Post by Eric T. Jones on Aug 25, 2009 19:36:30 GMT -5
Yes, the whole reason why I'd even be remotely interested is due to my love of the internet parodies spawned from this OVA, "Tales of LOLphonia", effectively "Robot Chicken" meets "Arfenhouse for Girls". With the comedic workings of a Zucker picture, where anything that looks like it can be made fun of will be made fun of, I decided to watch "Tales of Symphonia: The Animation".
The 4-episode OVA makes no secret of its RPG roots, especially in its tactical discussions during or right before a battle, and a pair of magician sisters quite ridiculously named Genius and Refill (anyone able to guess their abilities in the game?).
Likewise, its plot is very much from the "collect the four crystals" route, except it's for our priestess character to battle individual bosses to get to the next temple before she can gain entry to the Tower of Salvation or something.
It's pretty hokey, yes, but the characters are fun as you'd expect from a good RPG, with the action itself also remembering a form of entertainment value absent from most of the anime I've watched this summer. I'll even go as far as saying "Tales of Symphonia: The Animation" is the most enjoyable anime I've seen in months, with enough plot twists to make it good serial material.
The highlight of the first three episodes is the ending credits segments, which give claymation of all the characters in a very mini story. The fourth doesn't, although it promises to continue the adventure... provided this 2006 OVA was a financial success. Since they're turning it into a full 50-something episode series next spring, I'd see that as a resounding "yes"!
***1/2
The 4-episode OVA makes no secret of its RPG roots, especially in its tactical discussions during or right before a battle, and a pair of magician sisters quite ridiculously named Genius and Refill (anyone able to guess their abilities in the game?).
Likewise, its plot is very much from the "collect the four crystals" route, except it's for our priestess character to battle individual bosses to get to the next temple before she can gain entry to the Tower of Salvation or something.
It's pretty hokey, yes, but the characters are fun as you'd expect from a good RPG, with the action itself also remembering a form of entertainment value absent from most of the anime I've watched this summer. I'll even go as far as saying "Tales of Symphonia: The Animation" is the most enjoyable anime I've seen in months, with enough plot twists to make it good serial material.
The highlight of the first three episodes is the ending credits segments, which give claymation of all the characters in a very mini story. The fourth doesn't, although it promises to continue the adventure... provided this 2006 OVA was a financial success. Since they're turning it into a full 50-something episode series next spring, I'd see that as a resounding "yes"!
***1/2