Byouki no Kino: For You was released almost half a decade after the original series had finished. Given the long time gap, it makes one wonder whether or not a new addition to the Kino's Journey series will be as high quality as the original series. With Shaft as the new production company, it's almost guaranteed to be different. Byouki no Kuni begins like most episodes do in the original series; Kino arrives at a new country and starts exploring. Soon though, one of the main differences is noticeable; the art style. The level of detail in each shot has increased. Kino herself now has blue-ishhair and for some reason isn't wearing her treasured coat after the first five minutes. They have also added some camera techniques and CGI to some scenes. While this is more aesthetically pleasing, it takes away from the charm and feel that the original series had. This is especially noticeable when it comes to Kino's design since there was no need to ever change it. Nevertheless, this isn't much of an issue overall and shouldn't detract from the viewing experience.

The story in this short film is slightly different to usual. The beginning of the episode is similar to the original series where Kino enters a new country, however after that it adopts a different tone. In most of Kino's Journey's episodes, a theme would be the central focus. In Byouki no Kuni however, it appears that the central focus is Inertia, a young girl suffering from a chronic illness. The issue with this is that it lacks the philosophical exploration that Kino's Journey is known for. Instead Byouki no Kuni has replaced the philosophy with a depressing story that is somewhat thought-provoking.

Kino's Journey has a reputation for leaving you with a feeling of wonder. Byouki no Kuni, however, doesn't achieve this. Kino and Hermes themselves still behave the same and the soundtrack is just as good as the original series. But the other aspects of the show are not as high quality. Still, I believe that most people would enjoy watching this short film and I do recommend this to anyone who has seen Kino's Journey and want to see more.