Ni no Kuni (2019) Detailed Anime Review
Director: Yoshiyuki Momose
Studio: OLM
Genre: Fantasy, Adventure
Year Built: 2019
Episodes: Movie
Anime Rating: 10/7
Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch, which was first released in 2011, and Ni No Kuni 2: Revenant Kingdom, released in 2018, also owned an anime elephant of about an hour forty minutes in 2019. When you look at the anime’s visuals, you might think of Studio Ghibli. As the first game, Wrath of the White Witch was developed by producer Level-5, Studio Ghibli. Of course, it would not be possible not to watch the anime after playing two games that I find very successful. I’ll tell you right away; It has its own story independent of anime games. Although some elements are taken from the first game as a story, it is quite possible to watch the games without playing, thanks to the original scenario.
Yuu and Haru are two childhood friends. Three people always hang out with Haru’s lover Kotona. However, there is also a situation like this; Yuu is in a wheelchair because she said that her plane crashed when she was a baby, and Yuu was the only survivor. The cost was his legs. He also has feelings for Kotona, but Kotona is dating her friend Haru and has infinite respect. One day, a strange being that does not suit our world begins to follow Kotona. Kotona realizes this and tells her friends, but Yuu and Haru are late, Kotona is stabbed with a strange dagger again. Yuu and Haru pursue the suspect, and when they hit the road, they become a sparkle when a vehicle is about to crush them, and the two find themselves in a completely different world. Moreover, Yuu can walk in this world. Surprisingly, Yuu and Haru try to examine their location, learn about Kotona’s fate, and soon realize that they have found themselves on a fantastic adventure.
Ni No Kuni means more or less the other world/city, and just like games, events take place between the world we know and a fantasy world. As I said, the story is independent and has nothing to do with games. Only the two world concepts and some (I’m not saying because there are spoilers) events are similar. The biggest handicap of the movie is that it comes from two successful J-RPG games. Now, if you haven’t played the games, it’s a very successful movie. Even if you played the games, they were successful, but there was such a wide and detailed content, a community of characters and events in the games that someone who played the games inevitably searches for them. Therefore, anime movies remain mediocre and superficial compared to games. Maybe if I hadn’t played the games, my score would have been a little higher, but when the anime is named Ni No Kuni, people inevitably have more expectations, and what can you fit in an hour and a half? Regardless, if we separate it from its games, I can say it is a successful anime movie.
When you first see the anime with detailed 2D drawings, you might think it is a Ghibli anime. I wrote in my first paragraph; Ghibli was also involved in the first game. So it’s still a Ghibli-inspired anime. When this is the case, we come across vivid colors, detailed background drawings, and Ghibli-like characters. Do we have a complaint? No. The few kinds of music in the anime are taken from the plays, and they are very high quality, suitable for the genre. There is no strangeness in the voices.
Ni No Kuni is a nice anime with a simple but fluent story, without going into too much detail like in the games. Of course, I learn to watch. At the very least, you would say hello to the Ni No Kuni universe, even from the tip. By the way, I highly recommend you to play their games if you have the opportunity. Although the concept of the games is the same, the story is independent of each other.
