In late 2004, several years after the TV series had finished its run, it was announced that a Kino no Tabi movie was in production. Set to be released in 2005, the movie was based on the prologue and epilogue of novel 7: Nanika wo suru tameni ~ life goes on (In Order to Do Something). This is a story about Kino's past, taking place when she is around 13 or 14, and shows a little bit of her training with the master as well as her first journey. It also shows the growth of a childish Kino from "Country of Adults" to the more mature traveler we are used to.
A special, 30-minute version of the movie was shown at the 2004 Tokyo Kokusai Entertainment Market (Entama) festival. This version was later released on a DVD included with the second visual novel. Highlight the following to read a detailed summary of that release, with spoilers.
Like the novel, the movie starts with the epilogue or ending of the story. We see Kino as we are used to seeing her (in traveler outfit and all, with short hair, and using 'boku' to refer to herself) returning to a log cabin where her master greets her. She comments on Kino's new, shorter hair style, which she thinks suits Kino. Hermes also likes Kino's new 'do.
Then the story begins at the prologue. A younger Kino in a pink jumper ties back her long hair with a red ribbon and goes along her morning chores, including refilling a water bucket in the house and waking up Hermes (by slapping him and yelling, 'WAKE UP!' (Needless to say, Hermes is not amused.) Kino's master comes down and continues Kino's training exercises, which consist of making her a fast draw with the gun. She comments to Hermes that Kino is a natural in this. Unfortunately, Kino is not a natural at everything. Hermes' attempts to show her how to ride a motorrad are marked by near-accidents. When she is not training, the master often tells Kino stories of when she used to travel the world. A busy woman, the master also gets visitors from time to time asking her for help, which she refuses.
Kino never forgets the traveler, KINO, who saved her life, and she often spends time thinking about him and his ways. She also begins to use 'boku' (a masculine personal pronoun) instead of 'atashi' (a feminine version.)
One day when going down to the river to fill a bucket of water, she runs into a person with the same coat as KINO. After her initial shock, she learns that in the country where the traveler grew up, everyone who leaves the country is given a similar coat. This leads Kino to try and find KINO's country of origin. She wants to find his mother, and apologize. The master increases the rate of Kino's training, having her aim and shoot a target at the drop of a coin. She also helps Kino plot on a large map a route to the country they think KINO came from. Finally, the master gives Kino a set of traveling clothes, including the goggle-hat combination and green shirt we're used to. Kino ties her shoulder-length hair into a ponytail underneath the hat. Before Kino leaves, the master presses a coin to her forehead and tucks it into the cuff of her shirt - for good luck. Prepared and eager, Kino sets out.
On the journey, Kino and Hermes talk a lot about the trip, and expectations, and other things as well. One of the things Kino learns is that "Shisho" is not her master's real name. (Note: "Shisho" means "master" in Japanese.) Hermes is... not amused.
Upon reaching the country, Kino is guided to a woman's house. The woman greets Kino warmly, invites her into her home, offers some tea, and upon learning that she is an acquaintance of KINO, brings out some photo albums and talks about her son. Kino finally gains the courage to tell her the truth of her past, which sends the woman into a deep depression. As the news finally sinks in, she goes wild, yelling and blaming Kino, who is very sorry and a bit scared. Then, as the woman advances on her with a knife, Kino is slow to respond as she realizes she's been drugged. As she struggles with the woman (not only is she drugged but Kino is reluctant to harm the woman) the knife slips by the side of her head and cuts through her hair tie, making her hair fall loose. At that moment, the coin slips out of Kino's cuff and hits the floor. Acting on reflex (that's how the master trained her) she tells the woman, "I am Kino!" and shoots her, killing her, before fainting herself.
When Kino awakens, she sees that some locals are cleaning up the mess, and recognizes some of them as visitors to her master. Apparently, the woman was insane, inviting in people, telling them about her son while drugging them with tea, then killing them. They had asked the master if she would take care of the problem, but she refused. A naiive Kino inadvertently solved the problem.
Kino walks outside, notices the blood stains in her hair, sees a pair of garden shears, and procedes to give herself a trim. This is the final piece of identity that marks her as the Kino we are used to.
Kino returns to the master in a mirror of the epilogue. The scene is extended though, as the master invites Kino back into the log cabin and begins to regale her with more stories of her youth. (Note: The stories the master alludes to, like the "Tale of a Sharpshooter" are actually chapters in the novel where the master (and her student) are the main characters.
While is likely that ADV either already has rights or will be negotiating for them soon in order to release this movie to the North American market, ADV has not made any comments one way or the other regarding this property. Meanwhile, fansubs of the 30-minute Entama version are available.
One of the interesting things surrounding the Kino movie was the large promotional campaign. Although the largest part was a huge promotion at Entama festival including showing the preview version, many new goods were put into production for the movie, including a large release of cel art (I believe they are reproduction cels, considering that there were limited sets of the same groups of cels), new artwork splashed on posters, and a bunch of new goods. The anime series was rereleased at a lower price (complete with new packaging) along with a lower-priced rerelease of the first PS2 game. There were also reports of a Kino-themed bus. Dengeki spared no expense, it seemed.
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