Boy, am I pissed off. While I had prepared myself for the lack of any sequel/split cour announcement at the end of this finale, it still hit like a ton of bricks. I’m utterly conflicted here, because I want to be positive about what was a truly great final episode. But Kemono Jihen not getting a sequel doesn’t just suck on its own terms (which it most definitely does) – it also exemplifies just how utterly and maybe irretrievably broken the current anime production model is. It’s very hard to sort out my feelings at this moment, because they’re all jumbled together.
There were two shows this season which I truly loved, this one and Kai Byoui Ramune. But despite both of them getting only a single cour my emotions could hardly be more different. Ramune is a short manga and the sort of quirky oddball that would never have been a major hit. But it’s different with Kemono Jihen. This is a great series, yes – in my view vastly superior to the shounen giants getting multiple seasons and movies by the truckload. But it’s also a series that should be a hit. It has what should be plenty of mainstream appeal, and indeed is very popular (4.2 million manga volumes in circulation in February, #7 in overall sales).
Yet, here we are.
You can look at two shows, this one and Jibaku Shounen Hanako-kun, to see why anime is broken and probably screwed. Look at those series getting one cour, and look at the mediocrities all around getting multiples. For most of anime’s history these two series getting multiple seasons wouldn’t even have been a question, just based on their commercial appeal. But that was before the stranglehold the production committee system has on anime tightened to the point where creative ambition has been largely suffocated. In a healthy, sustainable creative ecosystem these two series would be slam-dunks for multiple seasons. In the current one, they’re one and done.
It’s not impossible that Kemono Jihen will eventually get a sequel of course. Hell, it’s not even impossible that Hanako-kun will. But it shouldn’t be in any doubt, and the signs are frankly not promising. Aimoto Shou only tweeted “If you want to continue the story, please read the manga from Volume 6”. And there are no hints to be found from anyone in the production committee that more is in the works. It’s a travesty, frankly – not only because this is such a stellar shounen, but because this is the sort of show that should be the backbone of anime as a medium.
Yes, there was a finale. And I really should talk about it because it was, you know, great. Kemono Jihen was extremely consistent but it must be said that both its premiere and finale were among the very best episodes, which is a marker of a strong adaptation. While the Akira origin story and indeed the entire cour are basically prologue, with the main story only now starting (must…contain…rage…) this was a great way to conclude things. Akira and Yui’s story connects with Kabane’s backstory (obviously the main event) more directly than Shiki’s, which is why Aimoto-sensei placed it later in the narrative.
One of the great things about this is that all of these characters are really interesting and complicated. Nobimaru has some great moments in this finale, from calling Inari a “bitch” to refusing treatment for his mangled hand as an “admonishment”. It’s always interesting to see he and Kabane working together because they’re so different and, in a sense, they complement each other tremendously well. Kabane could not be more direct or Nobimaru more duplicitous, yet they’re a dream team. And the eminently practical and detached Nobimaru seems to genuinely like this aspect of Kabane, probably because it’s so antithetical to what he and his kind represent.
Kabane’s willingness to put himself in Nobimaru’s hands and Nobimaru’s ruthlessness is what allows the pair to eventually overcome Yui. Forced to hold back from killing Yui, even Nobimaru is probably overmatched in solo combat. Together however they fight ice with fire and triumph just as Akira frees himself and comes to his brother’s rescue (unnecessarily, in truth). The most crucial part of this sequence is what happens when the ever-selfless Kabane uses the Lifestone to try and extract the Nullstone from Yui’s body. What results – eventually dubbed the “Kemonostone” by Inugami-san – is something quite unlike even the tanuki or Inari-sama has seen before.
My favorite part of the aftermath is Kabane’s “Yokatta!” reaction when Akira makes it clear that his act was just that, an act. Kabane is quick to forgive but it’s obvious that being loved is important to him, and Akira is someone who shares that commodity freely. Yui shares, too – some information about the Nullstone and the history behind it. Kabane’s goal is to find his parents, and Yui’s story about the “Kemono Jihen” – the great kemono-human war a thousand years ago – suggests that those parents could be important individuals.
And so, the real story of Kemono Jihen can begin. While Shiki and Akira stay behind to rebuild their family relationships, Kabane sets off for Shikoku to try and find his own family – in the company of the ever-nurturing Inugami of course. There’s another passenger on the Shinkansen, though. Kon (the world’s worst actress) has been given the task of getting Kabane to voluntarily hand over the Kemonostone as a means to restore her place at Inari’s side. Inugami leaves her acceptance up to Kabane-kun, and he’s certainly not going to say no.
It’s a cliche by now, but truthfully, the anime has just scratched the surface with Kemono Jihen. The best part of the manga is still to come, but I think the anime did a wonderful job of capturing its appeal. It was a super-faithful adaptation of the first 21 chapters (only Chapter 16 and part of 10 were omitted), with near-flawless execution. A couple of the casting decisions (not the most important ones) were borderline for me, but apart from that the adaptation pretty much never put a foot wrong. This is a great shounen, plain and simple – like Hunter X Hunter one with strong seinen accents. Kabane is a fantastically loveable protagonist and the supporting cast is uniformly top-notch.
