Munto anime was originally a two-episode OVA by Kyoto Animation which was first released in 2003 and was followed by a sequel in 2005. Munto again returned to television as a TV series in 2009, produced by Kyoto Animation and directed by Yoshiji Kigami.
This series continuation became a nine-episode remake of the original OVAs and took over Japanese Television with its intricate storytelling and weaving of narratives. Munto anime and Clannad became Kyoto Animation’s greatest successes during the late 2000s and it has been noted as a critical piece of short animation. As we move forward, the primary objective of this article will be to guide you as to why this Anime is, if it is, relevant.
Munto anime series’ basic plot idea
There was a time when the heavens did not exist and the humans lived in peace. But one day out of nowhere, strange beings started falling from the sky who could control a certain power called Akuto.
They destroyed human civilization, failing to realize that it was these very humans who created the Akuto. With no humans to gather Akuto from, these beings started looking for other universes and sources for Akuto, which they eventually drained completely and used to create their empire in the skies- the Heavens.
- The idea of Heaven and Earth, therefore, became more real and rigid, with these two dimensions at war and different from one another.
- But soon, due to corruption and greed, the Heavens started losing their control over their empire and most of this started falling apart.
- Seeing this as an opportunity, the humans attacked them and the Heavenly Beings had to completely disconnect from the Earthly beings.
Munto anime is based on this premise and it follows this idea of a disconnect to connect to Earth again.
Munto anime: what is the connection established and how is it important for the heavens?
The Heavens are in a state of war. Several Heavenly Kingdoms are attacking the Magical Kingdom, while their leader and King Munto believe that the only way to acquire enough Akuto for everyone is for him to visit Earth and seek out Yumemi Hidaka.
Yumemi holds the vision to see the floating kingdoms and unlike other humans, she can actually see these magical dimensions in a parallel space-time.
The concepts of time, space, and magical realism are explored in this series and Munto becomes a projection of that exploration while Yumemi becomes the medium. The connection between heaven and earth is the same connection that has ceased due to war and conflict. But it has to be revived to save people across both dimensions, and it is a clueless girl and an ambitious King who are to undertake this mission.
Munto anime: where to watch+ what is the sequence
- Munto anime can be watched on Crunchyroll.
- It is available with all of its released episodes which were produced by Kyoto Animation.
The original episodes were however released on YouTube in 4k but were only available for a limited time period. Munto anime is legally only available on Crunchyroll for the time being, with several subs and dubs available across various pirated platforms and YouTube as well.
The original work of Munto has only two major episodes as part of the OVA. But apart from that, it has been extended into a TV Series, which has a total of 9 episodes. The sequence can either be the one mentioned over here or one can directly move to watch the mini-series, which after all doesn’t make much of a difference to the understanding of the plot.
Conclusion
Munto has been a hallmark anime production of Kyoto Animation. It has been a commendable piece of work with a critically acclaimed storyline, which might be short but has all the elements of a changing world order, which was a major trope at the time it was released it.