Common Name: Houseki no Kuni
Alternative Names: Land of the Lustrous, Country of Jewels, Kingdom of Gems
Score: 7/10, 4/5
Length: 12 Episodes
Genre: Action, Shoujo, Supernatural
Summary: Too fragile to fight, not skilled enough to provide any kind of assistance, and too self-centered to care about anyone's problems but her own--these are the traits that define Phosphophyllite, one of the youngest and least useful gems that live on the island nation that houses this collection of humanoid minerals and their enigmatic Sensei. With no real way to make use Phos's characteristic uselessness, Sensei assigns her the task of assembling an almanac of all life on the island. While the chances that this project will do any good are slim, at least it will keep Phos out of the way of her sisters while they fight the Lunarians--a race of ethereal beings who hunt and decorate themselves with minerals like Phos. Knowing Phos, though, she'll still find a way to annoy the other gems and end up in a million pieces.
Review: As much as I might be inclined to just make fangirling noises and demand that everyone in the world should watch Houseki no Kuni, I don't think that would really do this title justice. Doing so would, frankly, make my opinions no more valuable than every other reviewer who is currently screaming about how this show single-handedly validated CG animation, as ifSeikaisuru Kado never happened. To be clear, though, the animation in Houseki no Kuni is certainly worth a great deal of attention and praise, but that doesn't begin to express the real power and meaning behind this show. That distinction belongs to the trifecta of ideas that bring life and meaning to this gorgeous show: Phosphophyllite's fascinating twist on "The Hero's Journey" formula, the messages it has to offer regarding the distinctly different kinds of suffering seen in civilian and militant victims of war, and the show's use of Buddhist imagery to evoke images of faith in something that might actually just be naturally evil. Seriously, just one of these topics is enough to make this show as something worth critical consideration. But, no, that wasn't enough! Houseki no Kuni decided to follow the rule of threes to make sure it became a real contender for my favorite of the year. So, now that my bias has been clearly expressed, I think I'll just dive into the meat of this show and hope my background squeeing doesn't get too obnoxious.
Squeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee.
One funny I feel like I should mention: I initially didn't care for this show. Like most people, I acknowledged that this show was gorgeous, but I had the strong impression that it wasn't really going to go anywhere. I feared that it would just end up being some pretty art house title that didn't actually have much to offer or express other than the sheer spectacle of the thing. This worry wormed its way into the back of my mind mainly because I couldn't really bring myself to like the main character and protagonist, Phosphophyllite (Phos, for short). Here's the thing though: I think that was kinda the point. At the start of the show, we're introduced to Phos and the rest of the cast through her quick and off-putting interactions with them. In these interactions, she comes across as fickle, rash, clumsy, impulsive, crass, and most of all obnoxiously self-absorbed. Or, to put it in a more succinctly, she's representative of the average teenager. That much is clearly expressed by how little the other minerals care about what she has to say. As far as they're concerned, Phos just isn't mature enough to really offer any kind of aid or input in daily affairs. So, of course, they're all inclined to just blow her off or halfheartedly listen to their junior complain about how unfair it is that she can't do anything.
To be fair, I'd probably try to just outright avoid her.
This kind of characterization set me on edge particularly because it reminded me a lot of the average idol character. Add that association to the fact that all the minerals wear matching uniforms and it's not hard to see why I was inclined to be a bit wary about this show. As time goes on, however, we start to learn a little more about Phos. Namely, we gain the understanding that her self-absorbed behavior and exaggerated expressiveness is simply a symptom of her going stir-crazy. Since she is both too young to offer any kind of assistance to the other minerals and too weak to help fight off the Lunarians--the natural enemy of the humanoid minerals--it becomes generally obvious that she doesn't really have anything to do other than mope around and take what little excitement she can from pestering the others. Go figure, all this of stifling helplessness does is make her all the more eager to pick up a sword and fight. That would at least give her solid reason to go outside and without worrying about becoming easy prey for the jewel-obsessed Lunarians; not to mention that it would let her be more like the older sisters she begrudgingly looks up to. Being the weakest of the Lustrous--so much so that she can end up shattering into pieces just from tripping on a pebble--that dream simply isn't possible though.
To reiterate how weak she really is, at one point she falls apart just from Sensei raising his voice. I will also reiterate that she is, in fact, this show's main character.
Since this show wouldn't be interesting without at least a little forward movement, all hope isn't lost on poor little Phos though. Having nothing better for her to do, Sensei tasks her with cataloging all the life on their little island, effectively making something akin to an almanac or encyclopedia. In other words, since Sensei has nothing he can actively teach her anymore, he's opted to give her a self-driven homework assignment. Considering how I called Phos a teenager before, you can probably imagine how well she takes this. Since it does offer her a valid reason to leave the compound though, she's inclined to accept the assignment. Rather than learning about the island and the other creatures living on it, she instead takes interest in her fellow Lustrous now that she can finally watch them in action. Most notably, she takes interest in her polar opposite, Cinnabar, who has resigned herself to working the night shift and living entirely outside of the compound since she is a naturally poisonous mineral. Feeling sorry for, and maybe even a tad jealous of, the combat-capable and stubbornly independent Cinnabar, Phos takes this chance meeting as an excuse to pour herself wholly into the new task for Cinnabar, one that will be useful and let her live with her sisters again. Unfortunately, all this meddling does is put Phos and her fellow minerals in danger.
