Kizuna no Allele Spoiler-Filled Review

Kizuna no Allele is an idolish music series directed by Kenichiro Komaya. Wit Studio and Signal.MD produce the series. The latter is known for series such as The Ancient Magus’ Bride and Spy x Family, and the former for FLCL Progressive and Atom: The Beginning. In addition, Deko Akao wrote the show’s scripts.

The series itself has a strange origin. It is an adaption of a YouTube channel by Kizuna AI, a Japanese virtual YouTuber, known as VTuber. This has led to claims that the series is a “forced meme” or that it embodies the “artificiality of pop entertainment in Japan.” Whether that is entirely true or not, the series clearly has some positives in its favor. Well-known studios are producing it. A scriptwriter (Akao) is known for her work on My Roommate Is a Cat and Komi Can’t Communicate. One of the show’s composers (Go Sakabe) composed the opening and closing songs for Gosick. The show’s art director Masakazu Miyake worked on series such as Fate/Zero, Spy x Family, and Steins;Gate.

I had serious reservations about Kizuna no Allele, regardless of whether it an attempt by Kizuna AI to revive her brand or not. For one, the musical sequences, reportedly resembling actual VTubers, seem awkward and strange. This is especially the case for those who don’t watch that sort of content.

The main character, Miracle (voiced by Ayumi Hinohara), is not as sympathetic as she could be. She is trying everything she can to become a virtual artist/performer, i.e., a VTuber. She attends a school named Artist Garden (Aden) Academy dedicated to that goal. That school is almost equivalent to a school where people train  to be influencers on Instagram or a YouTuber. It is clearly absurd.

One character shines through: Noelle. Voiced by Yuka Nukui, she challenges Miracle, a huge fangirl of Kizuna, to be better. Both go to school in the virtual world. Possibilities are said to be limitless. At first, it appears that Noelle is bullying Miracle. It is later revealed that her family pressured her to be “the best.”

Later, she becomes a mentor of sorts telling her to face songs head-on. She brings her to a room where bubbles light up different colors depending on the interaction. In a touching scene, she declares that if you understand a song’s lyrics, it will come out differently. She encourages Kizuna to tap into her abilities.

She has stronger character development than Miracle. This truly begins in the show’s fifth episode. Some painful history which weakens her emotional connection to her parents is implied. In a final scene, she declares that everything must be “perfect.”

One parallel is Kōsei Arima in Your Lie in April. His mother gives him strict piano instruction. He is so scarred that after her death he stops playing piano since he can’t hear sound when he plays. This series is different. Noelle is pressured by her parents (and sister) to be the best. However, she has the notion she must be “perfect,” even though they never directly told her this. Miracle plays an important part in making Noelle a more whole person.

The series seems to be pro-A.I. An A.I. named Vaity wakes up Miracle in her swanky high-tech apartment every morning. The character, Chris, is hinted as A.I. before episode seven. Chris (voiced by Hikari Codama) is clearly crushing on Miracle, calling her cute and kissing her on the ear in the second episode. As such, the series is yuri-ish, as much as Ippon Again!. It isn’t directly yuri like Yuri Is My Job!, Birdie Wing, or Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury. The latter, not the former, makes the series enjoyable, including when Chris gives Miracle tips on how to improve her dancing.

The person in the atrium adds mystery to the series. This character eats neatly and drinks tea. In some ways, the character reminds me of Victorique de Blois in Gosick. He seems out of place since much of the series takes place in ADEN Academy and like a character in another show. This is the case for a (different) character named marumaru. Miracle often uses marumaru as a pillow, with the latter calling the former “ordinary.”

While the fact that there are contests and school administrators is consistent with other idol shows, what sets Kizuna no Allele apart is the direct mention and almost encouragement of A.I. In a post-credits scene in the third episode, there is a question about non-fungible tokens, known as NFTs. A simple explanation is provided. NFTs have clear copyright, storage, environmental, and security issues.

This is compounded by the fees charged and manipulation of NFT prices. Some have voiced concern that these tokens are pyramid/Ponzi schemes and pointed to financial uncertainty of the data files. They function like cryptographic tokens, but are not so-called “cryptocurrencies.” This isn’t mentioned at all. This led some to say the show is shilling for NFTs. In this series, A.I. tools rank V-Tubers. In the 11th episode, participants in a music festival get an event NFT as a prize.

This uncritical focus on A.I. stands in contrast to the omniscient, godlike A.I. as depicted in the six-part OVA named The Orbital Children. This series almost encourages creation of anime by A.I. The latter is not possible. A.I. tools like ChatGPT are “incapable of creating anything new.” They can only pull in what already exists. Consider Angela Carpenter in Carole & Tuesday who works with Tao, a music producer who uses advanced A.I. to ensure performers are profitable. That plotline is better constructed than Miracle wanting to write her own lyrics rather than A.I. tools.

