|
With only a handful of anime companies operating in the UK, it's not surprising that we only get a handful of the titles our American cousins get. However, whilst Manga and Beez scrap for the big showpiece titles MVM have quietly built the best catalogue of any UK company by astutely cherry-picking the quality titles they overlook. Their timing is pretty good too, it's no coincidence that their latest fantasy comedy Disgaea is hitting UK shelves just a month or so after the Nintendo DS incarnation of the game that spawned it. Yes, Disgaea is based on a strategy RPG that has so far spawned two sequels, three handheld remakes and a spin-off platformer. But before you run a mile with dark memories of kiddie-fodder like Megaman and Sonic X swimming before your eyes, it's worth noting that this is a little bit different. First off it's not aimed at pre-teens, secondly the original creators are involved, and lastly, it's actually pretty good. The story starts with a cute, love-obsessed trainee angel called Flonne searching the Netherworld in an attempt to find its ruler - the Overlord King Krichevskoy. Her divine mission is to assassinate him, but unbeknownst to her he died over a year before after chocking on some food. Blissfully unaware that her mission is already over Flonne continues to search and unwittingly awakens the sleeping demon prince Laharl when she enters an abandoned mausoleum. It turns out however that Laharl is King Krichevskoy's son and heir, and he is none to happy to find that he has been poisoned and dumped in a crypt rather than acknowledged as the next Overlord. Laharl decides that he will take his place as rightful Overlord by force if necessary, and Flonne follows in the hope of curbing his demonic tendencies and opening his heart to love. However, Laharl's task is not an easy one. Whilst he's been gone the Netherworld has fallen into chaos with numerous demons claiming the title |
|
of Overlord, and they're not going to give it up without a fight. Rivals to the throne aren't the only problem he has either, his scheming vassal Etna has returned to serve him, but what is she really planning? There's also the Prinny squad, a horde of lazy penguin servants whom Etna commands but Laharl now has to pay, not to mention a trio of space heroes from Earth led by the dense Captain Gordon. Oh, and of course Flonne, who's still under orders to kill the Overlord, which means Laharl could be in the firing line if he reclaims his title... |
|
|
|
|
|
I'm quite a big fan of the Disgaea games and therefore was quite looking forward to seeing this series. For the most part it doesn't disappoint, the characters are present and correct and it's good to see that the same actors voice them in the game and anime. Much of the music is lifted directly from the game, and the weapons, monsters, spells and special attacks are all faithful to the game as well. My only real issue is the fact that although the anime follows the game's basic plot, it doesn't follow the story that closely. |
|
You may wonder why this is an issue, and don't get me wrong, I'm not saying the anime's story is bad or anything, but it seems like a missed opportunity. The main story in the game is structured like an anime series, it's episodic, with the story split into several chapters which not only could easily be adapted to an anime episode with ease, but even have a comedy next episode preview! The promo video included as an extra on the disc follows the game exactly and is great fun, so why does the series not do the same? It's strange, Disgaea is one of the few games which would suit a faithful adaptation and it hasn't had one. Instead we get a slightly weaker but still enjoyable story that manages to capture the game's wicked sense of humour, but has a bit more filler. Nonetheless the characters are superb - particularly the arrogant Laharl - and there's plenty of entertainment packed into the four episodes on this disc. The interplay between the central trio of Laharl, Etna and Flonne is great fun to watch and Captain Gordon and the Prinny Squad make effective comic relief. It is strange that there is not a great deal of action so far, especially considering the game is built around battles, but at the moment it's enjoyable enough to get away with it. All in all Disgaea vol 1 is a decent addition to MVM's catalogue that is accessible to newcomers and still has enough to it to appeal to fans of the game. It's a shame it doesn't stick closer to the game's plot, but as fantasy comedies go it's a nice modern alternative to the excellent Slayers. Well worth a look. Extras: The usual textless opening and closing sequences and trailers are joined by the excellent original Japanese anime promo and an interesting discussion between Japanese voice actress Kaori Mizuhashi (voice of Laharl) and original creator Sohei Niikawa. The pair discuss the differences between voice acting in the game and anime versions and the reasons behind the adaptation, which highlights some interesting differences between computer games and anime. Not bad. Ratings Feature:
|
