Anime: Druaga no Tou: the Aegis of Uruk

Notice: This review covers both seasons of the franchise. It is so pathetically mediocre, I needed both of them to make it look big enough.

Druaga is a pathetically mediocre title for the simple reason it was made by GONZO. Hm, I might as well have said “made by some 8 year olds with pencils and crayons” because that is how far and deep the show ever goes in terms of directing.

The story is about some tower with some demon on top and some teenagers trying to get there in order to defeat him. It would be pointless to get any further than that, as all the rest of the story is a big pile of nonsense. Plot holes, inconsistencies, fillers, conveniences and generally anything that would make any average storywriter to laugh with how little they tied to make something good out of it. Then again this is supposed to be a comedy, so one can excuse it to have a lame story… No wait, it is also drama… No, now it is mystery… No, now it is parody… and now it is a blue parrot with a tuxedo in the depths of the sea. HEY GET THOSE CRAYONS AWAY FROM THE KIDS! … I mean the storywriters.

Anyways, this was supposed to be a classic JRPG adventure, based on a videogame. It was supposed to be the classic tale of good versus evil, dragons and wizards and Gods fighting demons for the salvation of mankind. But in the hands of GONZO it turned into a steaming pile of cra…ckers on top of a green elephant in space. DAMN YOU KIDS, WHERE DID YOU GET MORE CRAYONS?

To hell with the story; they did nothing with it other than random comedy and poorly executed drama. Maybe the characters are somewhat better. Hm, the character portraits look fine, albeit generic. Let’s check their profiles… My, they all have, like, two lines of backdrop. And their intelligent is so low! And hell if they ain’t generic to the point of forgetting them as soon as I take my eyes away from them. Anyways, not even the characters mean much, since the story is random crayons and character development comes out of their as…tral super energy sword finishing slash. WILL SOMEONE LOCK UP THOSE BRATS ALREADY?

As usual, all the money was poured into the production values, to make the otherwise terrible story and cast to look nicer. But no amount of fancy artwork can save a campaign if the dungeon master is a GONZO… I mean a jerk. And anyway, the whole thing is just a tower with random decorations and monsters and traps, plus a town outside. And that is supposed to be the whole world? Because we are talking about a world threat here. Supposed… And whatever, it ain’t like the animation or the soundtrack are great or anything. There aren’t any memorable songs in here and everyone looks generic to the point of forgetting them as soon as... Um, what I was talking about?

As for the humor part, ok, it is funny if your expectations are low and you just want to laugh at clichés (both in games and anime in general). Too bad you will be doing the same even in moments of tension because of the lame directing and the random missions. This is hardly the best of what fantasy has to offer in the medium; Record of Lodoss War was wonderful for its cheesiness, while Mahoujin Guruguru is ten times funnier and more well directed despite its low production values. There is no value in this gonzoed show and I don’t recommend it to anyone.

SHUT UP BRATS, NO CRAYONS FOR YOU!

The Tower of Druaga is a good, gentle comedy series disguised as a mediocre fantasy adventure. Nowhere is this dichotomy more apparent than in the two "first episodes", one a spectacularly funny parody of every RPG cliché, the other a frankly dull adventure introduction.

Fortunately, the series is more inclined towards the former as it goes on, and most episodes managed to keep me amused most of the way through. Druaga doesn't have the laugh-a-minute effect of more manic shows, but the slower pace allows for meaningful characterization, even with the somewhat oversized cast. Taken as a whole, it reminds me of nothing so much as Clannad. Although some intriguing pieces are set up, plot as such sensibly takes a back seat for most of the series, leaving the time not spent on pure jokery for more character-based interactions, which are where the series really shines.

The characters are a joy to watch, and their gradual development of each is superbly choreographed. While each fits broadly into a genre stereotype, a closer look shows them to be a uniquely crafted individual, and by the time twelve episodes are up each one has managed to surprise us somehow. The voice acting supports this fully, everyone having a fitting, distinct sound, while the music mostly fades into the background, the exception being the excellent opening song.

