[Anime Expo 2018] K Seven Stories: R:B Blaze Movie Review

  • Episodes : 1
  • Genre : Action, Drama, Fantasy
  • Release Date : Jul. 7, 2018
  • Studios : GoHands

Contains Spoilers


Introduction

K Project caught everyone’s attention back in 2012. The art style simply captivated everyone and anyone who glimpsed a trailer or any type of commercial. That’s all it took to get hooked on the show. If you came late to the party, then chances are you binged the entire series in one sitting. If you still have not gotten into the show yet, then you will be glad to know that the show is not simply skin deep. The storyline is solid with a good, diverse cast of characters to follow during a crisis that can destroy an entire society. You see, in this world there are Kings, people who have been bestowed with immense supernatural power, and they basically set up clans and try to keep some sort of balance. At times, a King will let his desire run amok and the other Kings will have to do what they can to put the rogue one back in order.

Movie Review

With that said, let’s get to the amazing premiere that was released at Anime Expo 2018. It was a two for one special with a silly spin off movie that will be released with each of the special films connected with K Seven Stories. This silly spin off was absolutely hilarious as it portrayed several fan favorites as executives of entertainment agencies trying to mold the next generation of idols or as idols themselves. This alternate universe is pure fan service, but in a cute and fun way. This is not the type of fan service that Free! offers. Admittedly, everyone in the room was cheering with the appearance of a favorite character. Nonetheless, the art style doesn’t take itself too seriously. Many moments are captured with the characters in chibi form. Considering the fluid and beautiful art is one of the most praised and recognizable aspects of the show, it was a bold move to animate this short in such a way. Matching the fun and playful style of the art, the plot was full of zany and hilarious moments. A personal favorite is a scene involving Yashiro, Kurou, and Neko. In this scene, Neko gets distracted immediately by a butterfly and begins to chase it about the room. While she playfully runs around the room, Shiro cannot comprehend why Kurou cannot get behind an idea to have a charity fundraiser for rice. It was a great moment, and the spin off was ultimately enjoyable.


Final Thoughts

That being said, it was a slight bit strange to start off an intense and extremely cinematic movie with such a playful and ridiculous start. Thankfully, once R:B Blaze started you could only really focus on what was happening in the moment. It starts off immediately with Suou walking out into gunfire while his clansmen are hiding behind different structures. His power is flowing from him endlessly and his comments on the heat are quite poetic. It’s a good start that only gets better as we see the inner workings of the Blue and Red clans before the start of the original anime storyline. The most interesting part is being able to see how the relationship between the Red and Blue King forms. The original story hints so much at their backstory, and here we finally get a good chunk of it. Having them meet at a playground at dusk, spouting ideologies at one another (all of which starts from a comment about smoking in an area that is marked with a no smoking sign) is beautiful and genius. Their personalities play out so well in this movie and it really brings home a lot of the interactions that occur during the first season. Overall, it’s definitely worth a watch for any fan of the series.

047 [Anime Expo 2018] K Seven Stories: R:B Blaze Movie Review

Writer

Author: Yoko Dev

Hello, my anime peers. I’m from the states, but have taken an indefinite leave to travel while freelancing. Outside of a deep admiration for anime that started long ago, I love to read, write, and play video games. The main issue of traveling so far has been not having a console.

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