The name Tsutomu Nihei must’ve been quite familiar to avid manga readers and anime watchers alike. After all, he is the man behind some of the most iconic titles such asBlame!andKnights of Sidonia.The different kinds of lives in outer space that were depicted within those two titles are so mesmerizing, memorable, and terrifying at the same time.
And now, an anime adaptation of his new manga has finally come to us in Winter 2023. The name of this new series isKaina of the Great Snow Sea. However, unlike the previous titles that are set in space, this time around, we are back to the surface of the planet. That being said, since this is the work of Tsutomi Nihei, we can expect to see a strange and stunning world unfolding as the story progresses. So let’s see how good it truly is through this review of the first episode ofKaina of the Great Snow Sea.
Related:Winter 2023 Preview: Kaina of the Great Snow Sea
Heavenly Boy
Kaina is a young boy who lives at the only village left on top of the Orbital Trees. As the only young person in the village, Kaina is the only one who has the strengthto explore the Orbital Tree’s canopyin order to hunt for food. This fact greatly saddened the elders. Because they know that once they pass away, Kaina will be left alone. Kaina himself has always been interested to know more about the sea of snow that covers the land below, but he doesn’t have it in him to simply abandon the village and leave on such a perilous journey.
Unbeknownst to him, however, there’s actually a major conflict happening between the people who live on the surface of the Snow Sea. The situation is so dire, in fact, that Ririha, a princess from a country called Atland, turns to look for help on a myth about a wise sage who lives on top of the orbital tree. Thanks to the noble sacrifice of her finest warriors,she manages to board the gondolathat is hooked to a balloon-like giant insect, and soar into the gray sky.
Life At The Orbital Tree
There’s not much to say about the character themselves at this point. The world in which they lived in, on the other hand, looks interesting and mesmerizing. After all,the concept behind countless colossal trees that grew all the way to orbitand are connected by a transparent yet thick layer of canopy that enveloped the whole planet is simply mind-blowing. The sight of the sun setting on the horizon as Kaina walks on the vast transparent layer of canopy is stunning.
However, there are also lots of interesting things happening at the roots of the tree, which is covered by a vast sea of snow for as far as the eyes can see. As if that’s not intriguing enough, there are people who form colonies and countries on the surface of the snow sea. And it seems that every country has their own unique customs, clothes, and way of living. Honestly, the first episode alonescreams amazing world-building. Can’t wait to see and find out more about this strange new dystopian world.
The Conflict On The Snow
We’ve talked about the interesting premise, the intriguing world, and the main cast of characters forKaina of the Great Snow Sea. What we haven’t talked about, however, is the conflict that seems to be happening at the surface of the snow sea.
As mentioned above, there seems to be quite a few countries, or at least colonies, that live and thrive at the Snow Sea. We may only have seen two of them thus far, which is Atland and Valghian, but it’s clear that these countries have different cultures and ways of life. Furthermore, they alsoseem to be at war with each other rightnow.
What happened between these countries? What is the reason behind this conflict? Who are these people?Kaina of the Great Snow Seamanages topose these questions through this first episode, which is great. Because it means there is a good reason for the viewers to stick around and watch the subsequent episodes. It has successfully piqued our interest right from the start.
The name of Tsutomu Nihei brought with it a certain amount of hype and expectation. After all,Blame!andKnights of Sidoniahas become a cult classic by now. So it’s not an exaggeration to say that fans expect his future endeavors to be just as great. Thankfully, the first episode ofKaina of the Great Snow Seaproves to be a great entry into the new and fascinating world of the orbital trees. The world-building and the conflict are definitely the highlight of this episode. Can’t wait to see the next episode.
