Join Our Newsletter
  • Visit Our Store
  • Come Write for J-List!
J-List Blog
Visit J-List - Your Favorite Online Shop and Friend in Japan
  • Featured
  • News
  • Gallery
  • Product Reports
  • Your Friend in Japan
No Result
View All Result
J-List Blog
  • Featured
  • News
  • Gallery
  • Product Reports
  • Your Friend in Japan
No Result
View All Result
J-List Blog
No Result
View All Result

Kemono Friends Mystery Revealed [no spoilers]

Peter Payne by Peter Payne
8 years ago
in Your Friend in Japan

kemono friends national geographic parody

When animators go to tell a story, they have various options about how to set up the problems the characters must solve. They can build romantic drama about two characters, or create a “harem” situation in which a character must choose from a number of potential suitors (necessarily denying love to the ones who aren’t chosen), or present a dramatic event that must be averted by a convenient plot device such as time travel (BokuMachi, Steins;Gate) or messages from the future (Orange, Mirai Nikii). One vehicle I enjoy a lot are mystery stories which are slowly revealed as the story unfolds. There are plenty of good examples of this, including NakaImo: My Sister is Among Them or Please Twins!, in which one character is the sister of the main character, and romance can’t proceed until he discovers which girl it is, or Another, the show that makes you afraid of umbrellas.

One show I found myself enjoying quite a bit is the surprise hit Kemono Friends, a low-budget CGI series about anthropomorphic animal “friends” living in a futuristic animal park that’s been abandoned for many years. The first mystery to solve is, what kind of animal Kaban (“Bag,” who gets her name from the bag she carries) is, since she can’t swim like an otter or climb trees like Serval. We find out eventually that she’s a strange animal called a “person,” but they’re all supposed to have gone extinct. In each episode of Kemono Friends, more details of the strange mutation that made all the animals sentient are revealed, as the characters make their way to their final destination, the Library, where all questions will be answered. What I love is how Kemono Friends fandom has exploded, generating more fanart than exists for Steins;Gate after only a few months. Give Kemono Friends a try!

You never know what randomness you’ll find in Japanese stores. One day I was happy to find taco shells in an import food shop, and picked up everything needed to make tacos for the family…though I saw later that the taco shells were imported from Australia, and the cheese from Norway, which was not something an American from California expects to see. The other day my wife brought tortilla chips and salsa for an evening snack, and I was surprised to see they were made in Belgium, not a place you generally associate with fine Mexican food. Back in the early 90s, Japan was a much more closed place, and the idea of finding imported Doritos for sale was exotic. Happily now all kinds of interesting products are available in Japan, from Green Tea Kit Kat to Monster Energy Drinks are available here.

New Konosuba products in stock at J-List

We love seeing shows we love get lots of merchandise, which allows studios to make a profit and gives us fun things to sell to you. We’ve been happy with KonoSuba, which has been generating lots of new merch, from figures to card sleeves to other kinds of sleeves. Browse it all now!

Tags: Animeartbookskemono friends

More Posts Like This

Seishun.Buta.Yarou.wa.Santa.Claus.no.Yume.wo.Minai Blog Post
Your Friend in Japan

Seishun Buta Yarou Returns! Why You Should Not Miss ‘Rascal Does Not Dream of Santa Claus’

by Peter Payne
6 days ago

Among the many high-profile anime series that have debuted in the new season is Rascal Does Not Dream of Santa...

Cultural Exchange With A Game Center Girl Poster
Your Friend in Japan

Let’s Learn About Japanese Culture with ‘Game Center Girl’!

by Peter Payne
1 week ago

What happens when a cute British girl goes into a game center in Tokyo and finds love? Cultural Exchange With...

My Dress Up Darling Returns! 7 Reasons We Can't Stop Loving Marin Kitagawa

My Dress-Up Darling Season 2 Is Here! 6 Reasons We Can’t Stop Thinking About Marin Kitagawa

2 weeks ago
How Profitable Is Anime As A Business?

Anime Industry Profitability: How Much Does Sony Make from Anime?

3 weeks ago
Why Do We Love Anime So Much

Why We Love Anime: 9 Reasons It’s More Than Just Escapism

3 weeks ago
Summer 2025 Anime Season Guide

A Monster Anime Season Is Coming! Your Summer 2025 Anime Guide!

4 weeks ago
Next Post
Shiraha Raphiel Ainsworth Gabriel Dropout Drawn By Tachimi Basue 97e4d80be96174367b895ec7ef7486f6

The History of Panty Fetish in Japan

Trending Today

The Top 11 Anime Sex Scenes Blog
Your Friend in Japan

Happy Sex Day! Let’s Rank the 11 Most Surprising Ecchi Scenes in Anime

1 month ago
Spring 2025 Ecchi Anime Web Cover
News

Spring 2025 Ecchi Anime and Where to Watch Them

4 months ago
Yandere Dark Elf Episode 1 Featured Image
Featured

Yandere Dark Elf, Episode 1 — Love Heavier than Chocolate Melons!

3 months ago
Haite Kudasai, Takamine San Episode 9 Featured Image
Featured

Haite Kudasai, Takamine-san, Episode 9 — Slippery When Wet!

2 weeks ago
Dengeki Moeoh August 2025 Cover
Anime Magazine

What’s Inside Dengeki Moeoh August 2025? Ecchi Illustrations, Posters, Art, and More!

1 week ago
Get the Newest Figures from J-List - Your Favorite Online Shop and Friend in Japan
Screenshot
News

They’re Back: Announcing the Return of J-List Tissues!

by Peter Payne
July 19, 2025

They’re Back: Announcing the Return of J-List Tissues!

3 Horny and Hungry Reasons to Watch Clevatess

Dandadan S2 Pulls No Punches (and the Fight Scenes Hit Hard, Too)

Cultural Exchange with a Game Center Girl — A Kawaii Romance

Tojima Wants to Be a Kamen Rider and Fight Shocker

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Discord
  • YouTube

© J-LIST. All trademarks, characters and images are property of their respective owners.

No Result
View All Result
  • Featured
  • News
  • Gallery
  • Product Reports
  • Your Friend in Japan

© J-LIST. All trademarks, characters and images are property of their respective owners.

No Result
View All Result
  • Featured
  • News
  • Gallery
  • Product Reports
  • Your Friend in Japan

© J-LIST. All trademarks, characters and images are property of their respective owners.