The Tower of Druaga: Part One - The Aegis of Uruk

Solid fantasy anime is few and far between but that's simply not the case in the video game world where fantasy titles have reigned supreme since the days of programming in Basic. Wisely, a few companies have taken note of this fact and rather than simply tool a new fantasy realm from the ground up, transfer an established video game title into the animated medium. Enter The Tower of Druaga from FUNimation.Released across a pair of discs (thin packs within a cardboard outer slipcase), The Tower of Druaga Part 1 consists of episodes 1-12 and comes in at a total runtime of 280 minutes. It wears an appropriate TV 14 rating due to violence and light supernatural imagery.Language options are standard sub & dub with both an English dub (Dolby 5.1 Digital Surround) and original Japanese soundtrack (stereo) & the choice of English subtitled if so inclined to turn them on.Extras are nice and thorough and include A Tale Told Twice: An alternate look at the first episode, an English commentary track over the 5th episode, textless songs, a host of FUNimation trailers on the second disc.The story goes something like this: Summer comes to a mystical land once every five years (called the Summer of Anu here), and it is during this time that monsters hidden away within the mysterious Tower of Druaga lose their powers thanks to the intercession of an idol appropriately named "Anu".Each Summer of Anu, the armies of the Uruk Kingdom secure their strongholds within the Tower, aiming to eventually conquer the upper floors in these periods where the demons' powers are at their weakest. It's been 60 years since the last human conquest of the tower (by a brave warrior King named Gilgamesh) and as far as huaminty is concerned, the creatures of the night wrecking havoc from within the tower are overdue for a whipping.The story begins with the third Summer of Anu in the city of Meskia, which just so happens to be the human stronghold built on the first level of the massive Tower. The Uruk (human) Army is preparing for their campaign against Druaga; the enigmatic leader of the foul creatures occupying the levels above the stronghold. Getting in the way of warriors are freelance treasure hunters called "Climbers" who have traveled from distant lands to pursue rumors of a legendary treasure being guarded by Druaga called the Blue Crystal Rod.We follow along with the adventures of a young warrior named Jil, who, despite a stout heart, is after the Blue Crystal Rod himself.The plot structure is such that it focuses primarily on a few small groups of adventurers seeking to climb the Tower of Druaga and defeat the legendary Druaga once and for all (although it is explained several times that King Gilgamesh have him a spanking 60 years earlier but that seems not to have affected his ability to cause trouble). What this translates to for the viewer is a blend of action with a "race to the top" undertone working subliminally.In truth it's no surprise that the video game incarnation was so successful since the premise boils down to overcoming challenges and dispatching monsters on a floor-by-floor basis. Progression is fairly linear with the big bad guy waiting at the very top floor (with the treasure).The mythology comes off as a sort of blend of old Norse material mixed with a bit of early Anglo legend (think Beowulf) with just a hint of Asian influence in the form of massive dragon-like baddies. In all it works very well.The visuals are quite remarkable as well if not for their clean, crisp look throughout, for the fact that often times it looks like an animated screenshot directly from the early Final Fantasy or Dragon Warrior games. Nobody does the fantasy protagonist quite as uniquely as the Japanese and this fact is reinforced here.The direction is nearly flawless as would be expected from the same man responsible for Last Exile. Pacing, lighting, and individual shots are beautifully constructed and lend heavy-merit to the fantasy world itself.Voice acting is stellar in both incarnations with my nod tipping very slightly toward the English dub on this one. Not to take anything away from the impeccable Japanese vocal track, my opinion is simply a testament to the quality dubbing FUNimation has been turning out of late.In all this is a fantastic little fantasy series filled with stunning visuals, nice direction, and a plot solid enough to keep the episodes flying by. Best of all the prose doesn't get bogged down or take itself too seriously by interjecting a dose of humor in moments that would otherwise be tension-ridden. Highly recommended.

I find it strange to think about how many years it's been since the (American) release of Last Exile. As much of a groundbreaking series as that was, it was only natural that I would jump at the opportunity to experience the latest masterpiece created by my favorite animation studio and Director. From successes like Romeo X Juliet, Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo, Kaze No Stigma, and Chrono Crusade it isn't a surprise that this studio can just kick these things out left and right.Although, I must admit that the concept that went into the Tower of Druaga was quite different than what I've come to expect from them. A unique style of animation was used to create a very serious story based on the Gilgamesh Mythos while at the same exact time making it extremely hilarious (especially to those who've experienced those old 1980s and 1990s Japanese Role-Playing Games). At times I found it quite difficult to figure out whether I was supposed to be laughing of deeply interested in what would happen next.I understand that this is a story that is based on a Video Game series by Bandai/Naamco, for which I never played. However, after this first of two part series, I have come to become quite interested in finding out if the game really does follow the story of Jil (Main Character) and if he really is that absent minded (at times).This was a very deep series and worth the effort to see just once (I especially like the fact that they have two pilot episodes which quite beautifully capture the more comical side as well as more serious plot-line.However, I have always been a fan of GONZO DIGIMATION since I was introduced to it via Last Exile.Oh, and the soundtrack for this series is absolutely gorgeous! (As was Romeo X Juliet's.)

Admittedly, I've never played the game on which this anime was based. But I don't think it mattered.I was first introduced to The Tower of Druaga through the Funimation preview, which impressed me by being an actual preview and a good preview at that. When I found it was based on a video game, I wasn't sure if that was a bad thing or not, but when I heard favorable reviews on the series, I decided to give it a shot.The Tower of Druaga is a mysterious tower filled with riches and monsters and the god of evil residing at the top. Jil and his friends are Climbers - people who climb the tower and whose goal is to defeat Druaga at the top.The first episode had me in stitches - it was a parody of RPG games, and was really well done and entertaining. The second episode is where the story really starts. The parody element continue to show up through out the series, though is most common at the beginning. Nothing about this series could be taken seriously. Even the parts of the storyline that were really supposed to be dramatic, I just sniggered into my sleeve or tuned it out. This is one of those series where having 2 dimensional, stereotypical characters really works. The story and characters aren't really all that important - what is fun about this series is the tower; the various adventures and mishaps that our heros encounter. For example, in one episode Jil and his friends are trying to take a short-cut to the next floor. Their short-cut turns out to be covered in dangerous booby traps in the form of little colored, cursed balls. Step on one and you could find yourself horrible transformed - into a human sized teddy bear. Or have your gender reversed. Or end up dressed in a maid costume. This episode had absolutely nothing to do with the overall storyline, but was a shining example of what made this series fun to watch.This set is the first half of the series, though there is a convenient break in the story between the two. The second set isn't too bad, but the first is vastly more entertaining.There is some references to Babylonian mythology that is interesting and worth spending a little bit of time with Wikipedia to learn about. Or not.If you are looking for random, pointless fun, The Tower of Druaga might be your show. This set is a little pricey, so if you want to try it out first, Crunchyroll.com has the entire series streaming for free. Have fun!

A+