Jing was a test run for Isis. This was the first review I did where Nitsuj wasn’t a part of and the reason for that was I wanted to test out Isis. I wanted her to be more than just Nitsuj’s assistant but rather an intelligent being who could work off of Nitsuj and vice-versa. In the end I was trying to see what kind of reaction she would get if I allowed her to do a review and surprising she got a good reaction as quite a bunch of you liked her. I will admit it was weird writing for Isis’s character. I didn’t want her style to be a carbon copy of Nitsuj’s so I changed her style up making her not curse, be a little more witty, down to earth, and come across as a casual fan of anime. Not to sound like a broken record here but once again it worked and got a positive response from viewers.
So now let’s move on to the anime. The anime focuses on a kid named Jing the King of Bandits said to be the greatest thief in the world. Throughout the course of the anime we follow Jing and his friend Kir a talking crow on their adventures to various places to steal valuable treasures or items. That’s pretty much the anime in a nutshell. Jing and Kir go to a place, try to steal something of value, someone gets in their way, they take them out, and get what they came for. The various arcs throughout the series are enjoyable except for the painted-girl arc. In my opinion that was the weakest story of the bunch. It felt rushed, it was hard to follow, and I really didn’t get the ending. My favorite arc is definitely the masquerade brawl which is the final arc. We got a good fighting tournament, a well-written story with interesting characters, and twist and turns that catch you off guard. If there’s one thing I regret not touching on in this review, it’s the philosophical aspects of the series. While on the surface the anime is good fun with likable characters, underneath are good philosophical discussions. The Double Mermaid story is good look into the power of a loving parent and how they’ll do anything to save their child, the ghost ship casino is a good story about greed and how yes it can be bad but at the same it’s necessary for your well-being, the Adonis arc is a look into how society is constantly controlled by time, and the painted girl is about trying to reach perfection only to discover that it’s impossible and how it can drive a person mad. The philosophical aspects go on for each arc with each one being different. But if I had to name my favorite one it would be the one about immortality where Jing has a chance to be immortal but turns it down saying he rather live a full life than live a dull eternal life.
If I had to name the one aspect of this series I think is the best it would have to be the characters of Jing and Kir. These two are some of the most likable friends you will ever see. The chemistry they have with each other is great. No matter what situation they’re in they always find a way to click with each other. Jing trusts Kir and Kir trusts Jing, there’s never a moment of doubt or distrust between them plus it’s always fun to watch the banter between the two. Jing comes across as that charming smart thief who always finds a way to get his target while also charming the hearts of young girls and Kir comes across as the comedic partner who’s funny a womanizer but never comes across as annoying. The world that they live is still fun to look at. Like I said before it’s like what would happen if Halloween Town was turned into a world. In the end I would still give this anime an 8/10. There’s enough creativity, story, characters, and themes to keep you entertained but at the same time I can’t give it a higher due to the fact that they never explain Jing and Kir’s backstory that much such as who trained them, why they decided to become thieves, and what deal is with Jing’s mom. But other than that it’s a great series to watch and it helped made Isis a welcomed edition to the show.