In case that image isn't clear, Phosis missing half her face. That isn't supposed to be normal.
Yet there she is, missing half her face.
Ever determined to be of some use though, Phos still finds a way to keep moving in spite of the danger. Even when she loses herself, piece by piece, she finds a way to keep striving. Even when her fellow minerals are "killed" and taken by the Lunarians, strictly because she's incapable of defending herself, she finds a reason to soldier on regardless. While some might be inclined to call this kind of determination reckless and suicidal, it is how she ultimately develops into the character worthy of love and even a kind of empathetic admiration. What's interesting, though, is that this development isn't entirely conceptual. With every new trauma and inspiration Phos gains over the course of the show, she gains more and more scars. Toward the beginning of the show, these scars are purely superficial in nature--easily mended and not worth much consideration. For the civilian Phos, these scars are simple annoyances. Even when she loses whole pieces of herself, she somehow finds a way to take these crippling losses in stride. Obviously these larger scars and disabilities frustrate her at first, but she keeps finding ways to pick herself back up. At some point, it becomes apparent that with each new loss she suffers, she also loses more and more of who she used to be. This loss of self is finalized, when she gives up all hope on recovering her old self and opts to replace her old self with various augmentations that finally give her the ability to fight back against the Lunarians. More than that, she's finally given the ability to protect and stand by her sisters without feeling inadequate. All of this change does come at a great cost though.
While she might not break nearly as easily as she used to, all these horrors and traumas
she's seen and suffered have made her far more emotionally fragile.
Through this cycle of loss and gain, Phos undergoes a strange kind of "Hero's journey," one in which she actively sacrifices more and more of herself to become the hero her people need. Yet, as I've said already, she ends up becoming a highly flawed hero in the process--one who will probably never be able to live a normal, happy life ever again. While it takes some time for this fact to sink in, it does eventually become clear that she can never be a civilian ever again. By becoming the warrior her sisters needed, she has lost everything she used to be. Rather than being emotional and fickle, she turns cold and dedicated to her work. Rather than smiling and joking with her sisters, she's grown dour and uniquely isolated due to her unnatural differences. She's gone from being a civilian who picks themself back up for their own sake become a damaged soldier who will never be able to truly leave the battlefield--too guilt-ridden and duty-bound to even consider that option. In a way, she's become more like Cinnabar. Another way to consider all this, however, is that all these traumatic ordeals and sacrifices have turned her into one of the most compelling PTSD victims I've ever seen in anime to date. Rather than pitying herself and lashing out in frustration like she used to, though, she turns her fears and loss into a desire to find answers to the questions that really matter. So, in a sad kind of way, it can't be denied at this point that these changes, while regrettable, have forced Phos to mature in ways no one could have expected.
Honestly, while I love and respect the new Phos, seeing this kind of stark contrast
with who she used to be makes me want to love the old Phos even more.
An interesting thing to note to consider, however, is that I might be entirely wrong about no one seeing Phos's sudden change coming. As much as I'd like to say Phos's strange kind of sacrificial character development is unique, there is pretty solid evidence that some of the other Lustrous have suffered and grown in similar ways. After all, it has been stated multiple times over the show that several Lustrous have been lost to the Lunarians over the years. One of the most notable examples of this kind of cruel character development can be seen in the mineral, Alexandrite. Due to the loss of her sister, Chrysoberyl, Alex exists as a character that is just as disturbed as Phos, maybe even more so. To elaborate, she has the tendency to, at the drop of a hat, shift from being a quiet scholar on Lunarians to a crazed warrior who relentlessly kills any Lunarian she sees. In this kind of dualistic nature, she follows a pattern of development almost identical to Phos--determined to get the answers she needs while also seeking vengeance. The only notable difference is that Alex's condition is one that speaks to a far more dangerous mental state. Though it's played off as a kind of joke, it is worth noting that none of the other Lustrous are surprised when Alex goes into her berserk rage which hints to the idea that they all knew and simply decided to keep quiet about it. Why irritate an open wound or trigger a dangerous personality when Alex is typically just fine being her quiet, unassuming, nerdy self? This brings up the question though, if this is just something the Lustrous have kept quiet about, functionally keeping Phos ignorant, what other secrets are they keeping?
If there are any others, I get the feeling they might be even more dangerous than Red Alex.
