Final Fantasy: Unlimited

Publisher
ADV
Director
Mahiro Maeda
Production
Gonzo Digimation, Square
Country of origin
Japan
Format
Series
Running time
25 episodes
Year
2001

Final Fantasy: Unlimited Phase 2 (eps 5-8)

By John Huxley
20th Jun 04

Considering the heritage and popularity of Square's Final Fantasy series of videogames, best-sellers since the original NES incarnations right through to the most recent Playstation 2 releases and beyond (with FFXII heading to PS2), it's surprising that the franchise has never really had a successful anime adaptation up until this point. There was the 1994 OVA Legend of the Crystals which followed on from the plot of the SNES game FFV, and of course the much maligned CGI Final Fantasy feature length film that most fans would agree is best left forgotten. It strikes me as odd that such a wildly popular videogame franchise that places such an emphasis on storytelling and characterisation has not been considered for a high profile anime release for nigh on 20 years. Perhaps Square were reluctant to license out their most precious of assets, I'm not sure, but with the second DVD release of Final Fantasy: Unlimited we at last have the chance to indulge ourselves in the rich fantasy worlds and charming characters that have been synonymous with the videogames for so long.

Final Fantasy Unlimited's world and its inhabitants won't be immediately familiar, however. As with almost all Final Fantasy games, Unlimited has chosen to forgo established characters and locales in favour of an entirely new setting with which to base an original story that is related to the videogames in theme only. However, there are still chocobos, summons, Cid and a whole host of Final Fantasy mainstays that make an appearance in Unlimited to cement it firmly within the mythos of the videogames, so you needn't worry about another Spirits Within debacle here.

The story revolves around two young twins and their quest to be reunited with their parents, presumed missing in the bizarre and wondrous parallel dimension called, appropriately enough, Wonderland. To help them on their adventures they've enlisted the services of the kindly, nature loving Lisa (sporting a fetching orange dress that should make her a firm favourite with the male fans), the silent, enigmatic Kaze and a friendly chocobo that has taken a liking to our young hero (not to mention our young heroine's hair!). This second volume joins our ensemble as they make their way through a perilous underground waterway with the help of genius inventor Cid, being chased, as per usual, by one of the Earl Tyrant's increasingly inept evil underlings. Fans of the videogames will be familiar with this scenario - it's not unlike a scene from FFVI - but it is exactly this videogame-like simplicity that may deter many who were quite rightly expecting a more elaborate and involving narrative. All but one of the eight episodes so far (the opening episode) have used an almost identical structure to the last, making for a disappointingly predictable and quite often monotonous experience.

Yet Final Fantasy Unlimited has made every effort to remain faithful to its source material, a praiseworthy attribute that should surely ensure some amount of quality considering the videogame's story-led gameplay? Sadly, Unlimited stands as testament to the increasingly obvious equation that videogames will not easily translate to the screen without a serious reworking. The repetitive and hackneyed scenarios that were excusable within the confines of the videogame (because of the added benefit of user interaction) have unfortunately made the translation intact, leaving Unlimited with an antiquated feel it could have done without.

That's not to say that everything Unlimited has borrowed from its videogame siblings has the same unwelcome effect. The characters are as wonderfully crafted and as beautifully designed their digital counterparts, showing all the imagination and flair that has been the series' hallmark since day one. Kaze and his equally enigmatic nemesis Makenshi could well have been idolised alongside the likes of Cloud and Sephiroth had they been the stars of their own videogame, with their unflappably stylish lines, stark colour schemes and nonchalant attitudes. Likewise, the Earl Tyrant and his cronies are every bit as camp, ridiculous and hateable as FFVI's Kefka. These characters may be a little broad for some tastes, and while it's true they do lack the complexity and depth that we've come to demand, they're perfectly suited to the operatic setting of a Final Fantasy adventure such as this.

At its best, Final Fantasy is an opera through and through (bar the singing, of course). Where the first four episodes were really lacking direction, this volume sees the introduction of some intriguing plot devices that give the whole story an added level of impetus. I won't spoil the details for you, but it's safe to say that it involves the appearance of an old enemy, a new character and some familiar apocalyptic prophecies. How all this ties in with the search for the Hayakawa twins' parents (which has been largely forgotten) has yet to be seen, but if past Final Fantasy adventures are anything to go by, the excuse will be particularly convoluted and implausible. I guess we'll have to wait and see what the writers can pull out of the hat (here's hoping they also try and iron out a few of the series' less tolerable shortcomings while they're necking down the coffee).

Despite some potentially crippling flaws that have begun to surface, Final Fantasy: Unlimited remains an enjoyable, solid adventure that should be essential for fans of the videogames. It'll certainly pass the time until we get our grubby hands on the much talked about Advent Children, at least.

R2 DVD Notes

Features: English 5.1 & Japanese 2.0 audio, English subtitles, voice actor commentary, production sketches, Final Fantasy: Unlimited style guide, reversible cover, character booklet

Release information: UK: 17th May 2004, ADV

Notes: The reversible cover makes a welcome return as does the four-page booklet profiling characters with snippets of information and some colour illustrations. Pop the DVD in the tray and you'll be presented with a decent set of options. Ont top of the four regular episodes there's some production sketches, a style guide and a voice actor commentary for the eighth and final episode. The style guide is little more than a few illustrations accompanied by their colour charts and probably won't be of interest for more than a few seconds at the most. The voice actor commentary, presented by two of the US voice artists for the show, is more of an interview than an actual commentary of the show - they talk more about their experience as voice actors and videogames than they do the episode they're watching. Still, it's mildly amusing and a nice diversion if you've got nothing else to do on a rainy day. The booklet, cover and commentary save this disc from mediocrity. Neat.

-- John Huxley 20th Jun 04

Final Fantasy: Unlimited Images