Hikyou Tanken Fam & Ihrlie

This is an excellent OVA series that exists in almost total obscurity, for while it is short it is definitely sweet. For a type of person like myself who is looking for something very specific in terms of good fantasy anime with a style unlike that of the hackneyed DND wannabes, with good character dynamics and excellent design, this series is a must. The story, while not exactly unique in it's themes (the search for the handwavy 'ultimate power' that possibly doesn't exist but possibly does.) is excecuted well, and the short series manages to get you invested even in it's fleeting duration, mainly due tothe fact the characters are both interesting and likeable. The setting itself is also compelling, with great ruins spanning huge portions of the mostly wild landscape. Deserts and grasslands, jungles and oceans, this setting has it all, and all of it s beautifully drawn.

Rate a 7 English Dubbed Story Use of tapestry and voice narration made for a delightful introduction. As for tapestry not only illustrated time era of story but added royal mention. Both of which vital to story's plot. When one watches a story they expect a criminal and a hero. Little do they know both of which were heroes in their own way. Sadly, one grew stronger than the other. Although, in the end it all worked out. Would have been nice to see what would have happened if story matched up to 'alleged ending' but this ending was just as good. For while it did lack in comicspin as original could have brought instead demonstrated a more selfish cause and slight emotional impact. Art No complaints. Although, legs of a character or two appeared to be stick like. Not bad just a little abnormal to the eyes. Perhaps it had something to do with the light and setting it was in. After all we all have our good sides and our bad. Ask your neighborhood professional camera person if you don't believe me. characters While not fully developed in all characters having an in-depth view of their past, there was a backstory on the villain aside from what was earned by his powers. Also, one might find one of the main male characters as well as female to be quite enticing. Not just from artwork construction but how they carried themselves.

Story: Stereotypical classic JRPG nonsense. Heroes are on a quest to retrieve a set of magical items that a powerful villain is searching for as well. Beyond that are plot points that become disposed of quickly and by the end of the 2 hour run-time you're comfortable not knowing the ending to a few sub-plots. The narrative doesn't take itself very seriously with a plethora of jokes hackneyed throughout, and at the points it becomes somewhat serious it's still rather basic and doesn't try anything fancy. Straight forward, but not schlock. Thank goodness. All of this comes together to become a check-list of classic fantasy adventuretropes that get checked off one by one. That's alright, since I wasn't really asking for much more after 2 episodes in. It satisfied me enough and I found it pretty enjoyable, even if one episode ends with the characters ship-wrecked and the next episode starts with them in the middle of a desert. Art: I really enjoy the 90's rough sketch look of this anime but with that comes some other lazy animation decisions. For instance, the action is non-existent. It became very evident that after the first episode I wouldn't be witnessing a shred of combat. I believe there are roughly 3 sequences of actual hack-and-slash while the rest are the heroes surrounding by creatures (a very limited bestiary, by the way) and then the next scene the creatures are defeated. Again, not to bothersome. None of it really questioned my intelligence or made me feel like I missed out on anything. Rather, it's like a check-list similar to the tropes that needed to be knocked off in the story. The setting is largely barren and uninspired. Deserts are easy to animated. Oceans are easy to animate. Destroyed locations are easy to animate because it's rubble. I would have appreciated some more, I don't know, 'definition' to the setting, but that would require another episode to elaborate on some certain aspects, such as "this swamp has X history and Y lore and so we must be careful." And then it turns into filler. More of a story critique, but how the art is handled can affect the story. Sound: The Soundtrack was actually pretty good, but after 4 episodes it's repeat songs that lose their effect. Unfortunate, as the directive approach towards the music was pretty fantastical and had adventure at it's core. Very cool, but wears thin quick. Sound effects were forgettable and all stock stuff everyone has heard before. One creature repeated the same battle-cry over and over and it became less so intimidating and more-so irritating. I couldn't wait for it to die. Character: Sufficient. Ihrie was quite interesting but the narrative shifts its leads haflway in and she gets put on the backburner. A shame, but nothing could be done. The narrative introduces Lyle in the second episode who becomes the backbone of the stories progression, so it couldn't be helped that the original 2 characters get knocked back. Everyone is stock. There's nothing all that interesting here. It's just basic but in the end gets the job done. Enjoyment: Content. It was neat. Had the run time been more than 4 episodes I can guarantee that my interest would have waned. ((If you liked this review, friend me for new reviews on other works, both manga and anime!))

