Kino no Tabi>> Info>> Introduction

Meet Kino, a young traveler who wanders around the world with the help of Hermes, an unusual motorcycle. They both go randomly from country to country, and stay in each for three days, and then leave to the next destination. They find adventures, happiness, sadness, pain, decadence, violence, beauty, knowledge. But they will never lose their freedom.

Kino no Tabi is an anime based in Japanese writer Keiichi Shigusawa's novels. These books are best-sellers in Japan, but unfortunately is impossible to find translations in any western language. The only thing we non-Japanese spokers have to enjoy is the 13 anime episodes, directed by Ryutaro Nakamura.

The story is dark and philosophic, but at the same time sensitive and exquisite. I often compare it with The Petit Prince, but lacking the innocence. Kino and Hermes are viewers like us, analysing the countries they visit, without changing notoriously their lives and styles. It's a critic for human nature. Those nations are somehow alike to the real-life ones, although exaggerated to the extreme. Kino runs away from society, past, attachments to reality. The main character questions the people they meet, and also herself and her behavior.

Don't be fooled, the world is not beautiful, but its imperfection is another kind of beauty. That's the message they leave us.