Kaina of the Great Snow Sea is a Japanese fantasy anime created by Tsutumo Nihei. It is about the journey of two people from two different worlds who come together to unravel a secret. What secret? The first three episodes have not revealed what it is. However, they provide insights from both worlds.
The beginning of Episode 1 starts off slow. It does not have action or conflict going on. It simply introduces the environment and lifestyle of a similar world to hunter-gatherer and pastoral societies. People live under a canopy created by a massive and tall tree called the Orbital Tree. They are interdependent on each other and the young hunt for food. In this case, Kaina, a young man, goes out to hunt creatures to bring back to his village.
From the middle to the end of the episode, something captures my attention. It explains why other villages collapse as the sign keepers tell their stories about the land. It leaves room for imagination as to what the tree represents, as there seems to be a connection between the villages and the tree. A brief introduction of the conflict between the two parties and the cliffhanger at the end keep me guessing as to what happens next.
Episode 2 is the start of Kaina’s journey to the Snow Sea due to Ririha, a princess of Atland. Without her and the absence of the sage, the plot would not move forward enough to sustain interest. Friendship would not have developed between them unless he decided to visit Snow Sea one day and happened to meet her.
The communication and the temperature between the Canopy and the Snow Sea, the two worlds, raise questions. I wonder if there is a connection between the two worlds since Ririha and the Canopy people speak the same language. I am also curious about the temperature in the Canopy. In the first episode, Kaina wears an oxygen mask on Canopy to hunt. In this episode, he and Ririha do not wear an oxygen mask outside, even though the Canopy seems like it is located above the sky.
Episode 3 mostly focuses on Ririha and Kaina getting to know each other as they climb down the tree. There is nothing disruptive, even though there is a moment when they lose their grip. I have a feeling that they are going to be safe. Kaina knows his way around, and he is not going to let anything happen to Ririha. The background comedic music and the distant noise do not increase their intensity. Also, the appearance of the symbol they can only see suggests there may be an invisible force or someone watching over their shoulders.
Overall, the first three episodes are okay. The first episode gets right to the point of what this series is about, even though it starts off slowly. The basic information is sufficient to pique my interest in learning more about the symbols and other details of the two worlds. The last two episodes have no excitement or intensity about them. It is predictable that they are not in danger or unprotected. However, I am still curious to see how things turn out.
Rating: 6.5/10
| Characters, Season 1 Episode 1, 2, 3 | Cast |
| Kaina | Yoshimasa Hosoya |
| Amerote | Maaya Sakamoto |
| Ririha | Rie Takahashi |
| Orinoga | Katsuyuki Konishi |
| Signkeeper | |
| Ngapoge | Tomokazu Sugita |
