Bringing peace to Uruk, isn’t that what a hero should do, something noble and great? This is the cause for which Jil, a novice climber, takes on the challenges of the legendary Tower of Druaga. The Tower of Druaga DVD Set 1 from FUNimation, based on the Namco video game Tower of Druaga from back in the day (the 80’s folks this is my back in the day ok) throws some fun bones to the source material before stepping out in it’s very well deserved own light.
Jil is a novice climber, those that take on the ever challenging levels of the Tower of Druaga which the legendary warrior (and still alive King) Gilgamesh scaled decades before to defeat the dark god Druaga himself. Cast out of his initial group by his brother Neeba, Jil quickly finds himself recruited into a new group by the oracle Kaaya. The group, including Ahmey, Melt and Coopa prepares for the climb and the ultimate treasure the Blue Crystal Rod which will grant its owner a wish. Each climber has different reasons for taking on the towers levels from glory to treasure to hidden reasons. The climb has begun and it’s a race to conquer each level and reach the ultimate goal … but it’s a goal only a few truly comprehend including Neeba. Will Jil become the warrior his father was or just another glorified corpse? Let the game begin.
Let’s clear one thing up right away; this is not Record of Lodoss War in its seriousness and it’s not Ragnarok in its simplicity. Tower of Druaga is an anime that takes a simple story and creates an even grander adventure decades later with many payment of homage to the past, all while keeping a great sense of humor. The battle with Druaga and secret plot points are deadly serious, as is the ending but the tone of the series varies evident by the spoof of a first episode, traps that change characters genders, make them revert to the original game, a mini shopping arcade with fully stocked convenience store and even an very interesting military shower scene. It’s a fun anime that knows when to get serious and step up the character development through betrayal and secret motives. The opening sequence is fun and catchy and it’s setting in modern day Japan is neat.
So the story is great mixing humor as needed, and the animation is a step above Ragnarok, comparing due to the RPG/class based/fantasy based setting. No one character really stands out, the style does not stand out from anime before it but its done really, really well. The voice work is familiar to any anime fan as this cast is well experienced and it comes through in the final product, top grade.
Overall this is a great fantasy anime, one any anime fan will dig full of great action, humor, animation and voice acting and for gamers who played Druaga it offers up enough shout out to warrant a viewing if for nothing else than nostalgia sake. Revisit the tower you scaled over and over again all over again in a brand new setting and see what happened after you led Gilgamesh to glory.
Jil is a novice climber, those that take on the ever challenging levels of the Tower of Druaga which the legendary warrior (and still alive King) Gilgamesh scaled decades before to defeat the dark god Druaga himself. Cast out of his initial group by his brother Neeba, Jil quickly finds himself recruited into a new group by the oracle Kaaya. The group, including Ahmey, Melt and Coopa prepares for the climb and the ultimate treasure the Blue Crystal Rod which will grant its owner a wish. Each climber has different reasons for taking on the towers levels from glory to treasure to hidden reasons. The climb has begun and it’s a race to conquer each level and reach the ultimate goal … but it’s a goal only a few truly comprehend including Neeba. Will Jil become the warrior his father was or just another glorified corpse? Let the game begin.
Let’s clear one thing up right away; this is not Record of Lodoss War in its seriousness and it’s not Ragnarok in its simplicity. Tower of Druaga is an anime that takes a simple story and creates an even grander adventure decades later with many payment of homage to the past, all while keeping a great sense of humor. The battle with Druaga and secret plot points are deadly serious, as is the ending but the tone of the series varies evident by the spoof of a first episode, traps that change characters genders, make them revert to the original game, a mini shopping arcade with fully stocked convenience store and even an very interesting military shower scene. It’s a fun anime that knows when to get serious and step up the character development through betrayal and secret motives. The opening sequence is fun and catchy and it’s setting in modern day Japan is neat.
So the story is great mixing humor as needed, and the animation is a step above Ragnarok, comparing due to the RPG/class based/fantasy based setting. No one character really stands out, the style does not stand out from anime before it but its done really, really well. The voice work is familiar to any anime fan as this cast is well experienced and it comes through in the final product, top grade.
Overall this is a great fantasy anime, one any anime fan will dig full of great action, humor, animation and voice acting and for gamers who played Druaga it offers up enough shout out to warrant a viewing if for nothing else than nostalgia sake. Revisit the tower you scaled over and over again all over again in a brand new setting and see what happened after you led Gilgamesh to glory.
