== *Kemono Friends* and the magic of anime

Sometimes, anime is magic. There are many forms of this magic, and we
saw a number of them this year, as we usually do; there were touching
stories, dramatic spectacles, quietly true to life works filled with
little details, emotionally wrenching scenes, shows that are over the
top in the best way, and quiet meditations on life delivered by blobby
characters in deliberately scratchy backgrounds. But one of the ways
that anime is periodically magic is that it can completely surprise us,
with a show coming from left field to be excellent.

([[Aroduc http://tenka.seiha.org/]] used to mention [[one example
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mushi-Uta]] in his season previews
as a cautionary note to not base too much on preview impressions.)

These surprises are one of the reasons that I keep watching anime. When
they happen, they're magical; what once looked like dross is transmuted
into unexpected gold. It's an unlooked for present that usually leaves
me stunned and awed and glad that I was there to see it. And there's
a joy in it beyond myself, because it means that the people who made
the show have achieved something beautiful in their work and I have to
imagine that that's a great feeling for them.

*Kemono Friends* did not exactly start out promising, seeing as
it was a {{AB:CG:computer graphics}} anime made on a shoestring,
by a tiny team who'd done almost nothing, with the premise of a
basic kid's show, based on a mobile game about animal girls that
had failed before the show started. Early views were strikingly
down, for example [[Bobduh's capsule summary of the first episode
http://wrongeverytime.com/2017/01/13/winter-2017-virtually-every-first-episode-retrospective/]]:

> *Kemono Friends* is a simplistic show for very young children starring
> grotesque CG. We are still *multiple categories* from the bottom of
> this list.

(Like many other people, Bobduh would wind up [[changing his
mind on the show http://wrongeverytime.com/tag/kemono-friends/]].)

Then the show's [[astounding
http://www.crunchyroll.com/anime-feature/2017/02/25-1/feature-why-it-works-kemono-friends-unstated-worldbuilding]]
[[qualities
https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/kemono-friends/.114176]]
began to show through, probably [[first in Japan
http://cloggie.org/wissewords2/2017/12/20/06-kemono-friends/]] and
then later in the west as news and buzz spread. Despite everything
we did think initially (and for good reason), [[improbably and absurdly
https://swabulous.wordpress.com/2017/12/20/12-days-of-anime-6-three-friends-for-the-price-of-one/]]
*Kemono Friends* was really good. More than good, it
was excellent.  The janky CG [[ultimately didn't matter
KemonoFriendsUnimportantCG]] when set against its [[honest sincerity
https://flipflapping.wordpress.com/2017/02/22/the-sincerity-of-kemono-friends/]]
and [[heart
https://marinasauce.wordpress.com/2017/12/20/12-days-of-anime-day-6-kemono-friends-proves-me-wrong-again/]]
and the skill of its creators that [[let it pull off story beats that few
shows can manage KemonoFriendsSpearpoint]] and deliver [[thrilling drama
http://www.crunchyroll.com/anime-feature/2017/04/01-1/feature-why-it-works-five-pitches-for-kemono-friends]].
Yes, it was a kid's story, but it was the best sort of kid's story, one
of the ones that have [[significant depths Winter2017Retrospective]]
and moments of great emotional impact for everyone. One of the kid's
stories that are magical.

(The best kid's stories understand that you cannot talk down to kids;
kids are just as sophisticated consumers of stories as adults are, they
just have different tastes. Good kid's stories are made with just as
much care and good writing as [[good adult stories YomigaeruSoraPraise]].)

This year, *Kemono Friends* embodied the magic of anime, the magic of
delivering a complete, unasked-for, unpredictable surprise of a beautiful,
thought provoking show that I'm glad that I was there to see and that
has left an enduring impression on me. To quote [[Bobduh
http://wrongeverytime.com/2017/03/29/winter-2017-week-12-in-review/]]
again:

> I don’t know how *Kemono Friends* exists, but it feels to me like a
> perfect example of why we watch anime at all. Sometimes the best stories
> come in the most unlikely packages. Well done, *Kemono Friends*.

So here's to you, *Kemono Friends*, and everything and every moment you
earned with your heart and hard work.

{{IMG:/anime/ssnaps/kfriends-12-title.jpg 1280 auto Kemono Friends
episode 12's title ||| Kemono Friends fully earned its episode 12 title drop}}

Merry Christmas everyone, and [[welcome to Japari Park
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zeq2M6_sJP8]].

(This is part of the [[12 Days of Anime for 2017
https://perpetualmorning.wordpress.com/2017/11/14/12-days-of-anime-2017/]].)