These kinds of secrets are, however, one of this shows greatest strengths and weaknesses. While many hidden truths can be inferred with enough consideration, there are infinitely more that the show mentions briefly but ends up waiving away with vaguery by the end of the show. One of the primary examples of this is the nature of the world itself and those that inhabit it. From what we see over the course of the show, there are functionally 3 unique races of beings: the Lustrous, the Lunarians, and
the Admirabilis. While this information comes from a very unreliable source, there is a strange mention of the fact that these 3 races are the remains of humanity--their bones, souls, and flesh accordingly. Apart from mentioning this concept off-handedly, the show doesn't solidly touch on the subject ever again. If that really is the case, though, all we're left with a lot to consider and even more questions that will similarly only be answered with more questions.
The most important question of all being "What the actual fuck are the Lunarians?"
While the Lunarians are generally understood to be the natural enemy of the Lustrous since they seem solely driven to hunt the girls out of some sick desire to fashion them into jewelry. Yet, when considered alongside that off-handed comment that speaks to the nature of the world, a great amount of sense begins to form. Most notably, it becomes easier to understand why the Lunarians bear a striking resemblance to Buddhist Bodhisattva, Devas, and various fierce deities since the concepts of Buddhism are heavily grounded in the fundamental nature of the soul. Similarly, it also explains why the Lustrous' Sensei, who may or may not be connected to the Lunarians, wears monk robes similar to those worn by Shinto Buddhist priests. More importantly, though, this connection between the Lunarians and strictly Buddhist imagery says a great deal about their dualistic appearance--pure white beings eternally partaking is some grand festival while they sit upon a cloud of miasma. Eternally fascinated with the enduring power and glory of the soul, it would figure that this particular vestige of humanity would be obsessed with their own vanity and a need to look holy, and thus righteous in their endeavors. At the same time, it is likely that the black miasma is just as much a part of the Lunarians' nature as their deified forms. This, of course, speaks to the darker natures of humanity and all the evils we are so easily tempted to visit upon others, ourselves, and the world as a whole. The big question to consider though is which aspect is their "true" nature. Given the horrors the Lunarians visit on the Lustrous in the name of increasing their wealth and vanity, I'm inclined to think it is the darker aspect. If the same source who gave us that information is to be believed, though, it is equally possible that the reason they hunt and covet the Lustrous might just be the souls' misguided attempt to become one with the bone once more.
Now matter what the reality is, I'm pretty sure we can all agree the Lunarians are assholes though.
Regardless of the reality of who and what the Lunarians are, though, the simple fact of the matter is that they are the enemy of every Lustrous. Regardless of how much the show implies that they are the lost souls of humanity, forever reveling in humanity's baser desires and unable to be at peace or ascend to a higher existence, they are a thing to be fought and killed for the sake of the Lustrous finding their own peace here on Earth. Similarly, no matter how much I dig into the vagueries and symbolism present in this show, there still aren't any real answers to be found. Here's the thing though, I'm OK with that being the case for once.
This is just an action title, after all.
When all is said and done, no matter how much I begrudge saying it, I do have to admit that Houseki no Kuni is an imperfect and deeply flawed show. My reasons for being less than thrilled about it at first is proof enough of that. While things do eventually heat up and lead to some really amazing scenes and character development, it does take the show a long time to get there, unfortunately. I might have been able to eventually see the reasoning behind why Phos initially started out as intolerably obnoxious, but that kind of slow start and poor representation do little more than bar people from actively enjoying this show. It sets up a barrier between the initial fascination with this show and the point at which it can be fully enjoyed for what it is. Following similar lines, it is also just an unfortunate fact that this show suffers from terrible pacing toward the middle of the show. More importantly, though, the greatest mark against this show is that it ultimately ends with a great deal still unresolved. While Phos's character arc does ultimately come full circle by the end of the show, there's little satisfaction in it since she ends where she began--tasked with discovering the nature of life on this island and is still no closer to finding any answers.
In spite of all these glaring flaws though, I'll say again that I love this show to pieces and for good reason. On top of being a generally solid action title, it offered enough intellectual fodder to keep me happy and engrossed throughout the experience. In spite of my initial weariness, I eventually got to a point where I actively looked forward to getting a new episode each week. I might not have been chomping at the bit to get there, but anticipation is a feeling I rarely get from shows anymore; so I'll take it wherever and whenever I can. It is, of course, worth noting that the show is a technical marvel as well though. While I've managed to avoid openly squeeing throughout the vast majority of this review, I can't deny that this show's art direction and animation blow me away every time I look at it. Paired with a similarly awe-inspiring soundtrack, full to bursting with music and instruments that evoke religious imagery and gorgeous scenery (temple bells, wooden chimes, and the Chinese erhu among many others), I have to say that this show was artfully assembled. Needless to say, I believe Houseki no Kuni deserves a great deal of praise. Is it for everyone? Probably not, but I think it's a spectacle I believe everyone should at least try.