History YMMV / KinosJourney

* {{Wooleyism}}: In Episode 13, the English version changes Sakura's name to "Lily" to make it easier for the boys to nickkname her "Silly Willy" instead of calling her ''nekura'' (gloomy) and ''okra''. It also connects to the fact that [[spoiler:she ends up dying at the end of the episodes, since lilies are flowers symbolic with death and funearls.]]

** Kino barely seems to react to [[spoiler:the original Kino, whom she'd recently befriended, being fatally stabbed in front of her]].

*** Also in the 2003 adaptation when Kino declares her new law for the people fight over who gets to be the king. She also adds that only the first class will have ti participate and any mistreatment towards their slaves or the lower class citizens will lead to disqualification. This is most likely because of what she witness when she was with the guard and his family.

* UnintentionallyUnsympathetic: Kino very often can look cold and cynical, but especially at the end of the third episode of the 2003 anime, when [[spoiler: she calmly ignores the implied genocide of the whole city, even knowing that she is the only person who can save them. Even Hermes shows more feelings in this scene.]] [[spoiler: The 2017 series softens this by having Kino ask "Is there anything we could have done?" followed by Hermes saying that everyone died instantly and there's no chance of rescuing anybody.]]

* UnintentionallyUnsympathetic: Kino very often can look cold and cynical, but especially at the end of the third episode of the 2003 anime, when [[spoiler: she calmly ignores the implied genocide of the whole city, even knowing that she is the only person who can save them. Even Hermes shows more feelings in this scene.]]
** [[spoiler: The 2017 series softens this by having Kino ask "Is there anything we could have done?" followed by Hermes saying that everyone died instantly and there's no chance of rescuing anybody.]]

** In the Colosseum/Avengers arc of the 2003 anime Kino manages to befriend one of the guards who turns out to be a family man.

* NauseaFuel: The novels can get quite graphic in describing the way Kino, Shizo, Shisho, etc. kill people. Certain stories are worse about it than others--for instance, "A Tale of Olden Days" is deliberately trying to be as horrifying as possible as WarIsHell, and "Land of Corpses", being a zombie story, unsurprisingly has its share of this.

* SugarWiki/HeartwarmingMoments: The ending to Episode 6 of the 2017 anime. Photo survives, overcomes her guilt-stricken desire to die, and manages to make a new life for herself and the motorrad.

* CompleteMonster: [[TheCaligula The king]] of the lower land of Coliseum is a tyrannical psychopath who runs infamous GladiatorGames for his entertainment. Having [[{{Patricide}} murdered his father]] to ascend to the throne, the king eliminated anyone who may be a threat to him, even massacring his entire family and exiling his son, Shizu. The king then divided the people into poverty and first class, throwing the poor into dangerous living quarters and slavery. Even the first class citizens weren't safe, as the king would execute them if they didn't follow his blood lust. The king then created the Colosseum to throw any passing travelers to [[InvoluntaryBattleToTheDeath fight to the death]] to fuel his psychotic urges. When Kino refused to comply with the king by sparing her opponents, the latter grew furious and even executed one of them [[ForcedToWatch in front of Kino]]. Among the many people Kino encountered, the king was one of the very few who manage to disturb her with his sheer cruelty.

* CompleteMonster: [[TheCaligula The nameless king]] of the Land of the Coliseum is a tyrannical psycho who runs infamous GladiatorGames for his entertainment. Having [[{{Patricide}} murdered his father]] to ascend to the throne, the king eliminated anyone who may be a threat to him, including relatives and innocent civilians. He then divided the people into poverty and first class, throwing the poor into dangerous living quarters and slavery. Even the first class citizens weren't safe, as the king would execute them if they didn't follow his blood lust. He then created the Colosseum to throw any passing travelers to [[InvoluntaryBattleToTheDeath fight to the death]] to fuel his psychotic urges. When Kino refused to comply with him by sparing her opponents, the king grew furious and even executed one them in front of Kino. Among the many people Kino encountered, the king was one of the very few who manage to disturb her with his sheer cruelty.

