Anime Review: Tales of Phantasia: The Animation

[JoshV]

Anime Review: Tales of Phantasia: The Animation

Compressing a JRPG into four episodes may not have been the best idea.

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[JoshV]

And this is the part where dozens of JRPG fans hunt me down with pointy sticks.

 

[RollForInitiative]

And this is the part where dozens of JRPG fans hunt me down with pointy sticks.

I think even the JRPG fans will spare you this one; I know I will. That sounds like an absolutely awful series. Thanks for the warning.

 

[grinklehi]

And this is the part where dozens of JRPG fans hunt me down with pointy sticks.

I wouldn't worry about it, games to anime conversions haven't ever really been anywhere near the top of the genre, I mean just look at the Disgaea anime or the Valkyria Chronicles one. They follow the plot so rigidly that the fans already know what's going to happen, and the entire reason for their existence is to act as half an hour long advertising for the game they're based off of. Hell, the best the anime's can even do to change things up is to make minor changes to minor plot items. For instance, in the Disgaea anime (Ran 13 episodes) the only ways that the anime was different then the game was very minor changes, such as that the Vampire dude that was blackmailing Etna trapped the protagonists in a board game instead of a book.
In short, if you are attacked by Rabid JRPG fans, just tell them that the show didn't do the game justice.

 

[RollForInitiative]

I wouldn't worry about it, games to anime conversions haven't ever really been anywhere near the top of the genre

I'm inclined to argue against that generalization. If you look at a number of highly rated anime series - Higurashi no naku Koro Ni, Air TV, Kanon, Clannad as immediately apparent examples - you'll find that many have their roots in games; just not necessarily games that were released over here.

However, those are all visual novels as opposed to roleplaying games. I'll wholeheartedly agree with you that RPGs convert terribly into anime formats. Fantasy RPGs are probably the worst offender in that regard. Welcome to Generic McFantasy Land!

 

[JoshV]

I wouldn't worry about it, games to anime conversions haven't ever really been anywhere near the top of the genre

I'm inclined to argue against that generalization. If you look at a number of highly rated anime series - Higurashi no naku Koro Ni, Air TV, Kanon, Clannad as immediately apparent examples - you'll find that many have their roots in games; just not necessarily games that were released over here.

However, those are all visual novels as opposed to roleplaying games. I'll wholeheartedly agree with you that RPGs convert terribly into anime formats. Fantasy RPGs are probably the worst offender in that regard. Welcome to Generic McFantasy Land!

And am I the only one who finds it odd that adult visual novels consistently seem to convert into good anime series more than any other game genre?

 

[RollForInitiative]

And am I the only one who finds it odd that adult visual novels consistently seem to convert into good anime series more than any other game genre?

Well, they were developed with the intention of telling some kind of intricate story. At least, the examples I cited earlier were. As far as game genres go - and I'm going to assume we're talking about quality material here rather than every H game to hit a store shelf - the visual novel genre has to rely on good storytelling to propel things along more than any other genre; there are typically no levels to gain, monsters to fight, or treasure to loot, and player input is fairly minimal. If you consider it that way, maybe it's not so surprising that they convert better than most.

 

[randommaster]

And this is the part where dozens of JRPG fans hunt me down with pointy sticks.

You should be fine, as you're not criticising the actual game.

Nice avatar, by the way.

 

[NeutralDrow]

And this is the part where dozens of JRPG fans hunt me down with pointy sticks.

The thing that attracts most of us to JRPGs is the depth of the story, the characters, and the world. Your criticism is based on how the anime adaptation lacked these. Why would we harm one of our own?

I wonder if the Symphonia and Abyss anime are the same way. I've heard they're giving Symphonia more than one 4-episode OVA, but...

I wouldn't worry about it, games to anime conversions haven't ever really been anywhere near the top of the genre

I'm inclined to argue against that generalization. If you look at a number of highly rated anime series - Higurashi no naku Koro Ni, Air TV, Kanon, Clannad as immediately apparent examples - you'll find that many have their roots in games; just not necessarily games that were released over here.

However, those are all visual novels as opposed to roleplaying games. I'll wholeheartedly agree with you that RPGs convert terribly into anime formats. Fantasy RPGs are probably the worst offender in that regard. Welcome to Generic McFantasy Land!

And am I the only one who finds it odd that adult visual novels consistently seem to convert into good anime series more than any other game genre?

