Houseki no Kuni is a manga series about a group of immortal humanoids who are the living embodiment of gemstones. It has received an anime adaptation, which was so well-received that it changed the opinions of a lot of people about what can and can’t be done with 3D animation when it comes to anime-making. Here are 10 things that you may or may not have known about Houseki no Kuni:
1. Sometimes Called Land of the Lustrous
Some people might be more familiar with Houseki no Kuni under the name Land of the Lustrous. Technically, this isn’t a simple and straightforward translation because Houseki no Kuni means “Country of the Jewels.” However, translators don’t necessarily go for simple and straightforward translations because the results need to sound good in the end language as well.
2. The Setting Is Post-Human
It is revealed in the series that the setting is post-human. Moreover, humans have had a huge impact on how the jewel people and the other inhabitants of the setting came to be, though the specific details remain unclear at this point in time. Something that is particularly true because none of those telling the stories have been a perfect fount of clear, comprehensive, and unbiased information.
3. The Jewel People Are Immortal
The jewel people are either immortal or the next best thing to it. For example, it is known that they can live for a very, very long time without issue, as shown by the fact that the youngest of them is three centuries old. Furthermore, they can be put back together even once they have been shattered, which is a bigger problem for some than others because they have different degrees of brittleness as well as hardness.
4. Can Survive Because of Inclusions
Speaking of which, one of the reasons that the jewel people are immortal is because of the microorganisms called inclusions that live in them. Said microorganisms are responsible for producing energy by making use of the light, which is why the jewel people sleep at night as well as hibernate through winter. Moreover, the inclusions are what enables them to be put together even when they have been shattered.
5. Most Jewel People Look Like Androgynous Teenagers
For the most part, the jewel people look like androgynous teenagers, not least because they don’t really have sexes in the same way as humans in spite of their humanoid appearance. There is a notable exception in Kongo, who looks like an adult. Thematically, this is very appropriate because Kongo serves as a teacher crossed with a father figure for the jewel people, while narratively, well, suffice to say that there is a lot more to Kongo than even what is revealed at the start.
6. The Jewel People Have to Fight Off the Moon People
The single biggest threat to the jewel people comes from the moon people, who are sometimes called the Lunarians. The true nature of the moon people isn’t revealed at the start of the series, but they are very much interested in capturing the jewel people, which doesn’t end well for the latter to say the least.
7. The Moon People Makes Use of Buddhist Imagery
When the moon people go out on the attack, they move out in processions with a central figure of much bigger size than the rest. It is interesting to note that the moon people make extensive use of Buddhist imagery, which is something that they share with Kongo. This hints at the connection between the two, though the exact nature of that connection is much more complicated than what most people might expect.
8. There Are Other Inhabitants
Besides the jewel people and the moon people, there are also the Admirabilis, who can be described as soft-bodied organisms with both a humanoid form and a mollusk form. The Admirabilis share origins with the jewel people and the moon people as well. However, while both of their counterparts are immortal, the Admirabilis seem to be much more limited in that regard.
9. The Anime Uses Combination of 2D and 3D Animation
The anime adaptation of Houseki no Kuni uses a combination of 2D and 3D animation. This was done because of efficiency issues as well as the challenges of doing translucent gemstones with traditional, hand-written animation.
10. Well-Received
On the whole, Houseki no Kuni was very well-received, which is based on a fresh premise, likable characters, and a fascinating setting. There are those who outright hailed it as the best show of its season, which is on top of others who state that it changed their opinions on whether a good action show could be made without using 2D.
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