[GET THE FULL PDF HERE]

In 2013, my friends introduced me to the new hit anime Kill la Kill.

I hated it.

In 2016, I stuffed a bunch of the 100,000+ words I’d dedicated to writing about the show into a hefty book.

What happened?

Who knows, but you can now read the result! Just over two years of love and enthusiasm fill up these 350-some pages of 80+ essays, all split up into ten sections: Character Relationships, Comparisons to Other Media, Design Choices and Symbolism, English Dub Script, OST, OVA, Ryuko and Senketsu, Specific Moments, Tag Essays and Quick Posts, and The Discourse. As may be obvious from such a list, the heart of much of this writing is—just as the series itself—Ryuko and Senketsu, but I’d hope there’s a little something here for every Kill la Kill fan.

Thank you to everyone who has supported me over the years. I couldn’t have put this together without all the encouragement I’ve received. Everyone who’s sent me asks and inspired me to keep yapping—you’re the reason this book exists! I’ve grown so much as a writer because of this community and through putting together this collection, and I cannot express how grateful I am for that.

Special thanks too to h0saki, who has provided scans from various Kill la Kill books, and to mikiryuko, who has provided fans with translations of un-localized Kill la Kill material, as well as all the anonymous contributors who have provided similarly. I couldn’t have done many of the essays here without your work!

While essentially a masterpost of the posts I’ve made concerning this series, this book is also a little more than that in that it features revised and updated writing, additional commentary, and, well, it’s all put in one nice, handy, convenient place. However, it’s far from everything, and does not include all the many great conversations I’ve had, so if for some strange reason anyone’s ever thirsting for even more Kill la Kill talk, there are still always the analyses pages on my blogs.

Thank you for taking a look! I hope you enjoy.

Full content list under the cut! These all link back to the original essays (if there is an original essay), but please note that the ones in the book are cleaned up and include additional commentary.

Character Relationships

1. Aikuro and Kinue

2. Mako and Gamagoori

3. Mako and Senketsu

4. Ryuko and Junketsu

5. Satsuki and Senketsu

6. Senketsu and Characters Other Than Ryuko

7. SenRyuMako

Comparisons to Other Media

1. “Cradled in Love”

2. “Enchanted”

3. Princess Tutu (Spoilers!)

4. Steven Universe: Gem Fusion and Life Fiber Synchronization (Spoilers!)

5. Steven Universe: Ryuko and Amethyst Parallels (Spoilers!)

Design Choices and Symbolism

1. Cherry Blossom Symbolism in the OVA

2. Fandom Designs: Buff Human!Senketsu

3. Final Volume Cover Design

4. First Transformed Senketsu Design

5. Junketsu’s Design: Why is it Different for Satsuki, Ragyo, and Ryuko?

6. Junketsu-Shinzui

7. Kill la Kill and the Red String of Fate (Do Life Fibers Hurt Satsuki and Ryuko?)

8. Ryuko and Scarves

9. Ryuko’s Motorcycles

10. Senketsu and Japanese Oni

11. Senketsu’s Eyepatch: Why Did Isshin Design Senketsu With One? (Eyepatch as a Counterpoint to Purity?)

12. Senketsu’s Good Eye

English Dub Script

1. “You said you wanted blood. You gettin’ full now?” (Episode 2)

2. “Oh my God, would you quit analyzing me?” (Episode 5)

3. Ryuko Calls Senketsu Her Friend (Episode 5)

4. Ryuko Confides in Senketsu (Episode 13)

5. Volume 4 English Release

6. “I don’t know what it’s called, but Mako and Senketsu are more than friends!” (Episode 22) (Also This)

OST

1. “Before my body is dry”

2. “Before my body is dry” Unreleased Music Box Arrangement

3. “Blumenkranz”

4. “Suck your blood”

5. “Till I Die”

OVA

1. How Come Mako Could Power Honnouji Academy?

2. Did Senketsu “Outgrow” Being a Uniform?

3. Does the OVA Make a Senketsu Revival More of a Possibility? (Is Senketsu Really Dead?)

4. OVA Ending (Further Writing)

Ryuko and Senketsu

1. Berserk Form

2. Communication

3. How Did Senketsu Die? (Why Did Senketsu Die From Flames?)

4. How Much Did Senketsu’s Death Mean for Ryuko?

5. I Don’t Like Ryuko/Senketsu Because Senketsu’s Not Human

6. Innuendo (Response: Innuendo in Ryuko and Senketsu’s Relationship)

7. Is Ryuko Immortal?

8. Is Senketsu’s Death “For the Best”?

9. Is Senketsu Interested in Romance?

10. Is Senketsu Isshin? (Why is Seeing Senketsu as a Father Figure Such a Popular Interpretation?, Response: Isshin Protecting His Daughter Through Senketsu?, Is Ryuko Subconsciously Attracted to Senketsu Because He Reminds Her of Her Dad?)

11. Platonic Soulmates

12. Ryuko and Senketsu’s Relationship: Master Essay

13. Senketsu’s Age (English Dub Commentary, How Old is Senketsu Mentally and Emotionally?)

14. Shipping Names

15. The “Only One”

Specific Moments

1. Episode 5: “I’m here.”

2. Episode 7: Small Details

3. Episode 8: Silent Synchronization

4. Episode 10: “It feels like he’s stripping us down.”

5. Episode 15: “Senketsu and I are two in one.”

6. Episode 16: Ryuko’s Chair-Throwing Sequence

7. Episode 17: “That’s the kind of person you are.”

8. Episode 20: “I’m a goddamn monster. Just like Ragyo!” (Tag Essay)

9. Episode 20: Ryuko Stabbing Nui

10. Episodes 20-21: Junketsu!Ryuko

11. Episode 21: Opening Scene

12. Episode 21: Crashing the Wedding

13. Episode 21: “I’d rather be dead! I have to take this off even if I die! Because if I don’t… I won’t be able to wear Senketsu again!”

14. Episode 22: Satsuki’s Realization

15. Drama CD 4: Senketsu’s Protectiveness (This post has since been edited to remove the translation errors present in the book version.)

Tag Essays and Quick Posts

1. Episode 2: “Are You Awake?”

2. Episode 9: Biting the Ropes

3. Episode 15: “That is a Fairytale.”

4. Episode 21: “I’m ugly?”

5. Evil Eyeshadow

6. First Ending Sequence vs. Final Ending Sequence

7. Is Junketsu Sentient?

8. Senketsu and Arms

9. Senketsu’s Glove: How Does It Work?

10. Sukeban Deka

The Discourse

Please note: While I very clearly love Kill la Kill, I recognize the merit and significance of discussing the aspects of it that may be considered problems. However, I also recognize that not everyone is interested in said discussions, which is why they are kept in this one section for easy avoidance.

Additionally, most of these essays are quite old (and clunky!), and my opinions have since changed. Please see the PDF for updated commentary on these issues. (It’s free!)

Finally, while not all these essays necessarily deal directly with issues present in the show, most of them do, and are often very sensitive topics. Warning for mentions of rape and sexual assault for all essays marked with a *.

1. Foreword

2. Kill la Kill and Fanservice*

3. Kill la Kill and Feminism

4. Kill la Kill and the Question of Choice (Ryuko’s Choice to Wear Senketsu, Implications of Ryuko’s Acceptance)*

5. Ryuko’s Embarrassment

6. Ryum@k0* (Posted privately here, though I would probably just recommend reading this TLDR version I wrote later.)

7. Senketsu As a Metaphor For Ryuko’s Puberty?

8. Senketsu’s First Scene (Even More, Final Thoughts)*