Other series are more critical of A.I. than Kizuna no Allele. The same can be said for Cleopatra in Space. It has a paranoid A.I. scared of ghosts, near PYRAMID Academy which generates electricity for the campus. Later, an evil A.I. named Cyrano created by Octavian tries to control one of the protagonists.

Star Trek: Lower Decks and Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur portray A.I. with more depth than anything this series has to offer. The former series has a malevolent computer A.I. in the second season. The latter has a “living” A.I. supercomputer and an entire episode on the dangers of A.I.

Otherwise, this series also reinforces, in many ways, expectations of idol femininity, even if it possibly subverts it. This isn’t necessarily unique, as those series within the Love Live! franchise, BanG Dream!, and If My Favorite Pop Idol Made It to the Budokan, I Would Die, to name a few of the over 90 idol anime and manga out there, do the same.

Undoubtedly the series has a strong animation style and intriguing designs. But, it isn’t as nuanced as Do It Yourself!!, which gives the lesson that do-it-yourself (DIY) ethics can mesh with techno-optimism and technology. Instead, Kizuna no Allele appears to be taking the side of the tech bros who favor A.I., rather than approaching the topic in a more critical way. This is one of the many downfalls of this series, to build upon what I’ve mentioned earlier in this review.

Another one of the issues of Kizuna no Allele is that it took time for all those in the opening sequence of the series to have a significant role in the series. For instance, Riz (voiced by Arisa Hanawa) does not have much a role until later on in the series. In fact, she begins to get a spotlight in the end of episode eight, when she declares that she might have collected enough data as she rides on her fogelboard (a hoverboard-like device) catching the viewer’s attention for the first time in the series.

The music in this series is only passable, apart from opening and closing sequences, by Ayato Fujiwara and MikitoP respectfully. While this is the first series Fujiwara has worked on, MikitoP has composed for Kochoki. Sometimes it feels like the V-Tuber music would be better to listen to than watch. The animation sequences with characters in V-Tuber form can look a bit ghoulish.

Apart from previous criticism of Kizuna no Allele, in terms of subpar music and positive views of A.I. (and presumably NFTs), there are some positives. For one, Noelle takes Miracle under her wing and teaches her the importance of music, while Miracle does the same for Noelle. In fact, in the show’s sixth episode, she helps give Noelle the confidence to write her own song, and get beyond her previous dedication to be the best she can be, which even resulted in self-harm.

More importantly, Miracle, and the show itself, emphasize that you should follow your own goals, not those imposed on others, and that it more important to be someone you love than to be perfect. This emphasis on self-love allows Noelle to open up more to Miracle, resulting in her smiling, and laughing, for the first time in the series.

There is the continuing mystery of marumaru and Chris. The series, like Ippon Again, seems to be saying that hard work can pay off. That isn’t always true. Furthermore, the animation of this series flows well and there are some cute scenes with Miracle, meaning that she is relatable.

In the seventh episode, Chris goes on a journey to find herself. Miracle and Noelle look at her previous streams to find out more about her. They become such good friends that Noelle finger-flicks Miracle on the forehead when she gets annoyed. This shows their connection between each other.

The importance of self-discovery fits with other themes in Kizuna no Allele. In episode seven, one of the best episodes in the series, there is an unsurprising revelation. Only half the students base their avatars on their real-life appearance. Chris seems to be a real-life student, but Miracle doesn’t want to bother her.

This episode builds on previous plot development. Specifically, Chris is even more direct with her romantic feelings with Miracle, declaring she can only overcome obstacles with Miracle in a sort of love confession. She later adds that she wrote lyrics only thanks to Miracle, who says she wants to be better friends with Chris.

All of this interlinks to the growing camaraderie, by the seventh episode of Kizuna no Allele, between Chris, Noelle, Miracle, and even marumaru. Miracle is criticized by Noelle for “dragging” them down, as she hasn’t produced original lyrics. Even so, Miracle still supports her. Almost akin to the sub-plot in Alice Gear Aegis Expansion, Principal of ADEN Academy reportedly has a devious, or evil, plan. One character says in the 11th episode they need to stop ADEN’s plan. The academy is described as existing across the world and run by the ADEN Network.

Many loose ends are tied up in the eighth episode of Kizuna no Allele. At first, it seems like any other episode, with the video streams of Noelle and Chris. Miracle worries that she is falling behind in her rank and views. However, something important is revealed: marumaru is actually Quan (voiced by Rina Kawaguchi). Miracle has been confiding in marumaru since episode one. Only the audience knows they are the same. As such, it is clear Quan has been front and center the entire time. Miracle even states that marumaru is not boring or pathetic.