Said song is accompanied by a somewhat bizzare opening sequence, in which what're evidently alternate-universe versions of the characters head for school; while odd, this is entertaining enough, and twelve episodes is too short a time for it to grow stale. The animation in general is clear and consistently good, but it never rises above that.

It's a criticism that could equally well be leveled at the series as a whole. Druaga is always good, rarely great; it's not a show that will go down in history, for better or worse. But it is a very pleasant way to spend a few hours, if you can spare them.

Entertainment is not a difficult subject to write about since no matter what incarnation of it, either it be a music, a book, a movie or an anime, the main propose is to entertain. In that regard it can only either achieve it or fail, but in between those two there is what we call mainstream (don’t mix it up with ordinary or average), and there have been very few installments that represent the niche as well as Druaga.

Two things will remain constant in this review, first alphanumerical scorings will mean very little since we can only strictly classify an anime by its intrinsic values, when we are either flaming an abysmal show, or praising another gorgeous one. And second, people that tend to strive by exaggerating problems instead of praising achievements and balancing mistakes will most likely disagree with me. But anyway, these people tend to make their minds on a subject before hitting the issue so their thoughts are biased from start, and no matter how long of a rant or praise I write I will never make them happy, and I wouldn’t be paying justice to Druaga with neither approaches.

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Story
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The strength of the story here doesn’t come from intricate plot or interesting twists, instead it have its strongest suit on the development, which is only a pretty way to say it is predictive and not as well explained as one would hope, but still manages to stand on its own legs and doesn’t let down. Some parts of the lore and the most part of the back stories of the characters are simply not explained at all, but since we are dealing with some pretty standard territory (fantasy, dragons, ghosts, magic, so far not vampires…) even if some plot holes are present, the omission of explanations actually helps what could very well turn out to be a dragged mess of unneeded monologues.

The first episode is simply wonderful and kicks in with a really good pace that puts you into the mood to take whatever it might hold ahead, and actually manages to keep this feeling going for the majority of the time, only dropping the ball slightly by the end running away from its uniqueness’s to the more safe surroundings of your everyday shounen, complete with insane amounts of mainly screens and girly tears. It is aggravating but bearable since even in its worse moments it stays solid, and on the other rare occasions where it is simply bad, you always manage to find other redeeming factors on the scene, either it be the unusual and fresh homage to the source material spread throughout the series, or the humor that frequently comes off on the precise moments.

That aside, one of the small touches I like the most is the fact that they strayed away from the usual “average high school boy” as a main protagonist, while still referring to that demographic trough the intro. It was a really smart move to make the plot feel a little bit fresher, while still ticking the pre-requirements to get founding for the show. If only they would stick to this kind of creativity throughout the whole thing, the story would’ve been much better, but I don’t like criticizing something based on my failed expectations so it’s a moot point.

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Art / Animation & Sound
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The static art is good, characters are vivid and well designed and the colors albeit a bit too bright for a dungeon environment are good, but as soon as motion occurs it is uneven at best. This doesn’t deserve to be dragged much longer, but I have to point out you will spot a few sequences of animation with less frames then would be required to look good, luckily those were not frequent enough to leave a bad impression of the otherwise competent art and animation direction. Just as the 2D counterpart, the CGI is well executed but animated unevenly. It was also not bad enough to become intrusive, but at this day and age we have come to expect more value per screen time then what is delivered here.

Soundtrack is really subpar. It’s not technically at a fault and more often than not it fits the scene, but battles lack punch, drama lacks emotion and overall it lacks quality to make an impact worth noticing at any given moment. The intro selection is fitting for the unique choice but nothing else, and sound effects are not as bad as the rest, holding their own ground fairly well. Voice actors do a decent job, and at least during a few lines when both the plot and the soundtrack help they do a great one, but this is not common enough to worth praising on any specific role.

Without taking into consideration the lack of vibe the sound department provides, the visuals are pleasing while never achieving moments of complete gloriousness (possible exception for the outtakes of the tower itself) and in fact the irregular nature of the art here, hurts more than simply the lack of quality which gladly is far less common.