There is no Tsukihime ani-- er...*cough*

Sorry.

I guess the question is whether those anime are good simply on their own merits, or whether they actually function as good adaptations, as well. Type-Moon's stuff has been a mixed bag (Tsukihime had been disavowed by a lot of the VN's fans, Fate/Stay Night was...an okay adaptation, but with terrible animation, but Kara no Kyokai is supposed to be pretty good). I've heard the first (Toei) adaptation of Kanon sucked, while the second (KyoAnime) one was pretty good.

Granted, I haven't seen very many, myself, but I've heard good things about Higurashi, Air, Kanon, Clannad, and the like, so you might be on to something. Considering how visual novels are like RPGs in that tend to have tons of content, which in VNs is often spread out over several different paths, it does seem kind of strange that that might be the case. It would depend on what the adapter puts in, what they leave out, how they make up for what they leave out, and how much time they have available.

 

[Mstrswrd]

And this is the part where dozens of JRPG fans hunt me down with pointy sticks.

Not at all. The fact is, several of the "Tales" games have OVA series based on them, and none of them are particularly good if you haven't played the games. They're really meant to be companions, you know, like the Street Fighter Movie that came with SFIV. Without the game, they make little sense.

I wouldn't worry about it, games to anime conversions haven't ever really been anywhere near the top of the genre

I'm inclined to argue against that generalization. If you look at a number of highly rated anime series - Higurashi no naku Koro Ni, Air TV, Kanon, Clannad as immediately apparent examples - you'll find that many have their roots in games; just not necessarily games that were released over here.

However, those are all visual novels as opposed to roleplaying games. I'll wholeheartedly agree with you that RPGs convert terribly into anime formats. Fantasy RPGs are probably the worst offender in that regard. Welcome to Generic McFantasy Land!

You hit the nail on the head. Games do translate will... if they're visual novel games. Mostly because those are kinda told in such a way that they translate easier (usually being story and theme focused), while RPG's have the trappings not only of often being highly generic (though still story focused), but of also having the whole thing about side quests that may be important to the story-line (than why are they side quests?) and if they should be included or not, weapon quests, the constant weapon swapping that happens in RPG's in general, the action that plays out differently for each person (to where you might not even be using the character that the Anime has fight someone), etc.

So, yeah, I just very long-windedly agreed with you.

 

[black lincon]

And this is the part where dozens of JRPG fans hunt me down with pointy sticks.

I would if you had badmouthed Tales of Symphonia the game however I've watched the fist few episodes of the anime version of that and it does a lot of the things you mentioned. I honestly don't think JRPGs should be adapted to anime for the same reason books don't generally translate well into games. it's a matter of tempo, games and anime have a different tempo in the same way books and games do and trying to bend the tempo to fit the genre doesn't work.

I have a feeling the game might have been better, but with my experience with the ToS anime I have a feeling your right on the money.

what you should really worry about is if you have to review Eureka 7, bad mouth that anime and I might have to hunt you down, unless you bad mouth Rentons squeaky voice in the Japanese, I kinda hate that too.

 

[black lincon]

And this is the part where dozens of JRPG fans hunt me down with pointy sticks.

The thing that attracts most of us to JRPGs is the depth of the story, the characters, and the world. Your criticism is based on how the anime adaptation lacked these. Why would we harm one of our own?

I wonder if the Symphonia and Abyss anime are the same way. I've heard they're giving Symphonia more than one 4-episode OVA, but...

Wasn't amazing. I'm talking about the Symphonia one. it was all right from what I watched, but it went by very fast, I think in the first two episodes they had already gone through to Palmacosta, and they skipped the whole sequence with Marble.

If you've never played Tales of Symphonia, the Marble part(Marble was a person, kind of a slave) and she was a big part of the protagonist's best friend's character. it was also a part of the protagonists story that leads to a whole lot of the stuff they do.

 

[NeutralDrow]

And this is the part where dozens of JRPG fans hunt me down with pointy sticks.

The thing that attracts most of us to JRPGs is the depth of the story, the characters, and the world. Your criticism is based on how the anime adaptation lacked these. Why would we harm one of our own?

I wonder if the Symphonia and Abyss anime are the same way. I've heard they're giving Symphonia more than one 4-episode OVA, but...