The 11th episode turns this on its head. Noelle, Riz, Miracle, and marumaru perform at the Shower of Sound festival. While they fail, marumaru feels that their present form isn’t good. Even though Miracle says that marumaru doesn’t need to change anything, they transform into Quan, their “true self.” This Quan is not like the one in the aviary. Rather Quan is a girl who appears in the series’ opening sequence. Quan in the “real world” is a mystery, but could be a trans girl who hasn’t transitioned. If so, Quan would have similarities with Snapdragon in High Guardian Spice, a trans woman shown prior to transition.

One of the strangest parts of Kizuna no Allele were the post-credit scenes in V-Tuber style, described as “recommended videos.” While some were on topics like drawing, design, food, in-universe trivia, or something else entirely, they pale in comparison to those primarily about Sakura’s outfits in Cardcaptor Sakura and Cardcaptor Sakura: Clear Card.

A later episode features a competition where characters race on hoverboards. In the case of the former, Riz got a lot more airtime. She becomes a stronger character, sharing the lesson that you shouldn’t spread fake news. It appears she has a crush on Miracle, saying Miracle really interests her. The comradeship between Riz, Miracle, and Miracle’s other friends, makes the series that much more enjoyable.

Riz, who only wants to get better data and cares little about her rank, served as a vehicle for the story to push Miracle forward by stating that she should think for herself rather than relying on others. Predictably, this causes Miracle to post videos and people accuse her of “copying others.” She gets so much negativity that she even thinks of quitting becoming a V-Tuber!

This anxiety she faces is nowhere near what a high school student, an owner of a popular cat on social media, experienced in the 10th episode of Too Cute Crisis. In the case of that series, she could more effectively deal with her anxiety by not desiring to keep every single picture perfect, drawing from the terrible blurry photographs taken by protagonist Liza Luna of her cat Yozora.

Coming back to Kizuna No Allele, I liked that Miracle’s friends don’t abandon her, but cheered her up. In fact, Riz states that Miracle shouldn’t be dependent on her friends and should walk alongside them instead. This causes Miracle to declare she will express herself the best she can in the virtual world, showing her “true” self. She expresses this even more directly in the series finale, where she embraces the idea of them playing a collab concert so they can qualify for the Virtual Grid Awards (VGA).

Furthermore, this episode not only highlights the clash between Lapin d’Or Ada (who heads the VGAs) and ADEN Academy principal Auris (voiced by Masumi Tazawa), but the value of originality. For one, Lapin is concerned about collaborative concerts, feeling they are copying one another and look all the same. She changes the system so students aren’t rewarded. Many students to abandon the idea as a result. The latter impacts the friends of Miracle. They believe that working individually is  “better.” This quickly dissipates as each of them realizes their connection to her.

In a powerful end to Kizuna No Allele, Chris, Quan, Noelle, and Riz all sing and dance together with Miracle in a concert as PathTLive. The 3D animation of the concert isn’t terrible. It is more passable than previous 3D V-Tuber videos in the series. The lesson in the episode is that connecting and inspiring others is a good thing. It can even allow people to overcome obstacles, as Miracle and her friend make their way into the top 15 qualifiers for the VGAs. The series ending leaves open the possibility of a second season. Although it appeared to be very unlikely when I wrote an earlier draft of this review, another season will be premiering in October!

On the other hand, the show is not critical, in any way, whatsoever, of the VTuber culture, equivalent to social influencers in the U.S. There are no episodes, like those in the first season of The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder or Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur. Both focus on the dangers of online trolls and the power of a social media influencer. Instead, the videos have in-universe product placement. There is an advertisement for a bubble drink in one episode and an ad on the reported “value” of e-sports. Getting a high rank in the virtual world is indicated as important.

Such an emphasis reinforces the problematic idea the highly rated/ranked content is “good.” In reality, this cannot be further from the truth. Even if a video has a lot of views, comments, and reactions, this doesn’t mean that it is “good,” as it can be actively harmful. Such content may not be to everyone’s taste either. There can be “hidden gems” which don’t get as much recognition. Although the show implies that Miracle’s videos are awful, she is obsessed with getting a higher ranking, so she can compete in the virtual award competition.

While the series is watchable due to the interactions between Miracle and her friends, the yurish subtext, important of self-love and self-discovery, and sometimes absurd storylines, there are many issues. This includes non-existent criticism of VTubers, social media influencers, and A.I. Subpar music, lack of character development in the protagonist, and other problems are additional problems. Hopefully, a second season will fix these issues.

Kizuna no Allele is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.