I’ll start this off by saying that for me, Kemono Jihen has “it” – whatever “it” is. There’s something about this manga that’s special, a spark of quirky brilliance and subtle wit. It looks like a traditional shounen and acts like one sometimes, but it’s not. The soul of a seinen resides in this series, and even a josei sometimes (the mangaka, Aimoto Shou, is female FWIW). It resides in the demographically fluid universe of Jump SQ. with the likes of Kono Oto Tomare! and Yuukoku no Moriarty, and it’s not the sort of shounen you’d likely ever see in WSJ.
None of that demographic BS would matter if Kemono Jihen – localized (correctly) as “Monster Incidents” – weren’t really good. But happily it is, even if up to now it’s been relatively unknown in the West and even a sleeper (but a climber) in Japan. And for me, as a fan, Ajia-do and director Fujimori Masaya absolutely nailed the premiere. Superficially this director and studio seem like pretty neutral leading indicators, but Fujimori has quietly done some fine work (like the underrated Tribe Cool Crew). And Asia-do has a knack for quirky fantasy, as witness one of the most under-appreciated anime ever, Zettai Shounen (which I only now realize Kemono Jihen is quite reminiscent of).
Sneaky, that’s what this series is. The adaptation staff is sneakily on-point, and the material is sneakily subtle and subversive. There’s even an outside chance this could prove to be a surprise hit as an anime, though I’m keeping my hopes in check. Superficially it looks like a classic one-and-done commercial for the manga and it may well end up that way, but insiders who follow Jump SQ. seem to think Shueisha has a fair amount of faith in Kemono Jihen. We can only hope so – I’m going to plan on one cour and anything else would be a bonus.
The story begins with the Bohemian Inugami Kohachi (Suwabe Junichi) driving to a small onsen village on a case for his “strangeness counseling office“. Livestock are turning up dead – not just dead, but decomposed and rotting overnight. The innkeeper’s young son Yataro dreams of escaping to Tokyo, but Inugami-san is more interested in “Doratobo” (Fujiwara Natsumi), the boy who toils in the fields (and disposes of the carcasses). A doratobo is a mud spirit in Shinto folklore, and the name is not a compliment – but Inugami reasons that it’s the quiet ones who see things, especially those out working in the fields all day.
There’s more to Inugami’s interest in the boy, just as there’s more to the okami’s request. Doratobo – real name Kabane, as Inugami soon finds out – is banished from the baths and family meals because of his smell. He wears a strange stone around his neck witch Inugami identifies as a “lifestone“, a rare commodity indeed – and a sign that Kabane’s parents didn’t abandon him, as he was told by the innkeeper (his aunt). He is in fact a kemono himself – half-kemono – and it’s the lifestone that keeps his beast half in check and allows him to retain his human veneer.
What soon becomes clear is that Kabane is accustomed only to rejection and ridicule, and that Inugami is the first person to show any interest in him. The reason soon becomes clear – with a “let me show you my ass” Inugami reveals that he’s a tanuki, and asks the boy if he’d like to meet his parents someday. Kabane is too broken down to answer affirmatively, and the terrible truth is that his aunt, assuming he’s the cause of the animal deaths (which Kabane himself soon comes to believe), has actually hired Inugami to kill him so she can be rid of him once and for all.
As story prologues go, Kemono Jihen has one of the best I’ve seen in a long time. It’s self-contained and powerful, and sets up the story beautifully. And it does all this without a scrap of clumsy exposition – just good storytelling. And truth be told, one of the reasons Kemono Jihen works so well is that Kabane is a cinnamon roll for the ages – he’s so beaten down, and such an innocent soul unprepared for the hand life has dealt him. That’s where Inugami comes in, and he’s a fantastic mentor character – irreverent and mischievous, a tanuki to the core. And the casting with these two is pitch-perfect. Fujiwara Natsumi (Daigo from Major 2nd) captures Kabane’s suppressed emotional purity perfectly. And while Suwabe is a pretty on-the-money choice, you can’t argue with the results – he is Inugami.
Kemono Jihen’s entire cast of characters is superb, in fact (we meet a couple of important ones briefly at the end of the episode, back in Tokyo at Inugami’s office). It’s a colorful Shinto rainbow with every personality type on the map, and they keep the series constantly humming along. But the story is up to the challenge, a traditional Shinto fantasy with enough wrinkles to keep it from ever becoming predictable. I had more questions about the adaptation with this series than I did my other top pick for the season, Horimiya, but Kemono Jihen has answered them in glorious fashion. This show is in good hands.
