story. Kino travels through the world with the eyes of an anthropologist: taking in everything with a wit that belies the youthfulness of her countenance, and above all protecting her own needs first, and the needs of anyone else afterwards. She does not risk her own safety in order to affect host cultures, even if she believes that somehow she could "help" the situation. Instead, when threatened or when pulled into a situation she cannot easily watch from the sidelines, Kino will react for her own sake. If there's time after that, she'll consider others as well. The threat of imposing ones own values upon a host culture is always at the forefront of Kino's mind, as the effect of culture works both ways. Kino only wishes to avoid that and simply enjoy the world around her with open eyes.
When I saw the second episode in particular, concerning the value of human life against the lives of other living creatures and the personal choice to make one's own needs more important than the needs of others, it struck a serious chord. The episode is shocking in many ways (not the least of which is the way it ends), but mostly what I took from it, and from the series as a whole, is that we do what we have to do to survive, and there are many horrible things in the world that force us to make those choices, but despite all of that, the world is still a beautiful place full of wonderful things that we would be cheating ourselves out of if we refused to experience them (whether out of fear, ignorance or what-have-you).
And the series does all of this without being pretentious or preaching morality. That is not to say that Kino is a pushover by any means, or that the story is somehow boring and lacking in action. To her credit, and despite her small size, Kino is a crack shot, possibly one of the greatest marksmen in all of anime. She's a quick study and is not above, or afraid, of using force to protect herself. She likes to avoid taking life when possible, but she's not above that, either. This lends the story to both quiet slow moments of appreciating the beauty around her and fast-paced action ones where that beauty is shattered, both of which compliment each other, never seeming out of place, even when one is being jarred out of one by the other.
I highly recommend Kino's Journey, especially to those who are looking for a good story that avoids many of the current trends (ie, moe) in anime. The series runs a short 13 episodes (released in the no-thrills thinpack version here), is based on a series of novels by Keiichi Shigusawa (only the first of which was ever released in English) and features a wonderful soundtrack, including the beautiful opening theme "All the Way" by Mikuni Shimokawa.
Customer Rating:
Summary: I'm so glad I found this.
Comment: I found this series here, on Amazon while looking for complete collections of new anime with good reviews. I was not disappointed. The series follows a traveler Kino and her motorad Hermes as they travel across the globe, only spending three days in a country (which is more like a village). In every episode, the two come across a different country with interesting people. The episodes are told as you would a story or if you were reading about it in a book, a collection of tales, all involving a traveler as she passes through. After almost every episode I found myself wanting to tell people the story of the episode. Action isn't the focus but there are a few episodes of that if that's what you're into. This anime is more geared toward the intellectual crowd, full of philosophy and psychology. If after reading this, the series seems interesting, you won't be disappointed.
Customer Rating:
Summary: 13 Perfectly Unique Episodes
Comment: Kino's Journey- The Complete Collection
I personally do not watch a lot of anime. It is not that I don't enjoy it, but rather that I just don't choose to watch it. With my sister becoming enthralled in anime, I have found myself watching some every now and then. This is the first one that I fully watched the entire series of though.
Kino is a traveler. She has no real purpose or no real reason for traveling other then that she enjoys it. She travels with her talking motorcycle, who is known as Hermes. There really is not a plot to speak of. Each episode Kino is usually in a new country (which are towns or cities) and has a different adventure. There are dangers along the way, which is why Kino dual wields to pistols, but this is not an action anime. The story is what brings you in and makes you want to keep watching every episode until the saddening ending.
Kino has a back-story, but because it is revealed in an episode I will not reveal any of the details. She is extremely deadly with her pistols, but tries to refrain from using them at all costs. Kino moves from country to country, only staying for three days in each so she does not have a chance to settle down anywhere. Often times when visiting a country, she will learn that the country is corrupted or tainted in some way. Being curious, she will often ask what happened and become absorbed by the culture of the place she is in.
The countries are all very unique. The first episode features a country completely run by machines. It has to be this way because the people created an invention that allowed them to read each other's minds. This caused too much pain and suffering and the people must stay locked away in their homes to avoid the disturbed thoughts and feelings of others. Do you think that would be interesting? If you do not, there is nothing to worry about. The next episode will be about Kino saving some traders in a completely different place.
You will never find yourself bored with the plot, because it changes every episode. Each episode captures a lot of what is wrong or was wrong in our society. Extreme religious leaders, wasteful killing, and tyrants all are shown in this series. All thirteen episodes are packed with moralistic truths, which is unlike a lot of action heavy animes I have seen. Is this good for everyone? Doubtful. If you enjoy hearing a story told though, you are going to love this series.
English and Japanese voice over is provided. There are also English subtitles, but they don't follow the dialogue accurately with the English voice over. They are more likely to be used for anyone watching the Japanese voice over. The English voice over is very well done though. Almost all the characters sound appropriate. Music is also well placed in this series. Nothing seems off at all, and it is usually very quiet.
The idea of having thirteen completely unique episodes amazed me. Each episode carries a different, yet epic, storyline. Sometimes these stories are saddening, or perhaps revealing. No matter what, you can't go wrong with picking up Kino's Journey. I recommend this whether you are an anime fan or not.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Kino's Journey: Wonderful!
Comment: This is a fantastic anime, very thought provoking and beautiful animation. Its a shorter one with only the 13 (I believe) episodes but well worth a watch. It can be an inspiring anime in how it thinks about what is beautiful in the world, the good and the bad. It really makes you think about your own view of morality and how people live. The box set is also very nice, wonderful add to any anime collection.
Customer Rating: 
Summary: Kino's Journey provokes insights into human visions of utopia and their consquences
Comment: Definitlly for a mature individual, Kino in her traveles stumbles upon utopias gone wrong and human misery.
There are moments of peace and an introspection as Kino and her motorrad (a motorcycle with an AI) move though these vignettes staying only three day in each. This is a world where travelers must beware.
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Editorial Reviews:
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Destination is a state of mind. Travelers not only find themselves in a variety of locations and geographic phenomena, but they also bare witness to the whims of culture and the skewed effects of subtle circumstance. Kino is such a traveler. Sitting astride Hermes, the ultimate internal combustion companion, Kino searches for life’s answers, life’s questions, and the myriad of interpretations connected to them. A wielder of cutlery, firepower and a piercing tongue, Kino is ready to embark on a journey unlike any other!
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