Film Name: 魁拔之大戰元泱界 / Kuiba II
If Kuiba is meant to be a theatrical anime, I genuinely worry whether the production team even has the funds to finish it. Kuiba 1 came out in 2011, Kuiba 2 in 2013, and 2015… Can we learn from others and not follow in the footsteps of the great Anno, who dragged people to death? Or just switch to a TV series! As a theatrical animation, Kuiba suffers from bizarre character designs and sluggish pacing—its biggest flaws. The entire film feels like a minor tale told against an epic historical backdrop. The director must learn proper storytelling techniques; otherwise, this brilliant premise will be utterly wasted.
First, the characters—both leads and supporting roles come across as rambling and inexplicable. The plot and dialogue fail to reveal their personalities, weakening their expressiveness. The most bizarre character is undoubtedly the Goddess Jingxin (how does a little loli end up with a name that sounds like a menopause remedy?). She spends the entire film talking to herself, shrouding everything in mystery, leaving her neither fully loli nor fully tsundere. Personally, I believe Jingxin’s journey involves shifting from misunderstanding her mother to understanding her. However, the plot twists feel overly convoluted—it seems like making a mountain out of a molehill. Everyone understood the situation when Jingxin first appeared and explained the side effects of the light energy. The second bizarre character is the old man—Qi Hengsan. His name surfaced in Manji’s dialogue since “Kuiba 1,” a well-placed foreshadowing that had me anticipating a “Dingjun Mountain” showdown. The old man certainly didn’t disappoint. With his silver hair, he still commanded the Vortex Island warzone, skillfully laying out the pulse array and maze that had claimed countless enemies. Until the very end, he rode the pulse beast to his death in the afterglow of the Light Force… Wait, hold on—wasn’t it said that all earthly creatures would perish under the Light Force? Then why didn’t those two country bumpkins, Man Xiaoman and Xuelun, die!? Old man, was your noble sacrifice just to make them look like the main characters? That’s not scientific! We know nothing about your heroic deeds! You can’t just die like this! What’s worse, losing Qi Hengsan wasn’t enough—we also lost You Mi Kuang. Thankfully, we learned he was a Sacred Alliance officer who betrayed his cause to avenge five fallen comrades denied justice. But he fell into the water with those two bumpkins—why was he the only one who died!? Such a tragic character met such a tragic end… And there are plenty of bizarre characters, like the “One-Eyed” Captain. The moment she appeared, I thought she’d declare: Don’t call me King, call me Queen!” Director, you’re making Kuiba 2, not One Hundred Thousand Bad Jokes! Then look at her insatiable expression and that nonchalant monologue—suddenly it feels like a “Gintama” movie! There are tons of similar minor characters, a total waste of film. They seem amusing, but they do nothing to advance the plot or illuminate the theme. One or two would suffice, adding that perfect finishing touch—like Huang Bo’s line, “What are you staring at? Where the hell else could I be going?”
Next, the pacing. Both Kuiba 1 and 2 suffer from being far too slow. This isn’t a theatrical animation—it’s a TV drama! A Korean soap opera, at that! Watching Kuiba 1, I already worried whether the director could control the narrative rhythm. The subject matter is so vast, I certainly didn’t want to see a Star Wars-style opening followed by a Snow White ending. Unfortunately, Kuiba 1 planted numerous plot threads—like the past lives of Kuiba’s subordinates, the details of the Holy Alliance’s war with Kuiba, the backstories of Man Xiaoman, Xuelun, and the princess, and the mystery of the Dragon Clan Demon Warrior’s origins… Not only did Kuiba 1 fail to resolve these threads, but Kuiba 2 did even less! The battle against the village chief in Wowo Township dragged on too long in “Kuiba” 1. The duel with the Dragon Clan Demon Warrior at the Tree Kingdom Inn was overly drawn out. While Man Ji’s solo duel at the dock was thrilling, it too felt excessively prolonged. In “Kuiba” 2, the shipboard life scenes drag on too long, and the Captain’s battle command sequences are excessively drawn out. While the clash between Man Xiaoman, Xuelun, and the three demons Youmi, Kuangqi, and Heng is thrilling, the scenes with Jingxin and Manji are overly extended. This is especially evident when the two storylines advance in parallel, weakening each other’s impact. Personally, I believe merging both theatrical releases into one would have been more effective. Watching both now feels like we’ve only scratched the surface of the Kuiba story, while minor subplots receive excessive focus. In terms of plot progression, this film relies heavily on dialogue. Many key artifacts weren’t utilized effectively, such as Man Xiaoman’s “Bajian Blade.” Consequently, Yumi Kuang is introduced through Jingxin’s narration, while Qi Hengsan receives no such representation—making his death a convenient solution. The Dragon Clan’s demonic warriors simply vanish. Even Xuelun, appearing in both films, remains unintroduced… Crucial plot-driving dialogue lacks impact, while pointless chatter abounds—like the tediously drawn-out exchanges after the warship reaches Vortex Island in “Kuiba 2.” The editing feels clunky, like an 80- or 90-year-old woman reluctant to discard anything. Retaining unnecessary scenes only disrupts the narrative flow and drags the pacing.
At this point, some viewers might say, “Heh, the author’s fallen right into the director’s trap. The more you can’t figure out why the characters and plot develop this way, the more you want to see the next installment—that’s how the theatrical series maintains continuity.” But the problem is, who has the patience to wait over a year for a story told this way? Especially when it comes to comparing trashy sequels, “Kuiba” doesn’t even come close to the caliber of palace dramas or anti-Japanese war series! Its narrative style feels like a woman with bound feet dancing in Western formal wear—it looks fancy, but it’s still so petty. Since the producers positioned “Kuiba” as a youth-oriented, passionate anime, why not make it more refined and grand? Compress all the storylines into three theatrical films, ensuring each features epic battle scenes like the “Island House Operation,” and consistently develop characters that either ignite fervor or evoke deep emotion. Some viewers might dismiss me as an EVA fanboy, but undeniably, commercially successful anime rely on these very elements. Kuiba clearly falls short on all fronts, making its dismal box office performance unsurprising. Kids can’t grasp it, young adults can’t sit through it—how can they possibly make Kuiba 3, Kuiba 4, Kuiba 5…? The current Kuiba merely tells a small story against a grand historical backdrop, and such tales are the least moving!
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