ED: “Shirushi (-標（しるし）-)” by Sayaka Sasaki
Red
January 11, 2021 at 6:03 pmThis is my kind of show, I thought this was gonna be just a good mystery show but I’m getting the feeling there’s more to it than just that, as you say kinda sneaky. Thanks for recommending it on your winter preview as I wouldn’t even see this otherwise. The vibe this series gives off is what I expected when going into jujutsu kaisen initially, with all the hype it gets which is a letdown, a good balance of mystery, action and drama. A couple more points:
-Inugami explaining kemono as beings involved with humans but are hiding in the shadows reminds me a bit of mushishi.
-the new characters at the end, the boy looks like bakugo and the girl looks like a promised neverland character
-this may just me overthinking things but I wonder if a bullet is lodged in Kabane’s head considering he was shot there and that it should hurt like hell or did the bullet just passed through him (no need to answer if this seem kind of spoilery)
Guardian Enzo
January 11, 2021 at 6:57 pmJust my opinion of course, but Kemono Jihen is vastly more interesting than JK. It’s well-packaged generic product vs. something truly original.
BNK
January 11, 2021 at 6:43 pmAh, zettai shounen, another high school flashback. I really liked that one too, but I have to say, I prefer the 1st part to the 2nd part.
Guardian Enzo
January 11, 2021 at 6:55 pmMe too, for sure. But like 5/5 vs. 4/5 so still, pretty good.
BNK
January 11, 2021 at 9:21 pmYeah, the 2nd part is still pretty good too. IMO, the 1st had a more satisying plot, 2nd had better character interaction and development
Miyu Fan
January 11, 2021 at 10:48 pmI love this episode very much and I already cried at the moment when Kabane resigned to being killed. The cast already hooked me in, but I’m still a bit apprehensive on whether the mystery and kemono side will be good.
Guardian Enzo
January 11, 2021 at 11:12 pmIt is, IMO. Very. Though the characters seem to be Aimoto’s strongest suit.
elianthos
January 11, 2021 at 11:26 pmHalf-monster sweet bab! *pets* and Suwabe as mentor with a tail. I’m a simple gal with simple needs… one series I feel like watching in a while at last.
Guardian Enzo
January 12, 2021 at 7:39 amHeh, I figured you’d dig this one.
elianthos
January 12, 2021 at 10:21 amGiven the amount of digging in the episode… were you punning me? ;p
Guardian Enzo
January 12, 2021 at 11:59 amActually totally unintentional.
Monymous
January 12, 2021 at 1:33 amMy favorite of the season to this point. Not being familiar with the source material, and with this episode being a self-contained prologue, I came away a little nervous about the two new characters at the end looking generic and the quality of the main story not living up to the premiere. But your praise of the manga makes this seem really promising, will be watching with interest.
Guardian Enzo
January 12, 2021 at 7:43 amI don’t think any of the characters in KJ are generic. They are frequently twists on popular tropes though, so sometimes you have to be a little patient as she lets them develop.
animealex
January 12, 2021 at 3:43 amBeing a fan of the manga, this was my most anticipated premiere. And like Enzo, I was very satisfied with how the transition from manga to anime was handled. Let’s see, if the delicate balance between the sometimes very dark themes and the more “lively” characters holds. And yeah, a commercial success resulting in a sequel would be awesome!
Guardian Enzo
January 12, 2021 at 7:43 amThey didn’t water it down in the premiere so I’m pretty optimistic on that score.
Snowball
January 13, 2021 at 4:03 amI’m surprised this show isn’t more popular than it is. Kabane is immediately likeable, easy to sympathise and quite badass. Inugami seems respectable and a great mentoring figure. The monster designs are really cool and well thought out. The first episode was elegantly executed and gave hints that there’s more excitement to come. The question Inugami asked Kabane, “Do you want to see your parents?”, broke my heart; such powerful dialogue. Definitely my favourite premiere of the season.
Guardian Enzo
January 13, 2021 at 7:38 amIt would be close between this and Horimiya. I actually think KJ is a more “maxed out” version of the respective manga intros in that it doesn’t really miss anything, where Horimiya is just a bit rushed.
Yona
January 15, 2021 at 4:25 amAs someone who enjoyed the manga early on but quickly grew somewhat bored with it, I’m surprised to read your praise for it. It’s enjoyable, no doubt, with some great character designs and art, but ultimately never struck me as anything particularly interesting. Having not a read any of the manga in a few months though, I hope my time away from it coupled with the relative freshness an anime will change that.