WEBVTT Kind: captions Language: en 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:03.540 Death Parade is a series with a perfect aesthetic. 00:00:03.540 --> 00:00:08.480 Its overly glamorous, low-light bar setting invokes a high-class casino, 00:00:08.480 --> 00:00:14.400 where upon lost souls are forced into games which reveal their true natures and determine their destinies. 00:00:14.400 --> 00:00:18.560 The show looks exactly like the message that it's trying to send. 00:00:18.560 --> 00:00:20.560 But as much as I can praise the show for that, 00:00:20.560 --> 00:00:23.120 it is not *my* aesthetic. 00:00:23.120 --> 00:00:28.480 The ideas of determining the quality of human souls or revealing someone's so-called "true nature" 00:00:28.480 --> 00:00:29.920 don't appeal to me. 00:00:29.920 --> 00:00:33.020 These themes don't reflect the way that I look at the world, 00:00:33.020 --> 00:00:37.420 and so the presentation which matches them so well doesn't hold my attention either. 00:00:37.760 --> 00:00:45.040 Gorgeous as the visuals may be, my first impression upon seeing it was that this show probably wasn't going to be my kind of thing. 00:00:45.040 --> 00:00:48.480 I felt the exact opposite about Kill la Kill. 00:00:48.480 --> 00:00:51.440 I knew that this was my kind of show from the title alone. 00:00:51.440 --> 00:00:58.700 Kill la Kill is so ostentatiously over-the-top, that it literally has the word "kill" in it *twice*. 00:00:58.700 --> 00:01:02.880 There's little chance that no one on the production thought about Kill Bill when they named it that either, 00:01:02.880 --> 00:01:06.600 not when we're talking about a show featuring cameos of Pulp Fiction characters. 00:01:06.600 --> 00:01:10.160 And as a life-long Tarantino fan, that kind of stuff gets me wet. 00:01:10.160 --> 00:01:13.860 I've broken down the opening minutes in extensive detail before, 00:01:13.860 --> 00:01:19.800 but the moment that truly got me pumped was the image of Ryuko staring up at a gigantic pillar of a city. 00:01:19.800 --> 00:01:24.000 I read into this: "I am down here, and I need to be up there." 00:01:24.000 --> 00:01:28.840 Or perhaps: "This entire structure is what I need to conquer." 00:01:28.840 --> 00:01:30.980 And that's exactly how I look at the world: 00:01:30.980 --> 00:01:35.760 As a challenge only as massive as the ego which I'm going to use to conquer it. 00:01:35.760 --> 00:01:39.000 So of course, I also relate to the ego-driven Ryuko, 00:01:39.000 --> 00:01:41.460 whose quest is based entirely in self-interest, 00:01:41.460 --> 00:01:44.500 and who is a lemon-eating-edgelord-fucking-weirdo. 00:01:44.500 --> 00:01:50.300 From there we embark upon twenty-five episodes of the most energetic and inventive animation that I've ever seen, 00:01:50.300 --> 00:01:52.440 which I've also talked about previously. 00:01:52.440 --> 00:01:56.440 And like in the case of Death Parade, the aesthetic compliments the narrative perfectly. 00:01:56.440 --> 00:01:58.440 In many cases, informing it. 00:01:58.440 --> 00:02:00.820 Fashion plays a major role in the series, 00:02:00.820 --> 00:02:03.620 so every character wears a multitude of outfits, 00:02:03.620 --> 00:02:07.340 showcased in the second OP and added on to as more are revealed. 00:02:07.340 --> 00:02:11.200 As someone who's into cute and cool clothes, this has my attention. 00:02:11.200 --> 00:02:15.520 There's a strong focus on breaking down dichotomies and embracing dualism. 00:02:15.520 --> 00:02:18.120 So color-theming always occurs in opposites: 00:02:18.120 --> 00:02:22.240 black versus white in the outfits, red versus blue in the backgrounds, et cetera. 00:02:22.240 --> 00:02:25.800 All of which is obliterated until the characters are stark-naked, 00:02:25.800 --> 00:02:28.220 all that they are and in unity. 00:02:28.220 --> 00:02:31.760 I've written more about these themes and how much I love them in other videos. 00:02:31.760 --> 00:02:35.640 Even more importantly, I am obsessed with sex and sexuality 00:02:35.640 --> 00:02:39.140 and how these things are perceived and understood in culture. 00:02:39.140 --> 00:02:43.000 And the show explores these ideas while getting all of its characters naked. 00:02:43.000 --> 00:02:47.400 And in their nudity is found authenticity, which is an obsession of mine too. 00:02:47.400 --> 00:02:51.340 There is so much intimacy between the script and design work of this series, 00:02:51.340 --> 00:02:53.920 that it's impossible to imagine one without the other. 00:02:53.940 --> 00:02:56.740 Each was crafted as a perfect complement. 