K: Missing Kings

K: Missing Kings is an extremely good addition to the series. It presents us a fresh story, with the inclusion of a few faces not seen in the series and is worth your time. This review may contain a little spoilers so if you're reading this while you're in the middle of the series you might wanna avoid it reading this. The story in the film follows after not more than a year has passed since the incident involving the Silver King, the Red King and the Blue King. The people of the HOMRA group have since disbanded and got off to live on theirown. Anna, the mysterious little girl who used to always hang beside Suoh Mikoto aka the Red King, is depicted as our main character here. She's seen to be chased by two other mysterious looking guys who happen to be the Clansmen of the Green King. Yes, this is the first time the Green King is introduced as he did not have any part to play in the series. Yukari Mishakuji is the one serving for the Green King and is our main antagonist in the movie. He's later revealed as a former senior of Kuroh Yatogami who also was the student for Miwa Ichigen. For purposes unknown, Yukari leads the kidnapping of Anna but face off against Kuroh and Neko, who are in search for the disappeared Shiro. The artwork for this was once again a visual masterpiece as was the case with the series. The CG effects were right on the money too. The voice actors stay the same from the series. The movies uses some of sound effects previously heard on the series with the combination of some of its original themes as well. And it was a bliss to hear the ending song done by Angela. Honestly after watching the movie, I think "Rebirth of the King" would've been a more appropriate name rather than the one it has. Sure it does give us an insight to the never seen before Green King but that actually acts as a sub-plot giving the main role to a more sequel-like story. To fold it off, K: Missing Kings is an absolute must watch if you're a fan of the series. It's totally not a recap and has its own very interesting storyline with the addition of some new characters. The film does not have a full conclusion to the story though, as it's actually not supposed to be one. With the announcement of the new sequel to the K series to air this fall, the movie also acts like a considerably well done prologue to it which means all the more reason to watch it.

"All you ever do is cling on to things. You'll never be able to go anywhere unless you learn how to let go." Those are the words of the main antagonist of this film, Mishakuji Yukari. What do they mean? Are they true? Bearing with the loss of their beloved King, the members of HOMRA disband and go their own ways, leaving Yata to spend lonely days at the bar watching old videos Totsuka had recorded, Rikio and Anna spending their days together, other members hanging out and avoiding the bar. However, how long will the peacefulness last? Story: 8 This film was intended to be the closureto the cliffhanger of the original story and, in my opinion, did a quite good job there. It answered a lot of questions and gave us more insight on the deaths of Totsuka and Mikoto we had already witnessed in the anime prequel. However, I must say I was confused at some points of the film and it made it harder for me to continue watching it. At some points I had to pause and go back a bit so I would understand what was going on. With more questions answered, we just got more questions to ask - Why did this happen? What did this character mean by saying that? What has just happened? I'd say that the story, compared to the stories of some other animes or the K anime prequel, was not well-written and it did not reach its potential. Art: 10 The art of K stays flawless in this film as well. The scenery, the colours - ah, nostalgia! I especially liked the lightning and the animations of flames and special powers the characters used during the film. The animation is splendid - I re-watched some scenes way too many times! Sound: 10 What could happen with an amazing voice actor cast and the people who did the OST for the original series? This film. The voice acting was beautiful as always and the OST just made the whole thing shine even more. I especially liked the fact that some of the tracks from the original OST were used. There was also a song sung by Anna and I got goosebumps! The only thing that bothered me a little bit is the parts where the background music was a bit louder than the voices, but it can also give it more charm for others. Overall, majestic. Character: 8 I really liked the original characters and it was really nice seeing them in action again. Some of them got more development and some of them were shown in situations we've never seen them before, which was refreshing. The main antagonist of this film really caught my eye and I saw a lot of potential in him, but in the end I ended up a bit disappointed. We never got to see any background story on him or character development - just a plain, shallow character who served to trigger the plot. I wish the creators put more effort in developing him. Enjoyment: 10 As a former K fan, I enjoyed this greatly. It was so nice to see K back again without having to re-watch the original series. There was just enough action, as well as comic relief moments and some moments that could bring one to tears. The music and the animation just make you let yourself be sucked into the world of K. It was truly a magical experience. Overall: 9 Overall, this film was very good. It had a good amount of everything and I'm sure it'd be a nice experience to all of you K fans. I give it an 8 because of the lack of story and character development, but I also recommend it to all of you. At least it's worth giving it a try. This story teaches and shows us people at a whole new start, people forgiving and being forgiven. In this film you'll see people letting go of old, and embracing new bonds that will certainly change their lives towards better.

After waiting a long time for the DvD release, I'm glad I wasn't disappointed. You guys won't be disappointed either! Continuing from the last arc of K: The Animation, the plot has gotten much bigger with the new characters. Story 9/10: Deep story, taking K: The Animation as a base, the love/hate relationships, including a shady king who makes a move on some other king. Can be a tear jerker for some people, while for the others it can pump you with adrenaline. Art 11/10: (Yes, 11 out of 10) At some certain points, you feel as if it's real life. Perfect art, no! Beyond perfect. Outstanding fights, graphicsand characters. Everything is top notch! Sounds 10/10: The usual chill tracks, one of the most crucial parts that was done well. Strong tracks when needed. Giving you a relaxing sensation full of enjoyment. Character"s" 8/10: While adding new characters, the old characters sadly remained with the exact type of personality. Even Munakata's lame humor remained, despite the change of some of the characters looks. (Only 1 character gets a change of personality) Enjoyment: 8/10 Some people won't like the fact that it's over-chill sometimes, and some others might not like the plot twists, but.. As for the K fans, they'll love it to bits. Even the minor characters get a chance of taking a part of the new movie! Overall: 9/10 Great movie, you definitely should give it a shot!

* Contain Spoilers, read at your own risk * I personally had different expectations for this movie. As the first series ended, it left you on a cliff hanger. I was left with questions. Such as • Where is Shiro? Will they find him? • What happened to HOMRA? And that is all. I felt like since they killed Mikoto off, they decided to add a new character for more drama. Felt very forced. I believe they could of squeezed in 2 minutes of finding out of where Shiro is... and what happened to HOMRA in the last episode of the TV series. Rather than creatinga whole new movie. It was very clique when Anna managed to work the power inside her and become the new Red King. And again left you at another cliff hanger. The art overall, is fantastic. Very crisp and clear colors. Not sure whether I want to see Season 2..