Since I do not think many people will read this
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I loved the game, and had such high hopes for this series. So I admit, that will reflect my views greatly. So that should be a question to ask about this series. Who was this series made for? Was it made for the fans of the game? Was it made for people who didn't play the game? Was it made as a promotion for the game? It is clear, that it certainly wasn't the former. So it should be unavoidable that someone would have to compare the source material.
First, the art design, its Gorgeous. I loved how beautiful some of the scenes where. The characters where very expressive just all around fun to look at. When the the series actually showed us action scenes, many of them where greatly executed. The sounds, the music, everything fit so well. However, the actual script and plot is where everything falls apart. Which isn't so strange when you take into account that this was written by Michiko Yokote. I don't know if that's a man or a woman. Most of the series are about kids in high school age. However, this person also worked on Patlabor and Cowboy Bebop. It is a very strange mixed bag here.
I will look at the series in thirds here.
The first third of the series does a good job at setting the tone of the series. As well as having some pretty nice action scenes. The characters however, where extremely annoying and just out right dumb. As appose to the game, they where well adjusted adults.
http://www.escapistmagazine.com/vide...ria-Chronicles I believe I can show that link, as the site that hosts has it shown off as "advertisement". Please mind the Mystery Science Theater 3000 voices.
Basically the character quirks became character exaggeration. I remember in the earlier episodes I did a scene to scene comparisons a few times and that the video game did a much better job at making the characters likable and believable. Alicia for example, actually had a neutral to positive and friendly attitude towards Welkin, *GASP*, she also was far more sensible. One of the worse rewriting had to be episode 10.
In the game, we have Welkin and Alicia huddling together for warmth in an abandon cabin, after Welkin and her stealth by an Imperial attachment. Something the Anime cut out, which makes them simply appear in the cabin. "Personally I assassinated everyone in the mission, but moving on." So we don't even know why they are there, they just got "separated" When all of a sudden, an imperial trooper stumbles in. This soldier, barely 18 they state, has been gravely shoot, he is delusional, he is at death door, he is afraid, he doesn't want to die, and is crying out for his mother to hold him. Alicia, in a act of sympathy, pretends to be the soldier's mother, to comforts him as he slowly and painfully dies. Illustrating that, not only are the enemies soldier actually just people like them, but that war is hell. It also does this in about 5 minutes.
How does the anime do it? Well we get the same, if not abrupt set up. However, instead of a unluckly soldier boy, we get a Buddy Cole monologue from a pissed off farmer for about 20 minutes. He also dies, from a gunshot wound, in the back. Although in its own right, it was fine, as it does the same effect, but it seems to lose some of its power when you where pretty much holding a grenade and asking people to agree with you. He was also shot in the back, if you know what that means. Again however, not a bad scene.
The second third.
At this point I notice another character was changed greatly was the head General. Who was simply arrogant and ineffective. In this series however, they made into a treasonous, cowardly, sexiest, arrogant, ineffective, idiotic, general, who should have never been given that post. Perhaps this was for the better, but this just seemed so forced.
FILLER!!!!
The love triangle, I don't think I have to go into that, it was poorly done, and seemed very forced. Was completely unnecessary, and the series came to a screechy halt here, until Episode 17.
The final third.
This to me seemed to be the best part of the anime. Its as if they actually remembered what they base this series off of. Defiantly had the best moments. Isara, probably the most sympathetic and likable character, especially in the anime has one of the most touching scenes. "We never see her dream though" The action gets ramped up, and we get to see what is under the princess' head before he just out right snaps. "Not to sound smug or anything, but with the exception of the double Valkyria fight was all done better in the game." I suppose they had to rush it along, but why did they have so much filler if they where going to end up just rushing out the the climax.
Overall, I would have hated this series if it was not for the final third. the second third was just painful. If you never played the game, and you should. I would say this series gets a 7/10. It ends up as coming off really generic, but the setting and art style greatly makes up for that. If you had played the game... Much lower, but at least you get to see some of your favorite characters again. Also, they killed Vyse.... They killed the Sky Pirate Captain like a red shirt.....
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