kdickens - 2014-12-16 10:49:06

Hikyou Tanken Fam & Ihrlie, or "Ruin Explorers", is a lot like something you'd find in your typical "Dragon Quest" game (starring Muttley * ). We have our fantasy setting with a similar medieval-themed world. We have our growing party of characters, with personalities, who interact while continuing their adventure. We have that adventure in place of conquering an evil. Heck, we've even got the trademark boat segment with some of the things you might expect. The other thing we have, more in tune to the king of "Dragon Quest" games, being 8, is a masterful soundtrack of nearly the same caliber (if you haven't at least tried Dragon Quest 8, get it now).

To start, let's cover the superficial aspects. Ruin Explorers is not from the twenty-first century, so there isn't the modern art style to accompany this. That shouldn't be objectively placed with a positive or a negative, but the art style here is a bit different from stuff made today. The character's faces look very angular, like a bit more of an extreme version of "Evangelion". It started off as strange as I haven't seen that particular style before, but I quickly not only got used to it, but began to like it for what it was. The art style isn't too hard to like either when considering the fantastic animation at play. For the art style present, the proportion-work is perfect as I didn't notice one moment where it failed to stay consistent. The animation itself is also very smooth and is basically feature-film quality.

That isn't the end of paying respects to the animation, however, as there are other elements that are done tremendously well. Firstly, Ruin Explorers has to be one of the most vibrant, fantasy anime in terms of the color scheme and the richness of said color. For being sub-HD, the footage contains plenty fo grain that makes the colors really stand out. That aids in making the entire package feel powerful in each visual aspect, and don't think that doesn't include direction. To start, the art direction is about what it should be, but isn't too unique. The art director aids in crafting a solid fantasy environment, making everything look great in terms of what you would expect, but there aren't too many unique traits to it. While the art director doesn't hold anything back, the director of what literally goes on, in what way, is the person whose earned most of the credit. The director has taken four nearly 20-minute episodes and was nearly able to fit the sensation of growth and excitement that one could find in an entire 12-episode series. Everything is given just the right amount of time, and there isn't any worrying over the the amount remaining, as the director isn't afraid to add in some moderately lengthy moments of pure character interaction - leading to considerable development. He's also quite creative in how he chooses to present scenes, and although the story isn't too unique or complex, there were several moments I felt surprised to how events turned or how characters would act the next time we see them. Remember Takeshi Mori because either he has only done a great job here, or he is one great director (haven't yet seen his other works but he has my attention). I have seen a bit of "Gunsmith Cats", which he directed and was great as-well, and "Skull Man" is also noteworthy from what I've heard.

Paying attention to individuals doesn't end with the art, however, but only becomes more evident when turning to the sound of Ruin Explorers. Firstly, the fact I can put the composer near that of the soundtrack of "Dragon Quest 8" is a huge accomplishment. The soundtrack is fully orchestrated, and I'll admit I can be a huge sucker for orchestrations. However, these were done exceptionally well and could've easily fit into some live-action movie of the time and likely made it at least known by having the soundtrack included. Don't expect to find the soundtrack outside of the OVA though, as only some of the vocals were released. The man behind it is Masamichi Amano, also having composed for "Bio Hunter" (which was quite good) and numerous other smaller series I haven't seen yet. Give him attention, as well as the sound director. For just having watched a bit of the show "Real Drive" and it's horrible sound directing with non-stop compositions, what Yota Tsuruoka had for me here was a blessing. He really knows when are the right moments for either effective use of tracks that really only have one use, or using tracks in more general situations to make them more intriguing. He's done plenty of famous shows, including everything Clannad, and I know I loved Clannad's sound directing at the time. Again, pay your respects.

So, the story of Ruin Explorers is basically your typical "Dragon Quest" story-line. However, in a way we don't follow the hero as much here, making for a more interesting look at things. How it develops is quite interesting in the moderately unpredictable nature, so I'll leave that at that. We do have a quest of retrieving a set list of items, however, to find and collect. The beginning of every episode will also name itself as a "Turn", like "Turn 1" or "Turn 2". The saturated colors also reminisce that of "Dragon Quest". So with the continual comparisons, the setting of these OVA can likely be understood. The story is similar to that of an RPG, and for that reason it isn't anything too impactful all on its own. However, there are a few interesting imaginative elements to the world, and it still isn't a story where the ending can be seen from the first episode.

The storytelling is dynamic, and that is its strength. That strength also drips down into a bit of what makes the characters of Ruin Explorers so interesting. We have our growing list of party members, but who ends up staying and being discovered is quite uncertain as things go on. There is a limited amount of time to present everything, and the OVA realizes that it doesn't have to put the focus on a deep plot when having such a time-limit, but on the characters. As the story is the backpack that the characters choose to change at their will, the characters feel free of any contrived use and all feel like genuine individuals. Each are given a differing personality, some slightly cliche in relating to archetypes, but most are forgivable when relating those archetypes to what is expected in a fantasy setting. The characters all don't exactly develop, but they all interact in reasonable ways that give them all a bit of outward confidence. Each of these characters becomes familiar, maybe not by name, but by being cared about by the viewer. They more serve as fundamental components to the group than a named character. That isn't the same to the two, main characters, however.

We have a female warrior, "Ihrlie", as arguably the true main character who doesn't feel a need for romance and is an example of what a character like Asuna could have been. It's a character you can respect for being independent and, again, confident. She is also given a bit of a back-story which doesn't hold back the plot, but is told in a manner that flows nicely with it. That could be said even more to her assistant, "Fam". Fam is a character who doesn't carry as much of a back-story, but interacts heavily with specific characters in the story. She also develops as an individual by pushing for change and internally becoming stronger. She doesn't have that prior history, again, but is almost used as a catalyst to moving the plot forward. She is the doer in that her actions lead unexpected changes to many situations, slowly trying to make those changes more controlled. Ihrlie doesn't develop as much as Fam in learning herself, but in a way the charm of Ihrlie is that she already knows herself.

Ruin Explorers is the typical, RPG plot done right when translated to film. It understands that the literal goal of an RPG isn't the bulk of interest, but the adventure and the characters that are met, coming along with a nip of unpredictability. The art style isn't something that would be done now, but isn't hard to get used to thanks to the excelling budget. The music is fantastic and the direction for it as-well. There is also an opening and ending theme, but the ending theme takes the cake with being a tune that grows on you by the end. The characters are done to their best for the time given, and that isn't a low degree by any stretch of the imagination. Not many times do I finish an OVA and feel a bit of the same withdrawal that one might feel when finishing "Fullmetal Alchemist". I want to see more of these characters, but that's not going to happen. Possibly to my luck, however, a series called "Slayers" was popular enough in the past to get a lengthy series. I've heard numerous comparisons of the two's styles, so that may be the next best place to go for more. Ruin Explorers is an unexpected hit in my book, and is recommended to all those who can tolerate well-animated, old art. It may be convincing to you to know that there's a ganguro girl present (the rare creatures). Also, it's recommended to stick to the english sub with this one, overall better performances.

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