IMHO. 'Kino no tabi' ~ don't try to imitate, these stunts were performed by professionals

How do you know the show is good? When do you realise it is?
It took me half-an-episode to know 'Kino' is good. She comes to a city where all locals avoid her, but finally one decides to welcome her.

 

It's a story about a city where the citizens had all drank a potion enabling them to read each other's thoughts, so Kino becomes the first companion without this effect, because she's a traveller.
Wait, does the cause lie in the potion?
Each episode there's something in every city that reminds us of important things to think about in a very indirect, and stylish, way. I don't know about you, but I call this art.

How do you decide something is good?

I do a lot of comparison. And 'Kino' offers a nice chance to compare, being released as anime series twice, with different staff. If I had any doubts whether the old 'Kino' is nicely done or not, they were cleared by my attempt to watch the second installment.

How do you know the show is good? When do you realise it is?

It took me several minutes to realise what's wrong with the new 'Kino'. Everybody there sounds like I'm on a Japanese speech contest where participants have to deliver their speech in a clear, understandable way with predetermined, acceptable intonations. I was greatly disappointed to hear the new team of voice actors pronounce their lines as if they were machines following certain instructions.

My only grief is that the old 'Kino' didn't have any memorable soundtrack or theme songs, because the OPED songs were just average, Mikuni Shimokawa being just herself, and Ai Maeda having maybe just a bit better song, which, nevertheless, was not memorable, and background music mostly consisted of occasional disturbing synth chords. But if you ask me which OST created more atmosphere, my answer would be still - the old 'Kino'.

I tried, I did try to watch the new one. But there are black-and-white movies that needn't be coloured, and old cartoons that needn't be broadcast with new voice recording, and there are stories like 'Kino' that needn't be brighter than they are.

If it states that 'the world is not beautiful; therefore, it is', then it has to be not-beautiful, or this statement won't be properly conveyed.

my humble opinion on HIMEKA

while having nothing to do with Japan in terms of her origin, she struggled and she was successful - she was able to sing a lot of songs from anime she loved and she became an anime song performer herself. however, I would separate these two sides of her

her own songs present on the 'himekanvas' album were great. this was the album I started with and I was fascinated. her pronunciation and her voice and her manner reminded me of the 2000s generation a lot, which is gradually fading away yielding to the overly cute songs of the late 00s and the 10s which we are living through

however, being so delighted with the fact that I found an almost 'classical' anime songs performer, I hoped too much that her covers would be good, too. I was mistaken. half of the songs she covered should be banished into oblivion (in her version of course)

'sayonara solitaire' - tasteless, vulgar, banal, trivial, just like millions of other singers on the Earth could perform it. even if I admit that Chiba-san is not a perfect singer herself, and this song could be covered by someone perfectly, HIMEKA was not an example of 'another version which has a right to exist'. oh no, too pops a voice, too plain an arrangement, simply terrible

'yuzurenai negai' - ohhh... and this song should be prohibited for being covered for_ever. yes. nobody, nobody ever should dare to sing this song. oh please, do not touch Tamura-sama's works. while 'sayonara solitaire' could be performed by someone else provided she (or even he) does not have an obviously pops sound, 'yuzurenai negai' should not be covered by anyone at all. never. no one.

'tamashii no refrain' - I admit I was a fool not to know that this song is from NGE - shame on me, thousand times. well, now I know - and what? I hate it sung by HIMEKA even though I should admit she sung it so-so, not bad... but ooh... I heard it covered by Takarazuka. I listened to it just now sung by Takahashi Youko-san. HIMEKA's voice cannot add any charm to it. moreover, this is a song from 90s. and such works should not be adapted into modern ones or covered by modern performers. they do not, they cannot understand the soul of 90s. well, they could - but I have met none so far, who would

'voices' - I should I admit I have forgotten who performed this song in the original. I guess it could be Arai Akino-san, but I am not sure. however that may be, HIMEKA spoiled the song as well. no voice trembling or shouting with all your might, no pops cheap tricks can make this song more beautiful than 'twas in the original. I wonder if HIMEKA knows the story of this song and its origin. HIMEKA's voice is completely wrong here, she does not create the image that was so necessary in the movie. oh, 'tis 'Macross +' if you wonder

'sore ga ai deshou' - I thought this song to be completely suitable for HIMEKA's voice, and suddenly... 'tis also contra-indicated to HIMEKA. though the voice of Shimokawa-san was also cute and smacks of pops, it was a bit more gentle and 'airy', as she did not put too much of a strength into singing
'Adesso e Fortuna' - I thought this to be a beautiful song of HIMEKA's own creation, but then I thought it sounds strange for her, as if something is wrong there, as if 'tis not for her... and what a coincidence, 'tis a cover. I should admit I liked it a lot in HIMEKA's performance, 'tis very expressive and strong but... when I listened to the original from 'Records of Lodoss War' I felt so nostalgic, despite the fact I have never watched the anime itself or heard the song. again, 'twas the 90s. 'twas a different time. 'twas another style. it cannot be transformed into something new and contemporary. though there are a lot of examples of successful reviving of something old, this particular strata of music should be left there where 'twas, forever

the other songs were perhaps ok, but I could not listen to them while realizing that they were perhaps completely different in the original version

summing up...

somehow, while having only one voice, HIMEKA seems to be split up into 2 people. one of them is a successful singer with a lot of nice songs, and the other one is a cheap sounding pop singer spoiling everything she reaches up to. this makes me respect her as a foreigner who bravely comes to Japan to fulfill her dream but I shall listen only to her own songs and ignore her cover album

well, compare for yourselves - 'sayonara solitaire'