Wasn't amazing. I'm talking about the Symphonia one. it was all right from what I watched, but it went by very fast, I think in the first two episodes they had already gone through to Palmacosta, and they skipped the whole sequence with Marble.

...how can it skip the whole Marble thing? That's how Genis got his exsphere, and it's the source of Lloyd's banishment from and angst over Iselia, it's how the Desians find out about him, and it's the start of the Chocolat thing! Among other things.

*sigh* I guess as a huge fan of the game, I do have to watch the thing eventually, but I'm not getting my hopes up. Maybe if these anime adaptations were TV instead of OVA length, but then they'd have to cut corners somewhere else, instead.

 

[black lincon]

And this is the part where dozens of JRPG fans hunt me down with pointy sticks.

The thing that attracts most of us to JRPGs is the depth of the story, the characters, and the world. Your criticism is based on how the anime adaptation lacked these. Why would we harm one of our own?

I wonder if the Symphonia and Abyss anime are the same way. I've heard they're giving Symphonia more than one 4-episode OVA, but...

Wasn't amazing. I'm talking about the Symphonia one. it was all right from what I watched, but it went by very fast, I think in the first two episodes they had already gone through to Palmacosta, and they skipped the whole sequence with Marble.

...how can it skip the whole Marble thing? That's how Genis got his exsphere, and it's the source of Lloyd's banishment from and angst over Iselia, it's how the Desians find out about him, and it's the start of the Chocolat thing! Among other things.

*sigh* I guess as a huge fan of the game, I do have to watch the thing eventually, but I'm not getting my hopes up. Maybe if these anime adaptations were TV instead of OVA length, but then they'd have to cut corners somewhere else, instead.

not to mention that's how a large portion of who genis is as a person is developed. like I said it went by very fast, too fast. they actually skipped the dungeons, they just went to the bosses.

 

[Ripshot]

And this is the part where dozens of JRPG fans hunt me down with pointy sticks.

not really, as much as I love the tales series, even I can tell the anime adaptations are just fanservice

 

[RollForInitiative]

what you should really worry about is if you have to review Eureka 7, bad mouth that anime and I might have to hunt you down, unless you bad mouth Rentons squeaky voice in the Japanese, I kinda hate that too.

Better hope I never get slated to review that one then. I've got a few bones to pick and axes to grind where that series is concerned.

To stay on topic, it sounds like folks seem to universally agree that JRPGs make for horrible anime. On the bright side, bad anime like this gives us a better appreciation for the good ones.

 

[black lincon]

what you should really worry about is if you have to review Eureka 7, bad mouth that anime and I might have to hunt you down, unless you bad mouth Rentons squeaky voice in the Japanese, I kinda hate that too.

Better hope I never get slated to review that one then. I've got a few bones to pick and axes to grind where that series is concerned.

Bone's eh? funny, that might be all that's left after I'm done MUH HA HA!*cough**cough*. Coincidentally, I need to clean my collection of sharp objects, deadly projectiles, poisons, and assorted tools for corpse disposal, just so you know.

 

[NeutralDrow]

And this is the part where dozens of JRPG fans hunt me down with pointy sticks.

The thing that attracts most of us to JRPGs is the depth of the story, the characters, and the world. Your criticism is based on how the anime adaptation lacked these. Why would we harm one of our own?

I wonder if the Symphonia and Abyss anime are the same way. I've heard they're giving Symphonia more than one 4-episode OVA, but...

Wasn't amazing. I'm talking about the Symphonia one. it was all right from what I watched, but it went by very fast, I think in the first two episodes they had already gone through to Palmacosta, and they skipped the whole sequence with Marble.

...how can it skip the whole Marble thing? That's how Genis got his exsphere, and it's the source of Lloyd's banishment from and angst over Iselia, it's how the Desians find out about him, and it's the start of the Chocolat thing! Among other things.

*sigh* I guess as a huge fan of the game, I do have to watch the thing eventually, but I'm not getting my hopes up. Maybe if these anime adaptations were TV instead of OVA length, but then they'd have to cut corners somewhere else, instead.

not to mention that's how a large portion of who genis is as a person is developed. like I said it went by very fast, too fast. they actually skipped the dungeons, they just went to the bosses.

Well...to be perfectly honest, dungeons are really the most understandable things to skip outside a game format. They're indispensable for gameplay, but nine times out of ten, story-wise, what's important is <url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qYE8Jhr5jOM>what's waiting at the end of the dungeon.