Close Menu
  • Login
  • Support Us
  • Newsletter
  • News
  • Features
  • Interviews
  • Reviews
    • Video Games
      • Previews
      • PC
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X/S
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Xbox One
      • PS4
      • Tabletop
    • Film
    • TV
    • Anime
    • Comics
      • BOOM! Studios
      • Dark Horse Comics
      • DC Comics
      • IDW Publishing
      • Image Comics
      • Indie Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • Oni-Lion Forge
      • Valiant Comics
      • Vault Comics
  • Podcast
  • More
    • Event Coverage
    • BWT Recommends
    • RSS Feeds
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
Support Us
But Why Tho?
RSS Facebook X (Twitter) YouTube
Trending:
  • Features
    Marvel's Spider-Man Secret Lair promotional image

    Get a Look At the Secret Lair x Marvel’s Spider-Man Superdrop

    09/08/2025
    Starseeker: Astroneer Expeditions gameplay still

    Starseeker: Astroneer Expeditions Is All About Adventure (with Friends)

    09/08/2025
    Chord in Persona 5 The Phantom X

    Now Is The Perfect Time To Jump Back In ‘Persona 5: The Phantom X’

    09/05/2025
    Cosmic Spider-Man card details

    [EXCLUSIVE PREVIEW] The Spider-Man Set Gets A 5-Color Legendary Spider

    09/02/2025
    Lee Corso from College Football GameDay in EA Sports games

    EA Sports Always Understood Lee Corso’s Legacy

    09/01/2025
  • Indie Games
  • K-Dramas
  • Netflix
  • Apple TV+
But Why Tho?
Home » Anime » REVIEW: ‘Kemono Jihen,’ Episode 1 – “Kabane”

REVIEW: ‘Kemono Jihen,’ Episode 1 – “Kabane”

Olive St. SauverBy Olive St. Sauver01/11/20213 Mins ReadUpdated:11/20/2021
Kemono Jihen Episode 1
Share
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Reddit WhatsApp Email

Kemono Jihen Episode 1

Atmospheric and well-animated, Kemono Jihen Episode 1, “Kanabe,” came out of left field and may become a sleeper hit this anime season. The supernatural anime is from Ajia-do (Ascendance of a Bookworm, Kakushigoto), and based on a manga series published in Japan by Shō Aimoto. This is an anime that will easily appeal to fans of supernatural anime like Jujutsu Kaisen, but is clearly carving its own way.

Get BWT in your inbox!

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and get the latest and greated in entertainment coverage.
Click Here

Get BWT in your inbox!

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and get the latest and greated in entertainment coverage.
Click Here

The plot of Kemono Jihen Episode 1 is difficult to discuss without spoiling the experience of watching it unfold. Inugami has been called in from Tokyo to investigate a series of morbid livestock killings in a rural village. The innkeeper he stays with has a son who is absolutely thrilled to have someone from the city to talk with. However, Inugami quickly catches on that things aren’t what they seem. The livestock killings occur on nights of the New Moon, and the carcasses had their insides devoured. Inugami also takes notice of a quiet boy working in the fields. The locals disdainfully call him Dorotabo, and no one goes near him, claiming he has a repugnant smell that cannot be washed away. Dorotabo was abandoned at the inn as a child, and since he works the fields, Inugami suspects he may have seen the culprit and enlists the child’s help.

Kemono Jihen Episode 1 is unsettling, it always gives just enough information to get viewers to the next moment. Even if you are a seasoned anime-watcher and somewhat predict where the episode will go, it throws in just enough surprises to catch one off guard. The musical score pairs well with Ajia-do’s animation, and the show isn’t afraid of stillness. Scenes are calm and fluid. Kemono Jihen Episode 1 isn’t action-packed, focusing on building tension and emotional attachment between the characters. The little action it does include, however, makes sure to match the unsettling vibe (a character rips a monster’s head off with their fist, for example).

Kemono Jihen Episode 1 focuses a lot more on traditional mythology. Not everything has been explained, and that is for the better. It was refreshing to not have an entire section of exposition to reveal that “not everything is as it seems.” While viewers aren’t given the specifics, the show makes clear that kemono (supernatural creatures) are real, and some are beginning to have children with humans, creating half-breed hanyo. Kemono Jihen Episode 1 does a fantastic job of sucking viewers in. The twenty minutes have the effect of a spooky story told around the campfire. It is only at the end where the show expands to show the start of a much larger adventure. The show also excellently represents how humans can be just as cruel as any monster.

