Tales of Phantasia THE ANIMATION: A Must-See Review for Fans

Tales of Phantasia THE ANIMATION - A tale of adventure and friendship that transcends time and space

■Overview of the work

"Tales of Phantasia THE ANIMATION" is an OVA based on "Tales of Phantasia," the first game in Namco's (now Bandai Namco Entertainment) popular game series "Tales of Series." A total of four episodes were released between November 25, 2004 and February 24, 2006. It was directed by Takuo Tominaga and Shinjiro Mogi, animated by Actus, with Frontier Works, Geneon Entertainment, and GENEON ENTERTAINMENT [USA] INC. involved in the production.

■ Story

Believing, fighting, loving, being eternal. With these themes in mind, the story depicts the adventures of Cress and his friends as they repeatedly travel through time and space to defeat the Demon Lord Dhaos. During their journey through time and space, Cress meets Claus, a researcher in summoning arts, and Arche, a half-elf, and joins them as they challenge Dhaos. What will they see at the end of the battle?

■Explanation

Volume 1 begins with the resurrection of the Demon King Dhaos and tells the story of Cress and his friends in the Valhalla War. In order to defeat the resurrected Dhaos, Cress and Mint travel back in time to the past. Will Cress be able to find the wizard and save Chester, who went to Dhaos to buy himself some time, leaving him behind?

■Cast

• Claes Albain - Takeshi Kusao
• Mint Adnade - Junko Iwao
• Chester Berkright - Kentaro Ito
• Klaas F. Lester - Kazuhiko Inoue
• Arche Klein - Mika Kanai
• Suzu Fujibayashi - Taeko Kawada
• Mars - Tessho Genda
• Reizen - Bin Shimada
• Martel - Rie Tanaka
• Daos - Toshiyuki Morikawa

■ Main staff

• Original work and supervision - Namco Co., Ltd.
• Director: Takuo Tominaga, Shinjiro Mogi
• Character design: Kosuke Fujishima
• Character design - Tokuyuki Shochiku
• Layout and animation directors: Tokuyuki Matsutake, Shinjiro Mogi
• Screenplay - Ryunosuke Kanetsuki
• Key animator - Shinjiro Mogi
• Art director: Toshihiro Kohama, Shunichiro Yoshihara, Jun Okabe
• Color design - Sachiko Harada
• Director of photography - Masato Sato
• Edited by Jun Takuma
• Music: Nomura Norio
• Sound Director - Takuya Hiramitsu
• Producer - Makoto Nakamura
• Animation production - ACTUS
• Produced by: Frontier Works, Geneon Entertainment, GENEON ENTERTAINMENT [USA] INC.

■ Main Characters

• Cless Alvein
  17 years old. Born in Tortis. His father is Miguel, an Albain style swordsmanship master. He has a kind and caring personality. I'm looking forward to seeing how his exploits are portrayed in the anime.
• Mint Adnade
  18 years old. Following in her mother's footsteps as a magician, she also becomes a magician herself. She is skilled in healing and attack support spells. Although she is usually modest and reserved, she has the fortitude to not back down on the battlefield.
• Chester Barklight
  17 years old. Cress' childhood friend. He has a cool and handsome appearance and a straightforward personality that hates crooked things. He is a passionate person with a strong sense of duty and humanity. He is an expert archer and a reliable companion of Cress.
• Klarth F. Lester
  29 years old. A researcher of summoning arts. As a human who cannot use magic, he is trying to study and master summoning arts. Although he can be a bit blunt, he cares deeply for his friends.
• Arche Klaine
  17 years old. Half-elf girl. Can use direct attack spells and magic. Bright and open-minded, not shy around strangers.
• Suzu Fujibayashi
  11 years old. The young leader of the Igaguri-ryu ninja who lives in hiding in the "Ninja Village." Due to the strict education of her grandfather Ranzo, she has mastered the art of erasing her girlish emotions and devoting herself to being a ninja.

■Subtitle

• #1 (2004/11/25)
• #2 (2005/02/25)
• #3 (2005/05/25)
• #4 (2006/02/24)

■ Related works

• Tales of Phantasia THE ANIMATION Volumes 2-4

■ Theme songs and music

• OP1 "The End of a Dream"
  Lyricist: tomo
  Composed by Mika Watanabe and Ikuko Noguchi Arranged by Tatsuya Nishiwaki Sung by Masahito Suzuki
• ED1「Priere」
  Lyricist: tomo
  Composed by Mika Watanabe and Ikuko Noguchi. Arranged by Shigeyoshi Kawagoe. Sung by Masahito Suzuki.

■Detailed reviews and recommendations

■The appeal of the work

"Tales of Phantasia THE ANIMATION" has received high praise as an anime adaptation of a game. Its appeal lies in the fact that it faithfully reproduces the story of the original game while enhancing it with the expressive power that only anime can offer. In particular, the scenes depicting the grand adventure that makes use of the setting of time-space transfer and the bonds between friends are very moving.

The growth and friendship of the characters, including Cress Albain, and the human drama that unfolds during the battles deeply move viewers, and the series has been widely accepted not only by fans of the original game, but also by anime fans.

■Animation and direction

The animation by Actas beautifully depicts the world of the original work. In particular, the dynamic battle scenes and magical effects are spectacular and provide a visual treat. The team of directors Takuo Tominaga and Shinjiro Mogi has succeeded in bringing out the charm of the original work to the fullest.

The character designs were created by Tokuyuki Shochiku based on the original ideas of Kosuke Fujishima, faithfully recreating the image of the original work while adding the unique charm of anime. The color design and art direction are also excellent, and the setting for the adventure that transcends time and space is realistically depicted.

■Music and voice actors

The music was composed by Nomura Norio, and skillfully expresses the scale of the adventure and the emotions of the characters. In particular, the opening theme "The End of Dreams" and the ending theme "Priere" are beautiful songs that symbolize the theme of the work. The voice actors are also impressive, including Takeshi Kusao, Junko Iwao, and Kentaro Ito, who express the individuality of each character.

■ Recommendation points

Here are some reasons why I recommend this work:

• For fans of the original game, the appeal is being able to relive the original story in anime form.
• Anime fans will enjoy this work as it depicts an epic adventure and deep human drama.
• The scenes depicting character growth and friendship are moving and leave a deep impression on the audience.
• Beautiful animation, music, and a stellar cast of voice actors add to the appeal of the work.

■How to watch

Tales of Phantasia: The Animation is available to purchase on DVD and Blu-ray, and is also available on some streaming services. It is highly recommended for fans of the original game and anime.

■ Summary

"Tales of Phantasia THE ANIMATION" is a wonderful work that maximizes the appeal of the original game and deepens it with the unique expressiveness of anime. The story of adventure and friendship that transcends time and space will deeply move viewers. It is a work that can be widely recommended not only to fans of the original game but also to anime fans. Please watch it and experience its charm for yourself.