00:02:56.740 --> 00:02:59.980 See, for instance the character designs, which are highly attractive, 00:02:59.980 --> 00:03:02.200 yet blobby and unsexy, 00:03:02.200 --> 00:03:05.340 keeping the message from ever being that we should lust after the characters, 00:03:05.340 --> 00:03:07.760 but instead that we explore their nudity. 00:03:07.760 --> 00:03:13.560 The manic pacing and phonetic animation of Kill la Kill would not be appropriate for every anime series, 00:03:13.560 --> 00:03:19.040 but if one was trying to capture my interest and to visually communicate the themes that resonate with me most, 00:03:19.040 --> 00:03:21.160 then this is the style which it would adopt. 00:03:21.160 --> 00:03:27.200 That is to say that shows about these subjects and featuring this visual style are *always* going to be up my alley, 00:03:27.200 --> 00:03:29.640 in a way that other shows just can't compete with. 00:03:29.640 --> 00:03:33.040 Even if they do whatever they do as well as they possibly could do it. 00:03:33.040 --> 00:03:36.300 Kill la Kill looks like the inside of my mind 00:03:36.300 --> 00:03:40.200 and is preoccupied with many of the same thoughts which reside therein. 00:03:40.200 --> 00:03:44.180 Kill la Kill is above-average in complexity, but is forthright. 00:03:44.180 --> 00:03:48.160 It doesn't spell every little thing out, but it is far from veiled. 00:03:48.160 --> 00:03:51.180 And is rife with calling cards towards its deeper intentions. 00:03:51.180 --> 00:03:53.700 You don't have to be a genius to enjoy this show. 00:03:53.700 --> 00:03:58.360 Part of why I like it is that I think enormous, cartoon-ish blood spurts are fucking hilarious. 00:03:58.360 --> 00:04:02.080 But if you *are* a genius, then this show isn't going to insult you. 00:04:02.080 --> 00:04:05.560 And it's going to give you a lot to chew on as you continue thinking about it. 00:04:05.560 --> 00:04:10.820 If you're smart enough to detect it, you'll quickly realize that the people making this show are even smarter. 00:04:10.820 --> 00:04:14.720 They know what they're doing on a level you might not even be able to parse, 00:04:14.720 --> 00:04:16.760 and by you, I also mean me. 00:04:16.760 --> 00:04:20.260 What I mean to praise here is that the series is honest and unguarded. 00:04:20.260 --> 00:04:23.300 It wants you to get it and to have a good time. 00:04:23.300 --> 00:04:26.200 And it's not trying to rub it in your face how smart it is. 00:04:26.260 --> 00:04:28.420 It's just genuinely emotional. 00:04:28.420 --> 00:04:30.820 And those emotions are coming from a real place. 00:04:30.820 --> 00:04:33.400 It's not trying to hand you a puzzle or to trick you. 00:04:33.400 --> 00:04:39.120 Not to say those things can't be fun, but as someone who prizes my ability to speak my mind clearly and directly, 00:04:39.120 --> 00:04:42.580 I feel closer to media which can do the same with eloquence. 00:04:42.580 --> 00:04:46.000 It's also not afraid to be cringey and true to itself. 00:04:46.000 --> 00:04:50.240 Sometimes, it's fucking stupid and perverse and problematic. 00:04:50.240 --> 00:04:55.660 I've forgive and embrace all of that because I am also all of those things without reservation. 00:04:55.660 --> 00:05:00.380 If that's not all subjective enough for you, I have also generally don't like orchestral music. 00:05:00.380 --> 00:05:01.780 Like, at all. 00:05:01.780 --> 00:05:05.800 I'm not into film score, and I'll always prefer the use of contemporary music. 00:05:05.800 --> 00:05:10.060 So I celebrate composers like Sawano, who can make a brilliant soundtrack of rock music 00:05:10.060 --> 00:05:13.080 that will not only get me hyped during every major scene in the show, 00:05:13.080 --> 00:05:17.000 but also get me hyped in my car and in my bedroom and at the karaoke booth. 00:05:17.000 --> 00:05:21.000 "Before My Body is Dry" is an absolutely legendary piece of BGM, 00:05:21.000 --> 00:05:25.900 but "Blumenkranz" is legit one of my favorite songs to ever come from an anime soundtrack. 00:05:25.900 --> 00:05:30.300 Considering my background isn't stuff like heavy metal and worshiping epic moments, 00:05:30.300 --> 00:05:32.100 this is sort of my comfort zone. 00:05:32.100 --> 00:05:36.060 Studio Trigger is known for the ethos represented in their work, 00:05:36.060 --> 00:05:38.940 one carried over from their history as a part of Gainax. 00:05:38.940 --> 00:05:44.280 Their desire to break rules, do as they please, and say "Fuck you" to anyone who questions them. 00:05:44.280 --> 00:05:49.300 But they also wanna make good, meaningful shows that will appeal to and affect people. 00:05:49.300 --> 00:05:52.500 At least, on occasion when the inspiration strikes. 00:05:52.500 --> 00:05:57.200 So, Kill la Kill functions perfectly fine as a coherent and engaging story. 