Ni no Kuni

Although less than two years have passed since the release of Revenant Kingdom, the sequel to {Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch}, we've already completed the game twice (and we're currently making our third run with all of the expansions thrown in for good measure). There is something about this magical world, something that stops us from saying goodbye to it, let alone forget a single moment of our adventures. Basically, we're hooked.

So when we heard that there was a Netflix feature on the horizon, an anime that beautifully combines some of the themes that were raised throughout both the 2018 epic and the PS3-original, we were intrigued and expectant. Going in we had a solid understanding of the source material, however, it would seem to be a little harder to follow for those people who haven't had any contact with Ni no Kuni before.

It's a beautifully animated production, and just like the games, it recreates Studio Ghibli's style, which only adds to its charm. Most of the time, you can't really see the CGI work on the screen, and it's only here and there that we noticed evidence of it in the background, and even then it's barely visible. At least, that's until we got stuck into some of the battle scenes - then the CGI monsters started to burn our eyes a bit. Still, such scenes are relatively few and far between.

More significant problems arise when we consider the story, however. For those who don't know the games and the universe that contains them, this could even seem a simple or even childish story. Through a tangle of tragic events, two friends are transported to another world, and each of them in their own way tries to save a loved one. The situation, as you might expect, starts getting complicated and soon these friends will play key roles in saving the whole kingdom.

While that's all well and good, a number of the plot-twists are easy to spot and it was only the last few scenes that really surprised us. What's more, we think you'll be much better served by the whole thing if you're already familiar with the nuances of Ni no Kuni. There are lots of nods here that only those who've played the games will understand and after deeper analysis, even the ending of {Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom} can now be perceived differently.

In its simplest, least interesting terms, it's a typical story of love, courage and sacrifice. Is that wrong or unenjoyable? Not at all. The overall structure of this animated feature works well and draws the viewer in, yet we just couldn't escape the feeling that several of the scenes were left intentionally vague or open-ended so that only the most devoted fans could truly understand them, and those without prior knowledge will undoubtedly have a different understanding of events herein. What's more obvious, however, are the problems they've had with pacing; some scenes appear unexpectedly and without explanation, while others can really drag on.

If you look at the anime as a separate work without the context of the video games - as some people surely will experience it - it doesn't really impress all that much. Instead, Ni no Kuni only comes to life when you start to break it down and combine this new understanding with things you know from the games - when you start to make your own theories. This is an interesting approach, sure, but not everyone will appreciate it.

On the one hand, we expected to feel a strong connection and as fans of the games, we're more than satisfied with this turn of events. But on the other, we think it should be more coherent for those who don't necessarily want to prepare for a movie by playing a game that can last for more than a hundred hours. Admittedly, the whole family can enjoy this one, although it's hard to argue that it's doing anything particularly new and it's not an essential watch if you're a newcomer.

For fans of the games, however, this anime has everything you might want, with some stunning visuals, excellent use of the game's soundtrack at key moments, and a great final plot-twist (which will particularly affect fans of Revenant Kingdom). It's good enough that you might want to watch it through for a second time if only to confirm your own theories about how it all links together. One thing is for certain, though, it won't be an evening wasted for anyone, even those who've never played the games before, although you'll definitely get the most out of your time if you've played through Wrath of the White Witch and Revenant Kingdom before.