Star Ocean EX Vol-1: The Inception (2001)
Animation Production: TV Tokyo, Dentsu, Studio Deen
Released by: Geneon Entertainment
Running Time: 110 Minutes
By Jeffrey Couto

Introduction

I’ve never really been interested in fantasy/dungeons & dragons style entertainment, something about it just isn't very appealing to me. However, being the avid gamer that I am with 20+ years of gaming experience under my belt I do have great fondness for Japanese-style RPG’s. Dragon Quest, the original Phantasy Star (before they turned it into a online gaming series), Lunar, Final Fantasy, etc. all made for some fun times back in their day. If I had the time I would probably still be playing these types of games.

So what about these RPG’s I’m talking about? Well, the subject of today’s review is based on the Star Ocean game series. I’m not terribly familiar with this RPG series nor have I had a chance to play any of them so I didn’t really know what the universal elements of Star Ocean were going into this particular release. It looked good though, so I hoped I wouldn’t need to rely on knowledge of the games to enjoy it and thankfully that was the case. Let’s check it out in more detail.

Story

"Claude and his father are on their mission to investigate the unexplored planet, Mirokinia. When they arrive at the planet, Claude mysteriously gets transported to another planet called Expel. Wandering around in the woods trying to find a way back home, he saves a girl named Rena from a monster with his phase gun. Rescued by him, she tells him that he is the Legendary Warrior of Light whom she's been looking for. In search of Sorcery Globe which is believed to be the source of evils, Claude and Rena set off on their journey that will determine the world's fate." Geneon's Star Ocean EX Page

Review

The first volume in Geneon’s release of Star Ocean EX features the first five episodes in the series, which include:

Episode 1: Transport
A giant spaceship makes its way across the stars. Aboard the vessel is a young crew member by the name of Claude Kenni, he is the son of Commodore Ronix J. Kenni, a legendary warrior who led a small group of heroes to victory in planet Rezonia against governmental oppression twenty years ago. Claude’s father is considered a legendary hero and a one of his people’s greatest leaders, a legacy that is hard to live up to for the youngster.

They are at present engaged in a new mission to investigate an unexplored planet. Upon their arrival they find a strange looking wreckage on the planet’s surface that is emitting an odd energy reading. As the landing party makes its way through the dome-shaped structure Claude stumbles onto something that looks like some kind of pod or door. Worried about him, the Commodore asks Claude to step away from the unidentified machinery, but it’s too late. Something has triggered the mysterious artifact and Claude ends up being consumed by it.

When he wakes up he finds himself in a beautiful forest, a place very different from the one he was on before the machine activated itself. Unable to reach the rest of his crew he begins to wander around and eventually finds himself saving a young girl from a ferocious monster. Upon seeing him use his gun to defeat the monster the young girl thinks she has met the legendary warrior that her people foretold many centuries ago would come to save the land from a great threat. Is Claude destined to be the hero of this alien world?

Episode 2: Encounter
Can Claude save this land from the Sorcery Globe? The legends foretell of a hero who will come from a different world to do away with the evils that will soon surface and cause chaos throughout the continents, but is Claude the one? Everyone seems to think he is, but he is more concerned with returning to his own world than saving this one. When Rena is kidnapped will it mark the beginning of a new adventure for him?

Episode 3: The Magic Stone
Allen, a childhood friend of Rena, who has always been in love with her has kidnapped her and is planning to force our heroine into becoming his wife! It seems that Allen may actually be under someone or something else’s control. Will Claude be able to find the force behind Allen’s sudden transformation into a mindless monster?

Episode 4: Heraldic Magic
Meet Celine Jules, she is a master of Heraldic Magic and a dedicated treasure hunter with a slight aversion to bugs. On her way to find a new treasure she crosses paths with Claude and Rena; impacted by Claude’s good looks she decides to make him her bodyguard and entices him by making it seem like her mission is connected somehow to the Sorcery Globe. What is she actually after?

