Anime Film Review: Tekkon Kinkreet

We hear the words “masterpiece”, “stunning” and “breathtaking” bandied around a lot in terms of anime series and movies. I’ve watched some of these breathtakingly stunning masterpieces- as described by reviewers- and have not felt the least bit as if my breath was taken away by a stunning masterpiece.

On the contrary, most of the anime that’s referred to in this manner is quite ordinary and mundane, and sometimes, plain bad. Obviously the whole thing is subjective, but one gets turned off after hearing these terms used gratuitously and erroneously in describing an average anime.

Tekkon Kinkreet, however, is one of the few anime I’ve heard referred to as “masterpiece” that actually lives up to the moniker.

Plot summary

In a whimsical and colorful version of Japan, lies Treasure Town. Treasure Town is a down and out place that’s rife with poverty and crime, contrary to its name. Two orphans, Kuro (Black) and Shiro (White), prowl the streets of Treasure Town, eking out a meager living together and thieving from and bludgeoning any and all who get in their way.

Kuro is a tough, street smart kid who knows how to handle himself in a fight- even against adults. Shiro is a young innocent who speaks in a childish manner and has a pure heart. Without Kuro, Shiro probably wouldn’t have made it out on the streets. And without Shiro, Kuro might have succumbed to apathy long ago.

Kuro fiercely looks after Shiro, and keeps an eye on Treasure Town as well. He grows alarmed one day when yakuza move back onto his turf. Things get really rough for the two orphans when a force even more sinister than yakuza decides to set up shop in Treasure Town as well.

review

The colors and style of Tekkon Kinkreet are the first things that grabbed me as I watched it; beautiful colors and bizarre character styling sets this movie apart from other anime.

Kuro and Shiro had my full attention next. It’s hard not to be drawn to these two delinquents as they roam Treasure Town, shaking down anyone who dares infringe on their territory. Kuro’s unconscionable violence is in stark contrast to Shiro’s innocent obedience of Kuro. Underneath his seemingly dumb facade, Shiro has a heart of gold and is aware what he and Kuro does is wrong.

Kuro on the other hand, is a viscous boy who doesn’t care who or what he hurts; as long as Shiro is protected, he’ll do whatever it takes to keep Shiro and himself alive. And these two need each other to survive: Shiro needs Kuro’s protection and Kuro needs Shiro’s smiling face and positive outlook.

The movie explores how these two friends revolve around, and their dependence for, each other. Tekkon Kinkreet is about more than two mentally touched orphaned boys terrorizing a ramshackle town; it’s about light and dark, good and evil and how one needs the other in order to survive and to balance out the universe. I was touched by the boys’ camaraderie and was so taken into their story, that I almost missed all the amazing visuals exploding around me.

The visual style of Tekkon Kinkreet was awe inspiring. The cinematography was something I haven’t seen much of in anime. POV’s were taken to new heights, literally, as the camera followed Kuro’s attacks and Shiro’s flying form. Dizzying camera angles added an extra edge to the story and drew me in further into Kuro’s dementia and Shiro’s fantasy world.

What to say about the colors except, wow. The almost candy-like palette was at odds with the run down Treasure Town but matched the high spirits of the main characters. I think the colors said more about the emotions and messages than the actual objects themselves.

The highly stylized character designs of Taiyo Matsumoto’s manga, which was then adapted to the screen, don’t adhere to any traditional anime or manga style. At first the designs seem outlandish, but after a while, I couldn’t imagine the movie without them.

Studio 4°C did an outstanding job with the animation. I was impressed by the seamlessness of the production which captured every moment of Kuro and Shiro’s action. It was if the characters were alive and not merely hand drawn animations.

The voice cast was perfect and Shiro’s seiyuu, Yu Aoi, really stood out. She captured Shiro’s joyfulness and fears beautifully.

Asian Kung Fu Generation performed the OP, Aru Machi no Gunjō for the movie. The score for Tekkon Kinkreet, by Plaid was passable, but not very memorable. The opening song, however, did stand out more than the rest of the score.

Tekkon Kinkreet is a movie worth watching and re-watching to catch all of its nuances and subtleties; not that you won’t catch them the first time. However, it would be a worth the ticket to revisit this fanciful world again and again with fresh insight on every return visit. Oh, and bring a friend.

out of a possible four gummies.