Kemono Jihen Episode 1 should be on everyone’s watch list this winter anime-season. It is a creepy little show that focuses on character and atmosphere in its premiere instead of an action-packed spectacle. It is a supernatural series based in more traditional lore, and with great animation and music. If it matches this energy and feels beyond the premiere, it could become a sleeper hit this winter.

Kemono Jihen is streaming now on Funimation.

Kemono Jihen Episode 1 - "Kabane"
  • 10/10
    Rating - 10/10
10/10

TL;DR

Kemono Jihen Episode 1 should be on everyone’s watch list this winter anime-season. It is a creepy little show that focuses on character and atmosphere in its premiere instead of an action-packed spectacle. It is a supernatural series based in more traditional lore, and with great animation and music. If it matches this energy and feels beyond the premiere, it could become a sleeper hit this winter.

Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn WhatsApp Reddit Email
Previous ArticleREVIEW: ‘Two Sentence Horror Stories,’ Season 2 Episode 1 – “Bag Man”
Next Article REVIEW: ‘Future State: Dark Detective,’ Issue #1
Olive St. Sauver

Olive is an award-winning playwright with BAs in English and Theatre. At BWT she is a manga and anime critic, with an additional focus on mental health portrayals in media and true crime.

Related Posts

DanDaDan Season 2 Episode 11
8.5

REVIEW: ‘DanDaDan’ Season 2 Episode 11 – “Hey, It’s a Kaiju”

09/11/2025
Sakamoto Days Episode 20
6.5

REVIEW: ‘Sakamoto Days’ Episode 20 — “Mutual Fans”

09/08/2025
Tougen Anki Episode 9 still from Netflix
4.0

REVIEW: ‘Tougen Anki’ Episode 9 — “Momotaro Spirit”

09/06/2025
My Dress-Up Darling Season 2 Episode 10 promotional image from Crunchyroll
10.0

REVIEW: ‘My Dress-Up Darling’ Season 2 Episode 10 — “So We’re Gonna Do It All Right Now?”

09/06/2025
Arknights Rise From Ember Rosmontis

REVIEW: ‘Arknights: Rise From Ember’ Is Phenomenal But Drags On Too Long

09/06/2025
The Fragrant Flower Blooms with Dignity Episode 1
7.5

REVIEW: ‘The Fragrant Flower Blooms With Dignity’ Episode 1 – “Rintaro and Kaoruko”

09/05/2025

Get BWT in your inbox!

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and get the latest and greated in entertainment coverage.
Click Here
TRENDING POSTS
The Long Walk (2025) film review promotional image
9.5
Film

REVIEW: ‘The Long Walk’ Is The Most Heartfelt And Heartbreaking Stephen King Adaptation

By Kate Sánchez09/11/2025Updated:09/11/2025

The Long Walk is a brutal watch. Equally heartfelt and heartbreaking, it’s one of the best adaptations of Stephen King’s work.

EA Sports FC Icons Match promotional image from Nexon News

2025 Icons Match Returns With Football Legends Bridging The Pitch And Video Games

By Kate Sánchez09/03/2025Updated:09/03/2025

NEXON has announced the return of the ‘2025 Icons Match,’ a live event that brings a full roster of legendary players to the pitch.

Black Women Anime — But Why Tho (9) BWT Recommends

10 Black Women in Anime That Made Me Feel Seen

By LaNeysha Campbell11/11/2023Updated:12/03/2024

Black women are some of anime’s most iconic characters, and that has a big impact on Black anime fans. Here are some of our favorites.

DanDaDan Season 2 Episode 11
8.5
Anime

REVIEW: ‘DanDaDan’ Season 2 Episode 11 – “Hey, It’s a Kaiju”

By Allyson Johnson09/11/2025

The ragtag group faces down the mysterious kaiju in the thrilling and beautifully animated DanDaDan Season 2 Episode 11.

But Why Tho?
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram Pinterest RSS YouTube Twitch
  • CONTACT US
  • ABOUT US
  • PRIVACY POLICY
  • SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER
  • Review Score Guide
Sometimes we include links to online retail stores. If you click on one and make a purchase we may receive a small contribution.
Written Content is Copyright © 2025 But Why Tho? A Geek Community

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

But Why Tho Logo

Support Us!

We're able to keep making content thanks to readers like YOU!
Support independent media today with
Click Here