Kino No Tabi Volume 1: Book One of the Beautiful World

Kino no Tabi (which means "Kino's Journey" or "Kino's Travels"; why they didn't translate the title is beyond me) is a collection of short stories featuring the teenage Kino, who travels the world on a talking motorcycle named Hermes. Each short story covers their stay in a different country (which is more like a city-state), each of which illustrates a different folly of human nature - in one country, the citizens suffer the consequences of learning to share each other's pain, while in another, the people have devised their own unique way of ending war. Kino and Hermes are both detached observers for the most part; issues are presented, but the characters (and the narration) rarely pass judgment or attempt to interfere, and Kino always leaves the country after three days, no matter what the situation. Some might find Kino's neutrality boring or prefer a little more meat to the story's philosophizing, but personally, I like books that expect the readers to do some of the work for themselves. For all that many of the stories are quite dark, the novel also maintains a sense of humor; irony is not lost on Kino, and the banter between Hermes and Kino is often really fun. The first page simply reads "The world is not beautiful, therefore it is," and that sums up the appeal of this novel rather succinctly. Easily one of my favorite YA books. It's worth noting that the stories have been rearranged from their original order in the Japanese version. Some people object to this, but I personally didn't feel any nuances were lost.

Kino is a traveler. She rides on Hermes, an extremely impressive talking motorcycle. Together they explore strange and bizarre countries and lands, rarely staying more than three days at a time. Kino believes it only takes three days to get to know what you need to about a place. Then it's back onto Hermes and off to another adventure. KINO NO TABI is, quite honestly, a beautiful and fairy tale-like adventure with some extremely magical moments. Opening the book reveals a simple sentence: "The world is not beautiful, therefore it is." This is a great conceptual anchor for the story as Kino often finds herself in what would be considered non-beautiful territory, such as the Land of Majority Rule, a ghost town of hollow halls and vast graves, where a horrific King killed those who disagreed with him. Throughout KINO NO TABI, we see that our hero is no mere passerby taking in the sights. She becomes involved. She is a seeker of knowledge and yet she is also willing to stand strong should she need to. This is quite prevalent in the segment entitled "Coliseum," where those admitted into the city-state are automatically entered into a savage tournament whereby the victor gains citizenship. Though not her first choice, she is ultimately left no choice but to fight, as refusers become slaves. She must take on the incredible swordsman, Shizu. The Beauty to be found in the Beautiful World is not necessarily pretty. It can be brutal. It can be tragic. The story itself, almost in a travelogue narrative, is incredibly reminiscent of GULLIVER'S TRAVELS, perhaps sprinkled with a liberal touch of "The Twilight Zone." KINO NO TABI, while entertaining and sometimes humorous, also provides moments of introspection and occasionally borders on the philosophical. After enduring some white-knuckle moments, Hermes asks Kino near the novel's end why she travels, why she never settles and undertakes a normal life. Kino never answers him. From the stories contained here, one can plainly see that it is the journey that keeps Kino going, that keeps her satisfied with her life, no matter how difficult it may be. It is the adrenaline rush and the uncertainty of it all that is life for her, as it is in all great adventure tales. --- Reviewed by Stephen Hubbard

"The World is not beautiful, therefore it is." The first line in this book, and a powerful one. How funny it is that the one thing everyone strives for is perfection, yet we all agree that a perfect world is impossible. Even if it was possible, would we really want it? Kino doesn't remember what her original name was, only that it was the name of a flower. The first Kino came into the town she lived in when she was eleven, days before she was to have the operation to make her a grownup. The first Kino was a traveller, spending only three days in each new place. While "curing" a junked and discarded motorcycle, the first Kino tells the young girl about other places and other lives. Places where you don't have to have an operation to be considered an adult. Places where you don't have to do a job that makes you unhappy, just because it's required. He sparks a light in this little girl, and inadvertently brings about his own death. A new Kino is born. She escapes on Hermes, the repaired and animated motorcycle. Kino becomes a traveller, moving from place to place, staying only three days. Some places are nice, some strange, some scary, and some are downright dangerous. Kino and Hermes learn about life, themselves, and humanity as a whole. This was not only a really great story, but a really interesting look at the nature of people and society. As well as an interesting take on the concept of "be careful what you wish for". It challenged my ideas of right and wrong, and what cost they come at. It's the first of a planned eight books, and I am extremely interested to see what Kino and Hermes get into next. Reviewed by: Carrie Spellman

I am an adult fan of the series, and I'm coming out in favor of this version as well. The only (minor) nit that I have to pick on this book is the fact that it's linear (by time). Many people I've talked to about the anime series say that part of the appeal is the fragmentation of the episodes, and trying to figure out what events fit where. Other than that, I think that the translation is very good and clear. I hope the next one will come out very soon. :)

A twelve-year-old girl is all set for an operation that will make her an adult. When she decides she wants to stay a kid, her parents disagree in a really violent way, so Kino makes her way out of town on Hermes, a sentient motorcycle. With Hermes as company, Kino becomes a traveler, moving from place to place, never staying anywhere too long. She owns two guns, one rightly named the Woodsman. She wears leather. She's a cool gal on a motorcycle. Kino's not just traveling, though; she's journeying, finding out who she really is, all within a landscape like the world gone mad. In her journeys, she discovers one city where people will not speak to each other, another where all the inhabitants are staying in a graveyard, another where war has become more twisted than ever, but Kino cannot act to rectify any of these situations. In her final destination, Kino's had enough. Forced to fight in a coliseum, Kino targets not just her gladiator opponents but the one person behind the killing in the ring. She becomes the hero any girl would want to be. Kino No Tabi drives the reader through a series of fable-like episodes, each one symbolizing new and different meanings of justice and injustice, humanity and inhumanity. The stories really make the reader take a long, deep look at all we take for granted here in the United States: our civil liberties, the ability to express ourselves, to love and care for our families. It's all a lot of symbolism that really reaches into the heart and squeezes--hard, fast and strong. This paragraph from the book sums up the symbolism nicely: "The last embers vanished, bathing the girl and the motorcycle in darkness, silent but for the whisper of the wind through the trees." Beautiful. reviewed by Sherryl King-Wilds