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Characters
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Lasting impressions after the credits roll are usually a safe indication of how good characters are, but here this might not be failproof. This is because the development of the main characters is incomprehensible from time to time, and you might just as well get attached to someone just to find out later he became something else. This is a bit more subtle on the female cast but ridiculously evident with the main character, he goes from good-for-nothing to dependable to demigod and then back to screaming teenager without any trouble or rational explanation, and in the meanwhile people around him act as if he had a giant poster written “main character” floating above his head and this was only natural. Romance development and drama climax also suffer from this, and they never truly deliver due to lack of proper trailing.

Side roles are not particularly flashed out here, and it is for good measure since the few attempts to bring them out shows how silly and underdeveloped they are, but with a main cast of roughly 10 characters we still get plenty meat on the bone with episodes focusing on specific characters and such. The main gripe thought is that there is no clear enemy, and instead they just go around facing random “evil” that pops up, most of them nameless, until they reach yet another boss that is not developed as a character at all. Instead of having opposing motivation, the enemies are just there to be slashed, and this gets old eventually even if it is yet another trait of the original material they derive from.

Just as with the story, where at the same time it’s neither the main focus nor the outcast, the characters face a well rounded tour, going from spotlight to backstage in a blink of an eye. You never get too much or too little of them, and by the end the mileage gained is quite good. Though it could be a bit better if they would settle for either comic or dramatic mood with some plot developments, because with so many stories I felt it lacked time to fulfill both goals to the fullest. Rest assured, there isn’t many unlikeable characters to begin with and the side cast is pretty weak, but the main ones all have some redeeming traits and unless you try really hard to hate them, you will be able to get attached to them soon enough.

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Enjoyment & Value
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So, what makes a mainstream anime? Average sound, average music, average animation, average art… these are scrutinizing about subjects one anime belonging to this category don’t need, instead what characterize a mainstream anime is how well it manages to differentiate itself from the horde of similar ones, and how effectively the fun factor can avoid the hindering all the technical shortcomings might incidentally bring to the table, and taking all of this into consideration Druaga is a proud member of this group.

With its dose of uniqueness both on visuals and direction it manages to remain with a fresh feeling during the entire show, and with somewhat likable characters and good pace, it also achieves a decent level of lasting impression. The technical aspects might not be as sharp as one could expect since the bar these days is set so extraordinarily high, but it also goes miles away from being simply ordinary or mediocre.

Overall it is an easy recommendation for anyone that likes the genre, perhaps not a “no brainer” for anyone else, but it definitely delivers into all aspects one would expect while at the same time bringing a healthy dosage of extravagances.

Reviewer's Note: This review does not attempt to explain every one of its category ratings, as the reviewer finds a compartmentalized ratings system to be irrelevant when expressing one's thoughts and opinions on an anime (the reviewer will, however, judge as best an estimation for each category). The reviewer believes that a good review is both concise and direct, making sure to highlight only the most salient aspect(s) -- strengths and/or weaknesses -- of an anime. The reviewer strives to achieve this in all reviews, in exactly 365 words.

Stories modeled after D&D's brand of fellowship fantasy have a major pitfall. Record of Lodoss War was unable to avoid this and, likewise, The Tower of Druaga: the Aegis of Uruk falls right into its own trap. In other words, its plot has an unsightly problem with "dungeon" vision.

The premise of Druaga is rather simple. Jil, our hapless hero, scales the eponymous tower to defeat its eponymous keeper, with a cadre of allies in tow. There are eight shrines (levels, basically) to traverse, each with its own unique challenges. And no, it doesn't go anywhere beyond that. In fact, it's worse than you'd imagine.

As the hero, Jil's progress through the tower is tantamount to the progress of the story itself. His bumbling nature, however, washes away any sense of real achievement. When Jil enters a new shrine, it feels as though he simply got there, as though each new episode is its own badge of accomplishment. Some of the tower's challenges exist only for unsuccessful comedic effect, too. Dumb luck and allies are Jil's anti-climactic weapons.