00:05:57.200 --> 00:06:00.100 Even as it sticks its tongue out to formalism. 00:06:00.100 --> 00:06:02.840 It does this most often by way of Harime Nui. 00:06:02.840 --> 00:06:07.020 It kind of borderlines deus ex machina with no fondness for the fourth wall, 00:06:07.020 --> 00:06:10.000 built to be as obnoxious as humanly possible. 00:06:10.000 --> 00:06:13.700 It's not a surprise that she's probably the most hated character in the show, 00:06:13.700 --> 00:06:17.900 nor is it a surprise that a hipster-contrarian-like me absolutely loves her. 00:06:17.900 --> 00:06:21.900 To some, it is weird that a story which could have been perfectly constructed 00:06:21.900 --> 00:06:26.400 would throw in some random, bullshit red herring that makes it impossible to take seriously. 00:06:26.400 --> 00:06:29.100 To me, taking something seriously sounds like a chore. 00:06:29.100 --> 00:06:31.680 And I'll be glad if a story gives me permission not to. 00:06:31.680 --> 00:06:37.000 But then it's not a stretch to say that Gainax and Trigger ethos is what shaped me to feel this way. 00:06:37.000 --> 00:06:40.120 I've been watching shows that these people have made for decades. 00:06:40.120 --> 00:06:43.820 And the work of writer Kazuki Nakashima and director Hiroyuki Imaishi 00:06:43.820 --> 00:06:48.720 was already massively important to me when I was coming-of-age in high school and Gurren Lagann came out. 00:06:48.720 --> 00:06:51.460 Not to speak of the number of times I've seen Fooly Cooly 00:06:51.460 --> 00:06:54.300 or the impact which Evangelion had had on me by then. 00:06:54.300 --> 00:07:00.200 Getting to enjoy another show from this collective perspective is always going to a source of excitement for a lifer like me, 00:07:00.200 --> 00:07:03.700 someone who's own art style was deeply informed by these people 00:07:03.700 --> 00:07:08.360 and who is happy to get to do my work in a world where there's still finding new ways to inspire me. 00:07:08.360 --> 00:07:13.480 I can't help but to view art in a vast, continuum, where in everything informs each other 00:07:13.480 --> 00:07:15.840 coming from the same root all the way at the bottom. 00:07:15.840 --> 00:07:20.800 And so shows like this, which wear their influences on their sleeves and pay homage to all of their favorites 00:07:20.800 --> 00:07:21.620 are special to me. 00:07:21.620 --> 00:07:24.640 I know others who prize a series for being self-contained, 00:07:24.640 --> 00:07:30.460 but for me, it's impossible to look at a work and ignore the lives of the creators and the world which surrounds their creation. 00:07:30.460 --> 00:07:33.880 So, it makes my life easier in a way if the creator spells it all out for me. 00:07:33.880 --> 00:07:38.060 Plus, it's a great way to get recommendations of older stuff to watch that may be similar. 00:07:38.060 --> 00:07:41.300 Everything that ought to be good about Kill la Kill is good. 00:07:41.300 --> 00:07:44.360 And it is also good in many ways that didn't even have to be. 00:07:44.360 --> 00:07:49.500 Satsuki is a phenomenal character in a show already full of great and memorable personalities. 00:07:49.500 --> 00:07:52.800 And that alone has probably earned the show a lot of critical approval. 00:07:52.800 --> 00:07:55.580 But this isn't about what I think Kill la Kill does well. 00:07:55.580 --> 00:07:59.300 Those are things that I can appreciate, but which don't really matter in the long run. 00:07:59.300 --> 00:08:03.300 I don't consume media only to see a technician executing something perfectly; 00:08:03.300 --> 00:08:07.400 I consume it for some kind of deeper communication and resonance of ideas. 00:08:07.400 --> 00:08:11.400 I want to be understood by media and to understand others through it. 00:08:11.400 --> 00:08:15.000 To see something that I care about being cared about by someone else. 00:08:15.000 --> 00:08:20.020 And to see my feelings made tangible so that I can understand them and carry them around with me. 00:08:20.640 --> 00:08:27.640 Kill la Kill is one of my favorite anime because it captures an attitude, spirit, and set of interests which I share so gorgeously. 00:08:27.640 --> 00:08:33.740 This video is the first in a series that I will be doing explaining why each of my favorite anime is among them. 00:08:33.740 --> 00:08:38.020 If you feel that you need more context into my perspective on anime to get something out of this, 00:08:38.020 --> 00:08:42.320 then I recommend this playlist of videos which I consider essential to understanding my outlook. 00:08:42.320 --> 00:08:45.740 Check that out and support me on Patreon if you wanna help me keep making more videos. 00:08:45.740 --> 00:08:48.680 Thanks again for watching and I'll see you in the next one.