Review of "ADVANCED SAGA Salamander Gopher's Ambition": A fascinating story and deep characters

"ADVANCED SAGA Salamander: Gopher's Ambition": New appeal of the 80s game as an OVA

The OVA "ADVANCED SAGA Salamander Gopher's Ambition", released on February 25, 1989, is based on the game, Konami's popular game series "Salamander". This OVA was loved by many fans for expressing the worldview of the game in the new medium of animation. Below, we will introduce detailed information and reviews of this work, as well as recommended points.

Overview

"ADVANCED SAGA Salamander Gopher's Ambition" is a 53-minute OVA with one episode. It was directed by Toriumi Nagayuki, produced by Studio Pierrot, and copyrighted by Konami. While the story is based on the game, it also includes some unique expressions and direction that are unique to anime.

story

The story is set on the planet Grimoire. The protagonist, Darn, fights to thwart the ambitions of the evil Gopher. Darn and his friends go on an adventure to overcome various obstacles and crush Gopher's ambitions. While faithfully recreating the story of the game, the dramatic development that only an anime can offer is appealing.

character

The main characters are as follows:

• Darn (voiced by Koji Tsujitani) - The protagonist. A brave and righteous warrior.
• Stephanie (voiced by Noriko Hidaka) - Daan's partner. A wise and courageous female warrior.
• Lord British (voiced by Hirotaka Suzuoki) - Leader of the planet Grimoire. He guides the Dahn.
• Paola (voiced by Shimamoto Sumi) - Stephanie's friend. A bright and cheerful character.
• Gopher (voiced by Shigezo Sasaoka) - The antagonist of the story. A villain who will stop at nothing to achieve his ambitions.
• Principal Starbuck (voiced by Akira Murayama) - A scientist from the planet Grimoire. He supports Darn and the others.

Background

This OVA was born from an attempt to animate the 1980s game "Salamanja." Since the game was extremely popular at the time, the aim was to cultivate a new fan base by recreating the game's worldview in an anime. Director Toriumi Nagayuki succeeded in bringing out the charm of the anime without compromising the atmosphere of the game, and this, combined with the technical capabilities of Studio Pierrot, resulted in a high-quality work.

Evaluation and Impressions

"ADVANCED SAGA Salamander Gopher's Ambition" has been highly praised not only by game fans, but also by anime fans. It has been particularly praised for faithfully recreating the world of the game while bringing out the appeal of the characters and directing that only anime can offer. It was also highly praised for the way it was able to fully depict the story in the short time of 53 minutes.

My impression is that it is a work that feels both nostalgic and fresh for game fans, and allows anime fans to experience a new worldview. In particular, the friendship between Dern and Stephanie and the fight against Gopher's ambition are beautifully portrayed, and have the power to draw viewers in.

Recommended points

Here are some reasons why we recommend this work:

• A must-see for game fans - Enjoy the world of "Salamander" through anime. While recreating the atmosphere of the game, you can also experience new charms that are unique to anime.
• Enjoy in a short time - You can enjoy the story in just one episode, 53 minutes. Even busy people can watch it easily.
• Appealing characters - Characters such as Dern, Stephanie and Lord British are well-drawn and keep the audience hooked.
• High-quality animation - Studio Pierrot's technical expertise allows you to enjoy beautiful animation, especially the powerful battle scenes.

Related information

"ADVANCED SAGA Salamander Gopher's Ambition" is known as an OVA adaptation of the game "Salamander." The game "Salamander" is a shooting game released by Konami in 1986, and gained popularity for its unique world view and high level of difficulty. This OVA is based on the story of the game, but brings out new charms that are unique to anime.

This work can also be said to symbolize the fusion of game culture and anime culture in the 1980s. By recreating the worldview of the game in anime form, it has succeeded in cultivating a new fan base and drawing out the appeal of both games and anime.

How to watch

"ADVANCED SAGA Salamander Gopher's Ambition" is available for purchase on DVD and Blu-ray. It is also available on some video streaming services. If you're a fan of the Salamander game or have an interest in 80s anime, be sure to check it out.

summary

"ADVANCED SAGA Salamander Gopher's Ambition" is an OVA based on the game "Salamander," and was loved by many fans for its recreation of the game's worldview in anime. It was praised for drawing out the story well in a short amount of time and bringing out the charm of the characters. This is a work that is recommended not only for game fans, but also for anime fans. Please watch it and feel its charm.