And now, I suppose, we can only fall back on the old standby – “read the manga”. It’s a a wonderful one and no consolation prize by any means, but it truly is a crying shame that it gets anything less than a full anime adaptation. It lends itself to the medium beautifully, and indeed represents the best of what shounen anime has historically been. I wish I could bask in the glow of a pitch-perfect final episode like that with unreserved happiness, but the state of anime in 2021 just makes that impossible. Still – that’s why I’m first and foremost a manga fan at this point in my life. Now – what are you waiting for? Go start reading.
Jen
March 29, 2021 at 2:23 pmHilariously, I just bought my blu ray version of Hanako-kun today and was watching a few episodes (I’ve been keeping up with the source of course) when this post came up. As I was rewatching, I just kept wishing with very low hope for a sequel, especially since it only scratched the surface.
Kabane is a protagonist I haven’t seen in a long time and his dance with Akira was so darn cute. I already started reading the manga but I’m getting the same wishful thinking for a 2nd season of Kemono Jihen. I didn’t realize production companies had so much hold over these things but it’s pretty obvious when you think about it. Still frustrating though.
Guardian Enzo
March 29, 2021 at 3:07 pmIt’s the other companies on the production committees – which typically outrank the production studios – which are the root of the rot that’s eating away at anime from the inside out.
Hanako-kun is another truly maddening example. A phenomenally popular manga and in the current environment, can’t even get two cours.
Snowball
March 29, 2021 at 2:30 pmI wholeheartedly thank you, Enzo for recommending this series.
I have read the manga up to the most current chapter and can officially announce that it’s my favourite and my most anticipated read out of all the mangas I am following currently. There’s a lot of originality and quirkiness to it and it definitely trumps the likes of KnY in my opinion.
What a bummer there’s no S2 announcement! I will definitely come back to watching this series again. It was a great adaptation overall.
This was a stellar episode in every way. Kabane having his body in flames was not a direction I was expecting. It was cool, quirky but disturbing to watch a kid burning at the same time. Aimouto it good at surprising and being ruthless. My heart melted when Kabane was plodding in the corridor in Shiki’s overgrown jacket and him reconciling with Akira was the best. It’s been a while since I loved an MC so much. I will miss Fujiwara-san, who has been a terrific voice actress, playing such a cute and loveable character.
I have to say the OST is great, too, which really elevates the chilling and disturbing and beautiful scenes of the anime.
Guardian Enzo
March 29, 2021 at 3:05 pmRecommending a series like this is a pleasure which absolutely demands no thanks. But you’re welcome just the same.
It’s all good. The soundtrack, Fujiwara, Murase and Suwabe, even the animation (which was sneaky good). It just galls me that this isn’t given the chance to be the tentpole shounen franchise it clearly has the legs to be, and would have been a decade ago.
Snowball
March 29, 2021 at 6:15 pmWell, at least we could be thankful that this adaption was brilliant consistently from beginning to end when others were beginning to fall short towards the middle of their run.
BBOvenGuy
March 29, 2021 at 3:07 pmPatience, patience. You never know what might be going on behind the scenes in the business world. I wouldn’t give up hope yet.
animealex
March 29, 2021 at 3:38 pmAlready up to date on the manga. It was a good adaption of a great manga, but I miss the omitted or censored content. I get why both was done; leaving the slice of life stuff out was necessary to get where we are in the final and showing even more direct darkness may have driven off some of the viewers, but it’s still a shame. The main appeal for me was always that the manga on the one hand was very cute and quirky due to the oddness of the main characters. On the other hand the manga makes it abundantly clear, that Kabane and friends look like normal children and sometimes act like them, but are not “normal” regarding their ethics or morals, which is to be expected, since they are not human. (I wished more series took this approach to show, yes it looks like human, sometimes acts like a human but fundamentally they are something alien).
But that nitpick aside, yes I liked the adaption and would recommend it, if someone were to ask me for a non-standard shonen recommendation. Also the self described “least of the least Kitsune” Nobimaru is kinda like the icing on top. Real trickster characters, where you really keep guessing where their true allegiances (if any!) lie, are perhaps even more rare than cute, but deadly dangerous main characters.
Guardian Enzo
March 29, 2021 at 5:36 pmNice description of Nobimaru. Totally fits him.
I feel the same way about the omissions (in truth it’s really only “Kabane’s Long Day” that got dropped on the SoL side). Basically if the anime had included what the manga did you’d be talking about content on the disturbing level of HxH or MiA. Maybe those series felt like they could afford to do that, but I’m not sure Kemono Jihen could. Not that it seems to have mattered in the end.
Este
March 29, 2021 at 7:39 pmAn enjoyable ride this 🙂 Kabane’s been endearing throughout and now I have a soft spot for Akira’s Yui nii-san (ably voiced by Ishikawa Kaito). Kudos to Ajia Do for that surprising fleeting moment where Yui allowed himself a patient little smile at Shiki elbowing a nodding-off Akira, a little detail that rounds up how well done the characterisations have been in this production.
Kim
March 30, 2021 at 1:15 amI haven’t watched the episode yet so scrolled down without reading the review but was very upset by no second season announcement. And here in the US we don’t even have the licensed manga. Just more despair to add to a Monday
ibtachi
March 31, 2021 at 12:15 amIt’s been absolute pleasure to watch this show each week. I don’t want to mince words, you’ve already given it all the praise it deserves.
Keeping my fingers crossed that the domestic bluray sales will earn it a greenlight (especially given its popularity). Till then, I’ve got a new manga to look forward to.