Director: Hajime Kamegaki,
Starring: Tomokazu Seki, Josh Grelle, Tomoko Kawakami, Carrie Savage, Hiroshi Arikawa, R Bruce Elliot, Hiroya Ishimaru, Sonny Strait, Issei Futamata, Vic Mignogna, Juurouta Kosugi,Kent Williams, Mamiko Noto, Trina Nishimura,
Running Time: 613 minutes
Certificate: 12
Picking up where the last set of episodes left off, KENICHI THE MIGHTIEST DISCIPLE makes its intentions clear from the outset. Although the comedy, romance, and action are still very much intact, this is also a much darker affair. The previous box set hinted at how affecting the violence and suffering could be, but now with its use of a more foreboding colour palette, KENICHI THE MIGHTIEST DISCIPLE proves itself when handling drama.
The show should be celebrated for managing to expand its core cast of characters, each with their own individual motivation and emotional context, without detracting from previously setup storylines and individuals. The majority of the new characters add something new to the story, or a different form of conflict which often revitalises the repetitive training and fighting aspects of the show.
Despite the fact that KENICHI is far easier to handle in these later episodes (now that he isn’t so whiny), it is actually the antagonists who are best explored and represented. The majority of those that would oppose Kenichi and his master all have the capacity for good. They have their motivations and actions challenged again and again, always leading to more in depth stories. Most notably is the sweet, if heavy handed, episodes that deal with Kisara taking care of an abandoned kitten. It shows just how anybody can have the capacity for love even if their previous actions would denote otherwise.
At the centre of this tale is back story on how the leader of antagonist group Ragnarok is connected to our hero Kenichi. This look into the past gives some pretty solid connections between previously established characters and how they all fit together, without coming across as a forced or contrived way to connect the dots and fill in the gaps. As a show that is evolving into something greater than the sum of its parts, KENICHI THE MIGHTIEST DISCIPLE has enough mythology, relatable issues, and comedy that is a much needed respite from the more serious stuff going on. An enjoyable addition to a series that has only recently been completed thanks to some OVAs. Great to see a show with promise fulfill its destiny.
KENICHI THE MIGHTIEST DISCIPLE Collection Two is released on DVD on 2nd August via Manga Entertainment.
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