The bad thing about a consummately linear plot is not just that it's boring; it inevitably hurts other aspects of the anime. Jil and the gang are not given any room to grow as characters through this tight corridor of a story. Their personalities are shallow, their personal struggles stagnant. What you see is 12 episodes of contrived introspection and interpersonal conflict. At one point in the story, Jil comes to an utterly laughable epiphany, where he essentially does not change as a character (talk about a contradiction). It's not just him, either. It's painful watching a major character repeat the same sort of jokes or comments throughout the series. Without an organic, evolving cast, the only thing keeping a viewer attached to the story is that faint hope for a major plot twist.

Druaga is a story better left avoided. It's far too full of holes to be a truly enjoyable fantasy story. If you're still keen on watching, one can only hope that -- despite some pitifully amateurish plot revelations toward a second season -- Druaga's sequel will redeem what its predecessor currently is:

Monotony.

When I first saw this anime before I downloaded I had no idea what it was about, it just looked like a standard fantasy adventure from the AniDB picture, but then for some odd reason it was considered a parody? So that is what got me interested and why I decided to watch it. Too be honest I would consider it a parody or not but it definitely has some characteristics that make it so. At the same time the anime is serious enough that its hard to think of it that way. So what is it? I dunno I know its based off of an old arcade game by the name of tower of Druaga and from what I read its suppose to be a sequel to it. i guess this is also part of the joke part because they do talk about the original game quite a bit and add lots of funny quirks to it.

The basic plot begins follows Jil as he adventures to reach the top of the tower of Druaga to defeat the evil monster that lives at the top. The twist to the story is that the tower was once conquered by Gilgamesh the king of Uruk but for some reason the tower came back. As you may have guessed the original game involved the king and his adventure conquering the 60 levels to finally fight Druaga.

Animation
I wasn't expecting much out of this anime, but it actually had pretty good animation. Most animes based on rpg or adventure games have poor animation. But this anime actually had quite good fights that were fluid and realistic for the context. Each "party member" served a purpose and with these abilities were able to defeat enemies. You didn't have that one SUPER character that just used his uber ability to conquer all. The only awkward part in fight scenes was the mix of CG for extras and certain enemies. They looked a bit out of place and didn't match with the action sequences. Other then that it worked quite well. It was very refreshing to see an anime based off a game that well didn't butcher the animation. They also have some really funny moments crediting the original game :).

Sound
Overall the sound matched everything in the anime. When they needed things to be serious they followed up with serious tones and music. On the other side when they were making jokes you could tell easily. The opening and ending didn't really stick out at all for me. I personally hate talking about sound because i don't pay much attention to it. As long as it isn't annoying and does its job usually I don't have much to say about it :S.

Story
Well the story is quite simple and straightforward. At least it is up until near the ending. Basically the goal is to reach the top and defeat the evil monster thats it. Each episode they progress further and further and meet various challenges. Each episode is pretty much a small little quest of the week or "floor" of the week in this case. It really isn't complicated at all and so the story wasn't very appealing. However it actually picks up at the end and you are left hanging to wait for the next season. I think this was the big problem though, even though they gave ample warnings to the characters and viewer of what might come. You still don't know whats going to happen till the very end and boom you have to wait till 2009 :P. Hopefully the story will play a bigger role next season.

Character
They have a huge cast in this series that don't get varied levels of exposure. In terms of development of characters you really don't see much of this happening aside from the main character. For most of the anime you don't even know what the intentions of many of the characters are for being in the anime, therefore if you have to say whether they are changing in anyway its hard to say. I think rather then looking for individual development it was more looking at the changes in the parties and how they view each other. Since the anime does not focus on the main characters party but also the others that are aiming to reach the top, you get very nice interaction between them. Basically the abundance of characters made the anime very interesting and different.

Value and Enjoyment
I THINK they were trying to have some sort of message, but then it gets lost quite quickly at the end. So I don't really consider that the anime really accomplished anything valuable at the end. However since it hasn't ended yet it still has the chance to get back what it lost next season. I'm not sure if I would rewatch this I think it depends on the rest of the series. Nonetheless I did enjoy this series and can be proven by the fact that I downloaded it today and finished it today as well. It doesn't have anything too spectacular, but at the same time it has a really good mix of comedy, action and adventure that kept me interested the whole way. I would recommend it too all fans of fantasy/adventure animes in particular RPG adaptations. So hopefully if you watch it you will also find it fun:)