REVIEW: ‘Kaina of the Great Snow Sea’ Could Be The Next Big Anime Hit

Kaina of the Great Snow Sea is a new fantasy anime series from the team at Polygon Pictures. The series takes place in a world covered in increasingly growing amounts of snow where the people struggle daily to survive. After watching a preview of the first four episodes, it’s fair to say Kaina of the Great Snow Sea is an anime worth keeping an eye on.

The people in Kaina of the Great Snow Sea live in one of two places. Many live in communities around the roots of the great orbital trees that cover the planet, while others live high up on the canopy that stretches across the world known as the Celestial Membrane. Right off the bat, it’s clear that life isn’t easy, and it gives off a very similar vibe to the start of To Your Eternity, where snow and ice make the world seem unlivable. However, the inclusion of the giant trees and the Tenmaku, where the people live to escape the snow, makes the setting feel distinctly different, which I greatly appreciated.

While Kaina of the Great Snow Sea has a post-apocalyptic feel, it is a boy-meets-girl love story at its core. Kaina, the main male character, lives up above the Tenmaku and meets Liliha, a princess from a small country known as Atland, located in the Great Snow Sea. The chance encounter between the two sets off a Romeo and Juliet-esque story about lovers from two seemingly different worlds whose fates are intertwined in a way that will change the rest of the world forever. The obstacles in their way, both human and nature, pose a significant threat to both Kaina and Liliha on their journey, and Polygon did a great job including villains and environmental settings that make the danger feel real.

I love the general concept of people from two different situations in life meeting up and falling in love, especially in the setting of an incredibly harsh world. The juxtaposition between a joyless world covered in snow and a joyous love story works really well through the first four episodes. It’s also fascinating how that love story is tied with the high fantasy “save the world” storyline, giving their relationship more meaning and adding external strain to it. I’m interested to see how it continues to play out throughout the rest of the series.

Kaina of the Great Snow Sea is a 3D CGI animated show, which is less popular and typically more divisive than 2D anime. There were moments when I didn’t particularly love the 3D animation, but it never felt outright bad or distracting. The art design for the world at large was done incredibly well. The character animations also work really well when combined with excellent voice actor performances. I felt drawn into the world of Kaina and Liliha and felt like I was there as a part of their story.

Kaina of the Great Snow Sea isn’t perfect by any means, but the first four episodes are a glimpse at what has the potential to be a sleeper hit this anime season. The story is well told so far, even if it is not revolutionary, and the setting is quite interesting. I’m rooting for Kaina and Liliha through the dangers they have ahead, and I can’t wait to see how the rest of their journey plays out.

Kaina of the Great Snow Sea begins airing on Crunchyroll on January 11, 2023