jypsel

How has no one reviewed this absolute masterpiece?

Man.  I’m so glad that they turned one of my absolute favorite video games into one of the worst anime I’ve ever seen in my life.  LOL.   Have you ever had one of those moments where something is so bad it’s good?  Or maybe you love something so much that it’s subsequent merchandise, series, etc. that spin off is an automatic love because of it? That’s the case for me.  For all intents and purposes, this is absolutely one of the most terrible anime I’ve seen in a long time.  And I thought it was delicious.

(There will be spoilers because I’ll be discussing the game, too.)

The story of Star Ocean Ex is based on the video game Star Ocean: The Second Story.  Claude Kenni is an Earthling who stupidly sends himself to another planet where he meets his waifu, Rena, and learns that the planet is being terrorized by a power they call the Sorcery Stone.  They go on an adventure together to destroy it and meet friends along the way.

It does pretty dramatically deviate from the game toward the end.  For the most part, it was really enjoyable to watch Claude meet everyone and team up and brought on huge waves of nostalgia.  But what the heck happened with the ending?  You’re really going to play me like this and not give me Noel, who has the most unenthusiastic voice for “Energy Arrow” ever?  To be fair, it does seem like there was supposed to be a second season as the ending seems like a build-up, but I’m guessing I wasn’t made due to critics and reception. (No way…)

The animation is God-Almighty bad.  Terrible.  Absolute trash.  LOL, they made their feet smaller than their heads and turned Precis into a loli.  Rena, too.  They looked twelve, which caused some issues when they get Leon there because he is actually 12.   I was cracking up.  It is actually horrible and cringey but I didn’t care because I got to see my faves animated!

But what was up with making Bowman...cool?  Was he cool in the game and I just don't remember since I always took Precis instead? 

The sound is pure nostalgia.  The OP and ED isn’t so much, but the music they have sprinkled throughout the episode is straight from the game, just remastered.  I honestly don't know what people who have never played the game would think of it.  I ended up watching this dubbed and it was about as bad as you'd expect from a 2001 anime, honestly. 

The characters... Lord have mercy, the characters.  Was Ashton always that annoying?  Was Bowman that cool? (I know I already asked this but I am seriously confused.)  Ernest and Opera are just as chill and intellectual as you'd expect.  It is very much a JRPG and that can be suited for anime, too.  They don't let too much tension rise up between the characters (only a brief time on Rena's jealousy of Celine or Precis' obsession with Claude) which actually worked in their favor because that would have been annoying. 

I did notice that a lot of my favorite characters annoyed the hell out of me and now I'm wondering if they were always this way and I just didn't notice since it was a game. (Huge side-eye at Ashton, tbh.) They did my boy Indalecio dirty by not having him in the anime, though, but I'm sure he would've been in the second season.  He'd have to be.  He's the big bad.

However, all of these chaaracters were bland and one-dimensional, which isn't too shocking when you consider that this was originally a game and they didn't have that much depth anyway.  This will be a huge turn off for people who haven't played the game. 

My personal enjoyment...well, I gave the anime a 3/5.  Does it deserve that? NO.  But here we are. 

This game means so much to me, so when I saw it had an anime, I jumped on it.  No regrets.   

Overall, LOLOLOL I DON'T RECOMMEND THIS.