MapleStory Unreleased Version Rating and Review

MapleStory Mihou Eiban - The appeal and reviews of the unaired version

Overview

"MapleStory Mihou Eiban" is an OVA released on September 26, 2008, based on Nexon's popular online game "MapleStory". This work was produced as part of an animation project directed by Ishiyama Takaaki, based on the worldview of the game. The charm of "MapleStory", which has 72 million registered users worldwide, is condensed into a short 24-minute story.

■ Story

When the evil organization "Zatta Gang" tried to take the World Tree of Victoria Island, which once protected the peace and order of the world, four other tribes rose up, led by the human race (Al's father, Grande). However, they were in the worst pinch due to the fierce power of the Zatta Gang. The World Tree exploded itself to protect itself, releasing its seeds like a balsam. Some of the tribes migrated from Victoria Island to Maple Island. However, the other tribes suspected that the human race was involved in the destruction of the World Tree, and the human race was driven away. Furthermore, the quarrels between the tribes became endless. That was about 10 years ago. Now, Al and the others set out on a journey to find the seeds of the World Tree and revive it. The Zatta Gang is once again aiming for it.

■Explanation

Ten years have passed since the World Tree of Victoria Island, which once protected peace and order, was destroyed. The conflicts between the various races have never ceased. Meanwhile, a human boy named Al and his friends set out on a journey to find the seed of the World Tree. The original work is an online game of the same name, which has 72 million registered users worldwide. Director Ishiyama Takaaki will animate this work, which has a high degree of freedom and is not bound by a set storyline, making use of the worldview and concept of the game.

■Cast

• Al/Hiroko Kuwashima
• Nina/Aya Endo
• Poodoo/Rika Matsumoto
• Anji/Tsuyoshi Kusao
• Barrow/Hidenobu Kiuchi
• Gallus/Daisuke Kusunoki
• Krone/Mizuki Nana
• Ariba/Daisuke Namikawa
• Soarer/Noriko Hidaka
• Grande/Hideyuki Tanaka
• Maron/Hiromi Konno
• Gil/Romi Park
• Thattaman/Nachi Nozawa
• Aloalo/Koji Yusa
• Spiruna/Kiri Yoshizawa
• Godfried/Kazuki Yao
• Kino / Yuko Minaguchi

■ Main staff

• Original work: Nexon
• Director: Takaaki Ishiyama
• Assistant Director: Atsuko Ishizuka
• Series Composition: Toshiki Inoue
• Character design and chief animation director: Yoshinori Kanemori
• Color design: Fumie Hayashi
• Art Director: Hideyuki Ueno
• Director of photography: Yukihiro Masumoto, Yuya Kumazawa
• Edited by Yoshiko Kimura
• Music: Tomoji Togawa
• Sound Director: Yasunori Honda
• Supervising Director/Joo Min hee
• Storyline/Son Kwi young
• Model design/Lim Kwang hyun
• Original background design by Shin Jy chui
• Creative Director/Dae Hyun Kang
• Design works/Jamie Vickers
• Producers: Fumi Yoshino, Kim Jung a, Hajime Yamanoi
• Animation Production: Madhouse
• Produced and written by: TV Tokyo, Nexon, Dentsu

■ Main Characters

• Al (human race)
  The protagonist is bright and energetic. He trains every day to become a strong and kind man like his father, who tried to protect the World Tree, a symbol of peace, from the hands of evil. Everyone calls him "Invincible Al" and "Hardworking Al."
• Nina (Magical/Chief)
  She has the best magical powers. However, she is the head of a magical tribe with a bad personality. The heroine enjoys playing pranks on Al with her pet pudu.
• Poodoo is a pet who receives twisted love from Nina. He and Nina used to play pranks on Al, but after seeing Al's kindness, he becomes a bit of a good guy.
• Garus (Warrior/Chief)
  The chief of the warrior tribe who prides himself on his strength. He believes that he is the strongest in Maple Island. Although he does believe that strength is everything, he is actually very compassionate. Like Barrow, he respects Al.
• Barrow (Archer/Chief)
  The chief of the archer tribe who loves music. He is not only a skilled archer, but also a top-class player of the ancient lute instrument. He highly values ​​Al's hard work.
• Anji (Thief/Chief)
  The leader of a group of thieves who doesn't think stealing is bad. His special skills are running fast and deceiving people. But he also has a kind heart.
• Krone is a member of the Zatta Gang who is after the "Seed of the World Tree." He leaves the search for the seed to Ariba and spends his time eating sweets in his room on the Zatta Gang's ship.
• Following the instructions of Ariba Krone, he is searching for the "Seed of the World Tree." Because he is clumsy and absent-minded, he often fails.
• Kino is Al's kind-hearted and cute friend who loves collecting beautiful, shiny stones.
• Harp is a small but strong-willed man who is the right hand man of the Bow Tribe's chief, Barrow. He not only directs the orchestra, but also the battles.

■Subtitle

• Unaired TV episode: A small misunderstanding and a big thank you (2008/09/26)

■ Related works

• MapleStory

■ Theme songs and music

• OP1
  Scratch On The Heart
  Lyrics by Goro Matsui Music by Yusuke Itagaki Arrangement by Yusuke Itagaki Vocals by Younha
• ED1
  The Shine of the Heart Lyrics by Emi Fujita Music by Emi Fujita Arrangement by Seiichiro Sugiura "Ruffin" Vocals by Fumiko Orikasa

■ Evaluation and impressions

"MapleStory: Mihou Eiban" faithfully reproduces the worldview of the game, but also brings out new charm by developing an original story. In particular, the episodes depicting the growth of the main character Al and his bonds with his friends will move viewers. In addition, the character settings that highlight the individuality of each race and the beautiful background art are also highlights.

Director Ishiyama Takaaki's direction makes the most of the game's freedom while still successfully maintaining the tension of the story. In particular, the confrontation scene with the Zatta Gang is an exquisite blend of powerful battle scenes and portrayals of the characters' emotions, drawing the viewer in. The music, composed by Togawa Tomoji, is also an important element in enhancing the atmosphere of the story.

The cast is also impressive, with the performances that bring out the individuality of the characters, such as the lively voice of Al played by Houko Kuwashima and the slightly spiteful tone of Nina played by Aya Endo. In particular, the presence of Krone played by Nana Mizuki leaves a strong impression as a villain.

■ Recommendation points

"MapleStory: Mihou Eiban" is a work that can be recommended not only to game fans but also to anime fans. In particular, the following points are the reasons for the recommendation.

• Faithfully recreating the world of the game <br>By faithfully recreating the world of the original game while developing an original story, it provides new appeal for game fans.
• Character Growth and Bonds Episodes depicting the growth of the main character Al and his bonds with his friends leave viewers in awe. In particular, the character settings that highlight the individuality of each race are appealing.
• Beautiful Background Art : Madhouse Animation's beautiful background art is a visual treat, with the depictions of Victoria Island and Maple Island being particularly stunning.
• Powerful battle scenes <br>The confrontation scene with the Zatta Gang is an exquisite blend of powerful battle scenes and portrayals of the characters' emotions, drawing the viewer in.
• A stellar cast : A stellar cast including Kuwashima Houko, Endo Aya, and Mizuki Nana delivers performances that bring out the individuality of the characters.

Related information

"MapleStory: Mihou Eiban" is released by Geneon Entertainment and is also available on DVD. You can also find detailed information about the original game "MapleStory" on Nexon's official website. If you are interested in other works by Director Takaaki Ishiyama or animation productions by Madhouse, please visit their respective official websites.

This work has been praised as a new attempt to fuse games and anime, and has been loved by many fans. Please give it a watch.