Tylor OVA 1 |
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When an anime series becomes
popular and successful enough, it's in the best interest
of the producers to make something more. This
"something more" usually amounts to an OVA,
which can expand on the story along with bringing in a
little extra cash. An Exceptional Episode is a prime
example of this, but it really compliments the original
series(which I'm planning on reviewing one day) in a way
sequels hardly ever do. While it helps to have knowledge
of the characters that make up the world of Tylor, An
Exceptional Episode is an enjoyable romp in the realm of
Sci-Fi anime. The show starts with the crew of the Soyokaze, lounging around and living it up after their previous successes in the original series. The peace of the war is hardly over, as Captain Tylor soon learns that the Ralgon Empire is developing a new weapon that could easily destroy the fleet of the Federation. Only Tylor is told the details of the mission, and in a clever twist even the audience isn't told just what Tylor will receive when he completes the mission. He's told he'll receive whatever he wants if he completes the mission successfully, and with a guy like Tylor it's hard to tell just what this reward will be. Not soon after setting out on their adventure, the Soyakaze is captured due to one of Tylor's brilliant decisions. It is here on the Ralgon ship that Tylor once again meets Azalyn, the Queen of the empire who has a major crush him. Azalyn realizes that Tylor has some feelings for Yuriko, and tries to work her way out of her denial to confront him. Some touching moments are spent between the two, along with a bittersweet goodbye from Azalyn. Tylor manages to get the crew to escape unharmed (and unexecuted), but it doesn't stop the crew from getting ticked off at him enough to hold an election for the new captain. After being voted off of his role as captain, the Ralgon soon attack the Soyokaze. Even though he's not in charge, Tylor has a very strange idea to defeat the enemy. Whether it will work is anyone's guess... Part of the fun of watching Tylor is trying to figure out just what the man is thinking. It sort of puts you in the same shoes as his crew, who are wondering the same thing most of the time. Tylor's plans, incomprehensible or not, are interesting to say the least. Just seeing how everything works out is just some of the charm of Tylor. I'm not quite sure how an audience that hasn't seen the original series will take to this disc. Knowledge of most of the crew's personalities isn't needed for the most part, but it really adds to the depth of the story. A lot of this disc seems to be made to tickle the fancy of the fans of the TV show, but it should be entertaining for non-fans nonetheless. Much of An Exceptional Episode deals with the loves of Tylor, and while he seems to be a rather non-sexual person, the focus of this OVA revolves around his relationships with Azalyn and Yuriko. Yuriko, while she seems a little suicidal and depressed, really gets to show some emotions on the inside and outside in An Exceptional Episode. A little of the romantic subplot between her and Tylor at the end of the TV series really gets to be developed during the course of this story. Yuriko learns to trust a little, and to maybe drop a little bit of her anal-retentive nature. Azalyn also gets a chance to see Tylor, but it's more of a bittersweet exchange of emotions for her. She realizes Yuriko is the right woman for Tylor, but has to convince herself of this. Yes, the main plot has to deal with stopping the Ralgon weapon, but the interaction between the characters is the best part of this series. Their personalities are solid, and so is the writing. The audio and video on An Exceptional Episode is, in a word, adequate. The video quality is okay, but a lot of it seems overly soft at times. Still, it doesn't prevent the disc showcasing the great animation. Speaking of animation, it isn't much better than the TV series, but there are some great little nuances and poses that makes it seems so human. The animators on Tylor have a great knowledge on how people really move (in a stylized manner, of course), so the animation never seems flat and stale. I was a little disappointed with the sound quality. While I enjoy the dub to a great extent, there was some major distortion in the second part of this disc. It got so bad at some points that I questioned if they were using the original actors at some points. On the plus side, the disc features some great music, and while some of it is ripped right from the TV series, the song at the end of the last episode on this disc is truly excellent. Let me just say that when you see the scene, you'll agree. The Right Stuf apparently knows which side their bread is buttered on, as the extras on this disc are outstanding. My favorite extras have to be the liner notes by translator extraordinaire, Neil Nadelman. There's lots of information present, including background information on the series, cultural information, and even a few anecdotes. Also of note are four different music videos, and lots of technical information on the ship. All of the extras are very nice, and should please Tylor fans. Much like the series, An Exceptional Episode starts off slow, but has an ending that will have you cheering. I recommend you dip into the TV show a little before diving into the OVAs, but all around this is a great disc. Recommended. - Bob Mackey |
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