* AngstWhatAngst: Kino barely seems to react to [[spoiler:the original Kino being fatally stabbed in front of her]].

* UnintentionallyUnsympathetic: Kino very often can look cold and cynical, but especially at the end of the third episode, when [[spoiler: she calmly ignores the implied genocide of the whole city, even knowing that she is the only person who can save them. Even Hermes shows more feelings in this scene.]]

* DarknessInducedAudienceApathy: Despite the fact that the show has a rather cartoonish and silly style of art, it also has a rather heavy-handed style of narration, a principled gray morale and the main character whose actions can very easily be interpreted as cynical. Not everyone will like it.

** Episode 4. One of the things that adults should NOT be able to [[spoiler:do with a smile]] is [[spoiler:murder their children.]]

* FamilyUnfriendlyAesop: Often at the end of stories, Kino never judges anyone. Kino may like or dislike a situation or person, but won't act unless directly threatened. Kino sometimes philosophically worries about this, but loves traveling too much to give it up.

** One word: [[spoiler:Volcano]].
** The end of Episode 10, where Kino denies three [[spoiler:robots]] their purpose in serving others, which leads to them [[spoiler:killing themselves]].

* UnintentionallyUnsympathetic: Kino very often can look cold and cynical, but especially at the end of the third episode, when [[spoiler: she calmly ignores the implied genocide of the whole city, even knowing that she is the only person who can save them. Even Hermes shows more feelings in this scene.]]

* WhatDoYouMeanItsNotForKids: Oh, look! A story about a cute teenager traveling around on her talking motorcycle! And what softly coloured little-kiddy art! Too bad it's full of NightmareFuel and MindScrew...

* CounterpartComparison: a young [[LonersAreFreaks loner character]] with a [[TrueNeutral neutral moral compass]] who isn't against giving a hand to people in need, never judging anyone, [[TheStoic reacts with indifference towards pretty much anything including horrible situations]], but actually deeply loves life in all its beauty, [[TheAntiNihilist despite the horrible and/or absurd things who occur]]. I didn't know [[Literature/TheStranger M. Meursault]] had a sister!

* CastFullOfCrazy: Rare is the country that Kino visits which can be called fully adequate.

* {{Expy}}: a young [[LonersAreFreaks loner character]] with a [[TrueNeutral neutral moral compass]] who isn't against giving a hand to people in need, never judging anyone, [[TheStoic reacts with indifference towards pretty much anything including horrible situations]], but actually deeply loves life in all its beauty, [[TheAntiNihilist despite the horrible and/or absurd things who occur]]. I didn't know [[Literature/TheStranger M. Meursault]] had a sister!

* {{Expy}}: a young [[LonersAreFreaks loner character]] with a [[TrueNeutral neutral moral compass]] who isn't against giving a hand to people in need, never judging anyone, [[TheStoic reacts with indifference towards pretty much anything including horrible situations]], but actually deeply loves life in all its beauty, [[TheAntiNihilist despite the horrible and/or absurd things who occur]]. [[Literature/TheStranger M. Meursault]], is that you?

* {{Expy}}: a young [[LonersAreFreaks loner character]] with a [[TrueNeutral neutral moral compass]] who isn't against giving a hand to people in need, never judging anyone, [[TheStoic reacts with indifference towards pretty much anything including horrible situations]], but actually deeply loves life in all its beauty, [[TheAntiNihilist despite the horrible and/or absurd things who occur]]. [[Literature/TheStranger Meursault]], is that you?

** The prologue and epilogue of volume 6 consists of an entry of a father's diary on the date Kino is born. The father was crying with happines when he writes his diary, and vows to live for his daughter's happiness until the day he dies. Cut to ten years later, [[spoiler:and Kino's father attempting to [[OffingTheOffspring stab his daughter to death]] with a kitchen knife and can't help but feel happy about it, due to the device implanted in his head which makes him feel content on anything he does. He's forced to attack her due to the fact that Kino is [[PhlebotinumRebel against having the same device implanted in her]].]]

* CultClassic: Although the original novel is obscured by new hits from his publishing house, he still retains popularity as an ageless classic and even got a new adaptation in 2017.