~Beyond the Border~ > Sara's Audio-Visual Import-Overflow Retail
Kemono Friends - 2017's First Surprise Hit
Chaore:
I'm so glad that I managed to come at the exact moment before it ends, holy hell.
Spoiler: Only thing of note worth speculating is, I'm fairly sure Kaban has to be what happens when Sandstar encounters human remains.
Specifically, in this case, probably Mirai's. So uh, I get the feeling this bookend for Kaban is... pretty final.
Silent Harmony:
Final Episode
Spoiler: Cheesy finale is cheesy, but honestly compared to the first 11 episodes it pretty much was exactly the tone the first 10 set: slightly mysterious, but mostly goofy and cute. A fitting end to the series in my opinion (and I mean that as a praise).
Well, we didn't get all the answers we wanted, but enough I think to put things to rest.
* Spoiler: The humans did indeed all evacuate when they failed to defeat the giant Cerulean.
* Spoiler: The warning of "Ceruleans tend to appear where humans are" was accurate, but backwards; humans appear where Ceruleans are. More specifically, they were essentially the front-line defense against them, so whenever a Cerulean appeared the Humans were quick to respond, explaining why they were always in the same place at the same time.
* Spoiler: KABAN'S EXISTENCE REVEAL BELOW:
* Spoiler: Chaore, as well as many others, were super close. She wasn't born from Mirai's remains, but was born from her DNA. More specifically, a strand of hair in her hat that was blown away. Essentially, Kaban's a clone, which explains the imperfect similarity to Mirai.
* Spoiler: On a related note, how fucking strong are winds around the park where they can blow a hat from the Amusement Park (near the harbor) all the way to the Safari area, which is insinuated to be clear across the island?!!!
* Spoiler: Related to the above: humans who are consumed by Ceruleans do not die for reasons related to my speculation last week. When a Friend is consumed by a Cerulean, as I guessed, they are reverted back to their animal forms. Since a human's natural state is, well, Human, they stay the same. Still likely not good to be inside of one long-term, but not the immediate danger it poses on the other species.
* Spoiler: The island that we saw in the last episode was almost certainly Japan, but my knowledge of the region is scare. Best guess was off that Japari Park was off the Eastern Coast.
* Spoiler: Also it appears that there are water-based friends. Maybe it's possible certain Sandstar can work in water?
Overall my impression of the show remains the same: full of flaws but more than enough charm and excellence in writing and world-building (especially in terms of "show, not tell") that I could easily look past the animation and awkward directing. These friends will be missed.
Edible:
I had a ton of fun with the finale. Great show!
--- Quote from: Silent Harmony on March 28, 2017, 07:14:42 PM --- These friends will be missed.
--- End quote ---
They hinted at a sequel - the last few seconds of the ending in the lower right had "to be continued" in japanese slowly start to rise from the water.
Silent Harmony:
The finale was definitely fun; I got a few legitimate laughs from the jokes.
Also if there really is a sequel, hopefully it's like Symphogear where the unexpected success of the first season brings with it a larger budget. I don't mind the use of 3D animation, but they can do so much more with it, even if it isn't a priority.
The show strikes me as a eastern version of where cartoons seem to be trending in recent years: aimed at children, but with enough subtle odds and ends to keep adults/parents entertained. Or maybe that's all just a coincidence. At the least it would explain the emphasis on storytelling, learning, and throwing in unexpected easter eggs Spoiler: such as the plane wreckage while skimping on the animation quality. To me animation's something young children are much more forgiving of, assuming they notice anything wrong in the first place.
Edible:
At this point I consider the wonky CG part of its charm, but if they can touch up the models a bit I'm certainly not going to complain