Kouryuu Densetsu Villgust

Kouryuu Densetsu Villgust is a somewhat generic, yet classically heroic fantasy tale, with prophesied heroes, a band of friends, a dark Lord with an army of monsters, and so on. On the face of it, it would seem like a good tale for all ages, but with the inclusion of nudity and raunchy humor, that doesn't seem to be the case, and confuses who exactly the intended audience for this work is supposed to be. With almost all the main characters being or looking like children, one could make the wrong assumption. Also, eight main characters are quite a few, especially for an OVA that'sonly two episodes long. It's kind of crazy, and a major failing of the story, since they're bound to feel cramped in a mere 56 minute runtime. While they feel like they each got just enough screentime as individuals, once the two groups of four met it felt like they hardly had any time to build a rapport and really get to know each other. Indeed, by the end they still feel like strangers, at least from my perspective. I personally think that, if it had some more room to breathe, that this story could actually work better, because on the face of it, even if it is generic and unsure of its audience, the basic story is fun. Still, given the story's flaws, the strongest aspect of this anime is definitely the art. It showcases high quality 90s animation, which is slightly improved by a CRT filter to smooth out digital artifacts and give it that warm, high-contrast feel for which it was produced and intended. The fights are cool, and the monsters and magic are visually striking, both aspects which are quite important for this type of fantasy tale. The sound is unexpectedly great, with a soaring orchestral score and solid voice work that sounds natural for the world they're in. The characters are each conceptually interesting, but they don't really have enough room between them to develop into anything more than their archetypes. Overall, while it's not perfect, it's hardly a waste of time. Give it a shot if you're particularly fond of that teeming genre of 90s fantasy OVAs, especially if you can overlook its narrative flaws.