Listen to me. The fact an anime like this can exist in total obscurity is proof that there are priceless treasures lying in wait for anyone who dares to go looking. The overwhelming catalogue of anime is like a vast and teeming ocean, and as new seasons add yet more to this unfathomable magnitude, some treasures are bound to go unnoticed, and perhaps be lost forever. Ruin Explorers Fam & Ihrlie is one such treasure. Indeed, with a clumsy name and under 9,000 members on MAL, chances are that I probably would have never known of its existence, were itnot for finding it on an interest stack. It was short and seemed like fun, so I filed it away for when I had some time to kill. Then, from the very moment the intro ended, I was met with nothing short of a masterpiece. Over the course of these 4 episodes, I would be taken along for an epic journey that would give me chills. With every flawless scene, with every perfect note, I scoured for mistakes and waited for it to slip, but my prying efforts were met with quality upon quality upon quality. It left me speechless. It is imperative that I impress upon whoever reads this review the sheer excellence that awaits them. Beginning with the story, we are presented with a classic kind of tale, filled with magic and monsters and a lost kingdom, but it is what it does with this story that is so impressive. Namely, it manages to be both adventurously grand and shockingly efficient. It has an absolute command over its material, putting every minute to its proper use, cultivating a sense of potent immersion which doesn't let up for a second. When I finished it I was devastated to find the manga only has 2 volumes. Indeed, the only mark against this anime is that there isn't more of it. However, this legendary adventure would not be nearly as engrossing without my favorite aspect of this anime, the art. Every visual aspect of this show is lovingly crafted and eminently engaging. The world is colorful and detailed and alive, the background characters are fully realized and animated in their own right, the main cast boasts striking and visionary character designs, and the animation is smooth as butter, bringing epic fight scenes to life, while breathing a kind of deep, abiding tranquility to scenes of peace. Everything has this sense of presence and scale, it feels like you could go on forever in one direction or the other and then keep going. To reiterate my point about scale, nothing is beyond the reach of this anime. The minute detailing on coinage, the rivets and straps in a suit of armor, the wear and tear on leather and stone, all the way up to colossal architecture, vast ranges of natural beauty, threatening skies and raging oceans, nothing is too big or too small for this art direction to handle, and envelop it all in this unified sense of style. There's even this dedication to choreography which grabs the viewer. When someone is fighting off a group of dungeon constructs, or when an evil wizard glories in his wickedness, or even when friends talk around a campfire, it feels different, almost like they're moving more like real people. Exceedingly few anime manage to look this good outside of major movie releases, and even when compared to them this is one of the best looking anime I have ever seen. The sound is another contributing factor to this masterpiece, standing on its own as this operatic, theatrical score. Similar to the art, it has this same sense of presence and scale, and nothing is beyond it. From the quiet serenade of a nighttime scene, a jaunty theme of a voyage by sea, the pitched strings of a life-or-death struggle, and finally to the triumphant brass of a trial overcome with a mind for the next one in store. This isn't just an OST, this is a score. Masterfully composed down to the final note, you will get chills. Everything else about the sound design steps up to the plate as well, with impassioned voice acting and fully realized sounds of life that make the world feel real and lived-in. Then, of course, there are the characters. On their own, they meet the standards of quality for their day, mostly embodying skillful executions of well-worn archetypes, like the tomboy, catgirl, and the blustering B-list thief duo, but they deviate from these archetypes without you noticing, until the next thing you know they've grown as people. In my opinion, what really vivifies them and makes them special is how the story handles them. It weaves the lives of its characters together with an artistry and authenticity which is rare to see not just in anime, but any medium. It handles their human natures so carefully and plays them off each other at the perfect times, ensuring maximum impact, and ultimately, maximum investment. Overall, Ruin Explorers Fam & Ihrlie is one of the most underrated anime I have ever encountered, and as far as I'm concerned, you owe it to yourself to watch this, and then to keep looking through the decades of anime history for others like it.

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