I think that shows like Valkyria Chronicles at the moment really show how hard it can be to successfully adapt a game into animation. Unlike novels and mangas, where the only thing you have to worry about is how to properly translate the pages into animation, in most cases it just isn’t sufficient to just copy and paste the storyline (since it’s usually too short and overshadowed by the game-play) and especially the game-play. At this point, the creators are going to have to insert their own additions in order to flesh out the cast, and this usually fails so badly, descending the show into a string of uninspired fillers.
And here Bee-Train comes and yet again they pull off a very successful adaptation like it’s nothing. They did the same with .Hack//Sign, which completely dropped all of the fighting and instead went on to focus on its brilliant story, Popolocrois also wouldn’t make you suspect that it’s about an RPG, and instead turned into a fun and charming fantasy adventure and character-study and Wild Arms featured some of the best fillers out there in its second half. These all showed that they knew exactly what to do in order to spice these games up and make them work as an anime, and the same is done in Phantom, with the large emphasis on characterization and atmosphere. I’m not exactly sure how the original game played, but I have a really hard time imagining what the heck the game-play was about.
This episode builds up for the next one, and at the same time we fully get to see what happened with Zwei that made him end up as part of the Phantom. What’s also interesting is that Zwei is beginning to recover his memories, and turning into the guy he was before his mind-wipe. the thing is, though, that even if he were to fully recover his memories, he’s so far in the mafia, he’s already killed so many people that it’s going to be impossible for him to return to Japan and the life he left behind.
And the tension between Ein and Zwei really continues to increase, especially when Ein keeps distancing herself from Zwei since she’s scared of his skills. Before his mind-wipe, he already was able to outrun her for a couple of days, so something tells me that she’s fearing what he can turn into. In the next episode we’re going to see them in different missions, which makes me wonder how that’s going to end.
Rating: ** (Excellent)
Really solid and subtle art, great build-up episode, though lacking in action perhaps.
I still need to see this episode in order to comment about the specifics, I may return to do so later, but let me point out the original game (Phantom of Inferno) was a visual novel.
There is no proper gameplay other than reading a lot and making a series of decisions at certain points, which influence the outcome and lead to other decisions and ultimately one of several different endings.
That’s why I’ve said before that the strength of this tale is characterization as opposed to the story as such and also why I’m tolerating Bee Train’s changes or additions (5 and 6 were 80% filler) since they do seem to get what the individual characters and their relationships are all about.
PoI was a visual novel. Which is essentially a novel on a DVD player. It has been released domestically in the USA and Europe. You can purchase it for 19 US dollars.
Its author was Urobuchi Gen, whose also worked on the Blassreitter anime script.
I would suggest against playing the game now, however. As you seem to be enjoying the anime so much. It’s better see things for the first time.
I’m loving this series. I, too, have no idea what the original game is about. XD But who cares! With a wonderful storyline and great characterizations, I’m pretty confident that Bee Train will pull this show off. \(^o^)/
“…Ein keeps distancing herself from Zwei since she’s scared of his skills.”
Hm…i’m not sure what you mean by this statement. I don’t see Ein as competing with Zwei on who is the better assassin and I don’t think she particularly cares if she loses her place as Scythe Master’s favorite. IMHO Ein is disturbed by Zwei because it’s like looking into a mirror. Zwei is/has become what Ein is and seeing herself disturbs her. She’s been trying to tune out the impact and horror of what she does to live by trying to become a soulless machine but it’s not easy, especially when Zwei does things that make her think and feel. Episode 4’s mission where Zwei saved her definitely had an impact, and I’m pretty sure Ein knew Zwei wasn’t acting when he told the long haired girl that he had enjoyed himself on their “date”. She’s disturbed by the strange gleam in his eyes when he goes into “assassin”-mode, the same gleam she gets when she gets into that mode. I think Ein wants Zwei to be with Claudia more so as to save him from becoming a puppet like she is for Scythe Master, in spite of his orders to keep Claudia from stealing him.
PS. I’m actually enjoying Valkyria Chronicles now but I’m kinda wary cos I know a bit more of the plot of the game. While it seems like quite a happy-go-lucky show now, it may be that they’re just getting the audience to like the cast enough to feel something if/when they start dropping like flies later. I like happy-go-lucky though, so i’m not looking forward to it.
Talking about video game adaptation,how do you find Sengoku Basara doing?Its also a video game adaptation and one which have many possible ending going for it(as many ending as there are unique,named,main characters there are in the anime).That is if you’re still following that show ^^
Have you somehow never heard of visual novels…? Higurashi no Naku Koro ni was a kind of visual novel (named a Sound Novel because it doesn’t contain the plot-changing choices VNs typically have) as is Umineko no Naku Koro ni (one of next season’s stand out series) which were both written by Ryukishi07.
Utawarerumono, Tears to Tiara, ef, Tsukihime, Fate/Stay Night, Chaos;Head, Demonbane, Clannad, Kanon and Air were VN adaptions, as are a lot of standard harem anime.
Canaan is also an anime to look out for next season as it’s based on 428: Fūsasareta Shibuya de, a Wii Visual Novel that got one Famitsu’s few perfect scores.
Great Episode! The characterisation of Ein (never mind, that ‘Eins’ would be the better and more correct way to say it for expressing ‘one’ in German) and Zwei is really good and to that the soundtrack is well done as well.
For now I see two possibilities for the final: Either Ein and Zwei settle their indirect and unconscious quarrels with each other and go united against their masters or parted by each owns loyalties for his/her master (who both follow their own plans) they have to fight against each other.