Kaiba was interesting, to say the least.

And I mean this mostly as a compliment. While "interesting" is usually used as a thinly veiled insult, this show has so many good things going for it that the simplest way to express my feelings is to say it's "interesting." While there are things that I was iffy about, overall, Kaiba is an amazingly unique anime experience that's a wonderful example of what the medium is capable of.

▶ One of Kaiba's most notable qualities is its art. I happened across Kaiba when browsing Youtube one day. I watched a bit of this clip and I was extremely drawn to the show. I'm a sucker for non-standard art design in anime and Kaiba scratched that itch. Kaiba features very simple designs that one might not think of when they hear the word "anime." The designs harken back to classical western cartoons as well as the design work of Osamu Tezuka of Astro Boy fame. This simplicity can allows for some very exaggerated designs: from the brutish, vaguely Hippo-like Vanilla, to the dopey Butter, to the ridiculously voluptuous Lum, the character designs do a great job of not only conveying personality but also of being interesting. And that's not even getting into the simple backgrounds that look as if they were carefully painted. While Kaiba doesn't ever go full Looney Tunes, its art-design can be comical: case in point, there's a moment when Kaiba has a full-on balloon stomach from overeating. Not to mention, the colors are quite vibrant, making practically every frame pop. The simple, "childish" designs contrast nicely with the off putting and/or adult situations the characters find themselves in.

This is all to say that Kaiba is very easy on the eyes. While this might not mean much to some, it helped me stay engaged. I found myself paying attention because of the beautiful art alone. Even the episodes I wasn't as keen on, via art, provided something to hold my interest. The worst thing a creative work can be is boring, and while art usually isn't something I focus on, a really unique style can help a work stick in my mind. It's a testament to just how beautiful I find Kaiba's artstyle that I'm talking about it at length instead of blowing past it in order to get to the story. I'd suggest checking out Kaiba just to see the art in action.

Don't let my praise of the art cause you to think the OST is a slouch. The beauty of Kaiba can be heard in the first moments via the opening song, "Never." A vaguely techno beat combined with the ethereal singing of Seira Kagami and atmosphering background instruments inform viewers of what type of show they're about to watch. The opening, like the show in general, is very warm and beautiful, yet sad. Upon hearing it, it quickly became one of my favorite opening songs. The ending song, "Carry Me Away," is similarly beautiful. The songs of the OST vary, from the dark, industrial-themed "Initialize," to the generally light and bubbly versions of "Planet." In general, though, all the songs are atmospheric, fostering the somber mood of the anime. I recommend you check out the OST as a whole, for it's very good. The song I'm linking isn't a part of the official OST, but it's such a great song and its use in "Chroniko's Boots" is a big part of why that particular episode is my favorite in the series.

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But as much as I love the music and artwork, at the end of the day, I personally still hold story as the most important component of an anime. So, what words do I have regarding Kaiba's story?

Kaiba is, in a word, odd. Just thirty seconds into the clip I embedded and you can tell this show is weird. Many of the video's comments are a variation of "WTF." That can be pretty indicative of your reaction to the show. Many things will happen that will prompt you to ask yourself "what in the world did I just watch?" There will probably be times when you'll want to rewatch an episode or clip in order to understand what happened.

Though, I must say, the premise is easy enough to grasp. In the world of Kaiba, effective immortality has been achieved via memories being contained in chips. One can place memory chips into a new body of their choosing. This choice, however, is generally only available with the rich, with the poor living in squalor. They often have their memories or bodies stripped from them or give them away willingly in order to make ends meet. A young man with a hole in his chest and a triangle symbol on his stomach awakens, with no memory of who he is. All he's given are the names "Warp" and "Kaiba." His only clue is a locket containing a blurry picture of a woman. The show follows his journey to figure out the identities of himself and the woman in the locket. While he does this, his path crosses with an organization opposed to the transferral of memories and bodies.

A lot of the oddity comes from the sci-fi elements and getting acclimated to this strange, new world. Some of it is simply an exploration of the story's transhumanist themes combined with topics that aren't explored in the media often enough. How does being able to control multiple bodies change how we have and perceive sex? How would one deal with suddenly changing the biological sex of their body, finding they have periods? Transhumanism is my jam, so I thouroughly enjoyed Kaiba dealing with it. It can be a bit confusing at times, but I didn't find it daunting, simply an invitation to rewatch it/read others' interpretations.

I will say that if based on the clip, you find the second episode a bit "much", it's one of the strangest episodes of the series. It's quite sex-focused (which is fine by me as I enjoy exploring sex via media, but that's neither here nor there) in a way that other episodes aren't (though the topic of sex crops up at least one other time). I can guess why Animecrush felt the need to share this clip, not just because it would get clicks, but because it's indicative of the themes of the show. Yet, as the rest of the episode shows, these themes are explored not just via oddity, but by emotion.

Kaiba is a surprisingly emotional show. Kaiba is at its best when it's character-focused and showing how various people deal with the world they find themselves in. Episode three, "Chroniko's Boots" is my favorite in the show due to how hauntingly beautiful it is. It is here that we see the depth of the horror that transhumanism can bring. Chroniko ultimately wasn't in the show for very long, but she leaves a hell of an impact. My second-favorite is probably "A Muscular Woman," for doing the opposite and showing that love can transcend beyond the boundaries of a physical body. It's an episode that becomes even better in hindsight.

The latter episodes of Kaiba are quite ill-received, if rewatch threads are any indication. I've seen one person decry that the show "jumped the shark." It's undeniable that the latter episodes are of a different makeup than the first: they're less character-focused, opting instead to focus on both plot-progression and world exposition. The results are mixed. While I really, really appreciate finally getting to know Kaiba's identity and his relation to the woman in the locket, exposition could have been handled better. Flashbacks are structured in a way to be intentionally confusing (I wasn't even sure a flashback was a flashback until midway through the episode) and the plot can come across as a bit convoluted. There's cloning, death fakeouts, quadruple crossings, etc. It's just a lot to grapple with in a short timeframe and I'm still not sure I get it. There are still tender moments, to be sure, (particularly in episode nine, "Kaiba") but they're not nearly as abundant as before. Over all, while I'd say saying Kaiba "jumped the shark" during its last episodes is quite an exaggeration, it's definitely a departure and not one I'm 100% on board with. But at the very least, unlike some series, the ending is pretty straightforward. Open-ended, sure, but I get the main points and it ended on a sweet note, which is always nice.

Kaiba can be strange, it can be confusing, it can honestly be a little off putting, but it's also touching and speaks to many poignant themes. Is it perfect? No. It can be too obtuse at times and me and many others find the last stretch overly convoluted. However, these hiccups don’t stop it from being one of the most unique shows I've had the pleasure of watching. I was fairly engrossed from start to finish. It is a treat visually, musically, and narratively. I heartily recommend this show to someone looking for something both different and beautiful.

9/10

A-