5/5 A fantastic Show
  by anthonyq (orlando,Fl)
To me this show is simply amazing. I love the humor in it as well as the characters, specially Apachai. I could probably watch this show over and over, it keeps me laughing. The martial arts and fight scenes are pretty good too, so theres a great balance of comedy and fighting. I highly recommend this series to anyone.

5/5 I love it!
  by Hunter Newcomer Jr.
I enjoy this show very much, but i'm not sure when the next one will be released. I would like to hear back if you have an idea of when the next volume of kenichi will be released. I would appreciate it greatley

5/5 If you have a sense of humor and enjoy light hearted fighting this is one of your pre-determined favorites.
  by Allen Tran (Colorado)
There is plenty of humor throughout the series to keep you going, make sure to read the manga after episode 50 :D

4/5 Still Fun and Addictive (to me anyway)
  by Days2Daze (Michigan)
This Volume is the same as the last. The fights and comedy are bountiful. I don't understand why the reviewer before me criticizes that it can't commit to either one... why is having both bad. If it was super serious it would just come off as corny and unintentionally funny.

It pokes fun at itself and its genre in general between fights with training exercises and social interactions. When a fight arises the fights are taken seriously and go into detail about the fighting styles which makes them more enjoyable because their actual fights. I would not like it if the comedy leaked too much into the fighting because it would make Kenichi's harsh training a waste, personal growth stupid, and his gained strength seem pointless. If the training was too serious it would just feel like filler between the fights.

The combination of comedy and action makes the whole show feel equal and shine as a whole. I found it quite funny when Kenichi goes home and tells his family that he must leave to focus on his training. It behaves like most of these types of shows and acts serious and epic and even has a speech by his father about him acknowledging him as a man and understanding why he must leave. Kenichi has one of those still images of him walking away all epic... then it cuts to him announcing he's packing his stuff, walks out the room while his little sister is crying and holding on to his legs trying to prevent him from leaving and accidentally pulls down his pants. Then his dad overreacts and starts crying, gets on his knees, and says something like "I lost my son (or possibly he said boy)". This overly dramatic reaction is funny because this happens in a lot martial arts types of shows and the fact that Kenichi still lives in the same city and could easily visit or be visited (Which does happen later by his sister).

The only thing that is remotely annoying is the episode where Kenichi and crew go to a deserted island for "fun". Its actually just a front for a training exercise. This episode deals with Kenichi's fear but it jumps the shark some what when an actual group of sharks is used as a plot device. I don't want to give away any spoilers but I've seen this scenario a few times before in both a serious matter and a silly mocking matter just like it is present here.


Still a simple fun show. I hope this review was helpful.

Contains 13 Episodes,
Episodes 14-26,
312 Minutes,
Special Features are just trailers and textless songs.

3/5 The Tradition of Fun Continues
  by ONENEO (Buffalo, NY)
KenIchi the Mightiest Disciple Season 1 Part Two is a continuation of TMS Entertainment's (best known for properties like Case Closed and Lupin III) silly but energetic Shonen (fighting) anime title.

Containing episodes 14-26, the Season 1 Part Two collection is a two-disc set packaged in a pair of thin packs. Coming in at a total runtime of 312 minutes, the show wears a conservative TV PG rating (what attempts at fan service that do exist are intentionally censored). Extras include textless songs and a crop of Funimation property trailers on the second disc.

Language options are typical sub and dub variety meaning original Japanese dialog or English dub options with English subtitles available under either.

The story, while in no danger of being mistaken as a modern day masterpiece, is certainly serviceable in maintaining the upbeat, oft goofy theme of the visuals. Following the exploits of cowardly (but big hearted) kid KenIchi, Season 1 Part Two continues with said kid's training at becoming a master of martial arts. This time KenIchi is invited (or perhaps manipulated as the case may be) into coming to the dojo to live while continuing his intense training.

The show's pacing is a bit irregular at best with the first nine episodes contained being little more than exercises in masochistic behavior with our lead character getting tortured continuously in the name of training. Sure slapstick abounds in these initial episodes, the humor tends to get bogged down a bit, however, in the simple fact that the plot itself seems to have stalled. The final four episodes start to pick up with a much grander sense of conflict right up until the show comes to a rather abrupt end (let's not forget that that this is simply the second half of the first season of a 50 episode saga).

The dub work is especially noteworthy as Funimation manages to outdo themselves with voice acting that captures the feel and emotion of the Japanese source material.

In all the show isn't for everyone and in fact seems to struggle to commit to a genre throughout. Its most prominent and consistent trait (fighting) places it in a class with Dragon Ball Z and Bleach but the abundance of over-the-top slapstick and high school era humor attempts keep it from ever being taken too seriously. However, the mood is consistently cheerful and the characters have enough depth to them to hold the viewer's interest.

My only complaint is the pacing itself; had this entire 13-episode run maintained the pace and motivated-plot presented in the final few episodes, this program would easily be on par with the best entries in the Shonen genre. As it stands however, many episodes of KenIchi Season 1 Part Two come off as simply a tool used to slowly advance the gap between the first episode and the start of the second season.