When the evil knight Mars obtains the key for reviving the Demon King Dhaos, a group of young do-gooders band together to save the land of Midgard. What is warrior Cress, cleric Mint, and archer Chester's first order of business? Why, travel back in time to find a couple of magic users and a ninja to fill out the quest party, of course. Tales of Phantasia, which wears its video game origins proudly on its sleeve, boasts sharp animation full of bright colors, but this four-episode OVA falters a bit in adapting the story to the screen. An entire episode is spent getting the time-hopping jaunt rolling, leaving little room to flesh out stereotypical characters, resulting in a brisk and fun narrative pace, but also some glaring gaps (the ninja Suzu, in particular, feels shoehorned in, with not much chance for her to interact with other characters). All of which is a shame, since the interesting magic system and not-quite-villainous nature of Dhaos make Tales of Phantasia worthy of attention. While fans will appreciate seeing their favorite characters brought to life, others may feel this role-playing anime adaptation is only partly successful. Presented on a dual-language disc, rated 13-up, this is a strong optional purchase. Aud: P. (L. Martincik)
Tales of Phantasia: The Animation
(2007) 120 min. DVD: $19.98. Geneon Entertainment (avail. from most distributors). ISBN: 1-4210-1639-7. Volume 24, Issue 2
Tales of Phantasia: The Animation
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