Episode 5: Kuhazan
Celine’s town is under attack! Will Rena’s childhood friend Dias be able to save the day with his skills as a master swordsman?

Now, this was an interesting anime DVD to check out. It starts in outer space and in the beginning is has a definite sci-fi taste to it, which threw me off. I expected this to be a more RPG oriented show, but instead this just seemed like a space opera. Fifteen minutes into it though things take a decisive turn and the story does a 180° as Claude ends up in a world that is much closer to what I had been expecting.

The premise is fairly simple and typical of any console role playing game as Claude is quickly identified as a legendary warrior sent from another world to save the land against monsters and a strange force that’s turning the natural world upside down. As he makes his way across the continent to fulfill his mission and find a way back to his world he meets new friends and allies that will join him on his adventures and help him learn about his new surroundings and himself.

The characters he meets along the way through each of these episodes include many of the archetypes you would expect to see on a RPG party and are a fitting choice for an anime series based on one of these games. Rena fulfills the role of healer and love interest for the hero, Celine acts as the black magic expert who can support the team with offensive magic, Dias is the physical attack muscle, etc. In addition they meet several less prominent characters like the town elder who act as their guides in their quest to rid the world of the monsters that the Sorcery Globe has brought about.

The episodes in this DVD are mostly of an introductory nature so they serve largely as a way to introduce us to the characters and the law of the land. The stories are connected and flow nicely from one chapter to the next. The momentum is not terribly fast so the expected battle scenes are balanced with some good characters moments that explore the different dynamics between the cast. Claude in particular is developed nicely as we see him struggle with the reality of his situation and his desire to prove that he can be as brave and as good a leader as his father is.

Rena, while very present for most of these five episodes, remains somewhat enigmatic. She seems to possess unexplained healing abilities and we are told that her parents are in fact not biological, but adoptive. Rena was in found in the middle of the forest when she was very young and no one knows where she came from, with the only clue being a pendant that she was wearing on her neck at the time. Initially she seems very child-like, but as each story progresses and the cast went through several challenges we see more and more of a different, more determined side of her. It’ll be interesting to see how they evolve her.

As far as the production goes this show is very well crafted, but not particularly outstanding like some of the more recent anime releases I’ve seen like Ex-Driver and R.O.D the TV series. The drawings are beautiful and the animation is fluid, especially during magic incantations and sword fights. Special effects abound and CGI is used to a limited degree for environmental and magical effects.

I found the music to be surprisingly good, with the opening being energetic and fast, the closing very catchy and the in-show background music worthy of being used in any good RPG. The voice acting felt like a good fit for the actors’ 2-D counterparts on both the original track and the English dubbed one.

On the product end the disc's package is nicely put together with the outside featuring some of the original artwork that was used in the Japanese release on the front cover and information about the series alongside various photos on the back side. The DVD like the Fighting Spirit ones (another Geneon release) is limited in terms of extras, which I chalk up to the disc being packed with five episodes. These bonuses that are featured include: a small art insert inside the DVD case, character profiles, textless version of the opening theme, and previews for other Geneon releases.

The video transfer is very clean and sharp looking, with colors showing up brightly and issue-free. The audio was crystal clear on both the English and Japanese soundtracks and like the visuals seemed free of any sort of problems. The subtitles were crisp, flowed nicely and were easy to read.

Final Thoughts

As someone who enjoys video games (especially Japanese RPG’s) quite a bit I was amused and entertained by Star Ocean EX’s anime portrayal of the rules and archetypes that permeate these games. It really felt like an RPG, albeit one where you could only watch the story unfold without taking an active part in how it plays out. If you’re into role playing games you will find a lot to like about Star Ocean EX. I think most anime fans would also enjoy it for what it is.

This one is recommend to all adventure and fantasy anime fans out there. It’s not a pioneering work by any degree, but it is a fun DVD to check out.

Jeffrey Couto