Anime Review: Tekkon Kinkreet (2006)

This review is for the Blu-ray edition.

Tekkon Kinkreet is one of those rare movies that surpass the original book itself. It is a rather faithful adaption of the original graphic novel by Taiyo Matsumoto. I actually watched the anime before reading the book, Tekkon Kinkreet / Black & White. I've reused some parts of the book review here since the story is the same.

The story is about two orphans, Black and White, who live in the fictional Treasure Town as they take on the yakuzas trying to take over the city. They are street kids, known as the Cats. Black is violent and sees it his responsibility to take care of his seemingly innocent brother White. Oh, and these boys can fly, literally.

Just as the names of the kids suggest, this theme is on the light and darkness. It's about how the kids relationship with people around them, having to find the way in their own lives on the streets, most oftentimes ending with violence. It is a gritty tale about friendship and change. There are no heroes in this book.

The anime surpassed the book with just the background art. The city is just marvelously stunning and meticulously filled with details. It's just pure visual delight looking at the background art, especially when viewed large on the Blu-ray. In contrast, the character animation is rather simplistic and nothing to shout about. In fact, the characters sometimes look out of place against a backdrop so detailed. The French influence in the comics is lost in the anime. This anime is as Japanese as it can get, in terms of style, although it still follows the some of the storyboards from the comic.

If you've read the comic book prior, you must watch the anime. If you've already watched the anime, you can skip the comic book.

The story is not the best, but the anime is well worth the money just for looking at the background art.

4 out of 5 stars.

Keywords associated with this anime:
Violence, yakuza, beautiful background art, surreal, mortality

Links:

• Official website for Tekkon Kinkreet
• Book Review: Tekkon Kinkreet Art Book: Background Paintings
• Book Review: Tekkon Kinkreet Art Book: Background Sketches
• Book Review: Tekkon Kinkreet / Black & White

Where to find it

Visit the links below to read more reviews on Amazon. There are other disc formats available also. Do note the region code for the disc and your player before buying.

Country-specific Amazon links for Tekkon Kinkreet [Blu-ray]:
Amazon.com | Amazon.ca | Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.fr (DVD) | Amazon.de | Amazon.co.jp (DVD)