Well even tho Kikoho does have cast time, it would be really fine if only that skill have cast time and big animation.Still this don't change fact that it does major dmg to anyone.
Yes I know that Searing Crane and others skills does have animation and cast time but then again those are main DoT's.
If you remove them and go for other ones, you just need to wear anti bleed vs Crane since that is what is left to crane...
Poison and abdominal are joke like you said but those burn DoT's are really good but yeah too much open space for crane but then again, if you stack slow on them, use at least one burn skill and stun then put them to sleep you are fine.
Kikoho has cast time but it has kd and that is the main difference with SC, but this class cannot rely on kikoho to win something. The burn alternative would be Solid Bleed. What you say about SC is beautiful but the fact is that you are dead after using it as you only have 8 second of Master Fan Out to approach the rival, cast SC and escape. If you don't escape, after using Freeze you are dead as you don't have time to sleep him. You can try if you want, that doesn't work.
