When word got out that Kino no Tabi was going to have a new anime, it caught me off guard. It has been a good 14 years since Kino no Tabi's TV release, and it was certainly an unexpected surprise; but my god, I am so ready for the new season.

Kino no Tabi, also known as “Kino's Journey”, is an 2003 anime that was adapted from an ongoing light novel series written by Keiichi Sigsawa. The story revolves around, as the title suggests, the protagonist named Kino who travels together with a sentient motorcycle called Hermes. The two travel around the world, meeting people from all walks of life and visiting various countries with their own unique cultures and customs. Due to the nature of the characters, the anime follows its own pace and is self-contained. Kino can spend the entire episode or two in a single country or it can be broken up to accommodate various vignettes all in the same episode.

Each segment presents its audience with food for thought, so to speak. Kino takes the back seat in most situations, becoming a simple observer that watches the world without bias. Kino's general guide to travelling is to stay in a particular town for only three days and two nights, no more and no less. The countries that Kino visits reflect certain aspects of human tendencies. Both the viewer and Kino are left to make their own conclusions based on the residents and ideologies that are presented. Kino no Tabi is structured as a didactic travelogue that mediates on numerous allegories about human life and societal constructs.

That's not to say that Kino is just a wallflower—when push comes to shove, Kino is more than capable of eliminating anyone that can be considered a threat. Travelling alone warrants that one has to be well prepared for any kind of danger, making Kino quite a sharpshooter and hunter. Granted, the series doesn't focus on developing Kino or Hermes too much. Kino remains an enigmatic traveler from start to finish.

There are a couple of episodes that remain rather poignant in my memory, even after I first watched the series a few years ago. One of these is the story about the Land of Adults, which tackles the theme of the journey of adulthood and freedom of choice. Sometimes, people can find themselves in dead-end jobs, and when people are unhappy with their jobs, it can bleed into other facets of their lives. But being an adult in the real world sucks, especially with all the responsibilities that come with it. Wouldn't it be great if one could always find satisfaction in whatever they do? In the Land of Adults, all of those burdens can be lifted in an instant. On the day of a person's 12th birthday, they become of age to be the perfect the adult: responsible, efficient, and happy with any kind of job. In order to become an adult, all you have to do is have a simple procedure done; a lobotomy that takes takes away your sense of ethics so you can perform any task with a smile—no matter how cruel and terrible that job might be.

Kino no Tabi examines themes such as the value of life, deceit and revenge, freedom of will, censorship, democracy, and the depths of human selfishness. It is a mystifying anime that examines both the dark and light sides of human nature with its collection of parables. For some viewers, Kino's lack of empathy can be frustrating to watch as the scenes play out, especially during the more gruesome encounters. But if you're looking for something thought-provoking to analyze, then maybe this might be an anime to look into.